Mokala National Park - April 2016
=====================================================================
Extract from the Sanparks website :
https://www.sanparks.org/parks/mokala/
We (Myself, Sue, John and Anne) decided to book a few days camping at Mokala National Park, just outside of Kimberly (https://www.sanparks.org/parks/mokala/). We chose the end of April 2016 due to the midweek public holiday on the 27th. This allowed us some additional time and it falls within the private school holidays, as John and Anne are both teachers.
We were traveling with our Chevrolet Trailblazer and off road trailer. A nice combination and the Trailblazer 2.8 Duramax pulls the large off road trailer with ease. John and Anne were travelling with their Suzuki Grand Vitara and Venter trailer.
We were to leave Johannesburg (and John and Anne Pretoria) on Saturday morning. We had decided to meet at the ultra city at Kroonstad for breakfast at 8am. That meant an early start for us, so we left home at 6am. The trip to Kroonstad was perfect and the road not busy. We arrived looking forward to a good breakfast. A healthy eggs and beacon was had by all.
From there it was to be to Bloemfontein where we turned off the main N1 highway onto the N8. From there we traveled along the N8 until turning left onto the R48 (towards Koffiefontein) and then right onto the R705 before reaching the N12 at Ritchie (effectively bypassing Kimberly).
I did not know, but we could have crossed over the N12 and traveled along a 14km dirt road to the Lillydale entrance gate to Mokala. However, we traveled about 30 km's on the N12 before turning right onto a dirt road to Mokala. (this gate is actually closer to the camping sites)
The gravel road was not in a very good condition and should be graded by SANParks (or someone!!)
We arrived at Mokala gate (a total of 624 Km's from home) after a drive of about 25km's on the corrugated gravel road, off the N12.
From the gate its a nice drive along a gravel track until you reach the reception area. This is where you check in for the camping sites and where you collect the key for the private ablution. (each campsite - only 6 of them around a waterhole - have their own private ablutions and kitchen area with gas fridge and stove).
From the reception its a relatively short drive along another dirt track to the campsites.
(https://tracks4africa.co.za/listings/item/w253335/motswedi-campsite-no-1-mokala-np/)
We set up camp early afternoon, but luckily it was not too hot. We had a nice site around the waterhole. (site 3 and John and Anne had site 4)
That evening, after a short game drive, we decided to have a nice braai.
Each day (we were there for 5 days, counting the arrival and departure days) we went for game drives and had good sightings. Sanparks are working on all the main roads within the park and these are now suitable for sedan vehicles as well.
The campsites, as well as the chalets were full for each f the evenings that we were within the park.
Tsessebe. Quiet a few of these animals in the park.
The Meerkat, also called the Suricate. They all stand up when looking around and then scurry off into their burrows.
Here they are all on the lookout.
African Buffalo. This s the largest of the African bovine.
The Gemsbok is the largest antelope in the Oryx genus.
Meerkat.
Springbok. There were also quiet a few of these antelope in the park. It was amazing to see how they pronk and how high they can pronk. They can actually pronk up to 2 meters above the ground.
Eland. Its actually just known as the Common Eland.
Plaines Zebra, also known as the common zebra and/or Burchell's zebra.
The Common Warthog is a wild member of the pig family.
There had been some rain, so they were messing around in the muddy water.
Just some antelope in the distance. Some lovely scenery at Mokala as well.
The Roan Antelope.
.
On the Sunday I had decided to make a non stirring risotto meal. I found a recipe in one of the Go magazines. The recipe called for the risotto to be cooked in an oven. So I made a plan with the two Cadac Safari Chef gadgets that we had. I used the 2 lids as a nice "round" oven and cooked the risotto in a pot. This worked well and the meal was a hit with everyone.
I also cooked a chocolate oven bake pudding, for one of our braai's, in a similar fashion. It too, turned out good.
We had sightings at the waterhole at the campsite. Also, each evening we did see some "eyes" bouncing around in the grass near the campsite. On the second evening we managed to see the creatures. At first they seemed to look like small kangaroos, but that was ridiculous. So, on examination of the iPad and the animal books, we discovered that the Springhare was described as kangaroo like. (Its the South African Springhare, which apparently is a rodent and not even a hare at all, and is native to Southern Africa). These little animals were viewed each evening.
We also had some lovely sunsets at Mokala.
