Kruger on a Shoestring By Robyn Carter LPSNZ
My dream was always to go to Africa and see the wildlife. From a child, I read every single book about wildlife in Africa that I could get my hands on. As a solo parent, Africa was still my dream but seemed so out of reach. I drooled over fellow photographers’ images when they came back from their safaris. It took me 58 years to fulfil my dream, but I did it. It wasn’t a luxury safari that many photographers enjoy. Instead, it was the Kruger National Park on a shoestring. For me, it was the most amazing experience. You don’t always need to travel on expensive safari trips to see incredible wildlife close-up. Two years ago, a friend and I, weighed down with 17kg of camera gear, kindly permitted onboard by Qatar Airlines, flew to Johannesburg via Doha. It was a long flight, seventeen hours to Doha, followed by another nine-hour flight to Johannesburg. The cheapest airfare we could find. On arrival in South Africa, we picked up a rental car from Johannesburg. We booked sixteen days in the park, staying at four different camps: Pretoriuskop, Skukuza, Satara and finally Lower Sabie.
Rare battle-scarred White Rhino. Robyn Carter Canon DSLR and 150-600mm lens
12
Elephants on our first entry into the park.
Each part of the park we stayed in was slightly different, offering varying types of wildlife. The rest camps are comfortable - we had lovely accommodation with personal bathroom and kitchen facilities, so we could cook each night to keep our costs down. Some camps have swimming pools to cool off after a hot day’s drive. They also have laundry facilities, shops, and some have restaurants. One camp has an open theatre to watch documentaries about the park in the evening. As soon as we were through the park gates, we came across baboons and antelope. With great excitement, we stopped for photos. Next, we decided to head to the waterholes. Saddle-billed Stork and a whole herd of elephants awaited –
Elephants are having a ball in a puddle. Canon DSLR camera and Tamron 24-105mm lens
