Heeding the call of the wild
As an avid bird watcher, Mariska Kruger of Pretoria packed the tent in their bakkie and hit the road when she heard of one specific bird that appears in the vicinity of Mapungubwe.
We had not visited Mapungubwe National Park before, but when I heard the very rare Pel’s fishing owl appears around there, my husband, Sarel, and I decided to pack our camping gear – plus binoculars and camera, of course – into our Isuzu KB300 double cab bakkie and go. It was June last year, and I simply had to go and look for this bird. As I was looking for a campsite, I came across Mazhou, and although we were camping in the middle of winter, it was actually shorts-wearing weather. As soon as we arrived, we realised this was no ordinary SANParks reserve. Mapungubwe is divided into two with a piece of private land in the middle. To get to Mazhou, you enter at the main gate on the eastern side of Mapungubwe. After signing in, you drive all the way back and enter at the western gate. There’s a dirt road that goes through the middle of the reserve, but I’m not sure if an ordinary sedan with a regular caravan would make it.
TELL US MORE ABOUT THE CAMPSITE?
Ten stands are laid out in a circle. You can’t prebook your stand, so it’s first come, first served. We pitched camp under a large nyala tree. During our visit, our neighbours camped with off-road caravans, bakkie campers, and tents, but we didn’t see a regular caravan. You camp on open spots in the bush, on hard ground – you know you’re in nature when you hear the lions roaring from Botswana’s side at night. You have power (domestic socket), a light, and a rubbish bin. There’s also a braai, although ours wasn’t in a great condition. It’s probably a good idea to bring your own.
WHAT ABOUT THE ABLUTION FACILITIES?
There’s one ablution block in the middle of the campsite with two showers – one for men and the other for women, but the basins and toilets are for both. There’s a wheelchair-friendly bathroom at the dishwashing area next to the facilities. It’s clear the facilities are well maintained.
WHAT DO YOU DO TO KEEP BUSY?
Well, there aren’t swimming pools or playgrounds, but we came to watch animals and especially birds... and I’m happy to report that I found the Pel’s fishing owl! Then, I also ticked off birds like the saddle-billed stork, the Senegal coucal, and the tropical boubou. We also saw lots of game, including lions, leopards, elephants, giraffes, zebras, kudus, klipspringers, and warthogs. There are several vantage points and 4x4 eco trails – more than enough to keep you busy. I must warn you about the monkeys in the campsite, though: if you don’t keep everything closed tightly, you’ll pay the price. We had barely stopped before they got into our bakkie and made off with a packet of nuts!
IS THERE A SHOP?
Yes, but when we visited, it wasn’t open at all. Alldays was the nearest spot to buy supplies such as wood, ice and, fuel – and it’s a good 40 km away.