This is it!  Africa!

 

We have just spent three nights away from the boat.  The first two were spent at Hilltop Camp in the Hluhluwe game reserve, a very pleasant place to stay perched high up in the hills with wonderful views.  We drove slowly there through the iMfolozi game reserve and then the Hluhluwe game reserve learning a little about how you never know what will be round the next bend.  We took a three hour trip the second day starting at 0500 with a guide.  He was very informative although the number of animals found was a little disappointing as it was rainy, cold and grey.  Although we didn’t see a lion we did see in the distance a cheetah.  We could have enjoyed many more days exploring the game reserves. 

 

We are beautifully situated in Richards Bay within a two hour drive of many wonderful places.

 

 

Here is a fine impala.

 

 

What a cutie even with her tongue out.

 

 

Now for something completely different.  A dung beetle and wife rolling their ball of dung across the road in fine style.

 

 

At last we found a herd of giraffe - surprisingly difficult to spot amongst the shrubs.

 

 

Rhinos – but we tried to keep our distance.  The friends we were with had an uncomfortable close encounter on an organised walk .

 

 

The “back of Africa”!  We took a guided tour and as we had already discovered, the animals seemed to instinctively turn their backs when we approached and this was the guide’s comment. 

But you have to admit it is a very fine rump!

 

 

We often found groups of animals together, zebras, impalas, warthogs, gnus all seemed to be good friends.

 

 

I’m a gnu.

 

 

A wild dog completely oblivious to the couple of cars on the road he was holding up.

 

 

A herd of buffalo.

 

 

Helmeted Guinea Fowl

 

 

Last but not least a beautiful ugly warthog who looks as if he is paused at the curb but was in fact eyeing up a couple of females to whom he gave chase for an exciting five minutes.