On our way home to Canada, we decided to take a bit of a layover in South Africa to see a few of the amazing things that were created in this part of the world. We cannot say we were disappointed in the least. South Africa is a beautiful country, and with Paul's amazing travel itinerary we were able to see a lot in a short amount of time.
I have broken this trip down into two blogs. This first one is of our time in Kruger National Park. This is one of Africa's largest game reserves where you can find lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and buffalos along with many other mammals that make their home there. Amongst the diverse landscape we were able to marvel at the many varieties of birds that could be found there as well.
Here are a few photos from the first week of our trip
Sunrise while on the airplane to South Africa
We were so blessed by a family we got connected with through some Canadian friends that helped us with our load of luggage (as we were moving back) and gave us a place to stay for the first night in South Africa. This little farm was a unique and peaceful place to stay and the kids loved the space. It was a perfect start to our trip and we looked forward to returning at the end our trip.
Helping herd the sheep into their pens in the evening.
A natural!
Roadside Market
Kruger National Park
We rented a vehicle in order to get around South Africa and this allowed us some independence as we drove through the reserve. We kept to the rules and stayed in our car, but we were able to stop and admire the wildlife as we wished. There were definitely times I wished for a telephoto lens, but our camera did a decent job in catching some of the amazing creatures in this part of the world.
Buffalo
Bateleur Eagle
Kudu
Warthog
This Rhino was marking his territory and shortly after started chasing our vehicle. Just letting us know he'd like us out of his space.
Baboons
My favourite animal of the park because of its elegance and its colours.
Cooking dinner at our first camp.
Southern Ground Hornbill
A jackal eating the leg of an animal
This is the best I could do in catching a picture of the lions we saw in the park. Along with the leopard and the cheetahs, the lions are difficult animals to spot.
Baobab Tree
Red-billed Hornbill
Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill
Saddle-billed Stork
Egyptian Geese
Our only Leopard sighting!
Hyena
Evidence that this is truly a natural wildlife preserve and that the animals fend for themselves.
Crocodiles
What I love about this picture, is that one of the kids spotted the beauty in this cactus and asked me to take a picture. To see that they are learning to appreciate the beauty around them, regardless of their age, is exactly what we want for them.
Enjoying breakfast at one of our camps.
Many dinners consisted of baked potatoes, sausage, and steak cooked over the fire along with a salad. Delicious meals every night!
South African Sunrise
Breakfast and lunch we kept simple most days and when we were on the road we managed to make sandwiches or eat cereal with one small spoon and a jackknife, and a container for the cereal.
Life can really be that simple.
Ostrich
Four days at Kruger National Park and we were sad to leave. But we still had so much more of South Africa to see.
