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Newsletter Summer 2006

It is difficult to take Madikwe very seriously at the moment.

The downpours of the last few weeks have transformed the reserve into something more sub-tropical than sandveld - a lush, verdant wonderland.
Guests arrive with Discovery Channel visions of lean and hungry lions stalking from one clump of parched grass to the next across the dusty plains. Disney quickly replaces National Geographic when they see their surroundings, fat lions sprawling in the thick grass under the shade of dense trees, butterflies swirling from flower to flower around them.

Life here just looks far too idyllic and peaceful to be taken very seriously.

It does feel a bit like the surrounding bush is going to swamp the lodge though. Every available space seems to have something germinating, growing, hatching or just plain old thriving in it. The plants, neatly trimmed back the day before, seem to grow back bigger, stronger and further overnight. Creepers are swirling up every available surface, the grass has grown twice as tall and thick as usual and the trees branches are bowing under the weight of their leaves. The sheer mass of living things crowding in all around us at the moment leaves you breathless!

The warm, humid air is filled with thousands of butterflies, lazily drifting from one flower to the next, flashes of red, blue, purple and white sailing amongst the thick grass.
Insects are plentiful, the rain seems to encourage them to be as weird, wonderful and big as possible. Huge beetles plod through the grass, multicoloured grasshoppers fly up, disturbed by the animals providing a feast for the lilac-breasted rollers and fork tailed drongos. There are millipedes everywhere, in a fascinating variety of size and colour. Caterpillars of every shape and size, butterflies in training, munch their way through the trees, leaving weird patterns cut in the leaves.
The raison bushes are covered in heavy red berries now, a feast for bugs, birds and baboons, all of which are making the most of it.

Young impala, wildebeest and zebra graze the succulent grass, growing fat on the nutrient-rich vegetation. Not even the herds of elephant, wading knee-deep through the open plains behind the lodge, can make a dent on the seemingly endless supply of grass. The warthogs, fat and indolent, seem to be permanent fixtures in the mud, heaving themselves out only briefly to feed, before flopping back into the ooze.
The Marico river, turbulent and brown, moves like an overweight python through the reserve, the colour of the water changed as each new stream adds it’s own swirl of colour.

The earth is now saturated, after each downpour deep puddles remain, reflecting the impossibly blue sky dotted with clouds. The clouds are heavy, swollen with rain that seems to fall thunderously at the slightest provocation. Then the clouds move off quickly, the sun re-appears to pull columns of steam from the drenched earth. The scent of the warm, wet earth mixes with the smell of the flowers and the grass creating a heady mixture that can only be describes in one word – summer.



Guide’s report for Summer 2006

Summer is in full swing in Madikwe. The long awaited rains came in abundance, in a matter of a few weeks we have exceeded our average annual rainfall. On two occasions the Marico River even rose to such an extent that we could not cross the drift and even our Boma was flooded!

The herbivores are making the most of this time of plenty, many herds of impala, zebra, wildebeest and waterbuck are playfully frolicking on the plains surrounding the lodge.

We are happy to recently see several buffalo bulls as well as an eland on Krokodildrift, our exclusive use area. Both species had been absent from Krokdrift for some time and it is great to have then back close to the lodge again.

The two Wild Dog packs in Madikwe have split up and regrouped into four new smaller packs. We were amazed at the tenacity and teamwork of nine wild dogs recently when we witnessed them chasing a mature male Waterbuck into our Northern fence line and successfully killing and devouring it right in front of us. They also killed a female Waterbuck in the same manner close to our stables a few days later.

Cheetah sightings have been excellent recently. We have seen the coalition of the three large males on a kill twice in the last few weeks, as well as seeing them lazing in the sun on the Madikwe plains. We have also had many good sightings of spotted hyenas on Krokdrift, including a sighting of five at the drift. Many herds of Elephant are currently enjoying the lush vegetation on Krokdrift. On one occasion we saw four different herds, numbering over 100 animals in total, crossing the plains in front of the viewing deck.

