Kgalagadi...

Get the information about routes, trips or just get plain inspiration
Post Reply
dieselfan
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts: 314
Joined: 27 Feb 2010 23:39
Full Name: Roy Markham
Nickname: Roy
Home Town: Kempton Park
Current 4x4: Patrol 4.8
Home Language: English
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 2 times

Kgalagadi...

Post by dieselfan »

Got a trip planned in two weeks to Kgalagadi

2 nights at twee, mata and nossob then one at twee again. Any must see places / routes to do? Most my trips have to be planned 1 to 2 weeks notice.

From there we will be staying at Witsand for 3 nights.

2 vehicles one trailer. As we plan on leaving a tuesday night at 22h00. Drive through night so kids can sleep. We come back following Saturday.

Is it safe for above camps to have toddlers and ground tent?
User avatar
Kagiso II
Patrolman 1000+
Patrolman 1000+
Posts: 3452
Joined: 10 Jun 2009 16:58
Full Name: Mac Mc Menamin
Nickname: Oom Mac [Uncle Mac] [Uncle] [Oompie] Kagiso
Home Town: BrentwoodPark, Benoni
Current 4x4: 1982 Datsun Safari 2,8 aka LOBO; [1,300,000 Km verby !]
'99 PATROL 4,2 diesel.
2012 Jimny [SWAMBO se Kantoor-toe]
Home Language: AFRIKAANS
Location: Benoni and wherever the Outreach takes me.
Has thanked: 299 times
Been thanked: 155 times
Contact:

Re: Kgalagadi...

Post by Kagiso II »

Safe for toddlers? on their own ?? NO WAYS !!! :lol:

Serious: Keep them within arms reach at all times . Evenings - INSIDE a closed tent. Haeina / Leopard / Lion & Baboon are opportunistic
IF they must be with you then sit them with back against the vehicle - facing the light and the night beyound.

Also -- it is pufadder country - and they camo very well. Their safety will depend on your alertness -- again NEVER leave them alone - and keep your tents CLOSED at all times ..[at least the gauze section] slange hou van skaduwee.
IMG_3723.JPG
IMG_3723.JPG (2.39 MiB) Viewed 2833 times

this is NOT a mole snake -- Bushman call it "Spitsneus" - but he is very poisenous [on par with Boomslang]
IMG_3695.JPG
IMG_3695.JPG (4.37 MiB) Viewed 2833 times
Don't bring God down to your level of faith ... bring your faith up to His level!
dieselfan
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts: 314
Joined: 27 Feb 2010 23:39
Full Name: Roy Markham
Nickname: Roy
Home Town: Kempton Park
Current 4x4: Patrol 4.8
Home Language: English
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 2 times

Re: Kgalagadi...

Post by dieselfan »

Thanks oom, I was under the impression that the camps above were fenced in?
User avatar
Alex Roux
Patrolman 1000+
Patrolman 1000+
Posts: 2627
Joined: 11 Jul 2011 10:54
Full Name: Alexander Roux
Nickname: Calculator
Home Town: Johannesburg
Current 4x4: 2004 GU 3TDi (Lexus) - aka "Witblits" (sold)
2005: GU TD42 - aka "Masewa"
1996: GQ TB48 conversion - aka "Skilpad"
1993: GQ SWB TB42 - aka "Shortie"
1985: MQ Patrol (Safari) SD33 - aka "Toro"
Home Language: Afrikaans
Has thanked: 49 times
Been thanked: 240 times

Re: Kgalagadi...

Post by Alex Roux »

Hi Roy

Those two camps are fenced, but not snake free.
At Nossob, during the Spring, I was told it is a daily activity for the camp staff to remove the poffies from around the chalets.
But in the coming months, until August, it is much less likely to come across these.
We have only been there in Autumn and Winter.
I would still not make them walk around unattended though.

With regard to the big and hairy creatures, if not at the fenced camps, these are still a risk at the picnic sites.
Skilpad, Shortie, Toro & Masewa
User avatar
Peter Connan
Moderator
Posts: 6011
Joined: 10 Sep 2010 07:21
Full Name: Peter Connan
Nickname: Piet
Home Town: Kempton Park
Current 4x4: 1996 Patrol 4.5SGL
Home Language: Afrikaans
Location: Kempton Park
Has thanked: 1067 times
Been thanked: 985 times

Re: Kgalagadi...

Post by Peter Connan »

The SA public campsites are all fenced. The picnic sites, and all the Botswana campsites are un-fenced. Some of the "bush camps" are unfenced, but children are not allowed there. The camps you mention are all fenced camps.

In my opinion, the biggest risk are not lions or snakes, but scorpions.

But following a few simple rules, I firmly believe it is safer taking them there than staying at home. Keep your eyes peeled, never let them out of your sight and never let them go barefoot. Ideally get them into closed tents before dark, particularly if you are in an unfenced camp.

