Tarred Road Between Askham and Twee Riviere

The first time I visited the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park the road between Askham and Twee Riviere was still notorious. Reports of vehicles breaking down, corrugations shaking your teeth loose and tires being towed behind vehicles were in the order of the day. To me...it meant excitement.

Bad road conditions led to few people venturing to that part of our beautiful country and those are the places I love. Nature tends to be unspoiled when fewer human footprints litter the area - a sad state of affairs, but unfortunately all too true. So, we packed the car, at that stage a Pajero and the off-road Explorer caravan (bad choice, but that is a story for another day) and set off in the middle of the night to reach Molopo Lodge at Askham where we would overnight before embarking on THE ROAD.

We reached the lodge just before sundown and thanked our lucky stars that we reserved a chalet for the night. THE ROAD had to be embarked upon well before first light if you wanted any chance of arriving at the gate at Twee Riviere by eight when it opened. So, by five 'o clock we were on our way. The road proved to be everything it was reported to be - and then some.

After ten kilometers (and more than half an hour later) I thought the Pajero would lose at least some of the wheel nuts. Anything that could shake loose, did and I shuddered at the thought of the mahem I would find inside the caravan. We drove on every possible side of the road and sometimes even next to the road, but regardless of how fast or slow or where you drove, the corrugations hammered away at the car and your body. (I suspect the idea for the Vibro Shape belt originated on this road) Dust whirled around the cars and we had to keep a substantial following distance from our companions to be able to see the road ahead.  

Just before eight we arrived at the gate of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and watched the sun rise over the huts of the Botswana Twee Rivieren camp. The sixty-odd kilometers took nearly 3 hours to negotiate. What a wonderful start to a holiday in the bush!

During 2008 we entered the Kgalagadi again from Askham, and despite rumors of the road being tarred, I still held some hope that parts would be gravel. The freshly tarred surface continued to the gate of the park and we traversed the same stretch of road in less than an hour.

Now, I may be completely wrong about this and it is purely my own opinion, but I wonder if the tarring of the road didn't contribute to the influx of tourists to the park. During the time when access to the park was still limited to a few people who didn't mind "roughing" it a bit, we experienced no traffic congestion on the main roads, no motorists driving at excessive speeds and virtually all the people we met, were there solely for the purpose of experiencing nature and drink in the unique ambience of the Kalahari Desert.

A quiet appreciation of the animals and vegetation ruled the campsites at Twee Riviere - this changed to traffic jams, tour groups and noice-filled nights. While I am all for making our national parks more accessible to everyone and wouldn't dream to shun progress, I can't help but feel a little sad that the park is following in the footsteps of the Kruger National Park and is now well on the way to becoming a more commercial enterprise. With the road between Twee Riviere and Nossob being fixed (rumour has it that it will eventually also be tarred) it feels like the last vestiges of the quiet beauty will be lost for future generations. I hope the management of the park would be able to find a balance between commercial viability and preserving the park and its riches.

That said, I continue to visit the park despite these factors and during every visit the Kalahari reveals a little more about itself. You just can't help yourself - you need to go back again and again to experience the sometimes barren and dry soil of the Kalahari Desert.

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park should be on every tourist itinerary.

Where to Find Owls in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

With the December holidays approaching, many people will flock to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Bird watchers will be delighted to know that there are several spots in the park where different species of owls reside on a regular basis.

Twee Riviere and Vicinity

Exit the gate at Twee Riviere in the direction of Nossob. The Nossob River bed is on your right and dunes on your left. Small trees line the road on the left. Practically within a kilometer from the gate and well before you reach the Confluence lookout point, a small tree on the left plays host to at least two Spotted Eagle Owls.

Further along the road, just before the Melkvlei picnic area there is a fallen tree on the right hand side of the road. Despite the road works during December 2008, the Spotted Eagle Owls were not disturbed and rested during the heat of the day both on the thick branch of the fallen tree and in the foliage of the tree above.

Owls in the Nossob Area

 At the gate of the Nossob camp where your exit towards Twee Riviere, an unassuming smallish tree on your right hand side usually yields a threesome of Southern White-faced Scops-Owl. These owls rest in the precious little shade of the tree during the day and at night you can hear their calls echo through the camp.

Mata Mata and Vicinity

Inside the Mata Mata camp, right in front of the small tuck shop, a huge tree provides shade to humans and animals alike.  At least two Southern White -faced Scops-Owls will stare at you from the branches of the tree. Keep checking for them as they sometimes settle down on the lower branches of the tree and affords tourists wonderful photo opportunities.

After the turn-off to the Kalahari tented camp, the road turns to the left from Mata Mata side. On the left hand side of the road, tree partially overhangs the road. A pair of Spotted Eagle Owls resides inside the tree during the day and they are easy to spot. You will have a shady spot to stand in as well, which is a bargain during the hot summer months in the Kgalagadi.

These are only a few of the locations inside the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park where owls are seen at regular intervals. You will mostly hear the African Scops- Owl, but find it difficult to see one as they are small birds and very well camouflaged.

Also, look for Barn Owls inside Sociable Weaver nests as they utilize these huge nests to raise their own young.

Carnivorous Animals at Mabuasehube/Kgalagadi

As stated in the previous post, carnivores in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and Mabuasehube Reserve are not just limited to lion, leopard, cheetah and hyena. Smaller carnivores include the caracal, wildcat, bat eared fox, aardwolf, banded mongoose, black-footed cat, small-spotted cat, small-spotted genet, honey badger, black backed jackal, cape fox, striped polecat, suricate, slender mongoose, African wildcat and yellow mongoose. All of the above belong to the genus of Carnivora.

