SGOTY
Every year there is a competition held which ultimately celebrates a number of guides nominated to participate in the Safari Guide of the Year. There are various categories in which each candidate has to compete and at the end of the week, the winner is announced. This year it was held at Kariega Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape [https://www.kariega.co.za] and I was lucky enough to be able to attend the event for the full duration.
The Eastern Cape is very different to the lowveld, where I’m from. The lowveld in winter is very dry and very brown (which I have to say holds its own beauty). The Eastern Cape has just been blessed with rather a lot of rain and so was very lush and green.
Kariega is a special reserve, I’ve not been to one quite like it. You can see the ocean in the distance, and much of Kariega is forested mountains, with grassy valleys, and purple flowering plumbago everywhere. It is breathtakingly beautiful, wherever you look.
On our first morning, we were treated to a boat ride along the Kariega river. And it was such a treat.
Before the boats had even started to move, we were granted an audience with a palm-nut vulture, sitting in the euphorbia’s, giving us its best poses. All the twitchers (which was most of us) were all snapping away frantically (in the worst light) to try and get the best shots. This was the best I managed.
After the initial excitement of this (it’s not every day one gets to see palm-nut vultures) we headed off down the river. It was still early, and rather chilly, but what incredible beauty.
The boat trip also provided us with half-collared kingfishers, knysna turaco’s, a delightful troop of monkeys, bushbuck and kudu.
No guided bush experience, is ever complete without that first cup of morning coffee. And no first morning cup of coffee (in the bush) is ever complete without a dash of amarula.
And what better way to enjoy this, than a visit to the edge of the river, by our first elephant.
As a guest one can either participate in one of the contestant walks or drives, or if there is no place available on those, then there is a general drive which happens both mornings and evenings.
On one of these general drives in the morning, we were blessed with yet another rather rare sighting.
Caracals are not endangered, however they are not always easily seen, and this was my first time to ever see one for more than a few fleeting seconds.
Also still early in the morning, we spent at least 40 minutes with this caracal, while s/he observed the surroundings, did some stalking in our direction, settled down again to get in some extra grooming before the next set of stalking. It was truly one of those “wow” experiences.
Whilst out and about on the various drives, we also encountered a number of the different bird species on the reserve.
During the day there is the beauty on the earth, at night there is the beauty of the sky.
I always look up at the sky, and the skies over Kariega did not disappoint. I’m not sure if it’s the ocean which means there is less light pollution, but the milky way literally flowed through the sky.
I also love playing with taking cellphone pics of the sky, so of course this is what I had to do.
Among the millions of twinkling stars, Scorpio was very present, and Corona australis was also very visible. It’s so easy when they are so present, to get lost among the stars.
Not at all in the league of professional astronomical photography, but I love the results.
We really were super fortunate with the variety of game we saw. Apparently the lions had been heard on a particular morning, and so we went off to go and see if we could find them. Which we did. The lion lineage (I’m not sure if it’s just Kariega or a vast majority of E Cape) is descended from the Kalahari lion gene pool and they are magnificent. The big black manes crown their smaller golden manes, making them absolutely resplendent.
The babies were just too sweet.
I did join one of the early morning walks, which always brings a different perspective to the bush. You do feel a deeper connection to the earth – and your surroundings – as you walk along, taking it all in one step at a time.
The earth is a beautiful place.
Elephants are the most special creatures. They are such characters, and this encounter we had with a young bull testing his strength and position, was one of the most incredible encounters I’ve ever had with elephants. It’s quite a long clip, but it really is amazing to watch the interactions between the 2 bulls and then a 3rd mediator. Just amazing.
For me, the most perfect ending to a magical week.
Author
berniceinthebush@gmail.com
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