One more piece of advice: take your longest lens. If that lens is not at least 400mm long, then hire one...
Mag ons ons kenniskry met lekkerkry aanhoukry.
User avatar
ricster
Patrolman 1000+
Patrolman 1000+
Posts: 5850
Joined: 13 Jan 2010 11:16
Full Name: Cedric Warner
Nickname: Cedric
Home Town: Alberton Gauteng
Current 4x4: '99 Nissan Patrol 4.2 Turbo Diesel
Home Language: English
Location: LA..... No not Los Angles ..... Lower Alberton, Gauteng
Has thanked: 591 times
Been thanked: 468 times

Re: Kgalagadi...

Post by ricster »

" I was told it is a daily activity for the camp staff to remove the poffies from around the chalets."...... Is that the "poffies from the campers seeing wild things in the dark.... or from the wild things delivering a message that this is what will become of you if you aren't careful......... :rolling: :rolling: :rolling:
Regards
Cedric
Nissan Patrol GL 4.2 Diesel Turbo (Iron Maiden)
Nissan SANI 3.0 V6 4x4 (SOLD)
Isuzu KB 280 DT 2x4 ('ol Smokey) - SOLD
Suzuki TL 1000R "V twin" (Growler) - SOLD
dieselfan
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts: 314
Joined: 27 Feb 2010 23:39
Full Name: Roy Markham
Nickname: Roy
Home Town: Kempton Park
Current 4x4: Patrol 4.8
Home Language: English
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 2 times

Re: Kgalagadi...

Post by dieselfan »

Thanks for the responses! The other party joining are NOT used to big 5, wild camping or critters ;). We're are hoping they'll be hooked, mainly my bros wife as she's been the main um obstacle / decider :pray: .

What type of consumption can I expect. I'll be towing our offroad trailer @ 110 based on this weekend consumption where I got 6.8km/l over 500km round trip - without trailer though.

With regards to snakes, just came from my BIL's lodge (they manage it). Removed 3 snakes in one day from guest rooms. Cobra and 2 puffs. Then maid was in personal shower and drain grill was removed...a bliksem cobra came up while she was starkers!!! :surprised: but that was without said BRO coming with to Kgala.

Any comments on leaving at 10pm the night before? I remember last time travelling through NC I almost hit a duiker. But I suspect it will be light by then...?
dieselfan
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts: 314
Joined: 27 Feb 2010 23:39
Full Name: Roy Markham
Nickname: Roy
Home Town: Kempton Park
Current 4x4: Patrol 4.8
Home Language: English
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 2 times

Re: Kgalagadi...

Post by dieselfan »

We plan to have prepared meals for the kids as when we get back it could be late and dark. Using my BIL's experience at their lodge I don't trust the fence after dark. They've had many issues with Lions and Leopards after dark despite an electric fence installed after the lions tried to get at my sisters newborn the one night, ripping the doors and heavy breathing the windows.

The most recent one my sister said they had all the other rangers kids playing in the "front" yard meters away from the parents having a braai. It was around 8, they called the kids in and not a minute later a lioness walked by. So yea fence is a false sense of security.

We went for my nieces birthday party and had to call the kids in when the roosting monkeys gave warning calls. We jumped in the cruiser to check, my BIL said if we can't find the reason it's a leopard otherwise we'll find Lions. We saw nothing.

Man I LOVE Africa. I SO can't wait for Kgalagadi just so much last minute prepping.
User avatar
Peter Connan
Moderator
Posts: 6011
Joined: 10 Sep 2010 07:21
Full Name: Peter Connan
Nickname: Piet
Home Town: Kempton Park
Current 4x4: 1996 Patrol 4.5SGL
Home Language: Afrikaans
Location: Kempton Park
Has thanked: 1067 times
Been thanked: 985 times

Re: Kgalagadi...

Post by Peter Connan »

The camp gates have set opening and closing times that correspond approximately to sunup and sundown, thus you can't really be out late. Also, it takes a lot longer than we Gauties are used to to get dark. Still not a bad idea though.

We drove over Van Zylsrus, and I would recommend that. It's 180km of dirt road, but the road is good and we easily cruised at 80-100km/h, and it cuts around 180km of the journey. There is some roadworks the first 30-40km out of Kuruman though.

We were there in December for 10 days, and saw not one single snake. IMO, snakes are less prevalent than in the waterberg.

We left Roodepoort at 04h00, and arrived in time despite a very long (3 hour) stop in Kuruman. Some years ago I had a bad prang in which I broke both my legs and a buddy passed away due to driving quitish roads at night, and nowadays I prefer to avoid that risk.
Mag ons ons kenniskry met lekkerkry aanhoukry.
Post Reply

Return to “25. Trip/Route Queries”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 13 guests