Weekend at Pilansberg

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Caravan packed, trailer packed, both vehicles hitched up and we are ready to go. Check the lights on the caravan - right flasher, left flasher, brake lights and right and left flashers all together looking somewhat like a disco (hey maybe that's where the name discovery comes from), mmmm, seems to be a little problem there. Wiggle the connection but no change, so we are ok to go as long as we don't brake and indicate at the same time.

An easy drive to Pilansberg, you can hardly tell you are towing once the Landrover has got up to cruising speed and only know you are going by the steady dropping of the fuel gauge.

Arrived there mid afternoon and very quickly set up camp, there were plenty to choose from and surprisingly it didn't take too long to pick one. Mind you it was coming over quite dark and threatening to rain so that was a bit of an incentive to get set up in the dry. As it turned out the rain was one or two spatters and then gone. We had enquired at reception as to what time the gate to the park closed as we wanted to get our entry ticket for an early morning drive and told it was 7pm. Rushed off just before then to be told that actually although the gate closed at 7pm the office part of the gate closed earlier and no, we couldn't get a gate pass tonight.

It wasn't really cold but we got the firepit out anyway and lit a fire, a necessity when you are camping and have no tv, otherwise what else are you going to watch. Plenty of impala wandering around in the camp and lots of night noises, some jackals having a bit of a bust up, really just enjoyed being back out in the bush. Not too late to bed as we were planning on getting up early to go out as soon as the gate opened, so set my alarm for 5.15 to make sure I didn't oversleep.

5.20 there was a tap on the caravan door, the phone alarm hadn't woken us as I had forgotten to change the time to South African time so it thought it was only 3.30!

Had a leisurely drive around and saw a couple of jackal, several white rhino and elephant in the distance as well as a nice herd of springbok, some tssebe, steenbok, giraffe, hippo, zebra, warthog, wildebeest and then decided it was time to return to camp as by now we were all starving.

Back at camp we cooked a full skottle breakfast, the first for nearly a year. Odd really, because we cook a full breakfast every morning for our guests but never eat one ourselves unless we are on holiday.

The weather all weekend stayed good except for Saturday night just as we were going to bed when it started to blow really strongly. We hurried around with mallet and spare tent pegs to make sure everything was secure but in the end it blew itself out and no fly away tents.

Back home Sunday afternoon with no other mishaps, all in all a very enjoyable camp and a good test for car and caravan before our long one starts next week.

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