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We were 45 minutes out of Heathrow, and I was getting accustomed to my rear facing business class seat on British Airways. Sitting in a little alcove was quite novel. During takeoff and landing the shutter between my neighbour and I was lowered so we were facing each other, a little unnerving. During flight however it was raised and it really was very private.

Forty five minutes out of Heathrow I looked down to see the lights of Paris sparkling in the autumn night. The moon was full, and it reflected off the wing. How appropriate, words from Totos’ ‘Africa’ sprang to mind. I was on my way to Africa.

I did something over the next hours which I rarely do. I slept on an aircraft. Just as well as I had along day ahead of me on arrival.

I awoke to the sun illuminating the window blind, so I knew I had at least passed some hours in the land of nod. I opened the blind hoping to glimpse my first African scenery, only to be blinded by the sun. There was a solid cloud base so nothing to be seen.
We descended over the southern side of Johannesburg and landed towards the north. It was unusual to hear the engines working hard right up to the moment that the wheels touched down and I remembered then that, yes of course Johannesburg is over a mile high so rarefied atmosphere, therefore not much lift.
After clearing customs a collected a small car from Avis which it seemed every South African I spoke to described as looking like a loaf of bread, thankfully unsliced. I gave myself a quick lesson on the GPS, a device which I had never used before. Knowing that directly outside the airport I had to get on the freeway toward Pretoria, and inside the car park I was unable to get any signal to pre set it before I moved off, it wold be a case of learn as you go.

I took the plunge, got myself heading north on the R21 in the direction which signs to Pretoria were pointing. This gave me a level of comfort. I was headed toward the Pilansberg Game reserve which was as I had read, about two and half hours drive from Johannesburg. I found though that certain Hotels were also programmed into the GPS, so I searched the database and found my destination, the Ivory Tree Game Lodge. Fantastic, now I could start looking out the window which I find quite comforting whilst heading down the freeway at 120 kilometers per hour. I was passing the eastern edge of Johannesburg which was light industrial. This soon started giving way to some new housing estates and rural areas. I found the rolling countryside was a bit like Australia, a little dry. I also noticed that hills in the distance seemed barely higher then I was which gave the feeling of being on a high plateau. The road was excellent and the speed limit of 120 Kph was comfortable, even for a loaf of bread.

It seemed in no time I was descending, yes descending into Pretoria. There was a long downhill stretch leading down into Pretoria with a huge university complex on the hill to the right. This is where the lady in the GPS started earning her keep. She started warning me about round abouts coming up and telling me what lane to get into. This was all new to me, and I could see how people can stop thinking for themselves very quickly and depend on this machine. But as a one off I thought it was great. It was a shame I didn’t have time to look around in Pretoria, but this was a business trip and the weekend was all I had, plus I needed to get to see my second cousin 50 kilometers south of Johannesburg tomorrow. I cruised into Pretoria, past some museum which had a big model whale out the front. I admired the Jacaranda trees which were in full purple flower lining the streets. I knew that somewhere here I had to make a left turn which would then take me west across the top of Johannesburg. I hoped the GPS lady hadn’t fallen asleep when I would need her most. Sure enough she came through and once again I was headed out into the countryside. This time the countryside was a little different. I was in a wide long valley to the north was a range of hills that seemed to stretch on into the west as far as I could see, I knew I would need to cross that at some point as I would need to turn north again to my destination and accommodation. To the south there were also hills on the other side which I assumed one would find the northern outskirts of Johannesburg. The countryside was very pleasant, quite flat with wheat and other such crops. It was also dotted here and there with huge white piles of rubble from platinum mines. On some of the hills sides I could see little towns, which I found later on closer inspection were shanty towns, some poorer than others.

Here and there a farm could be seen. It was a pleasant vista with a feeling of great space making me think of an earlier time this land must have seen. The Voortrekkers arriving after their long trek from the Cape down south. Maybe Chaka and his proud Zulu nation crossed these lands at some time or another, on their way to some confrontation with the white settlers or the British army. If only mountains could tell you what they have looked down on.
The road continued smooth and easy. I knew that soon my travelling companion in the GPS would start warning me about an impending turn to the right so I could go north to Pilanesberg. She then started warning me about an approaching toll booth. Oh heck, I’m glad I changed some money at the airport. Coming from Sydney, “city of extortionate toll roads”, I was prepared to be fleeced of my lunch money. Looking up at a set of smiling teeth I was asked for an amount equal to one US dollar. That was refreshing, I would still be able to eat. I didn’t mind that at all as the road I was travelling was very well made and maintained.