An interesting fact about the Black backed Jackal is that it can smell carrion, which it is not above eating, from a distance of 11 kilometers down wind. These jackals will also accost brown hyenas in an attempt to rob them of their prey, but not the cheetah, as they seem to fear the speed of the cheetah.

The Aardwolf eats up to 300 000 termites per night. As termites make out their whole diet they need to stay in areas where there are at least 3000 termite mounts to survive. In die winter, when termites are active during the day, the Aardwolf adapts its habits from nocturnal to diurnal.

One way to find a honey badger in the Kgalagadi is to look for two or more Southern Pale Chanting Goshawks (Bleeksingvalke) resting in the lower branches of the trees as you will often find the honey badger in the vicinity.
 

Why Travel to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and Mabuasehube

Many of you will ask: "What on earth do you want to visit a place so inhospitable as the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and even worse, Mabuasehube?" The answer is simple and at the same time, complex.

The simple version:

You will seldom find a better place for your soul to truly rest from the everyday rat race. There are no cell phone reception and unless you can afford a satellite phone, you will be cut off from 'civilization' for the duration of your stay. Nobody can contact you with day-to-day problems, you have limited radio reception so the problems of the world remain the world's problems until you return from holiday.


The pitting of your wits against nature to stay on top of the food chain provides enough distraction to occupy your mind - there is nothing like the roar of a lion at night reminding you that there is a mere piece of canvas between yourself and the deadly jaws of the king of the jungle. (Adrenaline will provide the rest of the distraction.)

Sitting around a campfire with a nice hot cup of coffee (in winter) or a cold beer ( in summer) and craning your neck to the heavens will remind you that you are but a small creature in the whole of the universe. This indeed provides perspective on any insurmountable problem you might think you have. (Freezing your backside off during winter will also assist in this process.)

The complex answer is ....

too complex to explain here as few men would understand and most woman would think I am crazy to enjoy living simple, without modern comforts, cooking on an open fire, walking barefoot in the sand (and praying the scorpions went to bed already), showering in cold water in a shower without a door or roof and crouching in the same Kalahari sand to watch the smallest of bugs carry their meager findings into the tiny hole in the ground.

To get some idea what I am talking about, see the slide show next to the post.

Well, next time I will report again on the progress of planning the trip in December.

Trip to Kgalagadi, Mabuasehube and Botswana

Over the weekend hubby informed me he wants to go to the Kgalagadi again in December. Do I hear you scream 'December!'? Yes, you heard right. He wants to tour the Kalahari Desert in the hottest months when temperatures easily reach 40 - 50 degrees Celsius. Well, I thought it would be all right. We've done this before - no sweat. I actually took to the idea of traversing the wilderness again.


We grabbed the map of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and planned a route to the wildest places in the park where we haven't been before. Places like Sizatswe, Swartpan, Gnus Gnus, Polentswa and naturally, the Mabuasehube side of the park. No visit to the Kgalagadi is complete (for us anyway) without a visit to the A-frames and clay pans of Mabuasehube Game Reserve.


Without really knowing what facilities are available at Sizatswe, Swartpan and Gnus Gnus, I phoned the Botswana Department of Wildlife and National Parks reservations office on 00267 318 0774 and proceeded to make a booking. The accommodation at Polentswa and Nossob was limited so I extended our stay in the far north of the park - a total of 8 nights. Fine, if it is just me and hubby there is no worries regardless of the facilities offered. With the provisional booking made, I enquired about the facilities in the northern part (Botswana side) of the Kgalagadi and was told...there is nothing. Not even a toilet, no water and no ablutions. You have to carry everything with you. This didn't bother me as we have plenty of space in the Cruiser and off - road trailer.


Then hubby dropped the bomb... he is taking his parents with. Suddenly I have to plan for 6 people, arrange drinking and wash water for 8 days and the Cruiser looked smaller every time I tried to fit everything in. I am still trying so do come back next week to check the progress.


The full trip is 18 nights and is as follows:


Day 1-3 at Rooiputs (Botswana side about 23 kilometers from Twee Riviere. Apparently, the bore hole hasn't been fixed so there is no water available, but at least there is a toilet and shower shelter.

Day 4-5 at Mata Mata (South African side - full ablutions and fences)

Day 6 - Nossob (South Africa side - full ablutions and fences)

Day 7 - Polentswa (Botswana - no fences, apparently no water, but toilet and shower shelter and A-frame)

Day 8-9 Sizatswe (Botswana - no fences, no water, no ablutions)

Day 10-11 Swartpan (Botswana - no fences, no water, no ablutions)

Day 12-13 Sizatswe (Botswana - no fences, no water, no ablutions)

Day 14 - Polentswa

Day 15 - Matopi (Botswana - no fences, no water, no ablutions)

Day 16-18 Mabuasehube ( Botswana - no fences, A-frame, ablutions and hopefully water)


Now the problem facing us is to carry enough water for drinking and washing for 6 people for 8 days. According to the information I could find, the gate at KAA seldom has water to provide so we can't count on getting some water there.


Next week I'll let you know how the planning comes along. For more information about the Kgalagadi Camps check out these articles:


Mabuasehube:

Camping at Mabuasehube

Campsite names of Mabuasehube

Kgalagadi (SA side:)

Nossob

Twee Riviere

Mata Mata

Until next week.

Budget Holidays To Africa - Kgalagadi

A holiday to Africa, more specifically Southern Africa, shouldn't cost you your life savings. Nature lovers seeking the wide open spaces and tranquility of the African bush, can have the holiday of their lives making use of the thousands of campsites available on the continent.