Monday, October 11, 2010

IN PRAISE OF "& BEYOND"

In January 2010 we visited South Africa and one of the many highlights of our tour was a five night stay at a Safari Lodge in the Madikwe Game Reserve in the North West Province, close to the Botswana border.
We enjoyed it so much that we decided to go back to the Madikwe Safari Lodge but also extended our horizons by incorporating a visit to another reserve, Phinda, situated in Kwa-Zulu Natal, North-East of Durban.

This Blog is a record of what we did, the people we met but most importantly the animals that we were privileged to see.  The three Lodges that we stayed at are all run by “& Beyond” and are simply fantastic.
All the photographs are taken by Di or myself - we hope you enjoy them and this Blog.

Saturday 11th September - Madikwe Safari Lodge

Although the drive took over four hours we got to see a lot of the countryside and were given a free historical and sociological tour by our very knowledgeable driver Wyatt.
The drive took us past Pretoria towards Rustenburg through undulating plains with the imposing Drakensberg Mountains on each side with some citrus-fruit plantations and some cattle farming but mainly mining areas with chrome, platinum and vanadium being the main resources.
We arrived at the Abjaterskop Gate just after mid-day to find that it been destroyed by fire but not as we thought due a mishap during the controlled burning of some 8000 hectares of the reserve (about a tenth of the 300 square mile reserve).
The first animals that we saw were four languid Giraffe and a White Rhino cow and her calf nibbling at the bright green shoots of grass that were already forcing their way through the scorched earth.
Our room was in the North Lodge with extensive views of the Drakensbergs to the South and we had an enjoyable lunch of Line Fish washed down with a nicely chilled bottle of Chardonnay.


NORTH LODGE
We met our Safari companions – Kiwis Noel, Heather and their grown-up children Matthew and Amelia as well as Doug and Monica, both doctors from Boston, USA. Our Ranger was Marc who we had met briefly on our previous visit and he was to prove indefatigable in his pursuit of the animal spotting demands we placed on him.


SUNDOWNERS
Our afternoon Game Drive started at four and we were soon into the ritual of trying to identify birds, sometimes from just fleeting glimpses. Everything was so stark compared to the foliage of Summer in January. Before the sun had set we had seen Southern Yellow-Billed Hornbill, beautiful Crimson-Breasted Shrike, Lilac-breasted Roller, Pied Babbler, Red-Crested Korhaan, Grey Lourie (Go-Away Bird) and an African Hawk Eagle.  Towards dusk we went in search of a large pride of Lions and stumbled across 4 White Rhino grazing at the side of the track.

LILAC-BREASTED ROLLER
We found the Lions, the same pride of 18 that we had seen previously but were  distressed to see them in such a shocking condition. The sleek, muscular animals that had ruled their range were now thin and bedraggled – victims of the own success.  They are hemmed into the North-East corner of the reserve by the boundaries and by other prides to the West and South so they are slowly running out of prey. We watched them for a long time expecting them to hunt and kill but with no joy.
Marc took us in search of Leopard, close to a previous Kudu kill but there was no sign.  We returned to the Lodge to find our path blocked by a small herd of 5 Elephant.  The night was exceptionally cold and we were grateful to warm ourselves before the fires in the Boma where we ate a hearty meal of Pork Kebabs, Oxtails and baby Chicken with a fruity Syrah.

Sunday 12th September - Madikwe Safari Lodge

Up at a quarter past five for a very chilly six o’clock morning Game Drive.  “First contact” was a lone Scrub Hare close to the new airstrip that is being built.  Luckily for him he was far enough away from our next encounter ...... a pack of African Wild Dog !!  We were thrilled to see these 17 fine specimens which included the remaining 5 pups from a litter of 10.  At first it looked as if they were gearing up to a kill but instead they bounded down the track in front of us, playing and interacting with the pups. An absolute joy to behold.


WILD DOG
The rest of the drive brought a plethora of sightings.  Stopping at various waterholes we saw White-breasted Cormorant, a Water Monitor, Grey Heron and Blacksmith Lapwing whilst a lone Elephant browsed in the scrub.  At Lay Pan South African Shelduck preened whilst Wildebeeste, Burchell’s Zebra and Impala drank nervously.


