Landroving 121

Own a Share of a Lowveld Game Estate

This is your chance to own an exclusive share in a private, well established 1000
hectare game estate within the Mara Conservancy close to Nelspruit and Malelane.
The full title 1 hectare stand is sited on level ground with magnificent views over the
Mara valley and all the way across to the Barberton hills. This is one of only 15
surveyed, registered and serviced stands on the estate, of which 14 have been
purchased and 8 already have luxury homes built on them. All the stands have
electricity and water supplied to a point on the stand. The Levy is R 2 500 per month.
The estate has a large, well-managed and varied collection of wildlife, including blue
wildebeest, zebra, nyala, kudu, mountain reedbuck and giraffe, to name but a few.
The farm is comprised of excellent grassland for the wildlife, wonderful trees, and two
small perennial streams, one of which has a lovely dam with a bird hide overlooking it.
The farm has a well-established network of roads and tracks that allows for good
game viewing. The farm is located a short 28 kilometre drive on tar from Nelspruit.
For the nature lover, avid wildlife and bird enthusiast who wants a home away from
the city or a weekend retreat; this is a wonderful opportunity to own an exclusive
share in a well-managed game estate.

Asking Price: R578 000 Contact Mike on email: [email protected]

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The Caprivi,Okavango Delta and

Makgadigadi Pans

There were many highlights
during the rest of our journey,
but I will only mention a few that
will hopefully serve to whet your
appetite and inspire you one day
to follow in our footsteps into this
seldom-travelled part of Namibia
and Botswana.

After Livingstone’s camp we spent Caprivi was named after German
two days at Camp Kwando, about Chancellor Leo von Caprivi, who
60km further west of Livingstone. negotiated the acquisition of the
Camp Kwando is a beautiful lodge land in an 1890 exchange with
set in the shade of huge Knobwood the United Kingdom. Von Caprivi
trees on the banks of the Kwando arranged for Caprivi to be annexed
river which forms the border to German South-West Africa in
between Namibia and Botswana. order to give Germany access to
Here we undertook a tour of a the Zambezi River and a route
cultural village and the local school to Africa’s east coast, where the
to get a better feel for the way the German colony Tanganyika was
locals go about their daily business. situated. It is a corridor for African
elephant moving from Botswana and
52 Namibia into Angola, Zambia and
Zimbabwe. National Parks found
in the Caprivi Strip are Bwabwata
National Park, Mudumu National
Park and Nkasa
Rupara National
Park; the latter
being where
Livingstone’s
Camp is
situated.

After travelling about 180km east Driving through this 25km wide
to west along the narrow Caprivi corridor I could not help but reflect
corridor, our next stop was Nunda on the many skirmishes that would
Lodge set on the banks of the have taken place between our SADF
Okavango River. troops and the Angolan insurgents
during the Bush War of the 70’s
and 80’s. It was a no-go zone for
tourists back then. I wondered how
the game and community were
negatively affected and whether
life had returned to normal for the
inhabitants of the Caprivi. Although
this area was a true warzone,
thankfully this part of our turbulent
history is now over and we can
explore the gems it has to offer,
somewhat like a protea flowering
after a bush-fire.

