Our second destination was the beautiful Mokala National Park, situated some 80 km southwest of Kimberley, in the Northern Cape.
Once again we were so fortunate to see this Park after the good rains of late and with its red earth, tall grasses and abundant beautiful trees, it reminded me so much of the African bush where I grew up in DRC.
We stayed at the Mosu Lodge. After being greeted by friendly and helpful staff, we found that our comfortable thatch roof chalet, no 2, was near the fence and we could clearly see the game moving to and from the nearby waterhole while braaing our evening meal.
Driving around was a challenge at times as some sections of the road were still very wet and muddy, but we enjoyed the abundant wildlife, including several endangered species. Having rolled in the red mud, some game looked strange and crusty.
We
had some startling moments. A close encounter with a White Rhino hiding behind
a very large bush around one of the many twists and turns of these meandering
roads gave him and us a serious fright.
Mokala’s thornveld savanna, dolerite outcrops and riverine vegetation provides habitat for a wide range of animals. The Matopi Picnic area offers a great location for breakfast while spotting a prolific number of bird species.
I particularly liked the trees and could immediately see the potential mirror montages and various other photographic techniques that I will enjoy “constructing” at a later stage.
The gold evening light draping itself over the landscape or filtering through dust and branches of trees demanded our instant attention and later while the evening slipped into the night, I could not resist taking a few shots of the sparkling night sky.
Mosu Lodge
Scaly-Feathered Finch
Short-Toed Rock Thrush