BURCHELL'S ZEBRA
Returning to the Lodge we saw Tawny Eagle, delicate Violet-eared Waxbill, Grey-backed Cameroptera (Bleating Warbler) and a tiny Black-chested Prinia.  A hearty breakfast of cold meats, hot tea and spicy sausages with fried eggs left us ready for a short sleep to re-charge our batteries ready for the afternoon drive.


GREY BACKED CAMEROPTERA
The afternoon drive brought us Lesser Striped Swallow and the beautiful Crimson-breasted Shrike.  Marc told us that he had been fortunate enough to see and photograph a rare Yellow-breasted “morph” of this charming bird.  In the late afternoon sun we disturbed a Spitting Mozambique Cobra which scurried across the track and flared its hood in anger and defiance.  A pleasant time was spent observing a large (30+) troop of Baboon socialising before sunset - infants climbing sparse shrubs only to fall and try again with no embarrassment in failure. A Purple Roller sat on a tree stump oblivious to our intrusion.


LESSER STRIPED SWALLOWS
We were alerted to the discovery of Wildebeeste that had been killed by the two male Lions who head the pride of 18.  As the sun set, they slept not ten feet from us, bellies full and too tired to move (not even to urinate).  After dark we returned to watch them feed; an awesome display of bone-crunching, sinew-tearing strength.


TIRED BOY
Our homeward trip via a large watering hole gave us night-time glimpses of Elephant, White Rhino, Black-backed Jackal, Bats and Water Thick-knee, all to the accompaniment of Raucous Toad.
Dinner of Masala Lamb, Couscous and Tamarind but still no sign of Leopard.

Monday 13th September - Madikwe Safari Lodge


SUNRISE IN MADIKWE
The usual early start for the morning drive.  A spectacular sunrise at the airstrip was made even more so by the arrival of a large herd of African Buffalo.  As always they were very nervous and inquisitive but provided a great display as they moved South.


AFRICAN BUFFALO
As we left them behind we learned from the radio that the African Wild Dog were on the move and after a mad-cap chase we caught up with them and were once again treated to a repertoire of their intricate pack behaviour. Our last sight of them included a charming vignette as one by one the pups boldly approached the vehicle and stared us down, for all the world like young gunslingers in a Hollywood Western.


YOUNG GUNS
At a waterhole was a large Grey Heron and a striking Hammerkop collecting grass and twigs.  Blue Waxbill flitted to and fro across the front of the Land Cruiser and we came across a small herd of Giraffe.  After spending a quiet ten minutes watching them we burst into uncontrollable laughter as our Ranger Marc stopped the vehicle directly under a Lilac-breasted Roller, perched on a telephone wire, which duly “bombed” the truck and giving Dr Monica the luckiest of escapes.


HAMMERKOP
Returning to camp we passed Impala, Kudu and saw Red-billed Hornbill but our next spectacular surprise was just before we entered the Lodge when we came face to face with a large herd of Elephant complete with tiny babies.  The herd traced the Lodge fence before disappearing into the bush.


WHEN I GROW UP ....
Sitting on our veranda we were treated to Crimson-breasted Shrike, a Crested Barbet and African Red-eyed Bulbul, very different to our Red-vented and Yellow-vented Bulbul in the Emirates.

CRESTED BARBET
The evening drive saw us striving once again to find the elusive Leopard.  We struck out to the South-West to the area where we had viewed Baboon the previous evening.  Beneath the cliffs where the Baboon have their den we caught the fleeting glimpse of a lone Brown Hyena.  Climbing the ridge above the cliffs on an open plain we found Wildebeeste, Burchell’s Zebra and Impala grazing in harmony.
Frequent visits to various waterholes gave us White Rhino and a single bull Elephant but still no Leopard !  On our way home a Nightjar leapt into the sky casting an eerie shadow in the headlights of the truck.
Dinner of Ostrich steak followed by Amarula Tiramisu - henceforth known as Timarula !

Tuesday 14th September - Madikwe Safari Lodge

A warmer start to the day and a beautiful African sunrise.

ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL SUNRISE
We hadn’t travelled far when Marc picked up the spoor of a Lion pride.  Following the tracks to the Groot Marico River (Big River of Blood) crossing point we soon found the pride of 18 resting by the side of the road.  It was clear from their still blood-stained coats that they had at last been successful with a kill.  Despite their swollen stomachs, many were still painfully thin.  We sat and watched for a long time and then as if on command they rose as one and filed off into the bush.  We drove ahead of them and were able to watch them come down the track towards us looking like soldiers on patrol.  Crossing back over the river a Giant Kingfisher, perched on a tree stump, took flight at our intrusion.


