Day 1Phalaborwa Gate to Tsendze (156.5 km • 4 hr driving time)

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Day 1Day 1 is a very interesting day with manyhighlights. Included are visits to two dams,three bird hides, one open air museum,three lookout points by the NgwenyeniRiver, two bridges over the Ngwenyeni andLetaba Rivers, one Restcamp with shop,restaurant and lots of little offramps to theTsendze River near the Tsendze andMopani Camps.That is a lot of places, and it does not eventake into account the animals you will seeduring your trip. The animals that will seeto it that you will have your surprises forthe day.Then finally, tonight, you will have thechoice of sleeping over in Mopani Camp orin Tsendze Rustic Camp if you are acamper.Today's route also offers a choice of havingbrunch at the Mooiplaas Picnic Site or inthe Resataurant at Mopani Camp. Both willbe very enjoyable and it is always a difficultchoice for me.At the picnic site one can rent a gas braaion which you can prepare bacon and eggsans some juicy sausages or you can just sitdown and enjoy something that was packedbeforehand. An old South African traditionis to pack boiled eggs, meat balls, chickendrum sticks and a collection of sarmies forthe occasion.At Mopani's restaurant with its wonderfulview over the Pioneer Dam one will orderfrom a menu while enjoying the view overthe dam with the animals that frequentlycome for water. Look at all the crocodileslying beside the dam and on the islandswith your field glasses.Personally, I prefer to have the picnic atMooiplaats and then to go to the restaurantat Mopani for that wonderful view afterclocking in at the reception for the night.Remember, even if you are camping inTsendze, you still have to clock in atMopani.The trip from Phalaborwa Gate to Tsendzeis about 108 km and the driving time is a

little bit less than three hours. You shouldreach Mopani Camp after 94,4 km and 2and a half hour driving time. I suggest youvisit the Shipandani­ and Pionier DamHides after the time spent at MopaniCamp. You can now go to camp atTsendze if you are camping or to yourbungalow if you stay at Mopani, but try tostart the trip to Stapelkop Dam about 3hours before gate closing time, since moreanimals come to the Stapelkop Dam laterin the afternoon. During my visits there, Isaw elephants, giraffe, kudu, impala,waterbuck, a massive herd of buffalo and afish eagle.The section of the H1­6 tar road betweenTsendze and Mopani have many offrampstowards the river which can be veryrewarding to drive, since the animals like tobe near water and also the shade near theriverside, giving one an opportunity toappreciate the game.Should you be so lucky to spent too muchtime watching animals or just enjoying thetime at the Restaurant, remember that onDay 5, you will be passing the Shipandani­and Pionier Dam Hides again, and you maypostpone your visit to the hides to Day 5.

Preview

Mopani/ Red Bushwillow­bushveldThis veld consists of waving granitelowland and bushveldt with mainlymopani and red bushwillow in shallowsany soil on the hill tops while at thelower parts of the hills one finds russetbushwillow and magic guarri and someacacia species in the valleys.Plant growth vary more in this area than atthe flatter and open basalt plains.This ecosone is an important habitat forthe scarce sable antelope who likes thisveldt type very much, while large herds ofelephant are often found here.This granite ecozone covers about 80percent of the total area of the KrugerPark.

THE VELDT

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Day 1

4 Phalaborwa Gate 0 m6 SableOvernight Hide6 Masorini Picnic Site7 BaPhalaborwa Museum 18.2 km9 Nandzana Waterhole 35.4 km9 Ngwenyeni River Lookout 40.9 km10 Ngwenyeni River Lookout2 42.3 km10 Ngwenyeni Bridge 47.5 km11 Letaba Bridge 51.4 km

11 Mooiplaas Picnic Site 87.1 km13 Mopani Cam 94.4 km14 Pioneer Dam Hide 101 km14 Shipandani Overnight Hide 102 km15 Tsendze Camp 108 km15 Stapelkop Dam Return Trip 48.5 km16 Back at Tsendze Campp 156.5 km16 Stapelkop Dam

Route in a Nutshel l

Route Map

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Day 1

The Phalaborwa gate is about 100 metresfrom a very good private camp, the ForeverResorts Phalaborwa Safari Park. This resortis very good and their best advantage isthat they do not have the gate closingtimes of the Kruger, so that makes it a

very good spot to sleep for those peoplewho have to come from afar.This camp is ideal since it is almost part ofKruger and one can very easily be at thegate when it opens in the morning.

