Weekend at Kruger

Day 1 by Kruger by Freya 

​We left the hub very early at 4:30 am, planning to enter through the Malelane gate however after sitting in traffic for a long while, we decided to turn round and go through Numbi gate. 

As we arrived we were greeted with a herd of Zebras and too many Impalas. 

We then continued on a hunt to find Leopards and Lions but instead found many Buffalos altogether waiting for us on the side of the road. 

We then followed the road for another hour seeing many many impalas, before seeing a massive crowd watching what we thought was zebras and giraffes till we looked closer and saw there was a lioness basking in the sun watching what may of been her prey. (Sadly we could not get a good photo of it as it was well camouflaged).

Not long after there was another large crowd however surrounding a tree which we believe to of seen a leopard in, we then continued our drive and saw plenty of animals till we stopped for breakfast at Afsal where John cooked bacon and eggs.

After breakfast we continued our drive where we again saw many impalas and also a beautiful herd of elephants crossing the bridge 

We stopped for lunch by a waterhole where monkeys watched us eat our ham and cheese sandwiches 

After the park shut, we checked in at the hotel and some of the team ran off to get ready for the pool, for a refreshing swim in yet another unheated pool.

We then wrapped up our day with a lovely dinner at the buffet where some members had a taste of impala meat and some tried to become an ice cream man.

Day 2 in Kruger by Jack 

We started off the day by waking up at 5:30am to go for a quick look around the park just to see if we could spot any of the big cats in the early morning sun. Sadly before we turned we didn’t see any big cats lounging round but we did see a nice sunrise and a Warthog (or as Alice likes to call it Hogwarts). At the last minute Ben saw on the “ting ting” that there was a leopard around the corner so odd we went and success! Whoop! 

We then drove back to our hotel and then thought again that it would be a great idea to go in the pool. After we were refreshed both in body and mind we went for breakfast and set off again to the park to try and spot the big cats again. Although around 5 mins in we stopped at a zebra crossing but instead of 1 there were quite a few.

After the zebra crossing we drove around the roads for a while seeing nothing but Impalas again until we saw many broken trees which gave us the idea that an elephant was near by and low and behold around the corner we saw an elephant eating its breakfast.

We then thought it was time to leave the elephant to do what it liked so we drove off but for a while we had seen nothing and thought that today all the animals had gone to Sunday 10am service until we saw some long necked friends kindly waiting in a group together so that we could take a picture of them.

Although the giraffes were great we were still not satisfied that we hadn’t seen a big cat close up so it took a lot of driving and a lot of looking to try see one until we saw a big queue of people waiting by a potential leopard tree. We all got our hopes up that it would be easy to see till we realised that a hyena was minding its own business on the road protecting and carrying its cubs.

A long drive and a lot of animals (mostly Impalas) later we finally saw a close up big cat which was a leopard walking across the road and not in it’s natural place which is normally lying lazily in a tree but we think it was looking for some lunch to take back to his spot.

It was almost getting time to leave the park until a huge crowd of people were blocking the road which made us immediately think that it was a Lion but of course we were at the back, the furthest point from where the Lions were, so after a while we drove up hoping for an opening to see the Lion but we couldn’t so we were about to drive off until the eager eyed Carolyn spotted it in the distance which made her very happy as she said ‘I’m not good at spotting things’ but turns out you can see as much from the back as you can from the front.

Here are some other photographs from our trip to Kruger. 

Friday - Pfunani

​We began the morning with a hearty cooked breakfast at Wits, and on our walk back to the room we were greeted by playful monkeys darting around the trees a lively start to the day!

As we made our way toward the gate, zebras appeared along the roadside, their striking stripes a reminder that we were truly in the heart of Africa. The excitement was palpable.

Journey to Pfunani 

On the drive to Pfunani, we checked in with each other — reflecting on how we felt after yesterday and sharing what we were most looking forward to today. Music is always part of our mini bus rides, but as we approached the Care Point something special happened: we all joined in singing 10,000 Reasons, followed by In Christ Alone. The unity and power of those voices together was unforgettable.

At the Care Point 

The Care Point quickly became a hive of activity. Some of us chopped vegetables and grated beetroot, while I collected water from the JoJo tank. I had a lovely chat with Sharon, the Care Point co-ordinator, who is working hard to improve her English. We talked about the World Cup, and she was fascinated by Jack’s hair asking endless questions with a big smile. She has South African papers so her children have never attended the Care point but she felt she wanted to help the vulnerable children.

We also spent time connecting with the Care Workers, sharing how we were feeling and encouragement. Initially, we weren’t sure if we’d see any children, but they were let out of school early. The Care Workers told us we’d be playing with them instead of visiting holy home visits and soon the place was buzzing with joy.

Playtime with the Children 

The children threw themselves into games: football, cricket, bubbles, stick ball, skipping, diggers, parachute play, and the inflatable ball. Their laughter was infectious, filling the air with pure delight.

Before lunch, we were asked to lead dancing. Freya, Rachel, Ben, and Jack guided the children through energetic moves, and the kids responded with enthusiasm. Then, they proudly showed us their own dances a beautiful exchange of joy and culture.

Wrapping Up 

We ate a quick lunch before heading back to the hub. The journey was slowed by traffic, but we managed to pick up supplies for our upcoming Kruger adventure. Back at the hub, we enjoyed burgers, potato wedges, and pear crumble the perfect comfort food after a full day.

With an early start tomorrow for Kruger, we tucked into bed early, hearts full from the laughter, music, and connections of the day.

Blogged by Carolyn