Dear Coco

This is our last morning in this most glorious of places, Bateleur Bushcamp. We lingered over coffee (from Dullstroom) and Ouma rusks,

and drove past the Kruger owls

and out the gate. Hope we will be back soon.

We were headed for Punda Maria camp for our last night in the Park, but decided to go right up to Pafuri for lunch, then back down to Punda Maria. The road to Shingwedzi was closed as floods have devastated the camp - but we hear it is almost ready for re-opening.

The bridge over the Shingwedzi River looked rather mangled too!

En route, we stopped for breakfast at Babalala,

which is one of those delightful spots in the Kruger where one can get out and have a stroll around, or a picnic.

Wot you lookin at?

When we arrived at Pafuri Picnic Site, the whole place was empty except for a small herd of Nyala. Is this not as close to perfection as one can get? You would have loved it too Coco, as there were lots of cheeky monkeys waiting to pounce on our picnic.

Lunch at Pafuri -

and a Nyala bull just strolling past in the background.

Saddle-billed storks on the Levuvhu River.

More flood damage was evident - but not as bad as at Shingwedzi.

On the way down to Punda Maria, we stopped to watch some elephants in the late afternoon sun

 

before settling in at another of our favourite places in all the world - Punda Maria camp.

The next morning the Alf, Phil, Kerryn and Si went for an early morning drive in the misty morning weather,

while I checked out the amenities at Punda. At the restaurant you can book table no 11 with your own tv. Things have got a whole lot more sophisticated since our last trip it seems.

We had a quick breakfast,

then rather regretfully, had to leave.

We spent the last night in swish Johannesburg with Phil and Kerryn at their smart townhouse in Sandton, with a wonderful supper with Louise, Richard and James Nevin in Illovo, and left early on Sunday morning to come home to you.

See you soon!

love from the Alf and The FL.