Gomo Gomo Days 2 & 3

Thursday - we were awake when HJ knocked on our door at 5:30 a.m.  We dressed in our chilly room and enjoyed coffee at the main lodge before leaving on the game drive.  The sun was just brightening the sky each day as we climbed in the Land Rover and as the sun rose the sky was flame colored.  We saw a variety of game this morning:  kudu, wildebeest, giraffe, zebra, rhino and saw vultures circling the lion kill.  But the lions were still there and the carcass odor was becoming more noticeable.
 

We had more delicious meals before the afternoon game drive and welcomed Neil and Lisa Vigars, honeymooners from the UK, to our vehicle.   Our first stop was a visit to the lion kill where the lions were still working on the diminished carcass.  We encountered a herd of elephants, saw hyena, a civet, giant eagle owl, and the ever present impala.  That night we heard lions roar and hyena laugh—the hyena were getting impatient for their turn at the kill.

Friday – In the early morning, while we were having coffee before the game drive we noticed something across the water hole in the dim light.  HJ told us it was the mother of the white lion cub.  She had a drink and then walked along the dam past Avery and Carol’s chalet.  We got in our Land Rover and followed her through the bush.  The second land rover was also following so we went a different direction so we wouldn’t spook her.  We saw a jackal, hyena and a tawny eagle.  We parked at the dam and watched a herd of elephants come down the bank to drink.  It was quite a large herd and we watched them until they turned around and left.  The lions were still at the kill and had dragged the remaining carcass, which was quite fragrant, around the tree where the vultures still waited.  A couple of jackals were prancing back and forth in the distance.

The white lion cub (center and its sibling (left)

Ewan radioed HJ that they had followed the mother lion to the den and had seen the white lion cub.  We raced to the sandy river bed and we too saw the tiny white lion and the tawny sibling staggering around the well hidden den.  Joe was only able to two two unfocused photos.  White lions are very rare in the wild and only occur naturally in this area of the Timbavati and Klaserie Reserves.  They are not albino but have blue eyes.  Joe and Jan saw a lion in 2001 that carried the recessive white lion gene and had read on the Gomo Gomo website that the cub had been born about four weeks ago.  HJ discovered it but the mother had moved the cubs and they hadn’t been seen again until that morning.  (Since then there were regular updates and pictures of the cubs on the Gomo Gomo website http://www.gomogomo.co.za.)

The monkey and steenbok and impala seemed so ordinary after that.  We were all chattering about the amazing white cub sighting sight when we returned to camp.  Michelle had decided to sleep in that morning so she missed seeing it. 

Michelle and Kevin went on the bush walk that morning.  Avery would have liked to go along but the minimum age for the walk was 12.  She had no trouble entertaining herself in camp with a book or swim or just watching the wildlife come to the water hole.  She took many photos with her camera every day.

On the afternoon drive we stopped first at the den in hopes of seeing the white lion cub again.  The mother was sleeping in the sandy river bed but the cubs must have been in the den as we did not see them.  We commented how fortunate we were to have seen it that morning.  Jeffrey left his seat on the fender and walked into the bush to track leopard again and somehow he found it, so we had another sighting.

We had seen four of the “big five,” lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, but so far had not encountered buffalo.  HJ and Jeffrey were on a mission to complete the list.  We drove through the bush and spotted a hyena, but we only paused for a few clicks of the shutter because HJ said he had a better sighting for us to see.  He told us to hold on and sped through the bush.  We bounced on the seats and ducked and swayed to avoid thorny trees and bushes.  We watched as another vehicle navigated a deep narrow ravine and then we followed.  The reward was a big herd of Cape Buffalo (estimated 400 +) coming to a water hole.  They stirred up the dust as they rushed to drink, bellowing and pushing the leaders further and further into the water.  In the fading light the animals continued to come out of the bush and bats flew overhead.

It was near dusk when we parked for “moon-uppers,” rather than sundowners.  The sky glowed with shades of pinks and purples as we chatted around the table and enjoyed cold drinks and snacks.  We stopped once again at the lion kill on the return to camp.  The lions had moved on and jackals and hyena were sharing the remains of the giraffe.  Hyenas have very strong jaws and feast on the bones.

All too soon our final day at Gomo Gomo arrived.  Once again we left camp early Saturday for our last game drive.  We went to the white lion den but there was no sign of the mother or the cubs so HJ said she must have moved them.  But we saw rhino, a herd of about 20 kudu, monkeys, steenbok, impala, a squirrel and even a nocturnal bush baby in the daylight.  Jeffrey spotted a leopard in a distant tree, but it jumped down before we all saw it—a disappointment for Jan who has never seen a leopard in a tree.  We stopped for a long while to watch four hyena casually walking by.  HJ said they were leaving the giraffe kill, dinner over. 

