Gap Year Experiences

Updates and info from on the ground during our 11 week and 5 week Experiences in South Africa

From Loskop to Mabula

It's not even midday - we've already had lunch and are in siesta mode. That's game ranger life. Yesterday afternoon we arrived at our second nature reserve, Mabula. Living with no electricity or running water, our tents are at the bottom of a river bed, frequented by all sorts of animals. It's a bit of a change from our camp at Loskop dam. For about a week we lived in huge army-style tents with beds, had a full on bar, and a 'culinary wizard', Cappie who runs the place, stuffing our bellies at any opportunity.

We normally spent our mornings game walking, during which we learnt to track, what you could use trees for and what insects are toxic. Cappie's brunches would see us into a somewhat lethargic late morning. But by the afternoon we were energized and would be off on a game drive or power boat motor down the river. Loskop was a perfect relaxing setting to be introduced to game rangering; Mabula is now the real thing. Apart from the change in living, the game here are also more impressive: we now have elephants and lions to add the amazing list of species we have seen. Wake up time seems to be long before sun rise, lions were our first sighting on the agenda, and soon we will be learning and practicing rifle handling safety. looks like its going to be another awesome week.

Till next time,
Josh.

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