Sitting around the braai on one evening, out of the corner of my eye, I thought that I saw something near the tent. On turning around, I noticed a rather large porcupine standing there. It stayed a while and then scurried off into the bush. However, after we retired for the evening, John and Anne noticed that the porcupine came back and walked past their tent and through the campsites and out the other end. It must have been its regular path.
They have the "black" springbok in the park as well. We were lucky enough to see a few, but they were too far off for a decent picture.
You cant see it in this photo above. But this sign had been knocked down by something. Possibly a vehicle or a large animal. We arrived on the scene at the same time as a SANParks maintenance crew. We did not hang around.
But, when we came back we noticed that they had put the sign up the wrong way around and it was pointing away from the loop that it was supposed to identity. They obviously did not see this when they put it back up. We had a good chuckle.
Strange but true !!
On the Tuesday morning we decided to cook a full breakfast. So that went down well and we sat under the trees enjoying the eggs, bacon, sausage, tomatoes, brinjal, mushrooms and toast, with orange juice. It always tastes much better while camping.
That day, on our game drive, we decided to take a late afternoon picnic which we were hoping to enjoy down by the Riet river. But, alas, there are no picnic sites down by the river, so instead we traveled back to a picnic site in the park and had an enjoyable picnic in the wild.
The drive down to the Riet river is a 4x4 only track. Its not really too hectic, but it is very rocky and you definitely require a 4x4 to traverse the track. We collected a few "rocks" on the way as samples for the geography teachers.
All too soon it was time to pack up and travel home. We packed away a few items the evening on Tuesday. On Wednesday morning we completed the packing. On hitching up the trailer I noticed that the one tyre was looking a little soft. I have a compressor so decided to pump it up. It was fine.
We decided to travel through the park and out the Lilydale gate bask to the N12. I had asked and was informed that the gravel road as "good".
The drive through the park was great. The gravel road, however, was in a shocking state. Very corrugated and we bounced along for the entire trip back to the N12.
We stopped for fuel and I checked the trailer tyre which was still fully inflated.
We stopped for some lunch in a small dorp where we found a KFC. Not the best, but was ok.
We traveled back along the N12 which takes one through Bloemhof, Klerksdorp and Potchefstroom before joining the N1 again near Soweto.
The trip was going well, except that John's Suzuki developed a slight overheating issue and the aircon was also not working correctly. But the temperature gauge did not go into the red at any stage and it was ok.
After we joined the N1 there was quiet a bit of traffic. But we were travelling at about 110 and all was fine.
Just before the Maraisburg off ramp, the trailer tyre had had enough and "exploded". I had 3 lanes to cross to get into the yellow line (emergency lane) and the trailer stayed dead straight behind the Trailblazer. The tyre was shredded.
John and Anne, who were travelling ahead of us, turned around at the next off ramp and did a bit of a circular route back to assist us.
I jacked up the trailer (I have a 15 ton bottle jack !!) and put the spare on. It was a brand new spare tyre. It needed a little air, so I pumper that up and we were on our way again. So now I need to get a new tyre (will probably get 2) Anyway, we were safe.
It was about 10km home and we arrived safely. Parked the trailer, which is a mission. That's because it parks around the back of the house. So I squeeze past the house and the garage and into one carport. Then have to unhitch the trailer, turn it 90 degrees and push it back, get the car back out past the trailer (turning the car around in the process). Then hitch the trailer up again and maneuver it (a couple of back and forth reversing and turning actions) and then finally reverse it under its carport.
So why cant I push it in ? Well that's because the trailer awning is on a downhill and the trailer is too heavy to manhandle.
But, its all worth it in the end !!!
Until our next trip. Cheers.
=====================================================================
Extract from the Sanparks website :
https://www.sanparks.org/parks/mokala/
"Where Endangered Species Roam..."
Mokala is SANParks’ newest park. It is situated approximately 70km south-southwest of Kimberley, and west of the N12 freeway to Cape Town. Nestled in the hills, Mokala's landscape boasts a variety of koppieveld (hills) and large open plains.
The isolated dolerite hills give the place a calming feeling of seclusion. A big surprise awaits you when you pass through the hills and are confronted by the large open sandy plains towards the north and west of the Park. Drainage lines from the hills form little tributaries that run into the plains and drain into the Riet River.
Mokala is a Setswana name for a Camel Thorn (Kameeldoring) These trees occur in dry woodland and arid, sandy areas and are one of the major tree species of the semi-desert regions of Southern Africa. This immensely important species has a great range over the Northern Cape and varies from a small, spiny shrub barely 2m high, to a tree up to 16m tall with a wide, spreading crown.