After another hearty breakfast, we shared our Colorado Places photo book with our servers.  They were so curious about the snow and a red barn and asked, “Is that your house?”  Michelle passed out Colorado t-shirts to everyone who had served and cooked for us and Carol had gifts for them as well.  We finished packing and were once again transferred back to Hoedspruit by Barney Smith.  He took us to pick up our rental vehicle, an eight-seater Hyundai van.  The luggage snugly fitted into the cargo space but we each had a window.  Joe took the wheel and managed to drive on the left side of the road, although he switched on the windshield wipers when he meant to use the turn signals.  It took a while to adjust.  

Now we were looking forward to spending three days in the Kruger National Park.  The entire Gomo Gomo experience was fantastic.  Jan and I have been to southern Africa numerous times over the years but the game-viewing experience on this trip was about the best we have had. 

Back to Gomo Gomo - Day Two

White Rhino

Wednesday morning we had time for a quick cup of coffee or tea and rusks before we left the lodge on our game drive.  We were fortunate that we had the Land Rover to ourselves until later in the week.  We saw three white rhino first thing.  White rhino have a square mouth and are grazers, black rhino have pointed lips and are browsers; their coloring is the same.  There were nine lions at the kill when we returned there.  The tree above was filled with vultures patiently waiting their turn.  We noticed the four month old cub and he (or she) was so cute!

A Red-billed hornbill.   Bird life here, even in winter was amazing

We drove on and a majestic male giraffe was nibbling new growth from a thorny tree.  His coloring was very dark.  We dropped Jeffrey off alone in the bush, armed only with a radio, to track leopard and picked him up later.  When the sun was high, we took a break and H.J. served coffee and tea and fresh baked muffins.  Back on the road Jan spotted a honey badger scampering through the bush; not sure if anyone got a picture.  H.J. and Jeffrey both left the vehicle to follow leopard spoor (tracks) — never mind the tourists sitting in the vehicle in the middle of the road…  H.J. took his .458 cal. game rifle from the case resting on the flat windshield, not for shooting, but he is not allowed to leave it in the vehicle.  He said the rifle could bring down an elephant.  They had no luck spotting the leopard.

Four month-old lion cub at the kill

We returned to camp and had breakfast.  Cold cereals, yogurt and fruit juice was followed by a cooked breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast.  With full tummies, we had a choice of the morning game walk, enjoyed by Kevin and Carol, relaxing by the water hole, checking email or a nap, which was chosen by a couple of us.  It was wonderful to wander around the lodge, sit by the pool, read a book, write post cards or just watch the wildlife come out of the bush to drink at the water hole.  The sound of the drum gathered everyone for lunch around 2:00 p.m.  Lamb curry was served.  It was warm in the daytime but very cold for the game drives.  We purchased Gomo Gomo warm scarves and hats and wished we had brought heavier coats, so we layered all we had.

A "business" of Dwarf Mongoose

Rulani (the "calm") female leopard

The afternoon game drive rewarded us with truly amazing sightings.  A herd of kudu was our first opportunity to take photos of these majestic antelope.  The stately bulls’ horns spiral and their sides have vertical white stripes.  A “business” of dwarf mongoose was fun to watch and Henry the hippo peaked out of the pond at us.  But “Rulani” the leopard was tracked and we had a wild off-road ride through the bush to see her.  (Rulani is a Shangaan word meaning calm) She was posing in the fading sun on an old termite mound.  So gorgeous!  She got up and we followed her as she slowly walked through the bush.  She stopped and posed again between the two land rovers, turning one way and then the other and opened her mouth in a big yawn.  She walked on and we followed her a while longer with cameras clicking away.  Then we saw hyena. 

Sunset - time for the traditional "Sundowners."

Of course we had Sundowners and then followed a lion walking down the road toward the dam to drink.  We drove to the other side of dam and waited for her to appear, which she did.  We returned to the kill and were surprised to hear the cub “meow” between the snarling adult lions tearing and chewing on the carcass.

Joe took time to download his photos to the laptop before dinner was served.  We again chose our seats in the boma and began with sweet potato soup.  The menu included steak, Avery was delighted, chicken pie, squash, salad and lemon meringue pie served in a hollowed out lemon.  Delicious!

By now we felt right at home at Gomo Gomo.   We enjoyed visiting with the staff, knew the schedule for breakfast at about 10:00 a.m. after the game drive, lunch at 2:00 p.m. and dinner around 8:00 p.m.  Game drives left camp at 6:15 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.  We gave them our laundry which was returned neatly folded the same day.  H.J., our Ranger, entertained us with his stories, happily answered hundreds of questions and put up with our banter and silly “tree” riddles.  (Eg: What do you call a small tree? – an Infantry) He served us drinks at every meal.  Each night when we returned to our bungalow there was a delightful hand written and illustrated traditional story about a wild dog, hippo, warthog or rhino and sweets on our turned down bed.

Rulani kept us mesmerized for about 45 minutes

Back to Gomo Gomo - Day One

This is the first in a series of stories and recollections from our 25 day tour of South Africa starting in July 2012.

