As Nelspruit is close to Kruger National Park we were near to the front of the queue of cars waiting to enter at the Malelane Gate. For the locals it was not as simple as just buying a ticket they also had to present their firearms to be cling wrapped, we felt a bit naked as we seemed to be the only ones not getting guns sorted. Our plans to stay the night in the park were dashed as all the accommodation was booked out, and to further squeeze things we were warned the park gates are locked at 6pm. We paid our entry fee 10 rand each plus 20 rand for the vehicle and headed off intending to travel the 72 km to the Paul Kruger exit gate, leaving us time to find a bed for the night and meet the 6pm deadline.

The park was wonderful, getting there early was a bonus as we did not have to compete with other vehicle's having already scared off the animals, and we were almost immediately rewarded by seeing a wildebeest and then coming onto a family of vultures feeding by the roadside. We were told by many people that it is possible to drive the length of the park and see nothing. After all said and done these are totally wild animals living in an area 350km by 60km an area of close to 2 million hectares. On the plus side the park is home to 507 species of bird, 147 mammal species, 114 reptile species, 49 of fish, 33 amphibian and 300 different types of trees. With a list like that we were fortunately given a brochure at the gate to assist in identifying anything that was seen.

With the early sightings under our belt we were feeling pretty good, but it just got better and better. Before long we had seen leopard, lion, giraffe, zebra, hippo, water buffalo. The video camera was running hot. The 16x zoom was great for this type of work. We stopped for lunch, bread rolls and oranges, near some other tourists, who were also lunching watching some hippos and crocs in a river. We got out and had a chat, for about 10 minutes before the penny dropped that this was not Australia. People get eaten here, so we beat a quick retreat back to our car.

We decided that given it was still quite early and we were having so much fun that we would not exit at the Paul Kruger gate but stay in the park until the Orpen gate an extra 124 km. We were well rewarded for this decision spotting more lion, had a leopard cross within metres of the back of our car, seeing elephants, jackals, warthog, baboon, impala and various bocks.  

Now we were by this stage, running out of time so started to ignore sightings and headed for the gate. We still had several kilometres to go and it was about 5.30 when we came on a car stopped and people looking excitably to the right. Curiosity got the better of us and we stopped to investigate, but for a little while could see nothing, then we spotted the action. Some distance away a leopard had dragged its kill, of about the same size as it, high up into a tree. It was truly incredible to see and given the distance even the video footage is grainy but it was a stunning way to cap off an exceptional day. We made the gate right on 6pm and snuck through as they were closing it.

So we exited at dusk, with no accommodation, and not really sure where we were. We drove to the nearest township some 50 km, but could not see any obvious accommodation and more worryingly a lot of people milling about. It was now dark and we could see in our lights that they appeared to glaring rather than staring. We hastily decided to move on and head to Hoedspruit another 30 km away. We were near Hoedspruit and starting to get a bit desperate for a bed when we spotted a sign Blue Cottages B&B, with a guard house and locked gate. We pulled in and an armed guard came out who unfortunately did not speak English but shoved a registration form in our face to fill in. Easy except the form was in Afrikaans but from having filled in a lot of these we guessed as to what information was required. We handed the form back and he let us (filled with trepidation) enter. The driveway was quite long but probably was not, just seemed that way. We pulled up in front of a lovely lawn, and immediately a tall gentlemen strode over and in a totally English accent advised us we were late, and were the other two still coming?.

Once we got over our surprise and pleasure that things were looking up, we explained we were not booked in!. He then said he had a only a rondavel available and that dinner was not available. We replied no problem, and gratefully booked in. We were unpacking and settling in to our lovely blue rondavel (round cottage with thatched roof), which was a bonus getting to stay in one, and thanking our good fortune, when our host returned with a large platter of cheese and fruit "best I could do I'm afraid, would you like a bottle of wine with that?" You are kidding, we sat out under the warm African stars with our food and wine, followed by a port, next to our traditional African style house (a very upbeat version admittedly) and thought what a perfect day.

Tomorrow its the Drakensburg mountains.