Mapungubwe

We had intended visiting the tents that baboons were plundering but as it was a 100km round trip we decided to give it a skip. We will let them solve the baboon problem and come back another time.

We started the day on the Tree Top walkway in conservation area within the park. Ostensibly they are trying to protect the trees and vegetation by keeping the Ellie's out. Protection from the Ellie's has worked but the superb viewing hide that was at the end of the walkway had succumbed to the floods and the walkway ended rather abruptly. We still had great sightings though as it seems the animals are not too concerned about what is above them.

Following that we headed for the confluence which is where the great Shashe river from Zimbabwe joins the mighty Limpopo as it wends its way into Botswana. The only problem is that the Shashe is now only a sand bed and the Limpopo a collection of puddles. It occurred to us that it must make an inviting option for those wishing to avoid the normal border visits but maybe the wild beasties are enough of a deterrent.

We then went on the riverside 4x4 trail which had some interesting moments. More animals, which included Ellie's, Red Hartebeest, warthogs and Bushbuck, and a host of birds, including a Goliath Heron. The trail finishes close to the Mapungubwe Interpretation Centre which tells the story of the area, the people who have lived here and how various tribes came and went. It has a fantastic display of golf artifacts that were found when excavating the site. The Centre only opened last year and is very well put together. Worth a visit.

We finished to day in a rock pool not far from our chalet, a cool beer in some cool water is the only way to go!

Off to Bela Bela tomorrow.