LION PATROL
At the customary “Wobbly Coffee” stop, the men discussed the merits of Land Cruiser suspension whilst the ladies opted for “Bladder control – is it for me ?”
The rest of the morning proved as exciting as the start.  A Kori Bustard strode purposefully past a dozing Black-backed Jackal.  There were sightings of Wahlberg’s Eagle, dazzling Swallow-tailed Bee-eaters, the flash of a Crimson-breasted Shrike, a helmeted African Hoopoe and the courtship display of a pair of African Yellow-billed Hornbills.


COURTING AFRICAN YELLOW-BILLED HORNBILLS
Further on a young White Rhino marched proudly alongside his hugely-built mother and then we had another great encounter with a herd of over 20 Elephant.  This herd had two tiny babies, one barely a week old.  These tiny calves struggled to step down from the bush to cross the road and were patiently and gently ushered forward by their doting mothers.


ELEPHANT CROSSING
The highlight of the morning though, between the Rhino and the Elephant sightings, was a colony of Dwarf Mongoose who darted for cover on our approach but soon entertained us with a fine display of sentry duty.

DWARF MONGOOSE
At lunchtime we made the rarest of sightings; Lindsay-Rea’s Greater Yellow-vented Green-legged Eagle-birdie - indigenous to South Africa but occasional intercontinental migrant.  Instantly recognisable by distended belly, yellow flanks, lime-green tarsus, black tousled crown and raucous “Yar-Yar” call.


RARE LINDSAY-REA EAGLE-BIRDIE
The afternoon drive and our last night drive at Madikwe.  Marc decided to “Go West” onto the high plains.  A Black-backed Kite viewed us disdainfully from his wizened tree stump perch and a Long-tailed Shrike undulated across the track.  Burchell’s Zebra and Impala plucked at the new growth from the burnt and blackened landscape.  A herd of over 10 Elephant grazed in the late evening sun, whilst everywhere small birds darted across the road: Rattling Cisticola, Violet-eared Waxbill and Kalahari Scrub-Robin.
Continuing West a large male Kudu sported fine horns on our way to Thlou Dam.  As we arrived two female elephant and a calf climbed the bank and left the waterhole to a solitary bull Elephant who continued to all but wallow in the mud. As he left, Yellow-throated Sand Grouse and Wood Sandpiper came to take their fill.

MUD BATH
We skirted the dam only to face a confrontation with the bull Elephant who was ambling down the track.  He came within six feet of the land Cruiser before discretion became the better part of valour and we beat a dignified but totally sensible retreat.  As we left the dam a large White Rhino crossed the road in front of us and later, Dr Monica earned a field promotion to “Beast Woman 1st Class” as she relocated him as the rest of us struggled to find him in the fading light.


CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE ELEPHANT KIND
So off we went into the hills to try and locate or elusive Leopard.  Scrub Hares were in abundance, Impala too, but no sign of our quarry.
Five kilometres from Madikwe Lodge there is a rocky outcrop with a signpost showing “Leopard Rock”.  As we left the road to head back toward camp, a slick body movement with the slightest flick of a tail gave us the sighting we had all been waiting for; LEOPARD !
We cornered the juvenile at the side of the road where he froze in the glare of Marc’s spotlight, looking warily back over his shoulder but giving us just sufficient time to video and photograph him before he was gone, like a phantom into the night.
Back at camp we celebrated in the Boma with a meal of Beef Fillet, Venison Sausage and Chicken in Ginger & Honey.
In three days our Ranger Marc had risen from the rank of Beastman 2nd Class to “Beastmaster”

Wednesday 15th September - Madikwe Safari Lodge

The same early start after a late finish.  This time we struck out North-East in search of Hippo. On route we glimpsed an elusive Steenbok on the way to a waterhole where Turtle Dove drank the cold, diminishing rainwater.
Leaving the Reserve by the Deerdepoort Gate we made a short drive to a bridge over the Groot Marico River.  A Pied Kingfisher swept low over the still black water to provide a perfect backdrop to the five Hippo that lazed in the light of the newly-risen sun, their noses, ears and eyes typically aligned as they became the observers.


