Me and Ella...finally here : )

Once on the motorway and on our way out of Johannesburg I began to relax, it had been pretty stressful driving from the guest house where I’d holed up with my 2 girls, Georgia and Ella, to recover from the overnight flight from Zurich.  The countryside was flat and spread for miles with huge agricultural machines lurking at the edges of the fields.  After about an hour, I’d got into the swing of pulling over to the left and being overtaken by the big 4 x 4s, my little hire car could hardly compete, having them flash their hazards, and flashing my headlights in response.  Slowly the landscape began to change and hills began to rise from the fields, getting higher and higher.  At last it felt like we were in Africa and I could have driven for miles and miles.

Four and a half hours later, we’d driven through Nelspruit where the Leapers generally fly to from Jo’burg, which looked quite cosmopolitan and very busy, following directions from Luke our Project Leader, the girls spotted the sign, Kwa Madwala off to the right, an emergency stop took us on to another long road, but this time heading into the bush, here is where I found the pot-holes I’d been warned about.  Another swing to the left, and we found ourselves at the main gate to the reserve.  It was very hot, and a very relaxed security guard happily took 100 Zar (£10) from me, gave me a map and signed us in.

Carefully we drove along a dirt track – the little green car wasn’t designed for off-roading – and I said to the girls to look out for the lions, wondering if we should wind the windows up as we do at Longleat!  Within minutes we could see warthogs and impala – we really were in Africa!  We finally drove up a hill and found ourselves at Rockcamp where we were greeted and taken into the restaurant and welcomed with a drink – very welcome to the weary travellers, I met Jane and some of the lovely African staff who’s names I’ve totally forgotten. Then shown to our little rock shaped apartment where we were to stay for the next few days.  It was fabulous, a round living room, attached to a round bedroom, with a round bathroom, all designed merge into the Kojpies (rocks) in which it was built. The bedroom had doors which led onto a terrace which overlooked the bush, with an outside shower – it spread for miles in front of us with the odd hill changing the ladscape and was so quiet except for the sounds of the staff chatting and laughing from the kitchen  a way off.

Home sweet home!

The girls were dying to find water, so we tracked down the swimming pool which was close by, and then we were taken out for a game drive which was an amazing experience.  Just as we left a man said to us, looking up at the skies, ‘Enjoy yourselves, but I hope it doesn’t rain.’ A huge 4 wheel drive, driven by Bongami who drove around the bush looking for animal tracks, he had the most amazing eyesight and could see things that I would never see.  He showed us a green snake that was hiding in the grass, and animal tracks in the sand, we saw impala, more warthogs, and finally we came upon the rhinos.  He drove the vehicle really close to them, explaining that the adults couldn’t see very well, but that they had very good hearing, there was a male, female and a baby. We stayed by them for ages watching them, meanwhile, the clouds were coming in, and the rain started to spatter!  We were all in vests and shorts.  Bongami found us 3 huge rainproof ponchos which we wrapped around ourselves, and the then the rain really came down, the open-sided vehicle offering no protection.  From being really hot, we were suddenly soaked and freezing – it was thundering and lightening all around us, but still we were driving around the bush.  Bongami asked if we were OK, and I said (half joking, half not joking) I want to go home!! Eventually the storm moved over, and we stopped on the landing strip where the microlights take off from, and Bongami found me a beer and some cokes for the girls, and peanuts – a veritable feast in the middle of the bush with a soaking wet back-side after sitting in a puddle for the last half an hour!  But with the engine silent the night was full of the sounds of frogs and animals. Bongami set up a spot light so that we could catch the movement of any animals in the trees.

After a good nights sleep, I went to meet the Leapers who were staying at Gazebo Lodge on the reserve.  Their accommodation is really nice with spacious living areas both inside and a covered area outside, with a swimming pool.   There is a large kitchen, and I had a look around their bedrooms, which were a little cramped, but comfortable.  Outside is a waterhole where the animals come to drink in the morning, and the Leapers told me about finding Geoffrey the giraffe the first morning there, and there had been signs that the lions had been close too.

We had a new project at Kwa Madwala, which is a horse riding project, where the Leapers spend approximately half their time looking after horses and riding in the bush, and the rest of their time with the other Leapers doing some voluntary work in the community and at the orphange.  We had a few problems to iron out which I won’t go into now, but suffice to say we did get them sorted, and it sounds like the girls had an amazing time.  There are 7 horses at Kwa, and they living in stables which are right next door to the two orphaned elephants Tswali and Mujaji.

Me and Ella, bonding with the Ellies!