Since our visit to Gomo Gomo in March 2006 the lodge has changed locations from the Timbavati to the adjacent Klaserie Private Game Reserve.  The newly constructed lodge overlooks a good-size dam and the brick and thatched chalets spread out on either side of the main lodge giving visitors nice views of the game that visits constantly.

The main lodge at Gomo Gomo

We flew from Dulles International Airport in Washington DC on a South Africa Airways (SAA) flight to Johannesburg that took 17 hours, including a one-hour stop to refuel in Dakar, Senegal. Total distance, as the crow flies, is 13,200 kilometers (or 8,184 miles) Dakar is almost exactly halfway. This is a long time to be sitting on a plane but we had many movies and other video programs to keep us entertained. Our group of six checked in to the Holiday Inn Garden Court Hotel adjacent to the O.R. Tambo International Airport (formerly Jan Smuts) after a 5:30 p.m. arrival for a good night’s sleep. After a hearty breakfast we returned to the airport to board an SAA Express plane for the 45 minute flight to Hoedspruit’s Eastgate Airport. Eastgate is the arrival point for most of the Game Lodges in the Timbavati, Klaserie, area, adjoining the Kruger National Park.

Arriving in the “lowveld” is always a special feeling. You are surrounded by the African “bush” and the temperature is warmer at about 1,000 feet above sea level. The seasonally dry acacia and grassy vegetation has a smell and feel that is unique. Stepping off of the plane you find yourself in a different world. We were picked up by Barney Smith of Fun Time Tours (www.funtimetours.co.za) and set out on the 45 minute drive to the lodge. Barney regularly provides this shuttle service for Gomo Gomo and other lodges in the area. Although the road was paved for most of the way the speed limit was 50km/hr (30mph) and it is easy to see why as we began to see wildlife immediately, with impala, giraffe, wildebeest, warthog etc. along the roadside. Turning on to a dirt road we reached the lodge after another ten minutes.  As we pulled up, the staff directed us through the main building onto the expansive deck overlooking the dam.  There to greet us was a small herd of elephant drinking. What a way to start our four day visit to Gomo Gomo!

Elephants welcome us to the lodge

Arriving at about noon, we were greeted by Linda and Ewan, and shown to our respective chalets.  A delicious lunch soon followed (the meals were consistently excellent!) and we had a few hours to explore our surroundings before setting out on an afternoon game-drive at 4:30 p.m. We met H.J. (short for Hendrik Johannes Esterhuizen) who was to be our ranger for the week and Jeffrey, the most excellent tracker, who we had met six years ago. Both of these gentlemen are highly trained wildlife professionals and we would learn a lot from them. They were also experts in finding game for us to observe and photograph. In fact, we came away with the certainty that they are passionate about wildlife and dedicated to providing the best possible “bush experience” for their guests.

The main bedroom in our chalet.

Our chalet was a brick and thatch structure overlooking the dam with really first class facilities.  Full length sliding glass doors opened onto a spacious verandah. There were two bedrooms, one with a queen size bed and the other with twin beds.

The open Land Rover seats up to ten passengers.

We assembled for the afternoon game drive at 4:15 p.m. The six of us, Jan, me, Carol, Kevin, Michelle and Avery (11), had a Land Rover to ourselves.  Ranger HJ drove, while tracker Jeffrey sat on the little seat over the front left headlight. We had been cautioned to dress warmly because; even though the days were warm the nights would be chilly, especially seating in the open vehicle with a breeze in our faces much of the time. Within about ten minutes we were parked beside the carcass of a full grown male giraffe that had been killed the day before. Nine lions were either feeding or resting next to the kill. We were to return to this site each day and watch the carcass shrink and other scavengers arrive to take their turns to feed. As the lions are accustomed to the vehicles, we were able to get very close without disturbing them.  As long as we remained seated, we would not be considered a threat or as a potential meal!

Lions feed on a giraffe kill

Jeffrey gets close to the wildlife

After spending half an hour watching the lion activities we drove on to search for other game and soon came across several elephant, the ever-present impala and the tiny steenbok antelope. As night fell we watched one of the lionesses from the kill come down to a water hole to drink. After refreshments we returned to the giraffe kill to watch the lions snarl and growl over their meal before eventually making our way back to the lodge at about 7:30 p.m.

A welcomed fire and dinner in the boma ends the day

Our first day in the bush would end with an enjoyable dinner served around a huge fire in the adjoining “boma,” an open air area enclosed by hand-cut wood poles lashed together to form a circular fence. We met and chatted with other guests about our day’s experiences.

Retiring for the night we thought it couldn’t get any better than this. Until day two.

Visiting Timbavati Private Game Reserve

On August 26, 2001 we left the USA on South African Airways out of Atlanta for an overnight flight to Johannesburg. We were traveling with Jerry and Joni Lund from Crested Butte, Colorado, who had never been to Africa before. Arriving in the morning, we rented a car and drove to Pretoria, visiting old friends for tea and then doing a leisurely walk in the gardens in front of the Union Buildings, where Nelson Mandela’s office was located. From there we headed east to Lydenburg where we had booked accommodations at the very nice B&B, the “Manor Guest House.” (Note: We will be staying there again this coming July and highly recommend it to anyone traveling in this area of South Africa.)