The Camel Thorn is an incredible resource to both wildlife and humans who survive in often harsh conditions characteristic of this area. Traditionally, the gum and bark have been used by local tribes to treat coughs, colds and nosebleeds. Some even use the roasted seeds as a coffee substitute.
Mokala is a Setswana name for a Camel Thorn (Kameeldoring) These trees occur in dry woodland and arid, sandy areas and are one of the major tree species of the semi-desert regions of Southern Africa. This immensely important species has a great range over the Northern Cape and varies from a small, spiny shrub barely 2m high, to a tree up to 16m tall with a wide, spreading crown.
The Camel Thorn is an incredible resource to both wildlife and humans who survive in often harsh conditions characteristic of this area. Traditionally, the gum and bark have been used by local tribes to treat coughs, colds and nosebleeds. Some even use the roasted seeds as a coffee substitute.
End of extract from Sanparks website
=====================================================================We (Myself, Sue, John and Anne) decided to book a few days camping at Mokala National Park, just outside of Kimberly (https://www.sanparks.org/parks/mokala/). We chose the end of April 2016 due to the midweek public holiday on the 27th. This allowed us some additional time and it falls within the private school holidays, as John and Anne are both teachers.
We were traveling with our Chevrolet Trailblazer and off road trailer. A nice combination and the Trailblazer 2.8 Duramax pulls the large off road trailer with ease. John and Anne were travelling with their Suzuki Grand Vitara and Venter trailer.
We were to leave Johannesburg (and John and Anne Pretoria) on Saturday morning. We had decided to meet at the ultra city at Kroonstad for breakfast at 8am. That meant an early start for us, so we left home at 6am. The trip to Kroonstad was perfect and the road not busy. We arrived looking forward to a good breakfast. A healthy eggs and beacon was had by all.
From there it was to be to Bloemfontein where we turned off the main N1 highway onto the N8. From there we traveled along the N8 until turning left onto the R48 (towards Koffiefontein) and then right onto the R705 before reaching the N12 at Ritchie (effectively bypassing Kimberly).
I did not know, but we could have crossed over the N12 and traveled along a 14km dirt road to the Lillydale entrance gate to Mokala. However, we traveled about 30 km's on the N12 before turning right onto a dirt road to Mokala. (this gate is actually closer to the camping sites)
The gravel road was not in a very good condition and should be graded by SANParks (or someone!!)
We arrived at Mokala gate (a total of 624 Km's from home) after a drive of about 25km's on the corrugated gravel road, off the N12.
From the gate its a nice drive along a gravel track until you reach the reception area. This is where you check in for the camping sites and where you collect the key for the private ablution. (each campsite - only 6 of them around a waterhole - have their own private ablutions and kitchen area with gas fridge and stove).
From the reception its a relatively short drive along another dirt track to the campsites.
(https://tracks4africa.co.za/listings/item/w253335/motswedi-campsite-no-1-mokala-np/)
We set up camp early afternoon, but luckily it was not too hot. We had a nice site around the waterhole. (site 3 and John and Anne had site 4)
That evening, after a short game drive, we decided to have a nice braai.
Each day (we were there for 5 days, counting the arrival and departure days) we went for game drives and had good sightings. Sanparks are working on all the main roads within the park and these are now suitable for sedan vehicles as well.
The campsites, as well as the chalets were full for each f the evenings that we were within the park.
Stofdam, taken from the hide. This is a hide where one can sleep over. There are bunk beds as well as a braai area and toilet and shower.
There had been some rain, so they were messing around in the muddy water.
On the Sunday I had decided to make a non stirring risotto meal. I found a recipe in one of the Go magazines. The recipe called for the risotto to be cooked in an oven. So I made a plan with the two Cadac Safari Chef gadgets that we had. I used the 2 lids as a nice "round" oven and cooked the risotto in a pot. This worked well and the meal was a hit with everyone.
I also cooked a chocolate oven bake pudding, for one of our braai's, in a similar fashion. It too, turned out good.
We had sightings at the waterhole at the campsite. Also, each evening we did see some "eyes" bouncing around in the grass near the campsite. On the second evening we managed to see the creatures. At first they seemed to look like small kangaroos, but that was ridiculous. So, on examination of the iPad and the animal books, we discovered that the Springhare was described as kangaroo like. (Its the South African Springhare, which apparently is a rodent and not even a hare at all, and is native to Southern Africa). These little animals were viewed each evening.