HIPPO IN THE GROOT MARICO
Marc heard on the radio that a Brown Hyena had been injured, probably in a fight with another Hyena.  He lay in the road looking very sorry for himself and licking his wounds.

BROWN HYENA
Driving across the open veldt we saw the familiar mix of Burchell’s Zebra, Wildebeeste and Impala but also a fine stand of Springbok, including one unfortunate that had lost an eye.
A Kori Bustard alarmed as we passed and made our way back to the Lodge.  A quick detour by Marc and we were all delighted and surprised to find a “Field Kitchen” where we feasted on Banana, Butterscotch Sauce and Maple Syrup Pancakes with Cinnamon to supplement and compliment our customary “Wobbly Coffees”.
Our final drive ended with a view of a group of Kudu and the worst joke from Marc’s limited repertoire.

READY TO ROLL
We bade farewell to our fellow intrepid explorers, Beastmaster Marc, Phemelo and Girl and left Madikwe once more, re-tracing our route to the Safari Club in Joburg for R & R before the next step in our journey to Phinda in Kwa-Zulu Natal.


FAREWELL

Thursday 16th September - Phinda Mountain Lodge

We landed at Richards Bay at mid-day, under a low cloud base and drizzle after an eventless flight from Joburg.  Vervet Monkeys greeted us at the side of the road as we left the airport.  We drove through vast swathes of Eucalyptus Tree planted in serried ranks.
Entering the Phinda Reserve we were greeted (unwittingly) by Warthog, Burchell’s Zebra, Wildebeeste and Impala.  We had or first ever sighting of Nyala and arriving at Mountain Lodge found that they and Vervet Monkeys use it as both sanctuary and playground.



NYALA LAMB
After lunch we met our Ranger Bruce and our fellow guests Robin & Lynn, Garth & Veronica; all from South Africa. Under overcast skies we set out on the Evening drive.


LYNN DESCRIBES ROBIN'S COLLAR SIZE TO NOEL & VERONICA 

There had been an earlier sighting of a female Cheetah and her two cubs and we followed to find them on a patch of open ground.  By this time the drizzle had increased and the temperature started to drop.  Cape Glossy Starlings darted across the vista with flashes of iridescent blue.


CHEETAH & TWO CUBS
Our Eagle-eyed spotter Sifiso detected a sleeping male Lion at over 200 yards.  At a waterhole a Woolly-necked Stork stabbed the water to find crab and small fish whilst Great White Egret, Egyptian Goose, Water Thick-knee and Grey Heron prepared to roost.


SIFISO
The rain which had been drizzle at the start of the drive was now a steady downpour and after spending half an hour looking and listening for a Leopard and her cub.  We set off back to the Lodge and our path was temporarily blocked by a herd of docile African Buffalo and our last sighting of the night was of a Gennet scurrying away from the Sifiso’s spotlight.

Friday 17th September - Phinda Mountain Lodge

Little did we know at the start of the day that we would spend 10 hours in the bush.  As we left the Lodge we saw Crested Guineafowl, a very pale Giraffe and two Red-billed Oxpeckers tending to a male Impala.


IMPALA & OXPECKERS
The emphasis for the drive was “birding” with whatever else came along, and lots “came along”.  Birds a-plenty; Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Wahlberg’s Eagle, the exquisite Pink-chested Twinspot, White-bellied Sunbird and the Yellow-billed Kite.
At this point we went off-road to try and find two male Lion who had been reported in the area. Trackers were sent on foot to try and find the Lion and after over an hour contact was made with two fine specimens. We continued to track them in the hope that they would lead us to two females with as yet unseen cubs.  They led us along a trail that brought many surprises.



THE HYPNOTIST
We encountered Warthog, Crested Barbet, African Buffalo and Bushpig before stumbling upon a recently killed Warthog and a freshly killed Nyala, not too far from each other and indicating that a Lioness with cubs was nearby.



NYALA KILL
Making our way back to the Lodge we met a myriad of wildlife; White Rhino, Blue Waxbill, Black Flycatcher, Pin-tailed Whydah, White-throated Robin, a Scimitar-billed Wood Hoopoe and a glorious Bateleur Eagle.