After a restful night’s sleep and a hardy breakfast we took the beautiful scenic route to Hoedspruit down the Abel Erasmus Pass, stopping, on the way, to see the Bourke’s Luck Potholes and to admire the incredible scenic overlooks across the Blyde River Canyon.  Soon after passing through the town of Hoedspruit we turned to enter the gravel road to the Timbavati Private Game Reserve.

Our drive continued through quaint villages and as we neared Kings Camp we saw monkeys, baboons, eland and giraffe through the game fence along the gravel road.  Kings Camp, aptly named because the guests are treated like kings, is situated in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, part of the extended greater Kruger National Park. It is one of the upscale and fairly expensive  game lodges in the area. Arriving just before the  afternoon game drive was beginning we immediately began our game viewing adventure in the heart of the bush just 20 minutes later. Our luggage was whisked into the luxurious air-conditioned chalets and we boarded an open land rover for the drive. So, a mere 48 hours after leaving the US we were in the middle of the African bush – what a change!

Kings Camp friendly & expert Rangers & trackers

Patrick was our ranger-guide and Paul, the tracker, rode on a seat on the front fender.  Soon after we left camp we drove to a site overlooking a river and saw a herd of buffalo numbering over 100.  We encountered a breeding herd of elephant including tiny babies that stayed close to their mothers.  While driving through the bush we came upon a mature male lion lying by the road.  He sat up to give us a look but soon continued his rest. 

We stopped for sundowners by a dam and enjoyed cheese and biscuits, biltong sausage rolls and peanuts with raisins along with our drinks.  The hostess included extra food since we told her we had missed lunch.  In the failing light of the setting red sun we made our way to see five lions feeding on a mature female giraffe they had taken earlier that day.  In the bright light of three land rovers we saw and heard the gnawing on flesh and tearing of skin.  All the while Joni was exclaiming her disbelief at what she was seeing.  We put on our jackets and huddled under blankets for the chilly drive back to camp.

Jan in front of the Kings Camp luxury chalets

We had time to explore our roomy accommodations and shower before dinner.  The sleigh bed was canopied with a dramatic mosquito net. Turn down service provided chocolate mints on the pillows and switched on the electric heating pads in the beds.  There was a sofa, coffee table covered with books and a side chair as well as a desk.  A lovely arrangement of flowers stood tall in a corner vase.  Luxurious terry robes were provided and the bathroom had a tub, 2 sinks and 2 showers—one glassed indoors and one in a walled garden outdoors.  Of course there was bubble bath, shampoo and moisturizer provided too, as well as coffee/tea service, a stocked refrigerator and hair dryer.

Drinks were served in the lounge before dinner.  The linen and crystal service on the tables enhanced the cuisine of tomato soup starter, Thai chicken, vegetables and potatoes and a pastry topped with whipped cream for dessert.  Patrick joined us at our table and willingly answered all the questions we had and said he would be sure we had a wake-up call at “dark-thirty” (5:30 a.m.) the next morning for our game drive. 

Wednesday, August 29

Everyone gathered for coffee and rusks before we again boarded the Land Rovers.  The couple that had been with us the night before was leaving that day so we had the Land Rover all to ourselves. Shortly after the gorgeous sunrise Paul set out on foot in the bush to track a leopard that was in the area.  Patrick drove us back to the lion kill and it was even more amazing in the daylight.  The 3 female and 2 male lions had eaten quite a bit during the night and some were sleeping while others continued to pull and chew on the carcass.  We saw the hyena we had heard in the night stalking at a distance and noticed the vultures gathering in the treetops waiting their turn.  Butterflies floated through the bush; after all it was springtime.  We saw the buffalo herd again, hippo, elephants, impala - lots of impala, and the tiny antelope called a steenbok.  We never knew what we would see around the next turn.  Paul found fresh spoor (footprints) of the leopard and her cub but we didn’t see them.

We returned to camp for a full breakfast buffet of fruit, yogurt, cheese, pancakes, sausage, bacon, eggs, potatoes, mushrooms, eggplant, tomatoes and baked beans.  We then had time to explore our surroundings, test the cool water in the swimming pool, shop in the gift shop, write post cards and rest before high tea was served early afternoon.  It was a warm sunny day, just perfect for an outdoor shower.  Joe took advantage of the workout room and ran on the treadmill for a while.

