Olifants River Safari and a very active Thursday

On Wednesday we went on the Olifants River Safari to see what animals we could spot from the water. We spent two and a half hours on the boat, firstly going down the river to the weir before turning around and heading back up the river. It was really relaxing to travel on the river and try and spot some animals in the Kruger Park which was on the far bank of the river.

The site where we set off from.

Dries and I enjoying the top deck of the boat.

A view of the Olifants River taken through the weir which has a lot less water in it.

We didn't see too many animals, probably because we went on the boat in the afternoon, the hottest part of the day. There were some Buffalo at the edge of the river and a Waterbokke with her fawn which was sweet but unfortunately I did not manage to get a photo. Lastly, we saw a group of six hippos chilling in the river. 

 The hippos.

Buffalo by the water's edge.

Thursday was a lot more hectic when compared to the tranquillity of the river safari. We started the day with an hour drive to Tzaneen where Dries had some work to do for the day. Linette and I spent a very enjoyable morning together doing different activities. Firstly, I went on a canopy tour over the Groot Letaba River gorge which you cannot view from the road or easily by foot. The tour is comprised of 11 zip wires back and forth across the river, passing over 3 waterfalls which are all at least 20m. The biggest drop on the zipwire is 32m so you have to not mind heights or throwing yourself off platforms trusting just a harness. It is very safe and I had an incredible time. 

Me with the guides. I was the only person doing it at 8:30am so I had the course all to myself. 

One of the zip lines over one of the waterfalls.

After finishing the canopy tour, which was too soon for my liking, Linette and I drove to an organic cheese farm where we learnt how they make the cheeses. It involves a lot of curdling milk in a giant copper pot by a fire. Once finished it is scooped out with a cheesecloth and put in a circular frame with planks over the top and bottom so the liquid can drain as it compresses. It has to be turned every half hour or so too. They are then left to stand in a cheese cupboard to mature. At the end of the tour you could try the cheese but I wasn't so keen! 

The cheese farm. The building to the left is where they bring the cows to be milked and to the right is where they produce the cheese. 

The cheese room which stank. I am impressed I managed to make it in there especially as some were growing mould. Just disgusting. 

Our next destination for the morning was the Crocodile Park and commercial farm just outside Tzaneen. We only saw a couple of crocodiles in the Kruger Park and none in particular up close so we decided to go and see some and learn more about these reptiles. 

Holding a year old crocodile who was pretty feisty.

As the centre is a commercial farm they often slaughter the animals around the 4-5 year mark for their meat and skin. Unfortunately, the conditions they were kept in where nowhere nice as a zoo or as they would be living in the wild. Not all the animals are killed at this age and they had a larger enclosure where they keep the adult crocodiles used for breeding. 

 The pool containing many crocodiles. The bridge on the left is the one the guide feeds them from.

 A female crocodile sunbathing. You can tell it is female as they have pointed snouts whereas the male snout is more rounded. As you can see from the crocodile behind her, often only the nose and eyes are visible. It is surprising how quickly and easily a crocodile can sink into the water and out of sight - you cannot see her body under the water at all. 

Crocodiles sleep with their mouths open to regulate their body temperatures, as seen above.  

A crocodile can grow over 6 sets of teeth in their lifetime, forming underneath the ones already there. With a force of over a tonne when biting this is one reptile you want to steer clear of. 

After our time with the crocodiles we collected Dries and I quickly dashed into the shops to collect some conditioner for my poor hair which has lately been resembling a birds nest. I am never going two weeks without it again. We headed back to Phalaborwa and on the way visited an ancient Baobab tree situated near Leydsdorp. 

 This incredible tree is around 2000 years old and on average grows about 1cm per year. 

 The circumference of the tree is just over 22m which is huge!

 The inside is hollowed out and it is estimated around a dozen people could stand comfortably inside it. During the gold rush days, it used to serve as the fridge for the bush bar in the area. 

 This photo gives a better scale of the tree. You can climb up the ladder to a small standing area where the main branches separate. It is pretty high once you get up there!

Dries and I in the tree. 

I am in the crevice of the tree here but you can barely see me as the tree is so big which is why we had to zoom in to get the photo above. 

I absolutely loved exploring this amazing tree and pretty much had to be coaxed out of it when it was time to leave. That might have something to do with me getting worried about falling out of it though. We got back to Phalaborwa after an action packed day just to quickly get changed and head out to the stables for my last ride. It was lovely although the 35C temperatures and humidity were not delightful conditions to ride in. After washing the horses down and letting them roll around in the sand, an activity which ended up with me covered in sand, we headed home for a well deserved dip in the pool, followed by an evening of stargazing. 

Bella (left) and Horatio (right) - Linette's lovely horses.

That was my week up until Thursday. On Friday and Saturday we drove the scenic route back to Pretoria with one nights stop over. However, as that is another long post I will leave that one until tomorrow. 

Once again thank you to Dries and Linette for some of the brilliant photos. 

Until tomorrow.

A x