When the girls and I met the elephants it was the most amazing thing.  I’d seen Indian elephants up close when I went to India many years ago, but these were huge.  The girls were feeding them by putting food in the their trunks, and the elephants would put the food into their mouths.  We had the opportunity to ride one of them the last day we were there, Foster the elephant keeper at the front, Ella, me then Georgia taking up the rear.  We didn’t actually go very far as it was more a case of sitting on the elephant while she went from tree to tree finding leaves to eat.  I asked Foster if she was in the habbit of passing under low branches to knock her passengers off, as I pony I once had used to do to me, but he said no, at least not, Mujaji, but Tsawli was a different matter, he was a bit naughty! It was very high up, and with just a couple of straps to hold on to, a bit nerve wracking, but fun.

All aboard the elephant express!

The Leapers were going away for a couple of days to Moholohola, an animal rehabilitation centre on the edge of Kruger National Park, so we decided to tag along, the little green car following two mini buses full of leapers.  It was a long drive, and we visited a snake park on route, where Georgia draped a massive python around her neck.  Moholahola was great.  We were given an introductory talk along with other visitors and the ranger who gave the talk was excellent, and told us about changing Africa and how it was affecting the animals as they have no habitat any more, about what state the animals are in when they’re brought to the centre, they’re often injured by snares or shot by farmers who are trying to protect their animals.  They also put tracking devices on the animals they release and it was unbelievable to see how far they travel across Africa.  He had some remarkable stories.  We had a tour and met some of the animals, 2 tame cheetahs who had been hand reared and that they couldn’t release as there was nowhere for them to go, so they used them as ambassadors for the centre. We all had a chance to stroke one of the cheetahs.  Wonderful to have the opportunity to get so close to such a beautiful animal, and to hear it purring! There are lions, wild dogs, hyenas, to name just a few of the many animals and birds that they rescue, many are released back into the wild.  We also saw these peculiar animals called honey badgers which are apparently incredibly vicious, but look a bit like skunks.

The Leapers had the chance to wear a huge leather glove and hold some raw meat in and let the vultures jump off a perch onto their arms – I passed on that one!

We stayed away that night at ‘Jessica’s’ – an experience in itself.  Jessica is an orphaned hippo who was washed downstream when she was only 2 weeks old and hand reared by her ‘parents’.  She is now 10 years old and has become pretty famous in the last years, being the subject of about 65 documentaries.  She’s had so many visitors that her ‘parents’ have built Jessica’s Rest which is a kind of tree house, very basic accommodation built in a tree next to the river where Jessica lives.  The whole place is quite picturesque with the fast flowing river splitting and rejoining around the land where the house is built.  There is also has a large living area and a terrace overlooking the river with views of Jessica’s head and nose poking out of the water, with her ears twitching in the sunshine.

Jessica’s parents came along to say hi, and I think that they’d maybe had a drink or two as we had full history of Jessica and lots of strong denials that they gave her alcohol – the lady doth protest too much I thought!  Anyway, very timely, Jessica appeared on the other side of a fence (thank goodness for the fence), and she proceeded with her party piece.  When someone tickled her nose, she would open her mouth wide and we took turns to throw in a handful of rice, at which her mouth would close again!  Quite bizarre!

James puckers up for Jessica...

Meet Jessica here.

After a fairly sleepless night, in a double bed with my two rather large girls, we were awake early waiting for the official interaction with Jessica – we waited for quite a long time before Jessica’s adopted Dad turned up (slightly hungover I think), carrying two large plastic bottles full of some beer coloured liquid, with  a sort of teat type affair at the neck of the bottle.  We all traipsed to a pontoon on the side of the river, and Jessica swam over giving the Leapers a chance to bottle feed a 10 year old female hippo! Amazing – if a little peculiar!!

Picture postcard perfection!

After all this excitement we took the scenic route back to Nelspruit via the Drakensburg escarpment which has some fantastic views.  We stopped at a couple of vantage points, one was the three rondvels (not sure of spelling, which according to Luke, are the mud houses that the tribes used to live in, and this view was named after them as there were three round shapes at the top of the cliffs – it was fantastic – apparently the third biggest canyon in the world.  We stopped at God’s window which is supposed to be the most fantastic view, but unfortunately it had just rained, and as we approached the fence, all we could see was steam rising – hey ho next time!

Ten days in South Africa was nowhere near enough. I’ve definitely started a love affair with Africa, and would dearly love to go back and travel much further afield.  Thanks Guy for sending me and giving the girls an opportunity to go.  I wonder where we’ll go next???