On the opposite side of the Okavango
river lies the Bwabwata National
Park, a wild place little known to
passing visitors. However, the park
also holds, deep within the dense
bush, the remains of the military
base of the infamous 32 Battalion,
who were well known for their
reconnaissance activities in Namibia
and Angola during the South African
Bush war. We decided to go and take
a look and were met with an eeriness
that’s hard to describe in words.
The camp, probably spanning about
10 hectares in size, is now just dotted
with derelict buildings and ailing
infrastructure; clearly everything
had been destroyed or razed to the
ground when the last of these bush
fighters left the area in the early
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nineties and what many would have where the panhandle starts to diverge
called their home in the 70’s and and the waters spread out into the
80’s. We stopped at one of the few famous delta. “4x4 only - Deep sand
buildings which had walls still intact, and deep water” said the sign as we
but no roof, and imagined that it left the main road. Was this going to
would have probably been a hall be the first true off-road experience
where large meetings would have our trip had in store for us? The road
taken place. Complete with stage and to Nguma Lodge did not disappoint
projector room, this must have been as we let our tyres down to 1.2 Bar
a place where speeches would have and progressed slowly through the
been made by high ranking military deep sand and water. Suddenly, with
commanders to inspire and motivate caravan in tow, I was faced with
troops to continue the fight against putting my off-road skills to the test,
the ‘rooi-gevaar’. We left the old but the Discovery with its powerful
camp knowing that this place would TDV6 engine did not disappoint and
probably never reveal all its dark we reached the Island Lodge safely,
secrets to visitors and wondering albeit slightly shaken about 1,5 hours
whether the bush and the animals later. The next day there was only
that now inhabit it would find peace one activity on the ‘to-do’ list and
yet again that was a makoro trip into the delta.

Leaving Nunda Camp found The famous makoro, once carved
us crossing the Namibia border from huge sycamore fig trees, were
returning to Botswana yet again at now of the fibre glass type, a recent
Shakawe. Our next stop was Nguma attempt by safari operators of the
Island Lodge, set on an ‘island’ on delta to save these trees from being
the edge of the Okavango delta just exterminated completely. With the
water depth varying from 300mm to
54 2 meters, the makoros were skilfully

manoeuvred through the reeds and Our attention was quickly diverted
papyprus to open up a world one to the next part of our trip, a scenic
would never experience were it not flight over the Okavango Delta. We
for these ancient watercraft, used were up early the next morning and
by locals for centuries as a means of quickly found ourselves in the well-
transport, hunting and fishing. “This appointed offices of Mac-Air, one of
makoro can take us all the way to many operators in Maun conducting
Maun, nearly 300km from here, just flights over the delta. To describe
using the animal waterways” was this as a must-do-once-in-a-lifetime-
the response from one of our guides experience is an understatement.
called Vista, who has been traversing The scenes from our small cockpit
this part of the swamps for more were nothing short of amazing as we
than 20 years. were trying to take in every second
of the experience with our cameras
clicking away at the changing scenery
and using our cell-phones to capture
short video clips of the many inter-
leading waterways, palm-fringed
islets, massive herds of animals and a
vastness of landscape that is difficult
to describe, but only possible when
viewed 150m from the ground. The
highlight of our trip so far…? The
answer is simple - you have not seen
the greatness of the Okavango Delta
until you’ve seen it from the air.

Sadly we said goodbye to Nguma 55
Island Lodge and retraced our steps
through the “deep sand and deep
water” making full use of the trickery
and gadgets the Discovery 4 utilises
so well, making the most treacherous
sand crossing seem like child’s play.

Leaving Maun on a high, our next we arrived at the campsite
stop was the Nxai Pan National in one piece, although a bit
park, home of the famous Baines ‘s shaken and stirred! Game
Baobabs and the first leg of 4 days’ viewing was not the best,
camping in total wilderness. The but the only water hole in
road to South Camp is neither kind the area which is sustained
to vehicles nor their occupants, by park boreholes, did
never mind caravans! And this was provide us with some
the improved, new road to South interesting first sightings
Camp! Bobbing about for a painful and African sunsets. The
90 minutes on the sandy corrugated highlight of this area,
two-spoor track, the caravan was by far, has to be Baines’s
subjected to some severe leaping and Baobabs on the fringe of
jumping not dissimilar to that of a the Kudiakam Pan. Also
prancing springbok – but it held and known as the 7 sisters, these
majestic trees, first painted
56 by the artist Thomas Baines
in 1862, have an air of
mystery about them that
can only be experienced
when you stand below
the mighty rust-brown
ancient branches, just
like many travellers over
many centuries gone by who have
pondered their awesomeness;.
yet another magical experience
on our journey, and not merely a
destination.

