Berg En Dal - Kruger National Park Cont

Suddenly the older dogs attitude changed and they started to trot up the track in formation with one out in front and three or four in line behind. The younger dogs sensing the change quietened down and brought up the rear.

Suddenly the lead dog froze and the others immediately stopped, up ahead we could see a herd of Impala on the track. Hunter and prey eyed each other for a few minutes then two dogs behind the leader ran off into the bush on each side and the leader raced up the track with the others in hot pursuit.

For a moment we thought we would also get to see a kill on our first Wild Dog sighting, but eventually the dogs came back on the track, no Impala today! We still had a fair way to get back to Berg en Dal and we needed to be there before they closed the gate at 6.30pm so reluctantly we had to leave the dogs, however it had been a memorable five hour experience which we celebrated with Champagne when we reached camp plus we now possess hundreds of Wild Dog photos where none existed before!

Next day it was raining hard yet again so we decided rather than suffer it would be a better use of our time if we broke camp and headed out of the park to Nelspruit to try and sort out our VAT invoices which we had tried unsuccessfully to get sorted in Swazi and hopefully see some old friends from our Botswana days.

Barry and Yvonne Evans are old Gaborone Hash House Harrier mates who we hadn't seen for some 20 years. We knew from the Nedens they also still had a house in Gabs so we weren't even sure they would be in Nelspruit. However, as it's only 80Km from Berg en Dal then this seemed a good opportunity to re-acquaint ourselves. The Nedens had given us their contact numbers so we called Barry on his cell phone from Berg En Dal  and in true old Africa hands spirit without hesitation he invited us to come over for the night.

Barry asked if we were in a 4WD? "Yep we have a Landy" "good cos your going to need it" he replied! His directions were basically to head out of Nelspruit into the hills until the road became a dirt track and then follow that until we reached a security gatehouse where he would come and meet us. It sounded fairly straight forward so we said we would come over as soon as we finished our business in Nelspruit.

Nelspruit is a picturesque town set amidst hills and valleys and  as a gateway to the Kruger its also pretty jacked up with very good shopping areas. We had been told the VAT office was in the Riverside Mall so we headed over there as soon as we reached town.

It had been some weeks since Joburg so it felt strange to be in a sophisticated shopping mall once again but at last we looked forward to getting the VAT forms sorted. We couldn't find the office on the mall listings so we asked a security guard where it was, to our disbelief she told us it had closed down just a few weeks before - we just couldn't believe our luck with this VAT, we seem fated never to get it sorted.

Before heading out to the Evan's we took the opportunity to do some food shopping at Woolworth's (not like Woolies in the UK but similar to M&S) so it was getting late by the time we headed out of town. Barry hadn't been wrong when he said we needed 4WD as the dirt track started climbing steeply into the hills and just kept going up and up, by now it was dark and not a light could be seen, surely no one could live up here?

When we thought we couldn't go any further we finally came to the gatehouse Barry mentioned, Barry was already waiting having seen our lights coming up the hills for the last 10 minutes. We were just grateful to have found them at last, we had had easier drives in the bush! It turned out the reason we hadn't seen any lights was due to a power cut so Yvonne had the place looking very cosy with plenty of candles dotted about.

It was great to see Barry & Yvonne again after so many years, and their house, which they built from scratch, is amazing, perched almost at the top of the hills with breathtaking views all around, so high the next morning we were surrounded by  clouds!

Barry is working hard with the other residents to create a huge wildlife conservancy which will eventually include Rhino of all things, we wish them the best of luck, it's a fantastic place to live as it is but with big game it will be something else.  

That evening we had a lovely dinner on their huge balcony looking down on the lights in the valley and watched Genets and Antelope come to a small waterhole below. Sadly the next morning it was time to say our farewells and head back to  Kruger but we agreed to meet up in Gabs once we eventually make it there. It is good to rekindle old friendships after such a long time and carry on as if we see each other regularly, thanks Barry & Yvonne for your lovely hospitality.

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