Off I went again. Within a few kilometers my friend chimed in warning me I would soon be required to make a left turn. That’s odd, I’m sure I should have been turning right. I’ve been around long enough to know that one doesn’t argue with women, so I went along for the ride to see what transpired. Soon I could see an over bridge up ahead. I also noticed that the motorway I was on came to an abrupt stop just past the bridge. I was to turn left and take a cloverleaf to get on my northern route. It was quite strange one quarter of a cover leaf interchange with no sign of any further work taking place.
The road north was still a four lane highway as it took me up an incline to get over the hills that had been the northern border of the valley I had been following. I caught up with and passed a small truck with a group of people in the back, they all looked happy and smiled as I drove past. The landscape changed quite abruptly as I crossed the range of hills, changing into scrubby bush and bare red soil. More shanty towns started popping up, this time closer to the road so I could get a good look at them. There was a marked difference between their standards. Some were very basic with dwellings made of scraps of all kinds. Pieces of roads signs were always missing, and the offending pilfered material could often be seen making up part of a roof or wall. In other settlements the dwellings might be of a much more permanent nature, with brick walls, and various accoutrements of a much more affluent lifestyle. Something odd that nearly caught me out a few times, was the fact that the small cross roads I crossed in these shanty towns had right of way over the main road I now travelled. Trekkers on my highway which had now contracted to a two lane road were required to observe a mandatory stop in each case, at which times local entrepreneurs would surge forth and offer all manner of goods. Needless to say I smiled politely and kept doors and windows firmly closed.


Soon I was past the shanty town region and topping a rise I had a grand vista of a very flat and featureless land. This must be the beginning of the edges of the Kalahari no doubt. I assumed the next tree must be in Botswana. The road ran straight and crossed the brown carpet of low scrub. On the horizon I could see a lone outcrop of hills.

This must be Pilansberg. Pilanesberg is an ancient volcano. In the flatness of the surrounding countryside it looked like an island, quite remarkable. I was approaching from the south, so to the round outcropping of Pilanesberg you could say I was at the 6 o’clock position and I knew that I had to get to Ivory Tree which was at the 2 o’clock position. There were entrances to the game park in the 6 o’clock position but I wanted to get to Ivory tree and check in and so chose to stay to the faster highway. The highway drew closer to the park perimeter and undulated more with the proximity of the ancient volcanic crater ring mountains. A few more settlements popped up, some with budget accommodation and lodges. It was mid morning when I pulled up to the driveway at Ivory Tree, located at the head of a valley which pushed it’s way into the ancient crater rim. The main building was of a style reminiscent of traditional African huts crossed with the spaciousness of a British colonial tropical residence. I found a shady parking place for my loaf of bread, as I know how quickly these things go off in the African sun.

I was obviously early due to my ungodly hour of arrival in Johannesburg, and in hind sight could have taken a spin around Pretoria. Oh well. I was offered a refreshing tropical fruit punch as I walked in the door by an attractive young lady. After listening to the radio on the way to the park I decided the South African accent could be quite attractive. Maybe my Dutch heritage. I reflected on how lucky I was to have found a place in the Pilanesburg area at all. I had been trying for a few weeks when I knew my business trip would bring me to Johannesburg, and only secured Ivory Lodge two days before. I was told I was free to make use of the public areas and the pool if I so wished as my room wouldn’t be ready until 14:00 (2PM). The lodge was very pleasantly decorated with light airy colours, and pastel coloured paintings.

There was also a library with many interesting publications on wildlife and the local park itself, certainly enough to whet ones appetite for the sights to be hoped for inside the park. More people were starting to arrive as the morning grew older, and conversations were struck up. It seemed other business travellers also had my idea of trying to grab a glimpse of Mother Africas offerings in a short weekend.
Lunch was served in a large rustic dining room with the open air coming through. The roof was peaked with exposed beams and large wrought iron chandeliers handing down. The walls that did exist between the many glass French doors were festooned with painting of various wild life species, but mainly the “Big Five”. The Big Five were the draw card of the park and consisted of: Lion, Buffalo, Elephant, Leopard and Rhinoceros. The Big Five was one of Pilanebergs’ big draw cards. More about that later.

