The Lost Goat of Machaila

[Slowbee]

 

Camping at Deetema hide was an incredible experience.

 

(Hope this inspires you to go !) I know it was RR's writing that got us going!

[Slowbee]

 

Our daughter making friends with the camping site manager, who walked 2 km to make sure we were ok and had the correct paper work. No worries to walk 2km back knowing the lions and elephants are around.

 

 

[River Rat]

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Our daughter making friends with the camping site manager, who walked 2 km to make sure we were ok and had the correct paper work. No worries to walk 2km back knowing the lions and elephants are around.

Rangers are special people.

[patham]

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You should just pack up and go.

 

It is very expensive. But we had the entire Sinamtella place to ourselves. All the chalets are closed for renovations (a 3 year ongoing project) and so only have camping.

 

We were the only campers and the only folk they had seen for 5 days.

 

Thanks for the photo share - bought back memories.

 

Sinamatella used to be my local camp, living in Hwange town for a few years. As with many things in life, and especially when you are young, you take things for granted, and looking back I should have gone out there more often.

 

But there are some good memories  of borrowing the Series III Landie, in not so mint 1974 condition, for game drives in that area. Although it made such a racket everything had scarpered long before you had a chance to see it, the fun factor for a newly licensed driver was immense.

[Slowbee]

Hwange Town is well almost like Witbank.

 

And the mine is  now HUGE! From the tar turn off all the way to the entrance of the park is black road from the coal. They have even detoured the road to be able to get to more coal.

[Slowbee]

 

The view from the Zim side is much better than the Zambian, Devils Pool side (and MUCH cheaper).

 

While sad that the water levels are low, it made the falls more impressive for me. You could see into the chasm and hence bottom. The "rain" while still there was not so soaking and the "smoke" popped up every now and then. As an overall experience for our daughter, it was a good one for her to remember.

 

 

[patham]

Hwange Town is well almost like Witbank.

 

And the mine is  now HUGE! From the tar turn off all the way to the entrance of the park is black road from the coal. They have even detoured the road to be able to get to more coal.

I

 

Hwange Town is well almost like Witbank.

 

And the mine is  now HUGE! From the tar turn off all the way to the entrance of the park is black road from the coal. They have even detoured the road to be able to get to more coal.

 

I just visited the EU Sentinel hub free satellite imagery to see if I could check it out. The resolution is such that it does not show too much of the coal, but it does show how terribly dry the area seems to be. The Zambezi is also at historic lows.

[DJR]

I firmly have Vic Falls on a shortish list of places that I'm very happy I managed to visit before I die. Des & I once had a really near spiritual experience there at sunset after all the tourists and the church goers had left and we had the place to ourselves with a golden sunset and ever changing rainbows all over the place. Right place right time, right mood, magic. 

[patham]

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The view from the Zim side is much better than the Zambian, Devils Pool side (and MUCH cheaper).

 

While sad that the water levels are low, it made the falls more impressive for me. You could see into the chasm and hence bottom. The "rain" while still there was not so soaking and the "smoke" popped up every now and then. As an overall experience for our daughter, it was a good one for her to remember.

 

Having been lucky enough to go at all times of seasons, you can appreciate both. The peak floods in about July, when you can barely see your hand in front of your face, but you can hear and feel the power of the water.

 

Or the low flow periods, when you don't get soaked and can actually see the view. 

 

Conversely, high water is meant to make for safer rafting downstream of the falls as there is a lot more water between you and the rocks. I skirted the issue by trying not to raft in extreme lows or highs.

[Slowbee]

 

This was simply an amazing place. While the open space can be found in other parks - the lack of people here was what made the difference (and in terms of parks that is both a good and bad thing!)

 

 

 

 

[Slowbee]

[Slowbee]

Ok, enough with the pics - time to write the report for that other forum.

[patham]

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This was simply an amazing place. While the open space can be found in other parks - the lack of people here was what made the difference (and in terms of parks that is both a good and bad thing!)

 

Those photos do the wide open spaces justice - and show a surprising amount of grass cover. Post your link to the report here so we know when and where to go read it

[HeyYou]

Now you made me look at my pictures!!!!

 

No great hardship. Robins camp in December 2014, only 1 other camper.

 

 

[Slowbee]

post more, post more ......

[HeyYou]

The 2014 trip was a slow drive, through northern Cape, Botswana to Hwange and then the Falls.

 

First night stop at WitPuts, just outside Hopetown.