 As we began the afternoon drive Paul continued to track Java, the leopard.  We returned to the lion kill, which was beginning to smell.  The lions were still feeding, although two walked away for a drink nearby and then returned and others were content and napping.  We saw a small herd of young bachelor elephants that waved their ears and eyed us suspiciously.  We interrupted the game drive for the traditional “sundowners” and enjoyed drinks and snacks.  Other game to check off our list was the small spotted genet, civet, and a duiker.  All the while Patrick was keeping in touch with Paul by radio as he tracked the leopard.  She was spotted near camp and the three vehicles converged in the area.  We had given up and almost returned to camp when one land rover caught her in its light walking in the wide sandy riverbed.  The baboons in the trees were barking, they had seen the leopard, too.  Patrick turned around and we headed that way.  It was worth the wait to see her.  She was so beautiful and majestic as she walked right past us, so close we could have touched her.  What a thrill!

Leopard in the headlights

There was lively conversation at dinner that night which was served under the stars in a boma (a roughly enclosed area around a blazing fire).  We were served typical African fare on warmed plates: impala, sausage, curried vegetables, corn on the cob, potatoes and more vegetables.  Joni loved the impala filet.  She said, “Yum yum!”  Thereafter whenever we saw impala she repeated, “Yum yum!”  It really is delicious and frequently served.  Thrilled with the day’s sightings we didn’t tarry around the fire in the welcoming chairs knowing that we had another early morning drive ahead.  We were pleased to find our clean laundry waiting in our rooms.

Thursday, August 30

During the night we heard buffalo walk through camp between the bungalows and were told 2 male lions followed them. We again had a 5:30 AM wake up call and coffee before we began our final drive.  Fresh rhino spoor was found and we drove through the bush looking for them but had no luck.  That sight would have completed the “Big Five” since we had already seen lion, leopard, buffalo and elephant.  We didn’t see much game except impala and mongoose.  Paul noticed fresh leopard footprints, too.  Then he noticed the Land Rover had a flat tire, so we watched as they changed it and then we returned to camp. 

A stop for petrol along the road to Kruger Park

We had breakfast, then packed our car and left for our next adventure.  We returned to the town (Hoedspruit) to change more money into Rand.  While Joe and Jerry were in the bank, Joni walked around and talked with the people.  We then made the three hour drive to Satara Camp in Kruger National Park.  

Introducing the Kruger National Park

I first visited South Africa's Kruger National Park (KNP) in 1958 at the age of 14. In the last 12 years Jan and I have visited several times.  Each trip has provided wildlife viewing above our expectations. We plan to return in July this year and so I thought I would introduce readers to this remarkable wildlife sanctuary now, because I will be posting frequent stories and photos while we are there.

Map of the KNP

Located in the northeast corner of South Africa, the KNP is one of the ten largest game reserves in the world. The tropic of Capricorn crosses the park. (see photo here) It was originally proclaimed as the Sabi Reserve in 1898 by the President of the Transvaal Republic, Paul Kruger.  Its original size was about 1,780 sq. miles.  An enlarged area was formally designated the Kruger National Park in 1926.  Now it covers an area of 7,600 square miles.  It is being merged with the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique and the Gona re Zhou Park in Zimbabwe to form the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park.  This remarkable initiative will result in a 13,500 sq. mile conservation area that will be one of the largest in the world.

Ultimately the goal is to create a fence-free park, allowing historic wildlife migration routes to be expanded, provide significant employment and income opportunities for rural people and greatly expand Eco-tourism potential in the region. 

The driving distance in the park, from Pafuri Gate in the north to Crocodile Bridge in the south is 250 miles.  

Animals in KNP have the right-of-way.

The uniqueness of  KNP is that one can self-drive and see an amazing variety of mammals, birds and reptiles. Although you can't drive off of the vast system of paved and graveled roads in the park the game-viewing is excellent.


Reasonably priced accommodations are offered, in the many fenced camps from camp-sites, RV parks, chalets, lodges etc.  There are several high end luxury lodges as well.  

Even the smallest species have right of way.

The South African National Parks excellent web pages http://www.sanparks.org/parks/kruger/ provide comprehensive information on trip  routes, accommodations, gas (petrol), restaurants, game viewing, weather and so on.

Marshall Eagle

The Park is unrivaled in the diversity of its life forms and a world leader in advanced environmental management techniques and policies. Truly the flagship of the South African national parks, Kruger is home to an impressive number of species: 336 trees, 49 fish, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles, 507 birds and 147 mammals. 

Cape Buffalo near Punda Maria Camp in the north.

The KNP is easily accessible, of course, to most South Africans by a modern highway system and it is a favorite vacation destination during school holidays. When planning visits to South Africa it is always a good idea to Google 'SA School Calendar' and pick those periods when schools are not closed. 

I will write about some of the KNP rest camps we have visited and describe the private games reserve areas to the west of the park in upcoming blog posts.

If you have had experiences in the Kruger Park I welcome your comments and opinions.

 

Kariba

Most people who have never been to southern Africa are not aware that there is a very big lake on the Zambezi River called Lake Kariba. “Kariba” as the locals call it was, at the completion of its construction in 1960, the largest man-made lake in the world.  It is four times the size of the notable Three Gorges Dam in China.  From the small town built on the hills overlooking the dam wall, the lake stretches 140 miles (290km) to the southeast and is about 20 miles (32km) wide on average.