Lunch was very good, a buffet of hot and cold dishes brought out by smiling, there go those teeth again, and obliging staff.
Soon after the meal we were able to go to our various bungalows. The bungalows were on two paths leading up the hill behind the main building like a ‘V’. Mine was on the right side of the V and off I went. It took me a few goes to find the right one as they were tucked away in trees and bush off the path. I kept a good weather eye out for snakes and other unexpected vermin. Earlier I had seen a small dog limping around in front of the main building and was told that it had been bitten by a cobra that very morning. They’re out there, and I figured on keeping them out there.
The bungalow was a very pleasant affair, dark timber work with big mosquito nets to drape around the bed, the bathroom was light and airy with very modern fixtures, and shower was…. Outside! This was novel. Of course it had a surround wall at about neck height and actually made for a new experience admiring the bush whilst washing. Power saving as far as extractors fans are concerned too. It was spring, I’m not sure what winter temperatures would be like out there.

The pool was pleasant and after a refreshing dip it was almost time for the evening game drive.
At 16:30 I got a call in my room from someone named Johan, who introduced himself as my game warden and would I be so good as to present myself at the Lodge entrance at 17:00 for the evening game drive.
There was quite a throng of guests gathered in the foyer where we were offered a refreshment. Soon the game wardens arrived and we put into groups and led down too our particular game viewing vehicle. There was a line up of around 8 of these green vehicles, three Landrovers and the rest Toyotas. They were open vehicles with bench seats set up high to afford a better view of the surrounding countryside. Johan, who was a young Afrikaaner introduced himself and gave us a brief rundown of what we hoped to see this evening. Soon we were off. Instead of going back down the driveway and going in the main park gate, we turned off the driveway and down a dirt track toward the elephant fence. There was another gate here with a local security guard in attendance. Johan called out "Securité' Securité" which seemed to be a private joke as the guard smilingly opened the gate. We were in the park.
Initially we drove on a bitumen road in convoy with the others, but soon made a left turn onto a dirt road which wound its way up a rise. Johan was relaying where certain game had been seen during the day, so these were areas we would be checking out. He also was constantly listening to radio chatter for reported sightings.
We were travelling over rolling countryside covered in tall golden grass. Around us medium sized hills rose up, remnanats of the extiinct volcano in which we were riding. It seemed to me that we were riding in a land with no discernable life. All of a sudden Johan stopped and indicated some Kudu among some trees by the road. These beautiful large antilopes known as ghost of the veld blended in so well they were almost impossible to see. The only thing that gave them away were their round ears, an incongruous shape on that background.

Once leaving the Kudu to their evening browse of the undergrowth we moved off. The next sighting was of a Wildebeest, a species which Johan expressed his dislike for due to their ugliness. They seem to be a concoction of different species thrown together into one, making “a not quite right” end result. In that ugliness I found there still was a certain stateliness, especially if you imagine a sea of them crossing the Serengeti.
We now started to see more species of antelope as we went deeper into the park, hartebeest, springbok and various others. Maybe I need to go back until I know them all on sight. As with many of these experiences, it all comes at you helter skelter and so much to take in at once. As a kid I read a lot about various animals and watched all the wild life shows, but once out in the field you realize how much more there really is out there. Different species with subtle differences that in some cases can only be singled out by a trained eye.
As we drove around in search of whatever we could find, I became aware of the topography of the land we were in. It was evident that this was some sort of crater. Not a perfect circular moon type crater, but never the less a circular outcropping of hills and mountains with various other hills and mountains within, where over the last 1,200 million years the original crater had eroded away. In the centre there were flatter grassland areas gently sloping down to a lake.

We pulled over to the side of the road again, and this time it was to view a giraffe browsing the tree tops. It was one of those moments that almost makes a tear to spring to the eye. Such is the feeling when you come across these animals in the wild that you have seen in zoos and books all your life. What a site, these beautiful creatures just walking around in their natural home. Johan explained the fascinating interaction between giraffes and their food source. Giraffes always feed upwind because the trees they browse on have developed a defence mechanism in that if they sense a giraffe dining on their leaves they release tannin into their leaves to make them unpalatable. As well as making the leaves unpalatable the tannin releases a dust which then is carried on the wind to nearby trees, of course those that are downwind. Therefore a windward feed giraffe will have only the tree behind it forewarned of his approach. How amazing is nature?

Our drive next brought us out on the grasslands surrounding the central lake. Here we saw more wildebeest, and also zebra. There were small groups feeding in the long grass on both sides of the road. When a group of zebra crossed in front of us I had to make the obligatory comment about zebra crossings which drew a chuckle. Johan then proceeded to explain that every zebras’ stripes were unique just like a human finger print. When a zebra was born the mother would spend an hour or so running in circles around it to indelibly imprint the mothers’ stripe pattern in the foals mind. This could be the difference between life and death if it had to pick its mother out of a lineup.