The elephants visited our campsite They say one should leave the
until late that evening. With only best till last, and ironically we did,
10m separating us from these huge although it was never intended that
beasts, we dozed off to sleep in the way. With the Nxai Pan National
safe haven of our caravan listening to Park gate now behind us and driving
the rumbling of their stomachs. down the tar on the western side

of the Makgadigadi pans,
I was wondering what the
45km of sand track was
like entering the Sua pans
from the southern side.
Our destination – the one
and only Kubu Island, or
Lekhubu as it is known to the
locals, one of the top three
destinations on my bucket
list since I owned my first
Tdi Defender. During the

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days leading up to our visit, I had and surrounded on three sides by
enquired of travellers we had met a vast grey emptiness, Kubu has a
whether they had been to Kubu and unique atmospheric beauty that
if they could give me an indication is difficult to describe. Concentric
of the road conditions. I had not ancient dry-stone walls on the island
expected such varied responses, but have been linked by archaeologists to
one thing they all had in common the dynasty of Great Zimbabwe and,
was that the roads to Kubu entering it is believed, probably formed the
the pans from the north was not most southwestern tip of that state.
for caravans. Stories of narrow two- Kubu island is a dream come true
spoor tracks, deep silty sand and for landscape photographers.
treacherous mud sealed my decision Every moment of the day presents
to try to reach the island from the a different image, texture, shade,
south. silhouette and colour not seen just
An hour and a half after leaving the minutes before. The intention was
tar, we spotted an elevated section of to get up early just to catch the sun
bush and trees dominating the flat rising over the pans, but in the early
landscape – was this it? Kubu island morning light, most of the best
lies in the southwestern section of pictures were captured even before
the Sua Pan on an isolated granite the sun peered over the crimson
outcrop some 15m high, 1km long horizon. The rest of the day was
and 500m wide. It forms the shape of spent either relaxing in the shade of
a crescent and its slopes are terraced the baobabs, exploring the desolate
with fossil beaches of wave-rounded pans on foot or seeking out the many
pebbles. Dotted all over the island are secret places we could find between
an array of ancient, gnarled baobabs the tall granite rocks.

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Being our last day in the wilderness, We left the island the next morning,
we packed some drinks and snacks the 16th and last day of our trip, glad
and headed as far out on the pans as to put the dust behind us, but with
we could go, in search of the perfect a certain sadness in our hearts as we
sundowner spot, and perfect indeed longed to extend our stay here and
it was. The vastness of this massive experience more of this magical place
pan seemed to swallow our little and its mysteries. Heading home
party of nine. We pondered on how we crossed the border once more
small and insignificant we were in at Martin’s drift and spent the night
this empty and barren landscape at a gem of a place, just 2kms from
which once was home to a super- the border – the Big Fig Tree Inn,
lake, many tens of thousands of years certainly a place I would recommend
ago. as a stop-over near Groblersbrug and
Martin’s drift borders.
Exchanging highs and lows of the
trip around dinner, we all agreed, this
was our best overlanding trip yet.
One thing is for certain, the countries
right on our borders offer some of
the best ‘bucket-list’ places you could
ask for – and you don’t have to spend
an arm and a leg to get there.

And as the great
explorer Kingsley
Holgate always says -
‘Mama Africa’ is lying
there waiting for us to
explore all her beauties
and splendour. Now get
out there and do it!

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Friendly Botswana
By Ansie Blignaut