Map shows Lake Kariba - Zambia to the north, Zimbabwe to the  south

The massive project was undertaken to provide hydroelectric power for the growing industries of Zimbabwe and Zambia. Two power stations, one on the Zambian bank and the other on the Zimbabwean side are in full operation. Covering an area of 5,580 square kilometers (2,150 sq mi), its storage capacity is an immense 185 cubic kilometers (44.4 cu mi). The lake began to fill in 1958 and would become a year-round source of water for an abundance of animal and bird life, and a sunny playground for both local and foreign tourists. In places the lake is over 300 feet (90M) deep. A large commercial fishing industry developed here providing tons of sardine-like “kapenta” which provides a significant source of protein for a predominantly African clientele. There are huge populations of hippo and Nile crocodile in residence here and on the shorelines and major Game Reserves on the southern shore have incredible populations of wildlife.

The history of the construction of this engineering marvel, the story of the taming of the “River God” Nyaminyami, and the story of one of the most impressive wildlife rescue operations (Operation Noah) ever carried out in Africa, make for interesting reading. As the waters rose to flood the valley, over 5,000 animals were rescued, including 35 different mammal species and 44 black rhino. Frightened creatures ranging from elephant to snakes were captured for release into areas that now form Matusadona National Park and Chete Safari Area.

February 1970, two flood gates open

My first visit to Kariba was between Christmas 1966 and the New Year.  I was on a trip to “Rhodesia” from my home, at the time, in Grahamstown, South Africa where I was working at Rhodes University.  My friend Andrew Campbell-Watt who had been a fellow student at Rhodes, was living in Salisbury at the time.  He and I undertook a tour in my red Volkswagen Beetle and our first destination was Lake Kariba. It was love at first sight for me and after I moved to Rhodesia the following July, it would be the scene of a number of memorable experiences. 

One of the most striking things about the lake is its huge size. There are times when you are in a small boat that you lose sight of the shore completely and have to navigate by compass (or GPS today!). A ferry boat service runs from one end of the lake to the other and it is usually an overnight journey of 12 hours. To put its size in perspective, traveling from one end to the other would be a similar distance as driving from Colorado Springs to Cheyenne, Wyoming.

December is the middle of the hottest season of the year, and the Zambezi River Valley can be extremely hot and uncomfortable.  Cooling lake breezes offer relief from the heat. Viewing wildlife, particularly elephant from a boat, allows you to drift up close and the animals seem less threatened than when observed from the land.  In August 1971, when our infant son was just four months old, Joan and I flew with my brother John in a Cessna for a weekend visit to Bumi Hills Lodge in the Matusadona National Park on the south shore of the lake.  With us was my younger brother David who was 16 years old and visiting from South Africa during a school break.  Bumi Hills was later re-built as a much more modern (and expensive) hotel but at the time it was fairly rustic.  The only way to reach the hotel was by boat or by aircraft. Flying across the remote African bush from Salisbury (now Harare) and then being able to fly over the dam and above the massive dam wall in the gorge was pretty breathtaking. A few photos from that visit are shown here.

Approaching Bumi Hills from the air - August 1971.

The old Bumi Hills in 1971

A later visit to Lake Kariba came in July 1986. Joan had passed away in December 1985 and I took Alan (then 15), Graham (13) and Carol (12) back to Zimbabwe for a five week visit.  We stayed with their grandfather in Harare but old friends took us with them to the lake for a one week camping trip.  Jim and Jacquie Weller and their two sons, Nigel (then 16) and Phillip (14) had a motorboat which we packed with provisions and supplies.  We launched the boat from Andora Harbour at Kariba and made the 20 mile crossing to the Matusadona National Park twice to get everyone and all the supplies to the camping area at Tashinga. Typical of Zimbabwe National Parks, this camp ground, despite its remoteness, had very nice showers and ablutions.  We pitched our tents and cooked over wood fires on grills that were set up for that purpose. 

This was a memorable adventure for our family. Our camp was about 200 yards from the lake shore across a gently sloping area of open grass. During the days we would go out fishing and game viewing, usually returning in the late afternoon. Elephant and hippo could be seen most of the time and buffalo would graze across the open area near our tents.   One evening I remember we had asked the four boys to bring everything back from the boat when the sun had already set. After a while we heard this young voice calling, “Dad, there’s a buffalo standing on the path!  We can’t get back to camp.”
We answered with some sage advice, suggesting they be patient and wait until the buffalo moved on.  Ten or fifteen minutes later the boys got back safely. 

Late one night I heard a noise next to my tent (a pup tent for me) and picking up my torch (flashlight) I lifted the flap of the tent and came face to face with a huge Cape buffalo bull eating grass about ten feet away. He looked even more “huge” of course because I was lying on the ground and looking up at him.  Eventually he wandered away and peace was restored.
 

On a few occasions I had to take a commercial airline flight from Harare to Kariba and on one trip the pilot had to buzz the airfield to chase a herd of elephant away, before he could land safely. This was, evidently, a common occurrence.