We also had some lovely sunsets at Mokala.
Sitting around the braai on one evening, out of the corner of my eye, I thought that I saw something near the tent. On turning around, I noticed a rather large porcupine standing there. It stayed a while and then scurried off into the bush. However, after we retired for the evening, John and Anne noticed that the porcupine came back and walked past their tent and through the campsites and out the other end. It must have been its regular path.
They have the "black" springbok in the park as well. We were lucky enough to see a few, but they were too far off for a decent picture.
You cant see it in this photo above. But this sign had been knocked down by something. Possibly a vehicle or a large animal. We arrived on the scene at the same time as a SANParks maintenance crew. We did not hang around.
But, when we came back we noticed that they had put the sign up the wrong way around and it was pointing away from the loop that it was supposed to identity. They obviously did not see this when they put it back up. We had a good chuckle.
Strange but true !!
On the Tuesday morning we decided to cook a full breakfast. So that went down well and we sat under the trees enjoying the eggs, bacon, sausage, tomatoes, brinjal, mushrooms and toast, with orange juice. It always tastes much better while camping.
That day, on our game drive, we decided to take a late afternoon picnic which we were hoping to enjoy down by the Riet river. But, alas, there are no picnic sites down by the river, so instead we traveled back to a picnic site in the park and had an enjoyable picnic in the wild.
The drive down to the Riet river is a 4x4 only track. Its not really too hectic, but it is very rocky and you definitely require a 4x4 to traverse the track. We collected a few "rocks" on the way as samples for the geography teachers.
All too soon it was time to pack up and travel home. We packed away a few items the evening on Tuesday. On Wednesday morning we completed the packing. On hitching up the trailer I noticed that the one tyre was looking a little soft. I have a compressor so decided to pump it up. It was fine.
We decided to travel through the park and out the Lilydale gate bask to the N12. I had asked and was informed that the gravel road as "good".
The drive through the park was great. The gravel road, however, was in a shocking state. Very corrugated and we bounced along for the entire trip back to the N12.
We stopped for fuel and I checked the trailer tyre which was still fully inflated.
We stopped for some lunch in a small dorp where we found a KFC. Not the best, but was ok.
We traveled back along the N12 which takes one through Bloemhof, Klerksdorp and Potchefstroom before joining the N1 again near Soweto.
The trip was going well, except that John's Suzuki developed a slight overheating issue and the aircon was also not working correctly. But the temperature gauge did not go into the red at any stage and it was ok.
After we joined the N1 there was quiet a bit of traffic. But we were travelling at about 110 and all was fine.
Just before the Maraisburg off ramp, the trailer tyre had had enough and "exploded". I had 3 lanes to cross to get into the yellow line (emergency lane) and the trailer stayed dead straight behind the Trailblazer. The tyre was shredded.
John and Anne, who were travelling ahead of us, turned around at the next off ramp and did a bit of a circular route back to assist us.
I jacked up the trailer (I have a 15 ton bottle jack !!) and put the spare on. It was a brand new spare tyre. It needed a little air, so I pumper that up and we were on our way again. So now I need to get a new tyre (will probably get 2) Anyway, we were safe.
It was about 10km home and we arrived safely. Parked the trailer, which is a mission. That's because it parks around the back of the house. So I squeeze past the house and the garage and into one carport. Then have to unhitch the trailer, turn it 90 degrees and push it back, get the car back out past the trailer (turning the car around in the process). Then hitch the trailer up again and maneuver it (a couple of back and forth reversing and turning actions) and then finally reverse it under its carport.
So why cant I push it in ? Well that's because the trailer awning is on a downhill and the trailer is too heavy to manhandle.
But, its all worth it in the end !!!
Until our next trip. Cheers.
| Details according to Garmin : | |
| Total Trip | 1273 Km |
| Maximum speed | 128 Km/h |
| Moving average | 71 Km/h |
| Overall average | 57 Km/h |
| Total time | 22.31 Hours |
| Moving time |
17.54 Hours |
Actual Fuel Used |
|
| Km Traveled | 1324 Km's |
| L per 100 Km | 15.75 |
| Average cost per L | ZAR 12.1 |
| Total L | 208.57 |
| Cost per Km | ZAR 1.91 |
