The scenery in the Pilanesberg is exquisite: a mix of undulating granite hills and broad plains
Angus Begg
I’ve had an itch to go camping again for a good while now, thinking I might take my five-year-old nephew, Tadeu, away to one of the bigger game reserves, where he can have his first glimpse of his beloved furry toys in real life.
The wild dog, zebra and lion would suddenly assume new characters, as would the black-backed jackal, a dead-ringer for “Ossie Eagle Fox”, his furry companion from British Columbia that never leaves his grasp.
Living in Johannesburg, I reckoned the Kruger National Park was a touch too far for a weekend, so Pilanesberg National Park, with its “big critturs” and a couple of camping sites, seemed the obvious choice.
At about that time I received a call from Bryan Pierce, asking me to have a look at a new, private, non-profit operation, Adventures with Nature, that he was setting up in Pilanesberg. Although it’s only three hours from the park, I hadn’t been there in a good long while, so here was a perfect opportunity for a recce of the landscape. As far as my “itch” was concerned, the venture in question was beyond the horizons of both Tadeu and myself, as it is aimed specifically at what he calls the “mature” visitor, that is, over 55.
Pierce is offering this client profile full-board accommodation at a tented camp in the park, game drives included, at a vastly reduced rate. Working out how much he was paying for the camp, I realised there was truth in the story. This former bank man wasn’t in it for the money.
So it was that Pierce wooed me out to the conservation showpiece of the North West.
Just more than two hours after leaving Jo’burg, in quiet midweek traffic, we arrived under dark, threatening skies at the main rest camp, Manyane, with its chalets and camp sites. It was only for reasons of signing-in, but a glimpse of the camp-site had me backing off – a bit too busy for my liking, as I wanted the boy’s experience to be something special (I was already thinking of the Drakensberg, despite its lack of big game) and in its own way, unique. More nature, fewer people.
One windy and wet hour later, driving to the northern end of the park – in which time we saw three miserable cheetah brothers in the grass on their haunches, waiting for better times – we reached Metswedi Wilderness Hide, our destination. Placed in a shady grove of acacia trees, the camp comprised six safari tents on tiled floors, with clean, shared ablution blocks.
Ten metres from the thatched eating area was a lake that is usually, the camp manager says, merely a watering hole. Just my luck, a beautiful setting that by rights should have had the odd wader, stork and heron looking for edible bits and pieces. So much water had fallen that we’d be lucky to see any game, let alone birds.
It was too late to wish for sunnier skies.
After coffee it was into the Landcruiser for the late afternoon game drive. Most often this is an overwhelmingly refreshing and cathartic experience, during which time the fresh scent of the wilderness, from wet grass to steaming dung, rejuvenates the soul.
Two soaked and miserable hours later we returned, with nothing more than the odd water-logged warthog and a few confused drivers (almost late for closing time at the gate) to report. But as any ranger will always tell you, nothing is guaranteed in the bush, especially in contrary weather conditions, and if truth be told, ourselves and the lost ones were the only idiots out there.
The next morning was infinitely brighter and better, with flocks of gorgeous European bee-eaters and large elephant bulls the highlights. The latter had been trucked in from the Kruger Park to exert a calming influence on the youngsters that had been creating havoc in the reserve over the past few years.
Included on the young elephant bulls’ list of bad behaviour was the unusual custom of attacking, and killing, the odd rhino. There have been no such occurrences since the arrival of the older bulls.
Thinking back to when these remarkable and most unusual incidents were reported, I remembered that a few youngsters at Madikwe Game Reserve, further north towards Botswana, had exhibited similar bizarre tendencies, often charging vehicles. As one of the North West Parks conservation authorities had told me at the time, experience had shown that the problem was characteristic of translocated orphans of a culled herd.
Returning via other camps, such as Mankwe and Bakgatla, I realised we were in the establishment with easily the finest physical location in the reserve. The bush was attractive and the view over the waterhole to the ring of hills beyond, equally so. Down at Mankwe, instead of looking on to the considerable lake of the same name, the tents look into either tree thickets or drab general bush.
The general scenery in Pilanesberg is exquisite, with volcanic eruptions from millions of years ago being responsible for the countless, undulating granite hills that dot the landscape. Broad plains, not to be found in the lowveld, fit snugly into the natural rise and fall of the land, providing space for herds of wildebeest, roaming cheetah and large white rhinos.
Elsewhere in the bush, which is uncharacteristically dense after the summer’s generous rains, buffalo hang around in clusters while lion, leopard and a pack of successfully reintroduced wild dog ensure that the numbers of general plains game don’t escalate beyond reasonable measure.
I learn from an informed type that Pilanesberg is struggling to fill its midweek beds after the weekend crowds have gone. Given some of the prices, which are incidentally considerably above those of Kruger, and the relatively unattractive chalets – operated by Golden Leopard Resorts – I’m not surprised. Another reason why Pierce’s Adventures with Nature is such a worthwhile option: in Metswedi he’s offering an attractive camp at an extremely reasonable rate.
The ample food provided, which is best described as wholesome and hearty, is brought and prepared by his wife, Gayle, while he collects the guests.
With the transport and logistics keeping the Pierces occupied, the manager/ranger at Metswedi conducts the game drives in an open Land Rover every morning and afternoon.
Having recently returned from a private game reserve in the Lowveld with rates of around R4E000 per person per night, the opportunity of a wildlife experience with all meals catered for and game drives included, is almost unheard of. Especially with most lodges today catering exclusively for the foreign market.
I’m still deciding on where to take Tadeu for his first camping trip. Metswedi Wilderness Camp would be a fine option, but being far short of 55 we’ve both got some way to go before we qualify. Besides, it’s also a bit too smart for what I had in mind. We want to get dirty.
Adventures with Nature is a midweek tour of four days, three nights. Contact Bryan Pierce on (011) 954E4675 or 082 488 506. Cost per person per night is R320, full- board, plus game drives