Start on the H­9. In the distance you will seeVudogwa Hill like a shark's tooth above themopani trees. In this area you may see thescarce sable antelope and also maybe wilddogs.Apart from these scarce animals, you may expectany of the normal animals and birds that one gets inthe Kruger Park.Keep your eyes peeled for any surprises youmay come across, as surprises may come yourway anytime in the Park.Like a great surprise we had on this route aboutfifteen minutes after entering the Park. Wecame upon a Giraffe that was killed by Lions inthe road the previous night. The female andher young cubs were lying there next to theroad ­ obviously not hungry anymore. The malewas however nowhere to be seen. Maybe heordered his family to look after the food whilehe went for a drink of water. It often happensthat the King lies some distance from the rest ofthe family after such a feast and can be seensometimes after a search with your fieldglasses. In this case, we did not find him.

Waypoints descr ibed

(Panthera leo)Lions are mammals and the secondbiggest cat after the Tiger. The malesare easily distinguished by their manes.They reach an age of between 10 and14 years old in nature. They are theonly cats that form groups or prides.The females normally hunt at night and inthe Kruger Park, they like to hunt zebras,lerger antelope and even buffaloes andgiraffe.A female charge can reach about 60km/h, but normally that is not fastenough, so they resort to designingtraps for their prey.Males are very strong ­ strong enoughto carry about twice their own weight intheir mouths. Although not a sagile asleoperds in trees, they can also climbtrees and they are not afraid to followprey into water.

The first part of Day 1's route.

Phalaborwa Gate 0 m [S23.94816 E31.16289]

THE LION

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Day 1

The poor giraffe was very lean andprobably had some sickness, which makeit easier for the lions to catch, that just

proves again that the predators in thePark does not allow animals to die of oldage or sickness in the Park.

Turn right at the S51 and about 2,2km onthere is a right turn taking you to the damviepoint. The dam is visited by a widevariety of animals, in short, about all thespecies of animals and birds in the Krugerpark.

The dam was built in 1972 as part of thetarmac road project to supply water to theconstruction teams. It is about two metersdeep when it is full.You can see the Sable Hide to the left ofthe dam from this spot. (off the photograph)

Sable Dam almost dry (9/10/2009)

Lion Kill ­ two of the Lions is visible under the tree to the right (9/10/2009)

Sable Dam Lookout 10.5 km [S23.93981 E31.23932]

A fully grown giraffe bull can stand up to 6 metres high, which makes it the tallest animalon earth. It may weigh about 1,5 ton, which makes it the fourth largest animal. Althougha giraffe may protect itself with a mean kick, it rather tries to run away. It may reach aspeed of up to 50 km/h. Lions are their only enemies.

The Giraffe

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Day 1Further on the S51 you will reach theovernight hide. It is one of two overnighthides with the Shipandane Hide that isalso on today's route. Visiting one ofthese hides promises to be an experienceof a lifetime.Just imagine sitting there around the fireat night while Elephants and other biggame pass you on their way to drink waterat the dam, while lions roar nearby.

Then, in the morning with sunrise, you willbe able to lie in your bed, watching thebirds coming in for their day's water, whilethe animals also come in to drink.If you want to overnight here, just phonethe Reservations office, since they are noton the internet bookings system yet. Thisoption is very popular however, so earlybookings will be needed.

The Masorini Picnic Site and the replicas ofthe historic huts and smelting ovens of theBaPhalaborwa Museum are situatedtogether against the beautiful Masorini Hill.

Quite a number of observations of thescarce and elusive sable antelope hasbeen reported in this vicinity.

Sable Overnight Hide from outside. (9/10/2009)

Sable Overnight Hide 11.6km

[S23.92164 E31.26724]

[S23.93966 E31.23940]

The San hunter­gatherers spent severalthousand years in the area of the currentKruger National Park, moving around,following the animals.During the 18th and early 19th century theSan were systematically forced out of thearea by the BaPhalaborwa peoples. Thesepeople traded with the Portuguese andArabs and also smelted copper and iron

from ore they mined in the area.The huts and smelters that werediscovered at Masorini was repaired andrebuilt to portray the way of life that thesepeople had.It is very interesting to be there and torelive the past in one's imagination.