STRIPED KINGFISHER
Continuing our “Birding” theme, our Ranger Bruce offered to take us out on an extra early afternoon drive.  Our Hawk-eyed birder Lynn proved to be an absolute font of knowledge. Lynn and Bruce helped us identify: Yellow-throated Longclaw, Spectacled Weaver, Striped Kingfisher, Burchell’s Coucal, Purple-banded Sunbird, Black-bellied Korhaan, Red-billed Oxpecker, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Black-crowned Tchagra, Emerald-spotted Dove, Grey Heron, Great Egret, Wahlberg’s Eagle, Green-backed Heron, Yellow-billed Stork, Spurwing Goose, Pied Kingfisher, Purple-crested Turaco, Black Crake, Water Thick-Knee, Brown Hooded Kingfisher, Black Saw-wing Swallow, White-browed Scrub-Robin, African Goshawk, Mousebird, Bushveld Pipit, Southern Grey-headed Sparrow, Cape Vulture and Black-collared Barbet.  Nearly all of these amazing birds were seen at one particular dam where we also saw huge Egyptian Crocodile and Water Monitor.


EGYPTIAN CROCODILE
The most exceptional part of this extra drive was yet to come; we passed by a waterhole and spotted a large male White Rhino but quickly realised that he was very close to a female Rhino and her one day old calf.  The male was the father but had to keep a healthy distance from the calf.  A perfect replica of her mother she played to her gallery and comically treated us to a performance of what was probably her first wee.  The time that we spent watching the family made us half an hour late for lunch.


ONE-DAY OLD RHINO CALF
The evening drive was less eventful but we had a good viewing of three Lions on the remains of an Impala kill, three male White Rhino scratching against a fallen log and a lone female Cheetah who met us on the road.  We followed her for a while and she made one half-hearted effort to hunt some Impala at the nearby dam.


YOUNG MALE LIONS AT IMPALA KILL
On our way home we had good sightings of a Side-striped Jackal and a Spotted Eagle-Owl.

Saturday 18th September - Phinda - Mountain & Forest Lodges

Our final morning drive at Mountain Lodge was shorter than usual but no less productive.  We crossed the plain and saw White Rhino, Giraffe, Impala, Nyala and Kudu.  Birds included Crimson-breasted Sunbird, Black-backed Puffback Shrike, two delightful Little Bee-eaters and a Mocking Cliff-Chat.  Returning to the Lodge, Blue-tailed and Striped Skink sunned themselves on the pathways.  On our drive across to Forest Lodge we saw two handsome Waterbuck.


WATERBUCK
Our Ranger at Forest Lodge was Paolo who had first met us at the airstrip at Madikwe in January. Our fellow guests were Greg, Pam and their children Remington & Fallon and also Lolo and his wife Tino; all from South Africa although Tino was born in Zimbabwe. The evening drive had barely started when we suffered a puncture but this was quickly fixed by Paolo and our tracker Zak. The drive took us through the Sand Forest where Nyala, Impala and Red Duiker roam free, then out onto the plains that once farmed pineapples where Yellow-throated Longclaw scratched about in the short grass.


PIT STOP

Over the plain the sunset was bright red as Warthog, shy Reedbuck, Nyala and Wildebeeste calmly grazed and a striking Burchell’s Coucal perched on a thin branch above the grass.  How that changed within less than fifteen exciting minutes; Two male Cheetah brothers homed in on a large bull Nyala.  The beast was trapped in a deep thicket which was impenetrable to the Cheetah and so he escaped.


BURCHELL'S COUCAL
We tracked the Cheetah at close quarters as they continued their hunt; one half-hearted attempt to grab a wary Reedbuck and then suddenly, right before our eyes a small Nyala leapt from the deep scrub and in a flash the Cheetah were on him, one leaping on the doomed animal’s side and neck, whilst the other Cheetah tripped the Nyala from behind.  We watched the kill in the fading light and it was a good five minutes until the poor beast lay still


CHEETAH BROTHERS

The Cheetah were now alert to the risk of larger predators taking possession of their kill and they ate quickly and nervously, taking only the rich rump meat before moving off, leaving the kill four fifths intact.
To watch a kill on film is chilling and amazing; to witness it live is something very different.
On our way back we stopped by an Hyena lair and found a female Spotted Hyena suckling one of her two pups.  We founded a beautiful African Scops Owl staring down at us, a Nightjar startled as we drove by and a little Scrub Hare sat transfixed in the headlights. Our final sighting was a full-grown but delicate little Suni.