Very exciting news is the arrival of the three two-year old Bulaya male lions on Krokodildrift. The area is currently still dominated by their father and his brother, the Batia brothers. But it is possible that the three Bulayas may claim Krokdrift as their territory sometime in the future. They made their intentions very clear when they were confronted by one of the resident Kwena female lions and her younger sister, Mopipi, recently. The three young males spent well over an hour chasing the two tail-between-the-legs females around our plains before unsuccessfully trying to make a meal of one of the many Wildebeest. Not the best way to charm the ladies, but I guess they have to start somewhere!

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

As Armand mentioned, the area around the lodge has been a hive of activity recently. Not only have the Bulaya males very cheekily tried to stake their claim here, but the Batias have also been spending much of their time nearby recently, their roars often duet through the night (No lion here roars quite like the Batias, they seem to drag those sounds up from the depths of the earth). They are definitely getting on a bit now, battled scarred and old. But they are still very much in charge here, their vast experience at defending their ground will stand them in good stead against the various pretenders to their throne, at least for a while.

The Kwena female has also spent much time in our area recently, she and one of the Batias have been mating for the last week or so out on the plains behind the lodge, so we have been seeing plenty of both of them.

Recent guests in Blackthorn suite had a bushbuck born right next to their window just as they arrived, they spent the next three days watching the tiny youngster getting used to its surroundings, tottering around on unsteady legs under mom’s watchful eyes.

There have been rumours for some time that Lacoste had found a mate, but this does not seem to be true just yet, he is still frequently seen snoozing in the sun all on his own in front of Buffalo thorn suite. His crocodile grin does seem a bit wider than usual though, maybe he knows more than we do!

The elephants persist in spending plenty of time in the lodge grounds, but fortunately with all the grass around, they are leaving the lodge trees in peace. Hyena have also been frequent and very vocal nocturnal visitors, we hear them whooping around the lodge and we see them regularly on the plains just behind the lodge.

We have revised our list of beauty treatments to include some fantastic new ways to pamper yourself. New on our list of treatments is Indian head massage. This treatment is based on a traditional form of Champi, an Indian massage technique. The massage not only focuses on the head, but also the upper torso and the benefits are felt throughout the entire body. Also new is our sensational hot stone therapy. Smooth lava rocks are heated and coated with aromatherapy oils and then used in a massage to relax your muscles and provide immediate relief with the heat from the stones. The massage is followed by a marine mud mask, which leaves your skin feeling rejuvenated and smooth. We also now have a full body scrub and bath soak on offer. Given in the comfort of your suite, this treatment uses lavender, rose or geranium body scrubs for a full body exfoliation to leave you feeling rejuvenated and your skin refreshed and cleansed. A muscle soak in your bath follows this and the treatment ends off with a light massage. The treatment relaxes and stimulates your muscles, leaving you feeling calm and tranquil.

In a celebration of summer, executive chef Cassandra has created this delicious menu:

Coconut and Coriander Soup
A light fresh soup with a tropical twist

Warm salad of Duck confit with a butter bean, chorizo, wilted spinach and roasted sweet potato salad in a brandy dressing
Earthy flavours combine to make a rich, delicious starter

Roasted kabeljou with hummus, mint yoghurt, cumin salt, balsamic reduction and a crispy onion salad
A succulent fish dish with terrific texture, zing a middle eastern influence make for an unforgettable main course

Baked spiced plum and cinnamon brioche and crème frieche.
The last of the season’s delicious stone fruit is used in this tasty end to a perfect meal

News just in: We are having some fantastic sightings of a young female leopard just north of the Madikwe plains. Armand saw her in the evening, when she was casually strolling along the road. She was very relaxed and was still there the next morning, so Cassandra went across to watch her lounging in a tree for ages!

Hope to see you soon!!
Garth