A Trip of a Lifetime on the Wild Side Written by Ruben Clinton on behalf of Annemarie Clinton APSNZ
Everything in Africa bites; however, it is the Safari bug that bites the hardest of all. It’s a continent with 54 countries nestled within, from lush rainforests to vast deserts, coastal lowlands, to extraordinary highlands. And nestled at the southernmost point is a land that has all of this and more: South Africa, a country with a complicated past and turbulent political sphere dominated by corruption and violence. Located within its borders are nineteen South African National Parks (SANParks), covering a total of four million hectares, the equivalent land area of over 2.5 New Zealand’s. Of the nineteen, you have one of the most famous national parks in the world, and the prized jewel of SANParks, Kruger National Park. Kruger National Park is one of Africa’s largest game reserves, encompassing nearly two million hectares. It was proclaimed a national park in 1898 by the then President of the Transvaal Republic, Paul Kruger. This man had a mere three months of formal education and grew up with a deep connection with and love for the natural world in Southern Africa. At the urging of early conservationists who were alarmed at the scale of uncontrolled hunting in the Lowveld region, he made an incredible mark in history by proclaiming an expansive area that would be allocated to protect South Africa’s wild animals. This beautiful game park is the part of South Africa that my husband and I love showing to our photographic clients. There is a network of some 1800 kilometres of well-maintained roads, 21 rest camps, two private lodge concessions, and 15 private safari lodges! The park is home to 336 tree species, 49 fish species, 34 amphibian species, 114 reptile species, 550 bird and 147 mammal species. The KNP lies in a subtropical zone where summer days are hot and humid, with temperatures often reaching 40 degrees. It is a summer rainfall area with the rainy season lasting from September to May. The driest period lasts from August to October and is considered to be the best game viewing time as the grass is thin and short, with trees devoid of leaves. What could be better than escaping the cold, wet winter of New Zealand and spending time in the dry, moderate temperatures of the Kruger capturing its bounty? 16