Sunday 19th September - Phinda Forest Lodge

We did not know it, but watching the Cheetah kill the previous evening could not prepare us for what we were to see this morning.
VERVET MONKEY
We left our room to see Red Duiker snuffling in the undergrowth, Vervet Monkeys trying to steal food from the breakfast table and Crested Guineafowl preening in the early morning light.

RED DUIKER
Paolo set out to look for Black Rhino and on the way stopped at a waterhole.  An idyllic scene of:  Purple-crested Turaco, Black-collared Barbet, Pied Avocet, Red-billed Oxpecker, an African Jacana, Little Grebe, an African Darter on guard on a dead tree stump, Egyptian Geese honking loudly to guard their territory and a White-breasted Cormorant diving in the cool morning air.

AFRICAN DARTER
African Yellow White-eye darted about in a Scotia Tree and a shy Grey Duiker bounded into the long grass.  We heard over the radio that a Lioness and her three grown-up cubs were feeding on a Nyala Lamb kill at a waterhole.
When we arrived the scene was of two contrasts; Spectacled Weaver built their nests above one bank while Paradise Flycatcher swooped to take water on the wing and Little Grebe chased each other across the still water; on the other bank the three cubs, two male and one female tussled over the kill.  Their mother kept watch over the proceedings because close by were her own mother & sister and it was clear that there was no love lost between them.


NYALA LAMB KILL
Nyala and Impala approached the Eastern side of the dam and the Lioness went into action charging from the thicket but she was not fast enough and the prey escaped.  Then a herd of some 40 Nyala came to the Western side but had to beat a hasty retreat as all six Lions slunk forward in an attempt to launch an attack.


NYALA AT WATERHOLE
The Eastern Impala sensed an opportunity to drink but the Lioness outwitted them easily and worked her way back.  Our Ranger Paolo had the instinct to realise that a kill was imminent and as we drove back to the Eastern end, once again we witnessed the raw power of the big cats as the Lioness took a male Impala at full stretch amidst a cacophony of snarls, bleats and a swirl of dust.


IMPALA KILL
She held the stricken beast aloft, almost in a victory pose as her offspring raced to join the kill.
 

IMPALA KILL
The coup-de-grace was left to one of the young males but he was inexperienced and sadly the animal endured a slow deliverance.


COUP DE GRACE
We learnt that this small pride had stayed by this waterhole for many weeks and that the Lioness had become a prolific killer.  All around the waterhole were the remains of previous kills – Kudu, Impala, Nyala and Warthog.  Indeed the pride was so successful that they didn’t need to finish of one kill before moving on to the next; not long after we left the scene we heard that she had taken a Nyala bull and as we got back to the Lodge that she had killed another Nyala – at least four kills in four hours !


IMPALA SKULL
Against this macabre back-drop life in the wild carried on as normal.  A Slender Mongoose sped across the rise above the dam and Woolly-necked Storks patrolled the perimeters looking for grubs and insects.
At lunchtime we bade farewell to Greg and his family who were moving on to other Lodges.  Outside our chalet a Red-capped Robin Chat (Natal Robin) flicked and rummaged his way through the undergrowth whilst a gentle Red Duiker dozed beneath the balcony.

The evening drive proved to be a more sedate affair but no less enjoyable.  Our first encounter was with a big bull Elephant who gave us an impromptu display of the size of his ears by scratching his neck against a tree trunk.


BIG EARS
We drove down onto the plain once more to observe a mixed and interesting variety of wildlife; Black-bellied Bustard, a huge Brown Snake Eagle, three inquisitive male White Rhino, African Buffalo with a flock of scavenging White Egret in tow.


WHITE RHINO WITH RED-BILLED OXPECKER
Wildebeeste and Reedbuck watched us dolefully and a rare Secretarybird perched in the treetops ready to bed down for the night.  The two killing Cheetah from the previous night looked on, uninterested, as a small herd of Zebra passed by and lastly a White-tailed Mongoose caught our attention as we headed back to a delicious Bush Dinner where we had the company of Paolo and the delightful Chantelle who had looked after us at Madikwe in January.
CHANTELLE