Kiwis let loose in game parks

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We've decided that self drive safaris are the way to go. Armed with a road map, guide book, advice from local friend George and a rental four wheel drive we are off in search of more wildlife at our own pace.

Driving is very exciting in Nairobi, the roads full of fume-belching buses, darting minibus matatus, motorbikes, bicycles and tuk tuks all tooting and aggressively jostling for position on the densely packed roads. At least they are driving on the side of the road that we are used to. Amongst it all pedestrians duck in between cars and an array of wooden handcarts claim the sides of the road.

Outside of the city on the open road inject speed, heavily laden trucks and buses, unpredictably potholed roads and drivers overtaking on blind corners and the exciting driving cocktail continues.

We find accommodation just outside the main gate of Amboseli National Park in a tent. This one is under a large tree with hanging Weaver bird nests and inside our wee abode is a double bed. Not bad.

Our first self drive safari is a cracker. Large herds of elephants, lions on the kill, circling hyenas and jackals, lots of enchanting crested cranes, the incongruous looking ostriches, as well as a host of the now familiar game. And we escape with no bite marks. Our gate pass gives us 24hr access so we are up early in the morning to explore more of the park. Already the lion's kill from the previous day has been reduced to polished bones with two small falcons picking between the ribs.

We discover schools of catfish queueing to leap up a small waterfall and we watch the spectacle and will them on. On a lunch break we almost step on a patterned moving rock. It's a leopard tortoise, one of the 'small five' we have been trying to find.

The parks are not fenced and even outside them there are plenty of interesting things to see. Browsing giraffes, elephants heading to water holes and termite mounds sprouting large white mushrooms. We spot a tennis ball sized ball of dirt moving along the road and are impressed at the tenacity of the accompanying dung beetle as it scrabbles around it, rolling it's prize over obstacles on the dusty road. It's great having the freedom to spend the time as we wish.

We meet a local Maasai tribesman who walks us to his village where we are welcomed by some of his family. The cattle and goats are corralled inside the village for the night. I get to play with some of the Maasai children and again everyone wants to take me home. I have to explain that I have more traveling to do. We buy some of their hand crafts, meet the school teacher and are shown around their impressive new school.

The back drop to this area is supposedly Mount Kilimanjaro, just over the border in Tanzania, but the elusive mountain has been hiding in the clouds while we have been here. However as we are leaving a short window opens and we are treated to a glimpse of the dramatic snow covered summit. So it's not just a myth.

For the next leg we need an armed guard as this area has been notorious in the past for poachers and armed bandits. On the way we see our first groups of klipspringer and rock hyrax at the Shetani lava flow, stretching like a black tongue over the landscape.

Fortunately there is not a bandit to be seen and we drop our guard at the entry gate to Tsavo West National Park. This park is quite different to the relatively flat and open Amboseli. Here there are hills and large rocky outcrops, red dusty roads and lush green vegetation. It's more difficult to spot the wildlife but we add the long necked Gerenuk, brightly striped Guineafowl and Fringe-eared Oryx to the list.

In this park we are able to get out of the car in a few spots and walk around. We climb Chaimu Crater with it's sweeping views across the park, volcanic rocks crunching under our feet. At Roaring Rocks we get to stalk the hyrax in its rocky domain (aka David Attenborough), we spot a family of giraffe in the distance watching us back and we soak up the atmosphere from the high vantage point.

One of the main attractions in Tsavo West is Mzima Springs. I'm tempted by the cool clear spring water, but am feeling a little wary of the hippos and crocodiles. We settle for viewing the water from an unusual semi submerged tank, through the windows watching the native fish feed. We are accompanied back to the car by Vervet monkeys and baboons. They are not scared of my human friends and I can see them eyeing me up as a tasty froggy snack.

Tsavo West is the kind of park where you stumble upon things unexpectedly. We startle many pairs of Dikdik, tiny timid antelopes with big eyes, grazing nervously by the verge of the road. And we slam on the brakes to watch a large male giraffe munching on a thorny acacia right beside the car.

Filled to the brim with these marvelous images and very satisfied with our self drive decision, we turn and head for the warmth of the Kenyan beaches.

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Photos

What's up with that hair?
Chaimu Crater

Mzima Springs
From the safety of the tank