Stockpoort

We decided to cross into Botswana at a smaller border post. Groblersbrug / Martin’s Drift has always been fine, you drive straight past the many big trucks, you don’t queue behind them, but once I had crossed at Zanzibar far north, and that was lovely, quaint and quiet. It’s closed right now, so we chose Stockpoort / Parr’s Halt south of the big usual crossing.

But first, our usual stopover en route, the fantastic fully-catered luxury lodge with free entertainment and superb meals where they always charge me the princely sum of R0 zero cents. It’s called Terry’s Plek in the Gramadoelas – with Petely Entertainment. We arrived late, the N3 was crammed n slow, it was a long weekend, how was I to know? What? Plan ahead? . . OK.

Near the border, right on the great grey greasy green Limpopo, lovely Stockpoort border lodge welcomed us with lots of birds in the thorn trees. One guy on Tracks4Africa said he avoids Stockpoort cos there’s 14km of corrugations on the Bots side. He was right, and we found the gravel road approach had an even longer stretch of denture rattling. Oh well, the lodge grounds were worth it.

Good views of Grey-headed and Orange-breasted Bushshrikes; White-fronted Bee-eaters; Yellow-bellied Eremomelas; Plus 11 others all active and calling that evening. Magic.

Steak n chips n beer with thunder, lightning n rain for supper on that stoep in the feature pic. Accompanied by an enthusiastic Olive Toad duet in the pool.

Between 430pm and 830am the next morning, I saw 47 species of birds on the lodge grounds. Magic. Here are a few that sat still:

The border formalities were quick and friendly, and soon we bumped off on the wide corrugated road we knew was coming. En route Namaqua Doves, a Black-winged Kite and an African Hawk Eagle with a bulging crop.

On to Palapye where the first filling station had no diesel. The next one did.

Khama Rhino Sanctuary offered us a campsite and a pitched tent with bed and en-suite bathroom. Guess which Jessie chose! OK, it was drizzling, later it rained, got chilly, and the stiff breeze increased to a howling, canvas flapper after supper. Good choice Jess.

The restaurant served us a lovely breakfast next morning, but dinner was just too slow – understaffed – so we had a drink then went back to our tent to eat whatever we had.

More forward planning was in store. I thought, Let’s go look at Orapa nature reserve, and Jess was game. Didn’t realise we’d have to go through mine security clearance. That took a while, with our passports taken away for scrutiny and quite a long wait. We made it through, only to find the reserve was closed for the day: The 60th anniversary of Botswana’s freedom from the bleddy breetish!! Oh well, all the Motswana were enjoying the day!

Tomorrow we’ll head for Maun and Janet’s beautiful home on the river.

~o0o~

Bird list

African Hoopoe, Laughing Dove, Speckled Pigeon, Hornbills Red-billed & Yellow-billed, Starlings Cape & Burchell’s & Wattled, Sparrow Grey-headed & Great & House, Green Woodhoopoe, Red-billed Quelea, Egyptian Goose, African Fish Eagle, Groundscraper Thrush, Black-headed Oriole, Woodpeckers Bearded & Golden-tailed, Crested Barbet, Weavers Lesser Masked & Red-billed Buffalo & Red-headed & White-browed Sparrow, Southern Black Tit, Southern Boubou, Fork-tailed Drongo, Yellow-bellied Eremomela, Rattling Cisticola, Whitecrowned Shrike, Bush-shrikes Grey-headed & Orange-breasted, Natal Spurfowl, Helmeted Guineafowl, Lapwings Crowned & Blacksmith, Swallows Red-breasted & Lesser Striped & Barn, White-fronted Bee-eater, Burchell’s Coucal, Go-away bird, Black-backed Puffback, White-bellied Sunbird, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Grey-backed Camaroptera,
– 47 –
Parr’s Halt in Bots across the Limpopo
African Hawk Eagle, Black-winged Kite, Namaqua Dove