The sun was sinking lower now as we moved further around the lake. At the head of the lake we stopped and admired some rocks out in the water. The rocks of course turned out to be hippopotami. Every now and then a head would emerge from the water, sometimes opening the huge jaws, only to return to their submerged state. We were reminded that more people are killed by hippos in African than any other animal.
Further round the lake we stopped in a fenced off clearing from which led a walkway to a hide over the water on the lake shore. From here we would look oout over the lake and also the nearby shore. There was a petrified old tree in the water about 50 metres away and it was popular with all manner of birds as they jockeyed for position in its branches. On the shore we could see wildebeest walking in single file along the shore as they moved to their evening feeding grounds. I had to keep reminding myself that this was not a zoo, but fully functioning eco system, one where predators lurked and could strike at any time.

Back in the clearing Johan had set up some tables with refreshments, soft drinks, beer, biltong and various other things. I became an instant fan of biltong. The beef jerky of Africa I learned came in so many different flavours and textures. Lekker!

It was dark as we set off again. Blankets were broken out, and it was soon evident why as the cool night air came down. The air was full of gnats and moths attracted to our headlights, but these soon became less, or I just got used to them. Johan had heard on the radio where some elephant had been spotted, so off we went. Along the way we stopped to see a hyena, off on its evening search for scraps. Johan would be constantly swing the search light around in search for wildlife. The eyes of the wildebeest and many other antelope were very reflective and could be even seen on distant hills.

Soon we came to where we saw a group of other vehicles. At first we couldn’t see anything but Johan with his trusty search light soon picked out a nearby female elephant. A little further there were a few young males, two were head to head gentle pushing each other, whilst a third was helping his friend by pushing him in the rump. It looked quite comical actually.
Johan was very vigilant as far as making sure our vehicle was safe at all times and made sure we were oriented correctly for a quick getaway if required. No one can predict the moods and actions of a wild animal, and one had to remember that these were animals untainted by constant human handling, although they must have been used to the frequent presence of humans. It was once again a surreal experience to be sitting there in the dark watching these pachyderms going about their evening rituals.
After some time we moved off in search of other quarry. The park seemed immense from our little world bounded by head and search light. We heard over the radio that someone had found a pride of lion, so off we went in pursuit. After a short while we came across a group of other vehicles on the dirt road.
The pride was located some distance from the road, and with the aid of Johns trusty search light we were able to pick out a few lion lying in the grass. It was hard to make out too much detail, but we watched for a while.

Time was moving on and Johan announced it was time to head back to the lodge for a braai. That sounded just the ticket, it was now around 8PM. Having no idea where we were in the dark, it seemed like in no time at all we were approaching the elephant fence. “Securité Securité!” Thank God that password still worked, I was hungry.

In the foyer we were all directed toward the “Boma” out the back. This was an outdoor area surrounded by a wall made of tree trunks and brush. In the centre was a large circular concrete pad on which the best part of a tree was burning. The heat was amazing, but as the night closed in it was very effective keeping the chill air to the periphery. Arranged in a semicircle around the northern half of the Boma were long tables oriented end on to the fire. On the southern side was the server with table groaning under the weight of dishes of salads. Next to that the braai (barbeque) was in progress with many mouth watering choices. Each table was assigned to a vehicle group and their game warden. Very soon we were tucking into some great food and wine exchanging stories of why we were there. The prevalent reason was, like myself enjoying a side trip to a business trip.

Naturally we were keen to hear more about how thing operate in the park and Johans part in it. It certainly is a job for someone who doesn’t need much sleep. He would be up shortly after 4am each morning to prepare and then call all the guests in his group to wake them in time for the game drive. Between the morning and evening drive there were other tasks and some time to rest. Then, as with our group he would do the evening game drive followed by the braai. He would then be required to be the last of his group to leave to ensure no one strayed or got into trouble on the grounds. I believe the stint on site was something like a month before he got time off. He was also due to be married.

Towards the end of dinner we could hear some thunder and the wind came up blowing napkins and other items not nailed down around. It was still pleasant and conversation continued. The thunder grew a little louder. Then a few large drops of rain fell, maybe time to wind up. The rain drops got closer together. Time for bed.

Back in my room someone had kindly drawn the mosquito net around the bed. It had been a long day started several miles above Botswana. Definitely a shower required. I wondered whether I would actually need to turn the shower on in the outside arrangement or simply use the rain. I decided the rain needed warming up.

“Hello, this is Johan, game drive leaves in 30 minutes”
It’s not every Sunday I get up at 05:00. Back to the outdoor shower, still dark.

