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Published: September 1st 2014
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Manyane Caravan Camp, Pilanesberg--Wednesday, March 26
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Drove through the gate after getting out and buying a pass and map book. This park, for some reason, isn’t part of the “wild card” pass system. We were not sure how much rain this park had gotten so we were concerned about the condition of the off-paved roads. We started out on the Tshwene Drive. When we came to the Tilodi Loop, we decided it looked ok and was only about 2 km long, and so we proceeded to a lake/dam to see what was there. We were able to see a number of birds along the shore and on branches in the water, so after a while we continued slowly along the loop. We shouldn’t have.
Finally, after a jarring, bumpy, rocking good time, NOT, we joined back onto the paved road. We shortly came to another turn, this one to the right, with a number of cars on it, and we could see a number of animals grazing on a meadow-like area, so we turned onto the Korwe Link to look at what was there.
After 6-7 km, we then drove onto the paved Kgabo drive until we came
to the Ratihogo Waterhole hide. There we got out to see what could be seen at this place. Patience was rewarded by seeing a waterbuck doe and her fawn pick their way daintily through the shallow water on the other side of the lake from where we were sitting. She then joined a small herd of impalas that were hanging out.
We then drove along this drive until we came to the Pilasnesberg Center that once was a Courthouse built in 1939. Now it houses various offices, craft shops, and a restaurant and bar. We walked through into the courtyard and was surprised to see that a salt lick had been placed on the other side of the courtyard wall and the area around it was full of animals–blue wildebeests, wart-hogs, zebras, to name a few, and the birds were all over after what-ever crumbs they might get.
We ordered lunch and as we watched a couple of giraffes sauntered up and spread their knees to lick the salt--a funny sight that makes the animal very vulnerable to attack in that position. After watching here for a while, we drove down the road to the intersection of the
Tshwene Drive and carefully took a ride along the Hippo Loop in an open field that skirted along the Mankwe Dam. There we saw many more zebras and then a couple of black-back Jackals hunting in the grass. We were sure we were going to watch them kill one of the geese there.
Back again on the main road to camp, we returned to sort out all the items (food, plastic ware, odds and ends) we planned to give away that afternoon in preparation for turning the RV in the next day, and to get ready for a 5:30 dinner at the camp restaurant.
It was a very nice dinner where a lamb was roasted on a spit. No mint jelly however. They did have a mint “sauce” but it was pureed mint leaves in vinegar(?). Walked back to our RV and finished packing our suitcases and got the rest of the items we were donating in the morning set aside.
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