Kruger - 6th June

KRUGER – 06 JUNE
After a terrific few days at Callum’s, which afforded us the free time and space to fuss about and get familiar with all of the truck’s kit, get a second spare tire fitted on the bonnet, anti smash-and-grab film installed on all windows, eat impala steaks and biltong and watch rugby, we struck out for (a planned) 2 nights in Kruger, taking the beautifully scenic road from Polokwane through Tzaneen and entering Kruger at Phalaborwa. Luckily we’d been out that route previously to view the tea plantation Callum’s father has taken over so knew to keep the vehicle load as light as possible as it’s an incredibly hilly route which really tested the climbing power of the truck (and the squeeling-loudly-in-protest new brake pads on descent ...) but as (hoped) we were subsequently able to fill up all tanks with diesel and water just prior to the Kruger gates so we could set off from there at full fighting weight.
On arrival we checked in at the gate and were given spare directions to our camp for the evening, Rustic Camp, some 60 minutes away via a second check in at Mopani. Of course, being us, it proved to be actually 90 minutes away as we missed the short cut. That we were last in for the night didn’t phase or motivate the clerk at check in, who defied gravity in the slowness of her movements yet then had the nerve to admonish us we must drive quickly as the gates would be locked in 15 minutes time and we were at least 15 minutes away! We arrived with just seconds to spare – and in the dark, of course ... Really just a cleared bit of fenced-in ground with 34 spaces and a shared ablution block, Rustic Camp lived up to its name but proved a very nice, quiet and clean place to spend the night and once the tent was up, kitchen boxes out and gas cooker lit we settled in easy enough for the evening and we were enjoying a spag bol dinner and wine within 90 minutes.
Deciding we could go a little more up-market for our second night, as well as get that much closer to the Moz border crossing for the next day (there are three border points via Kruger: Pafuri Gate at the far north tip, but not recommended due to a required river crossing and terrible road made worse by the recent heavy rains; Giriyondo at mid-point and Ressano Garcia, the main one back down at the southern-most end – our aim was to combine a few days game drive through Kruger with a crossing that allowed us to avoid Maputo and surrounds once across so the mid-point served both aims perfectly) we moved on in the morning to Lebata Rest Camp, which is a large and really nicely set up camp complete with swimming pool, gift shop and store – and electricity at each spot which is great for technology-mad’ers like us to top up Ipods, GPS, laptop, cameras, and on and on, along with allowing the fridge to run off the mains and not car battery as well. And large signs warning - I would have thought completely unnecessarily but turns out not – that it was against regulations to feed the hyena tracking up and down the perimeter fence. Better be a damn good fence ...
Our truck was dwarfed by that of our neighbours, a massive 4x4 Mercedes Benz transport truck with bespoke camper attached owned by John and Lynda, under 60’s who’d retired early, sold up, and hit the road for the better part of a year’s driveabout (with another year’s planned after this). We soon struck up a discussion: me with John, covering questions I had about the Landy as he’d owned a few before and how the heck he changed the tires on his beast; and Clare with Lynda covering how the heck the Tracks4Africa GPS software loaded on our Garmin, as she used a similar model (T4A is a vital software upgrade that covers every country on the continent right down to campsite locations, hospitals, dirt tracks versus gravel road options, etc – pick up at any Garmin dealer or outdoor shop for about 800 Rand) – both very valuable problem-solving discussions that soon enough turned into wine and everything under the sun talks around their camp table as the sun went down and all thought of runs to the shop for supplies quickly dissolved in importance (though it did require my then building a fire and flaming up two huge coils of boervors at 10 that night to be prepared for the next weeks’ requirements ...). And a most opportune meeting too as despite separate planned routes and schedules we’ve since run into them on 2 subsequent occasions quite by chance as we’ve moved up through Mozambique and as of this writing have followed them on from meeting 2 in the Taurus supermarket in Vilakulous and from their recommendation on a lovely spot just north of there are now sharing a site with them in Inhassoro for 3 nights ... Good thing we got along that first night ...
Anyway, I digress ... back to Kruger: On John and Lynda’s reco we asked at Reception whether Giriyondo crossing was currently issuing visas. All previously gathered intel indicated they were; local knowledge however quickly and definitively contradicted that and so though now faced with a day’s drive back down south instead of the planned middle crossing, from John and Lynda’s timely intervention we were at least saved a day’s unnecessary drive east only to be rejected at the border.
Leaving early the next morning we spotted something crossing the road ahead – I say an antelope of some sort; Clare agrees, then revises to possibly a cat of some sort “because of its bottom.” Adhering to strident “pull over, pull over”s I slowed into a crawl in second and cut close up against the brush-line on the shoulder, peering in for whatever had disappeared so abruptly on crossing – only to come face to face at virtually full stop and from 2 feet apart – and through my very large and very open window – a Hyena staring back at me. Christ but I lurched and hit the accelerator! Fascinate me though they do they are one mean and malevolent-looking creature and I was definitely glad to put some distance – and a great big steel bumper - between us quick-like ...
We stopped for the night at Crocodile Bridge camp – fairly average, but entertaining with a pack of three warthog snuffling around the tents across from us, kneeling on front legs to forage, bums in the air; and with a service station if required – and left early for the border, passing miles of lush agricultural land before arriving in Komatipoort and a unplanned, spot-it-and-stop at the local Midas shop (a chain of automotive shops across SA – Wizard Midas in Joberg is excellent and assisted us on spares with great enthusiasm and friendliness). Dwelling on our minds since departing was that neither of our spare tires was locked on in any way, the one on the bonnet so brand new you could smell the rubber 10 feet away – far too good a prize for some “Tsotsi” (naer’do well ...) to leave so easily available. But nowhere we looked could we find either a solution for the bonnet and rear spares, nor locking lugs for the rest – Midas here was our last shot. A young Afrikaaner lad assisted and was genial enough that after saying no to any availability of anything remotely useful for our requirements came out to have a look at the truck for himself. We discussed various options John and I had come up with – all involving welding of various brackets, etc – and he said he’d make some calls and see who might assist (but this being a fairly one-horse town the options were not great and he had nothing good to say about the one welding shop in town, Rhinos, as they were “%$#holes who charged way too much”). After just enough time for me to decide to give it a pass now, head for the border and hope against odds for something the other side he came back over and said a man’d be right over to have a look – adding sheepishly that it was his dad. He duly arrived, took a quick look, assured he could sort something out and 5 minutes later we’re parked in his backyard and the welding torch is burning. An hour and a half later and 200 Rand (20 GBP) and we’ve two sets of bespoke locking brackets installed, front and back. I said to Clare that only in SA would some shop kid phone his father to come round and sort out an issue for a customer rather than just go with nothing being available as the easy first answer. Brilliant.