Tuesday 16th September we got up and breakfasted fairly early with Gill and off we went to get a SA SIM card for our roamer ….we went to Wendywood shopping Centre and called at Vodacom. We’ve used them a lot of times before…but the very unhelpful lady said no we couldn’t buy data sim from her it would have to go in my phone…more fool her…she missed out on a good sale…We walked out and across the walkway to MTN wow what a difference. They couldn’t be more helpfull…we bought 600 gb for just over £60 she set it all up for me assured me it would work all over Kruger and gained much praise and thanks from us…

We then progressed to “pick and pay” for essentials.. 2x braii briquettes, 2 x fire lighters, matches, water, Diet Coke, loo rolls ( I never like the ones provided🤣) kitchen roll, cheese crackers, marmite, eat some more biscuits, crisps, tinned veg, smash, rice and noodles…. That was it, all the nonperishable consumables we needed for 3 weeks in the bush. We are going to pick up the perishables meat, cheese, butter, fresh veg and fruit, yogurts, bread at Malalane on day 5.

The rest of the day we spent back at our friends, playing with the grandchildren.

For supper we went out to Ocean Basket and had the Mega platter between us…it had 3 peices of line fish, calamari rings and tentacles, mussels and 30 Prince Prawns…we had it all grilled. Gill had lashings of chilli on hers and I was very anti-social and smothered mine in garlic…John had his straight..all for the cost of £ 30 with our drinks it was just under £40. I forgot to get a picture until we had nearly finished it 🤣

Wednesday morning we were up bright and early and the car was packed by 8,30. We left Jo’burg at 8.50. Just 30 minutes after leaving the city, we were out in open countryside with significantly less traffic. Our route took us along the N12 which seamlessly becomes the N4 all the way through to Malalane. We travelled past EMalahleni previously called Witbank (10.15 am 145km). Shortly afterwards we paid in cash the toll of R81 at Middelburg Plaza. The next landmark reached is Millys at 11.15- 254 km from Jo’burg- a good place for petrol, toilets or just a leg stretch…they sell super freshly made trout pate. The next toll is a little further on from Millys and cost R122. At this point the N4 splits and you can go either the left or right route they both rejoin some 80 kilometres later…we usually take the lower, right route. This takes you through Water Boven and past the paper mill at Ngodwana ( 11.50am, 314 kms from our start). Nelspruit, now known as Mbombela is the next main town after the N4 becomes one again. We arrived there at 12.25, -355km into our journey….so far so good…it was a great quick trip with a much improved N4. However they haven’t finished the improvements yet and the following 48 km to the next toll at Nkomazi Plaza took us nearly an hour and a half due to road works and the rock blasting required for widening this section of the N4 (R 92 – 13.59) From here to Kruger gate is just over 20 Km….we arrived at 14.05. We quickly purchased our Wild Card and found out we could get on the sunset drive from the gate. We booked into Pestana Lodge, which is about 200 m from the gate. Just had time for a quick wash and brush up before returning to the gate for the National Parks Sunset Drive.

Patrick our ranger, driver and guide picked us up with 7 others. Off we went….wow what a drive….we couldn’t believe on our first drive we saw….wild dog

Quickly followed by a big male leopard who had just finished his impala supper.

As if that wasn’t enough excitement we came across two male lions at the edge of the road, settling down for the night.

We had to laugh when the wild dogs ran along the tarmac, the leader didn’t see the lion until it stood up and the Wild dogs beat a hasty retreat…it was the second sighting we had of them in the one evening

We had several other sightings including a genet and a spitting cobra

What a superb start to our Safari…we returned to our hotel ecstatic, which was just as well because our supper was only mediocre…but we didn’t care….we retired to bed happy and tired….more tomorrow please.