Pam and Wayne Visit
the Pretoria Area - April 2003
(click any picture to get enlargement)
The last part of Pam & Wayne's vacation
was spent in the general Pretoria area.
During this timeframe, the goal was to see as many animals as possible.
This page will summarize the tour of Pretoria and local game reserves.
The area around the Govt. buildings is quite nice and is kept like a garden; unfortunately the rest of the city isn't this nice.
They had to add a lot of security measures, but it is very comfortable, especially the jacuzzi!
Pam with rolling country-
side in the background
Nice colorful Museum
Strange cactus growing at a botanical garden
Wayne in front of the Park
Admin. building
Pam near a large cactus; indigenous o the area.
Hillside of cactus just outside of Pretoria
A thatched roof building under construction; this
is a very BIG one!
Our cat, Blacky likes to hang around our visitors.
He even likes relaxing when others take a nap.
was called Rhino &
Lion Nature Reserve.
It wasn't far from Pretoria, but the dirt roads were rough on us & the car.
The predators (cats & dogs) are kept in a
separate area to protect
the other animals.
These were some of the few Rhinos we saw.
This was the only lion
we saw, and barely so!
The cheetahs, though, gave a great show ...
... as we got to their area just before "lunch".
The cheetahs seemed anxious & very cautious.
As far as the antelopes
go, the Gemsbok (Oryx) looked the best.
This Blue Wildebeest looked nicer than normal.
We startled this Red Hartebeest a bit.
Wild Dogs are nocturnal & active sightings are rare.
We found this pack to
be very active ...
... as some of them were separated for a move.
The river scenery looks similar to the US/Europe.
Except these rivers can contain Hippos.
The only hippo views we got was at their pool.
As we left the reserve, we had a better idea of what to look for in the wild.
Pam is now ready to
take pictures.
Wayne is ready to search & identify the animals.
The first "real" game reserve we visited with Wayne & Pam was called Mabula Game Lodge.
The lodge was large and had a nice pool & a patio area for drinks & dinner.
The weather was great & the rooms comfortable.
Our dinner included a tribal dance show.
The real focus was on the game drive preparation...
... and on getting into the jeep and out to the Bush.
The giraffe was not
willing to pose for us.
This buffalo just took a quick glance at us.
While the impala just quickly scurried away.
Most of our time was
spent watching a
lion
track down a meal.
We didn't get many other pics, but we got to see ...
... quite a few animals
and unique sights.
The last part of Pam & Wayne's visit was to the rugged Kruger Park area. This area was not as touristy as the Pretoria area & the animal sightings were better.
Click here to see the pictures from the Kruger Park trip