THE PAST

Masorini Picnic Site 18.2 km

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Day 1

Huts at the Ba­Phalaborwa Museum (9/10/2009)

Rebuilt Smelting Oven (9/10/2009)

BaPhalaborwa Museum 18.2 km [S23.92164 E31.26724]A guide will accompany you to the rebuiltarea and I can recommend the visit. Therepairs were done very well and our guidegave us a very interesting talk all the way.The view over the countryside is also veryrewarding, so try to go as high as the guidewill allow you.

The guide explained to us that Phalaborwameans "better than the south", explainingthat the first Ba­Phalaborwa came from thesouth where it is very cold as anybody whospent a winter in Lesotho willwholeheartedly agree that at least the wintertemperatures are much friendlier in theKruger than at Lesotho or the Free State.

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Day 1

The Middle Part of Day1' Route

The Centre Part of Day1's Route

This part of the map is clear, since the waypoints are far apart. It is not always the case.When the waypoints are obscuring each other, I will create larger ones further down as thetrip progresses.If you have a GPS, you can download the trips from our website on the member side. Thatwill enable you to watch the maps on your computer and zoom, search etc. If you buy theTracks4Africa maps, you will be able to see the updates given by the T4A Community.

THE MAPS

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Day 1Nandzana (lynx) is situated at a very beautifulplace. It is a few hundred meters from the tarroad and definately worth your while. Thewater is augmented by a windmill.At waterholes there is always the possibilitythat something interesting can be seen. Have

a good look at all of them, and also look a bitfurther away with your field glasses. Theanimals are not always immediately visible.During the wet season there will be naturalopen water as well. A good spot to have alittle picnic in the car.

Nandzana Waterhole 35.4 km

Nandzana Waterhole (13/6/2009)

[S23.83295 E31.28941]

A Large herd of buffalo at the Ngewnyeni River (9/10/2009)

The Ngwenyeni River lookout spots give onethe opportunity to stop and search withone's field glasses for any wildlife in this

beautiful valley and on the other side ofthe river. These buffaloes were a verybeautiful sight.

Ngwenyeni River Lookout 40.9 km [S23.80197 E31.31654]

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Day 1

Ngwenyeni River Lookout 2 (9/10/2009)

Ngwenyeni Rivier Lookout 42.3 km [S23.78778 E31.33819]

Bridge over the Ngwenyeni River (9/10/2009)

Bridges normally provide the opportunityto look upstream and downstream for

interesting animals or birds that come fora drink and a bit of shade.

Ngwenyeni Bridge 47.5 km [S23.78248 E31.35429]

Ngwenyeni (in Tsonga) means 'by the crocodiles'. We did not see any of them here, but wecan use the opportunity to tell you a bit about these living fossils which have changed littlefrom the times of the dinosours that died 65 million years ago.They are quite exceptional in that they can stay for long periods without food and they canstay underwater for up to three hours. They have a four­chamber heart, unlike other reptilesand they make a huge noise during mating season. Females stay in the area of the eggs tobe able to protect the young when they come out of the eggs.

THE CROCODILE

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Day 1

Hippos seen from the bridge over the Letaba River (9/10/2009)

Here we have met with a group of Hipposevery time we visited this bridge. It isquite interesting to to watch their mighty

bodies through the clear water where theyhang almost weightless in the water ­watching tourists.

Letaba Bridge 51.4 km [S23.75896 E31.37146]

Mooiplaas Picnic Site (15/6/2009)

Here you have a good opportunity to watchwildlife with your field glasses, while walkingaround the place, stretching a leg. The bestplace I found to be the part near the Tsendzeriver, where you can see beautiful waterbirds,crocodiles and antelope or elephant comingto drink. This picnic site is situated right nextto the Tsendze Rustic Camp.

One can buy cold drinks as well as hire a gasbraai to make food on. Remember to packthe food for the picnic if you do not plan toeat at the Mopani Restaurant. Normally wetake a brunch here, then go on to MopaniCamp to book in and also have a drink at therestaurant, enjoying the fabulous view overthe dam.

