On Safari

A very early start today – up and away by 6:30 am to miss the traffic out of PE and we still managed to get caught in a bit of a jam. It was about an hours drive out of the city before we reached the Addo Elephant National Park just after dawn.  We were the first entrants to the South Gate. The main park stretches for about 20 miles North/South and 10 miles East/West and there are various roads and loops to follow.  We headed north and came across a group of elephants after just a few minutes.  We stopped for breakfast at Jack’s Picnic Site, which is fenced in so you can have a break without fear of being eaten by lions; otherwise it is strictly stay in your car.   The main watering hole we were aiming for had no animals whatsoever, but at the next stop at Gwaddarie Dam we again had a great view of elephants drinking, and bathing. They passed really close to us, and I managed to get some video.

It was turning in to the hottest day of my trip, peaking at 33 degrees, so we stopped for a longer rest at the main camp. Here we could browse the souvenir shop, get a cold drink, visit the interpretation centre, and sit in the shade and watch the world go by.

We took a different route back, and didn’t see any lions but did see various animals including (more) elephants, caracal, zebra, buffalo, warthog, jackal, ostrich, and lots of different birds.

In all we spent a leisurely 8 hours in the park – there is a speed limit which is enforced by huge speed bumps and the quality of some of the roads. It was an excellent day and a great experience, and I am really grateful for Joyce and John driving me around.

In the evening, I chilled out and packed my bags ready for the long journey home.