Having missed the best weather windows for getting to Cape Town before Christmas we decided to drive there - only about 2000 km and fly back to Durban.
The Addo Elephant Park near Port Elizabeth was on the way. It has a total of 600-800 elephants as well as black rhinoceros and some other animals we haven't seen before. It is also one of the largest reserves in South Africa, although this is a bit misleading as it is split into sections with different access requirements and, indeed, different wildlife.
On this occasion we stayed in a B&B -Elephants Footprint just outside the park where the room was like a zoo elephant enclosure very neat complete with thatched roof, thatched toilet and outside shower. Fortunately no mahout came to groom us!
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| Panorama of the park from Zuurkop hill. |
Much of the park used to be farmed, which has enabled different habit areas, ranging from open grassland to thick scrub, to be established. The thick scrubland areas make it quite difficult to see the animals - in particular black rhinos.
Again we'll let the pictures largely speak for themselves
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| This one has right of way! |
The elephants are supposed to be relaxed, but it's slightly worrying when they came down the road towards you and carry on past. The advice is to stop, switch off the engine and enjoy!
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| Grazing lone buffalo |
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| Warthog |
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| Red-necked frangolin |
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| Black-headed heron and african helmeted turtles |
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| Greater kudu |
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| Red hartebeeste |
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| Hadeda ibis |
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| At the waterhole |
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| Female warthog and brood |
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| Lioness - close to the road |
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| and the lion |
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| Females with calf |
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| Zebra and foal |
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| The young one |
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| Leopard tortoise |
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| Ostrich male and female |
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| Cape longclaw |
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| Secretary bird |
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