Mooiplaas Picnic Site 87.1 km [S23.55582 E31.44081]

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Day 1

More detail: The Northrn part of Day 1's route.

The Northern Part of Day 1

Northern Part of Day 1's Route

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Day 1From Mooiplaas, you have to go to MopaniCamp to book in for thr night at eitherMopani or Tsendze Camps. After enjoyingthe view from the restaurant area, visit thePioneer Dam and Shipandane Hides,which are not far from each other. From

here you can either go to take a short restat the camp, or go straight on to theStapelkop Dam, depending on the timeavailable. I will recommend that one startthe trip to Stapelkop Dam at least threehours before gate closing time.

Views over the Pioneer Dam from the Mopani Restaurant (13/6/2009)

Mopani Camp 94.4 km

Mopani Restaurant (13/6/2009)

[S23.52136 E31.39835]

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Day 1

View from Shipandani Overnight Hide (5/9/2009)

View from the Pioneer Dam from the Pioneer Hide (5/9/2009)

Pioneer Dam Hide 101 km

[S23.53018 E31.40938]

[S23.52671 E31.39764]

Shipandani Overnight Hide 102 kmShipandani refers to "panda", apparentlythe name of a person who stayed here inthe past.This is one of the hides that one can

overnight in. Here you can experience thewild at first hand and enjoy a night farfrom strangers, with only the Hippos andother animals, like elephants and lionsthat may be coming here to drink.

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Day 1Tsendze Rustic Camp is uniqe in the Park,since it has been built exclusively forcamping.

There is no electricity and it is frequentedby people who like quiet and rest in thewild. The facilities are of the best in thePark.

Tsendze Camp 108 km

Stapelkop Dam was created by thedamming of the Shipikana River, the namewhich refers to an implement that is beingused by the locals to work their fields,which was found next to the river.The dam is large and quite impressivewhen full. A very good place to sit andwatch wildlife for a lengthy period.The distance to the dam is quite large andsometimes it can be a bit boring, but thefact that it is one of the quiet roads of thePark makes up for the the unchanginglandscape.Unchanging mopani veldt but for abeautiful kopje with a magnificent baobabgrowing on it and the possibility of meetingwith one of the Kruger's beautiful wildanimals.The dam itself and what I found there in

the past made all the trouble getting thereworth the while.This is one of the typical gathering placesof different species that intermingle at awatering place, offering a view of thepecking order the different animals have innature.I have seen large herds of buffalo,elephants, kudus, waterbuck, zebra,giraffe, impalas and others here together.Surely a view to remember.The route is about 50 kilometer there andback and will take up about 1 and a halfhour driving time, so if you go about threehours before gate closing time, that willleave you with a good hour and a half toenjoy the view at the dam, takephotographs and watch the game withyour field glasses.

One of the ablution blocks at Tsendze Kamp (14/12/2008)

[S23.55645 E31.44422]

Stapelkop Dam Return Trip 48.5 km

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Day 1

This time of day to me is usually the best.After setting up camp, it is time to makethe campfire, to sit and watch the flameswith a cold one within arm's reach, toreflect upon the sights and experiences ofthe day while listening to the sounds of theanimals going to sleep and the others whoare waking up to do their nocturnalhunting.This is the time when you look deep intothe mini­inferno of the fire, seeing thedancing shades the little air currentscause on the red­hot coals, when you andyour life­partner sit together and share thegolden memories of the day.At Tsendze, the camp manager normallycome arounf to find out if you needanything and if you have any problems.They normally know where you can seethe Skops Owl or the bush babie'ssleeping place.This camp is a very peaceful and quietplace to stay if you want to listen to themany night sounds of the Kruger Park.People get in bed rather early and lie

awake to listen if they can hear lions,hienas or jackals. There is also the manysounds made by the different owls thathunt at night. The krrrt, krrrt of the Scopsowl is especially easy to distinguish.

Stapelkop Dam, rather empty (6/9/2009)Back at Tsendze Camp 156.5 km

Scops Owl in Tsendze Kamp

Stapelkop Dam [S23.59537 E31.25542]

[S23.55645 E31.44422]

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Day 1Waypoints