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Newsletter Spring 2005

Funny old thing, spring.
There you are trudging through winter, cold breezes swirling dust and dead leaves across the dry plains, and suddenly, over just a few days, there is a subtle, almost unperceivable shift. A mysterious signal seems to be sent out, which causes a shift and change that is as slight as it is pervasive.

The birds perk up, bouncing through the leafless trees with barely controlled excitement, their songs suddenly taking on an edge, in anticipation of the change of season. Buds suddenly appear and the evening chill is softened by warm breezes. The sun slips down a bit later at night, and bounces up earlier in the mornings, everything carries the message - spring is on it’s way!

But to tell the truth, all the anticipation did not really live up to the event this year. Hounded off by a hot, dry wind, the fresh, crisp idea of spring left quicker than a wildebeest in the middle of a pack of wild dogs. Forget about spring, we went straight into summer here, the result of very enthusiastic sunshine.
Now we just need the rain to prove that the summer is here to stay!

Through all this, adventures in and around the lodge have continued uninterrupted. A nearby hippo carcass brought the simmering tensions between the local lion coalitions to a boiling point. The night has been filled with sabre-rattling in the form of noisy roaring that has continued for weeks.
But more about that in the guides report:

Guide’s report for Spring 2005

The last few months have been filled with superb animal sightings and interactions in the Makanyane exclusive area, as well as around the lodge itself.
We discovered the carcass of an unfortunate hippo bull in the river opposite the lodge. The hippo had come across from the western side of the park, but the resident dominant male hippo did not welcome the newcomer. The hippo died due to injuries sustained during the territorial battle which followed. We moved the carcass to a more appropriate area downstream, where it was hauled out onto the bank. It was not long before some lions located the carcass, delighted with their hassle-free, jumbo-sized meal!

Seeing an actual kill is very rare and we have witnessed three kills on Krokdrift recently! One late afternoon we saw the Kwena lioness stalking and killing a warthog just 15 metres from our vehicle. During a morning game drive, a pack of wild dogs crossed onto Krokdrift. We followed them along the southern edge of our plains towards the stables and then witnessed how they made a quick meal of another unfortunate warthog.

Much to our delight, a young male cheetah has taken up residence close to the lodge. He has been here for a number of weeks now and we hope that he will stay. He is frequently seen in front of the suites and often becomes down to drink in the ravine The cheetah’s presence is not good news for everyone though! The group of bushbuck living around the lodge has lost a family member to him. We saw him chase the female bushbuck across the turning circle and pull her down close to the staff village. The cheetah seems to be at ease with human activity and is frequently watched drinking from the stream running under the wooden bridge leading to the main lodge.

The young white rhino couple on Krokdrift is also being seen more regularly now. We have also been lucky enough to see two honey badgers in front of the main deck and several time out on drive close to the lodge.
Garth and I took a guided walk to Python Pools in the main reserve one afternoon and could not believe our good fortune when we came across the wild dogs close to the pools. They watched us inquisitively before moving off into the hills.

We are eagerly awaiting our first rain for the season, which will hopefully fall soon. This will surely attract even more animals to Krokdrift.

Warm regards from the guiding team at Makanyane Safari Lodge
Armand Minnaar
Head field guide

As the surrounding bush gets dryer, the browsers and grazers have moved closer to the river. This means that the lodge grounds are even more crowded with antelope than usual. The elephants crash into the ravine in front of the lodge for a drink and a mud bath almost daily now, and warthogs are a permanent feature frolicking in the mud beneath the main deck.

There is of course an art to the perfect warthog mud bath. The whole process is undertaken with very deep concentration and attention to every tactile detail. This is a very serious business, with each step an integral part of the process leading to total muddy satisfaction.
The first step is to get all four hooves into the mud, feeling around for just the right spot where the mud is of perfect consistency, depth and temperature. Once this spot is found, the warm mud on the surface has to be carefully shovelled away by scooping it up with the top of the muzzle and flicking it forward.
Once the mud is nicely banked up, the warthog then lowers it’s backside luxuriously into the mud. An energetic reverse gear is then engaged, driving the rear end deeply into the gloriously cool sludge. Then follows a series of vigorous back and forward motions on each side of the body to ensure even mud coating and maximum enjoyment. After this, waggling of the backside deep into the slush is an optional extra here. This step complete, the front end is then sunk into the mud, often accompanied by a blissful half closing of the eyes. Once the whole body is prone in the cooling sludge, the art is to gently slip over onto one or other side and wriggle vigorously (enthusiasm here is commendable, but sticking all four legs in the air would be considered unseemly). The process complete, the cool mud as evenly and thoroughly applied as possible, the warthog heaves out of the mud and trots off. The final step is to find a suitable spot to rub against. The ideal object is a rock or tree stump the fits neatly under the belly for the ultimate satisfying scratch. It is important to spend some time on this, and all actions should be accompanied by gentle grunts of satisfaction.
The increase of antelope in the camp has also resulted in an increase in predator activity around the lodge. On several occasions the wild dogs have brought their hunting party through the lodge grounds, sending impala, waterbuck, wildebeest and lodge staff scattering in all directions. On one occasion, a wildebeest even took refuge on the deck of Tamboti suite!
A kudu, trying to avoid being a menu item, got entangled in the staff village fence recently. We went to help it out, and arrived just in time to put the Kwena female off her meal, with a disgusted growl she abandoned her lunch in the fence and bounded off into the bush.

Previous guests will be delighted to hear that Dylan tied the knot recently. In a beautiful ceremony out in the bush on a nearby farm, Dylan and Yolandi exchanged vows in true bush style, before leaving for a coastal honeymoon.
We wish them all the best for their future together!

Executive chef Cassandra has been turning out some more of her delicious meals, putting severe strain on everyone’s waistlines – here is an example of one of her evening meals:

Turnip and Mango Soup

Farm fresh turnip is combined with locally grown mango to create a light, delicious soup.

Tempura fried Quail with a green paw paw and peanut salad, served with spiced salt and sweet soy

Also grown in this area are delicious paw paws. Once combined with the peanuts, this salad compliments the succulent quail, creating an irresistible starter with a Thai twist.

Saddle of Lamb stuffed with spinach sage and marscarpone, on grilled white asparagus, wilted baby spinach and red pepper sabayon

South Africa’s famous Karroo lamb is subtly enhanced with sage and marscapone

Or

Red Masala Chicken accompanied by Coconut Rice, Cucumber and Yoghurt salad and a Watermelon Rind Pickle

A delicious, rich hot curry served with a cooling salad and a spicy pickle

Orange and Cardamom cream tarts with fresh Turkish dates

To finish, a smooth and refreshing end to a perfect meal.

All this enjoyed under a canopy of a million stars, with a glass or two of wine and the lions roaring nearby – unforgettable!

The horses continue to do really well and their training is now complete. The trail routes have been decided and we are now ready to give guests the ultimate riding thrill!
The rides will take place in the early morning or late afternoon and, depending on guest’s requirements, will usually be around three to four hours long. Believe me, there is little to beat the excitement of riding along with the wildebeest or zebra on the open plains or watching a herd of elephant from horseback.
For obvious reasons this is only for experienced, confident and competent riders, but it is a once in a lifetime experience!

Latest news just in is that both the Mosela sela and Kwena females appear to be pregnant, so we are hoping to see some cubs soon! Also, Lacoste, the local croc, seems to have finally graduated from eating fish. Yesterday he caught himself a warthog for lunch!


Hope to see you soon!!
Garth