I think I had a coffee put into my hand in the lodge foyer before taking my place onboard our trusty Land Rover. My, those blankets felt good.
“Securité Securité”, we were in again. Mental note to not grab the front seat of the vehicle on the morning drive, it was cold.
In the pre-dawn haze the hills were becoming more defined. Our first visit this morning was with a female elephant who was tucking into some breakfast quite close to the road. She fairly well ignored us as Johan position us for a quick getaway. As we continued down the main road we passed a traditional Afrikaaner house from the days when Pilanesberg was farmed. Today that building is a gift shop. Thankfully we didn’t stop. We passed a few giraffe walking along a nearby hill, followed by a pair of white rhino. Apparently we had annoyed them as indicated by their curled up tails. If only we humans were so easy to read.
On coming to another stand of trees we came across a loan giraffe feeding. He seemed very intent on a group of low trees nearby and didn’t take his eyes off them. Joahn suspected that maybe there was a leopard about as one had been reported earlier. On rounding the next bend there were two other vehicles who reported that indeed a leopard had been here and had only just disappeared into the undergrowth. We did at least get to see some earth recently trodden by a leopard. They are apparently quite hard to view.

Johan was hopeful that our next destination might afford us a view of leopard. We set off toward a hillier and more rugged area to the northern part of the park. We saw more giraffe as the countryside changed from a tree dotted landscape to a more rocky and craggy one. We also started climbing quite steadily and every now and then as the road came close to an escarpment we could start to appreciate how high we were in relation to the central lake below. Not a leopard to be seen. The sun was up now and the view was quite stunning as we pulled into a cleared area with an outlook over the central park. We got down off the Toyota to stretch our legs and admire the view. The central lake behind the Mangkwe dam could be seen in the distance along with a pair hot air balloons we had seen ready to lift of the lake side earlier. They now drifted before a mountainous backdrop which was quite stunning. Toward the north we could see between the mountain the flat land expanse which would be the Kalahari. There was much more of an appreciation of the ancient volcano layout from this vantage point.

Around 1,200 million years ago a 23,000 foot (7,000 metre) volcano dominated the flat landscape at this spot. The volcano collapsed upon itself leaving four concentric rings in its place of jagged mountains less than ten percent in height of the original. This is an example of an “alkaline ring complex” one of only three examples in the world, the other two being in Greenland and the former Soviet Union.

The fold out tables were broken out and soon we were enjoying refreshments. Coffee number two always does it for me.
As we were drinking our refreshments and admiring the view, a view other vehicles came and went. Many were locals up from Johannesburg for the weekend. Johan would chat with them in Afrikaans and it was interesting for me to listen and see how much commonality there was with Dutch, Some conversations I could get the gist of.

Having packed up the picnic tables we started descending down the opposite side of the rise, scouring the craggy hills around us for a sign of leopard. The landscape was strewn with large boulders almost cubic in shape of a reddish hue. The vegetation was quite sparse, with bushes and small trees struggling to survive on the rocky ground. We saw no leopard.

Nearing the valley floor we went through an area that had been recently burned out. Thunderstorms with lightning strikes were common place due to the Pilanesberg formation being the only high point in a very flat land. Even though the fire had been recent there was a soft green hue to it as new growth was already coming through. Several warthogs seemed to be enjoying the new growth.

Back in the golden grassland of the valley floor we started to make our way back toward the Bakgatla Gate and Ivory Tree. We came upon a group of other game drive vehicles stopped on the road. There was a rhinoceros off to the left in the long grass. We could see him every now and again as he walked through a clearing. As we were watching a helicopter came overhead and approached the rhino. At one door a game warden was half leaning out of the open door with a rifle. As we watched the helicopter orientated itself to give the warden a clear shot. There was no sound. Clearly having taken the shot the helicopter stood off to one side so as not to panic the rhino too much but to track him. Johan explained that this is how they did health checks on the larger animals. They shot them with a tranquiliser dart, then once they were certain the animal was sedated they would land and a vet would go to work. Indeed after they deemed it safe the helicopter set down. They had to be sure of the rhinos sedation, as an angry patient would soon make short work of a flimsy aircraft. Once the vet and assistant debarked the helicopter departed, no doubt to return later.

“Securité Securité”, the last game drive came to a conclusion. Breakfast was a most welcome conclusion to the morning experiences.

Completely out of the blue I had just had an experience that had been on my lifes’ list of things to do. A mere week or so before I had no inkling that I would be in Africa seeing African wild animals up close and personal in a natural environment. I sat down to breakfast and reflected on the vagaries of life that could bring opportunities and changes so rapidly. I felt very fortunate to have been able to take such a detour and experience something so totally different.

The next task of the day was to drive my loaf of bread back through the game park and on down to Vereeniging to see my second cousin. Love the travelling……………..

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