One of my most memorable visits to Lake Kariba was in September 1978. A friend, Rudi Cassette, and I flew to Kariba on the afternoon of September 2nd. We spent much of the following day meeting with clients who were planning to construct a fish-canning plant near the town of Kariba. Rudi was our company Research & Development representative and we met with Lauris Zuchinni of Liebigs Foods.  Our discussions went well and ended after a lengthy tour of the proposed factory site and a light lunch at one of the local hotels. Lauris had planned to fly back to Salisbury later that afternoon on a regularly scheduled Air Rhodesia Vickers Viscount.  Rudi and I had scheduled to fly back to the city the next morning because that flight had been fully booked.
That evening we booked a “sunset cruise” and went out on the lake with a dozen other guests, sipped some wine and watched the orange sun sink into the lake. It was cool and calm and enjoyable and the surface of the lake was like glass. We were able to sail up close to several commercial fishing rigs and watched as they hauled up large nets full of glistening kapenta.  We returned to our hotel at Caribbea Bay, and retired for the night.  

The next morning we met at breakfast and became aware of much intense discussion at other tables. A phone call came for me from my boss in Harare.  He asked, “Have you heard what happened?” I, of course, had no idea what they were talking about.

My boss told me that the Air Rhodesia Flight 825, which had departed from Kariba the previous afternoon had been shot down by terrorists (called “guerillas” by the politically correct crowd) using a Strela 2 ground-to-air missile. This was a civilian flight and although some passengers survived, our friend and customer Lauris Zuchinni had been killed.  He was a friend and an extraordinarily talented engineer. The incident had been on the news the previous night but because we had gone out on the lake and then straight to bed when we returned, neither of us had heard anything about it.

We of course, quickly changed our plans and were able to rent a car and made the six hour drive back to the city in a convoy, escorted by armed vehicles manned by Police Reservists. I had originally scheduled our return to town on Flight 825 but waited too late to make the reservation.  You can read about the shooting down of Flight RH825 on Wikipedia and in other news accounts on Google.  Five months later, on February 12, 1979, another civilian aircraft (RH827) was struck by a similar missile en-route from Kariba to Salisbury, killing all 59 passengers.

Twenty-eight years after our 1971 flying visit to Bumi Hills, in August 1999, Jan and I returned to Zimbabwe and, together with old friends Barry and Hilary Blair and Jacquie Weller we shared the rental of a large boat (The Stormvogel) on the lake, spending five days exploring the shoreline and watching the huge numbers of game animals and birds that populate this magical place. While anchored in an inlet in the Matusadona area, we took two small dinghies across the bay and walked up the hill to the new Bumi Hills Lodge to have lunch.  Along the way we had to stand quietly and wait for a mother elephant and her calf to stroll across the road in front of us.  Then we watched a warthog digging for bulbs and roots in the manicured lawn of the hotel. 

At nearby Tashinga, a National Parks Wildlife station and camping area, we enjoyed walking with a group of young black rhinos.  These orphans had been saved from poachers and were being taking out each day to feed, attended by a game ranger. One morning, while we were having breakfast on the deck of the yacht we watched a huge crocodile glide slowly across the water below us. The previous night we had heard lions roaring in the distance.  Listening to the short-wave radio the next morning we learned that an 18 year-old British intern at a safari camp had been attacked and killed by a lame, and very hungry, lioness.  He was dragged from his tent shortly after turning in. This kind of tragic event is rare in African Safari camps, but it illustrates how wild and remote the wilderness areas around Kariba are.

So, Kariba holds a special place in over six decades of my memories.  Africa is not generally associated with tales of adventures on water.  But Kariba is a unique area and anyone who may ever have an opportunity to visit it should not pass it up.

Africa facts and reality

The continent of Africa is three times the size of the United States (all 50 states).  There are 56 countries in Africa.

What sets Africa apart from all other continents? Because Africa straddles the tropical latitudes, there is no severe winter as experienced in Northern Europe, Asia or North America.  This is referred to as the “winter-gap.”

Of all the major land masses or continents, Africa has been the least subject to major earthquakes, tremors, typhoons, hurricanes and other forms of devastation.

It is one of the ironies of European penetration of Africa that it was not the wild and gigantic beasts of eastern and southern Africa which frightened Europeans away; it was in fact the tiny insects of the west coast and central Africa which made Europeans nervous.  “Not by the roar of the lion but by the buzz of the mosquito were the fears of the white man aroused.” (quote from "The Africans - A Triple Heritage" by Ali A. Mazrui, BBC Publications, 1986)

The Sahara Desert is almost the size of the United States.  Only 15% of the Sahara Desert is covered with sand dunes.

From 5,000 to 7,500 years ago Africa’s Sahara Desert was lush and green with plentiful wildlife and a great network of trade routes linking the Mediterranean coast with that of West Africa.  From about 4,000 years ago (2,000 B.C.) the climate began to change and the Sahara was transformed to what it is today.

