For the identification of insects and other fauna and flora of South Africa.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Tour and travelogue to KNP Game Reserve S Africa - Part 3

I wander around after lunch and took some pictures of this Sabi Star. It grows wild here in the park and always shows it’s wonderful flowers in the dead of winter.
A close up of the flower.
In the camp there is a bronze statue of these Kudu who’s skeleton they found in the bush. The horns had interlocked and they could not separate themselves and so they died.
All the camps offer night drives and these are the vehicles you go out with. It is wonderful to see the array of night animals like Civet and Serval.
Tucked away in the roof of a thatched rondaval, these Epaulette Fruit bats sleep the day away. They are harmless and quite cute.
The birds like this Burchel's Starling just wait for you to finish eating and then they all fly up onto the table to eat the scrapes. They become so tame, they will come and eat out of you hand if you hold food in it.
There is an old museum in this camp which shows you some of the things which were used when the camp was first established. This fuel pump is circa 1935.
This one of the first huts built in the park for accommodation.
The bed is made with strips of hide as springs and after almost a hundred years, they have been cured so well, you can still sit on it.
The modern amenities included your own washbowl and potty, with a bucket to fetch your own water from the nearby river.
Gas lamps were used with beautiful porcelain bowls and an iron which you heated on the outside fire in order to get the wrinkles out of your clothes.
An advert for fuel…..
…and a handy tip on what NOT to do.
Lovers taking a stroll around camp before spending the night under the stars…..
…..and alternate accommodation when the camp was full. Needless to say, with this mode of transport, it took a few days to get there too!!
This picture is of the up-to-date modern accommodation available.