In 2012 our family decided to go above Chobe, where we camped
to Botswana. We knew one should “illegally” with the reluctant
never do a trip like this on your own, permission of the local constabulary
therefore the Blignaut family (having to leave the next day at first
travelled with our two Defenders (a light – for the uninformed that is
110 V8 and a 90 2.8i and our off-road around 5 o’clock in winter time),
caravan. went to Kasane (a sleep-over for Vic
Falls), Kubu Island, the Central
What we realised throughout the trip Kalahari, Khutse and back home.
was that Botswana is the best place to What we discovered during this
go if you don’t have a big group. trip was that Botswana is inhabited
Botswana is definitely the safest, by caring and friendly locals. For
friendliest country in Africa – and most of the trip we travelled until
yes, we love South Africa, but we also we got tired and then we just slept
know its shortcomings. next to the road. The one evening
This article is not a feedback on our still remains fixed in my mind. We
trip – that would take up a whole misjudged the time it would take
issue of Land-Roving - to those of to travel a particularly sandy road,
you who have not been there yet, this which I insisted on travelling as it
is obviously an indication that you constituted a short cut on the map
are missing out big time! This article (obviously not one in real time). As
is to celebrate the spirit of Botswana - we didn’t have a booked destination,
the caring, the giving, the Christo humoured me and we did
unbelievable ubuntu… the shortcut. At dusk we pulled off to
We started off with the Hunters trail, the side of the road and set up camp.
crossed over to central Botswana, just

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We were just settling down when the caravan, it was hanging low to
an old man appeared – being South the left-hand side. We stopped, and
African we immediately expected as this was not even a kilometre away
the worst, and stood awaiting his from where we had just had a lion
arrival with trepidation. Big was our sighting, we appointed our youngest
surprise when the “Madala” enquired and his friend as look-outs on top of
whether we were fine, and if he could our Defender.
assist us with anything. He informed The news was really bad – the
us that we were close to his village, caravan’s blade spring (a 7-layer
we were welcome to sleep where we affair) had broken straight through!
were and that, if anything untoward
happened, we just had to holler and
they would come running. After a
peaceful night he emerged the next
morning to check whether we were
still fine. His village members also
came to wave us a cheery goodbye.

Later into our trip we arrived at Khu- We were still pondering our dilemma
tse – one of the highlights of our trip, when a Landy belonging to the local
which quickly turned into a potential tribe managing Khutse, pulled to a
lowlight. We were about quarter of stop next to us. They took one look
the way on the road to site number at our problem and came up with
1 – the best of them all where the a solution. Without ceremony they
famous picture of the fire with the ran into the veld, cut down a tree,
line of the lions in the background removed the misbehaving spring and
was taken, when Justin, our eldest, replaced it with a piece of wood.
informed us over the radio that
something was terribly wrong with

64

All of this was done with smiles and
friendly enquiries about where we
came from and our trip thus far.

Dishing out requests for rope, chain, Due to their assistance we could limp
etc. they fixed the caravan in short on towards our campsite and back to
time. the gate after a two night stay, where
we fixed the caravan with the
correct spring which we collected
from friends at the border post.
On our way to the gate, because of
the caravan’s handicap, we got stuck
again, so stuck that Justin alone
couldn’t get us out. Yet again, locals
helped us out.

In all our travels through the
southern part of Africa, Botswana
is the only place where we never felt
unsafe, where we were always greeted
with friendly smiles and where the
locals were always interested in our
well-being. Botswana is definitely the
place we will re-visit in a heartbeat!

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Things that happen when you marry a
Land Rover guy

You learn to love the smell/s of diesel and car grease, because that’s what he
smells like most of the time.

You find yourself also talking to, and about, the car using ‘her’ given name.
It takes the first three months of your relationship before he deems you
qualified to shut the doors correctly.

You’re treated exceptionally well because what he first learned with the car,
he naturally applies to you too. (i.e. the patience of Job regarding the
complexities of female behaviour).
You never worry about getting stuck or stranded somewhere. Between

low-range four-wheel drive and your man’s ingenuity, any journey is do-able.
Due to the lack of power steering, no other man has forearms that compare.

The car gets more public recognition in one outing than you ever have in
your life.

You stop expecting to get anywhere very quickly.
You develop a ‘Land Rover voice’ about four times louder than your normal

voice.
You never have to worry about extra expenses around the house, because he

can fix anything and everything.
Garage/workshop expenses, however, never end.
He will slowly but surely win you over to the Land Rover way - a lifestyle of
adventure - and a general demeanour of snobbery towards any other vehicle.

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