The SAHEL is the southern edge of the Sahara Desert. “Sahel” is derived from an Arabic word meaning “shore.”  The Sahel is defined by annual rainfall – an average of 8 inches in the north to 24-28 inches in the south.  It is prone to frequent  and prolonged periods of drought.  It is across this narrow band of the continent that destructive locust swarms periodically destroy the inhabitant’s already meager crops.

The Sahel Region of Africa

For many centuries, Arab traders and nomads have crossed the Sahara Desert by camel and on horseback to expand the word of Islam.  Why did their influence stop at the Sahel?  Why didn’t the early western explorers find camels, horses, and Arab traders among the cultures and tribes of central, eastern and southern Africa.

There are two main reasons. . . .

1. The mosquito and the mosquito-borne disease malaria, and

2. The tsetse fly and the diseases it transmits to humans      

    (Sleeping  Sickness) and livestock (Nagana).

Malaria is very prevalent in regions which have significant amounts of rainfall and consistent hot temperatures.  These warm, consistent temperatures and moisture provide mosquitoes with the environment they need to breed continuously.  The malaria parasite is injected into the blood stream by the bite of the Anopheles mosquito and multiplies within the red blood cells.   After an incubation of 7-14 days there will be loss of energy, headache, muscle pains and vomiting.  The individual will have cold and shivers, then high fever and sweating.  Untreated, malaria carries a significant mortality.  A traveler can avoid malaria by taking anti-malaria drugs, such as Malarone.  Mosquitos are active in the evening so long sleeves, insect repellent and mosquito netting are good precautions.

The Tsetse Fly is the root of Africa’s poverty.  No other region of the world suffers the same animal health problems as the tsetse fly imposes on Africa.

Tsetse fly infested areas of Africa

Sleeping Sickness and Nagana are diseases transmitted by the Tsetse Fly.  According to the deputy director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) "It is no accident that the concentration of much of the world's most acute poverty is in regions of sub-Saharan Africa infested with tsetse." Some experts say that Trypanosomiasis (the pathogen that causes sleeping sickness and nagana) helps create African "green deserts" -- 10 million square kilometers of otherwise lush and fertile land that is not in production because of the tsetse fly. This includes land in 32 of the world's poorest countries. 

The presence of the disease, Nagana, which is deadly to most cattle, prevents rural villagers from using cattle or horses as draft animals which could improve their agricultural productivity by 25 to 45%. "Allowing more African farmers to own livestock would have a profound impact on hunger and poverty in the continent, but that cannot be achieved without the elimination of the tsetse fly." Native breeds of cattle (Zebu) are only somewhat resistant to Nagana.  Cross-bred cattle whose milk production is NINE times the native breeds, cannot survive in tsetse fly areas.

Ironically, it is the presence of the tsetse fly (and the diseases that it carries) across great tracts of Africa that protected land from over-development during the last century of European settlement and expansion.  This enabled both the colonial rulers and subsequently the governments of independent states to develop their wildlife resources by establishing National Parks and Wildlife Management areas. The Game Reserves of Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana almost certainly would not have been set aside for the conservation of wildlife had they been of economic value for ranching and crop production.

The tsetse fly thrives in an environment where there are large populations of wildlife providing an unlimited and year-round supply of essential mammalian blood on which they must feed to survive and reproduce.      

     

In 1996, the IAEA assisted in the development of a technique of sterilizing the male tsetse fly using radiation. Large numbers of sterilized males are released into the countryside.  The female fly only mates once in her lifetime, and so the larvae that she lays once every week to ten days does not live. In a trial conducted on the isolated island of Zanzibar, off of the East African coast, the tsetse fly population was eradicated and farming productivity rose dramatically in the years following this trial.  The use of this technique on the African mainland holds hope for similar results, but campaigns would require large financial and human resources, and close cooperation across borders and government jurisdictions to achieve long-term success. 

Additional information from WHO (World Health Organization) and CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention):

Nearly 45,000 cases of sleeping sickness were reported in Africa in 1999.  After continued control efforts, the number of cases reported in 2009 has dropped below 10,000 for the first time in 50 years.

There are two subspecies of the parasite Trypanosoma brucei that cause infection.

(1) T. brucei gambiense is found in west and central Africa.  This form currently accounts for over 95% of reported cases of sleeping sickness.

(2) T. brucei rhodesiense is found in Eastern and Southern Africa and represents under 5% of reported cases.

Tsetse flies bite during daylight hours.  They are attracted to bright, dark colors.  Permethrin impregnated clothing and use of DEET repellent may reduce the number of fly bites.

Early bite swellings are usually an allergic reaction and not a sign of sleeping sickness infection. Tanzania is reporting fewer than 100 new cases per year, mostly among rural farmers in central Tanzania.

For reasons that are unexplained, there are many regions where tsetse flies are found, but sleeping sickness is not. Infection of international travelers occurs but is extremely rare.  On average, a single case per year is reported among U.S. travelers to all areas of Africa.