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I don't remenber that incident, but I remember being thrilled as a student radiographer and they played at Ellis park. One of the HUGE forwards was injured and I had to x-ray his ribs. I don't remeber his name (old timers disease). But I do remeber almost passing out with excitement. Not that has anything to do with Sanparks!

In my primary school days of travelling into Kruger, the baboons and monkeys were a lot more human 'friendly'than they are nowdays. Fewer people seemed to be aware of the dangers of feeding these animals. They frequently jumped on the cars and hung on the rearview mirrors to beg for food ,causing damage. On one occasion we were on Lower Sabie road, when we were surrounded by baboons. It was extremely hot and we had all left our windows open a couple of cms just to get some air, but not enough to let the babboons in, or so we thought! Suddenly a smaller baboon managed to stick its paw through the window and grab my brothers biscuit out of his hand. He was only about 3 at the time and got a huge fright and cried for ages. Thereafter we learnt to close the windows fully or drive on when you see baboons

Not quite Old Kruger, but in '95 we had some baboon hitch hikers jump onto our car and "hitch a ride" on the H12. (The bridge crosses the Sabie river, just below the confluence of the Sabie and Sand rivers between Skuks and LS).

The passenger was not the problem as the windows were closed. Confusing the car with ablution facilites, on the other hand.

About five years later, we were stopped under a tree close to the prospectors graves on the S30 just around the corner.

A monkey we called scarface (had a very distinct scar on his left cheek) climbed up onto my wing mirror and took an active interest in what we were doing and especially eating in the car. His face said "can I have a sip of that Breezer" or "your packet of chips."

He sat there for ages and only got off when we started to drive off and left him empty handed.

At the time we found this amusing.

One of the things I do miss though, was people stopping to tell you where they have just seen .... (whatever it is that was noteworthy). People getting out of their cars at picnic spots and telling you there was a zebra kill at the S90 300m from the H1-4. These are probably the things I miss most.

In 20-30 years I will tell my recent stories

Those were the days ....
Before hoardes of OSVs & busses & cars & people , banners flying at picnic spots ...
When there was the smell of wood fires at picnic spots , when you felt you were deeper in the wilderness .

Jeez,

I was at that game, although only in primary school. We sat on the opposite side of the current grand stand. Those days it was all grass.

They still played Transvaal and the All Blacks lost 12/10.

The days of Gerrie Germishuys and Gerald Bosch. Great Stuff.

There used to be an old board on the tar road between Skukuza and Lower Sabie saying "PASOP vir die Olifante". I wonder what happened to it?

It was a time which is almost forgotten except for the memories of those that were there.

When we were kids we used to sleep over in front of the gate at Numbi. At that time there were many people doing as it was still safe. People making fires and merrily chatting away at the upcoming visits next to the road..

There used to be a gentelman working at the Kruger Gate by the name of Jan Viljoen. He was always telling about how the "OLIFANTE" destroyed his garden which he worked hard on to keep in good nick.

I think he retired in the early 80's or so. Wonder if someone remembers him.

Regards to all.

OK you got me going. It is worth repeating. When we camped at Skuk in the early 80s a worker was designated to make a humongous fire, and he had a wheel barrow. When it was your turn, you filled it up with coals and wheeled it to your braai site - instant braai. Then they got wise and sold iron wood, at a good price per piece.
I remember in the 50s there were no tar roads and the 'north' probably north of Satara - confirm anyone - was barricaded off in the summer.
In the 50s, when you saw a car approaching, both drivers would do a stop hand signal and exchange news of sightings.
Elephant sightings were rare then, and rhinos not seen.

Yes yes, I remember the wheel barrow thing. I once burnt a whole through my slipper with a hot cole when my dad was braaing. My foot was sore for days.

I miss the good old biltong in the plastic bags with the green writing on. They sometimes had elephant and sometimes buffalo. Probarbly depending on what needed to be culled at the time.

At one time you could even buy cans with buffalo meat. The ones without TB though.

I really wish my kids could have seen the park those times. They have gone wildlife crazy the last couple of years.

We sometimes watch my dads old 8mm films. He was driving a car called a "ZODIAC" then with the "Corry John" Caravan.

I am very glad to see I am not all alone with these memories of yesteryear........

BTW. Current stories are just as welcome so please add them.

We used to travel in dad's Zephyr Zodiac (early 60's) ususally from Phalaborwa gate. The roads were not tarred but was regulary scraped. We once passed a grader and us kids discussed what would happen should a lion jump into the cabin with the driver.
Rhino's were reintroduced to the park (southern area) also around that era, if i am not mistaken.

I remember the ele biltong. R60 per kilo when other was R100. We bought a lot. Also Buff braised steak in tins.
I could do with some of the biltong right now!

Yes BB even in the 60's you could not cross the Sabie river in summer due to the malaria threat. The roads were still all dirt roads in the south till the late 60's if not early 70's. And people were a lot more helpful with sightings then as well

In the 1970's the elephant biltong was R5 for 500 g and completely dry (no dead weight) packed in the sealed plastic bag with the green printing . No inflation for a very long time .

Ice cold beers were all 25c a tin including Amstel and ice 5c a bag .

The tinned buffalo meat was the best quality of any meat ever tinned (Botswana bully beef comes second) and I bought huge amounts at R3 a tin to take home . I always carried a few tins in the car when travelling for emergency rations on the move .

The frozen meat in the shops was export quality so beter than back home .

And the petrol was cheaper than home because it came direct from Lourenco Marques .

All in all it was cheaper and beter going to the "game reserve " than to stay at home for a long weekend .

I remember being at Lower Sabie as a 4 or 5 year old in early 60's . There was still a communal braai area serving some of the accomodation units , which were semi detached , about 4 or 5 rooms all together as one unit .
I clearly remember my father paying the gentleman till operator in the shop R1,01 cents for probably 15 or more grocery items . One night lions roared continuously for a few hours around the camp , I think there is so much noise in the camps these days that one does not hear nearly as much animal activity at night .

Dotdan, Im joining you...we'll have to wait 20-30 years to talk about 'the good old days when the petrol was R10 per litre'

On a positive note, I help washing dishes when in Kruger (and thats the ONLY time OK) and I find that saffies are always chatting etc, just talk in their language - Pommies talk english and dutchmans talk afrikaans, just keep to that

One day I was lying in my tent, but could'nt sleep because of this afrikaans oomie enjoying his KWV (brandy) more than he should. I decided, well I'll embarass him...

So I have this Icecombi ringtone: lying in my tent I played it, and this was his reply 'hahahah, ek's nog nie so gesuip nie, maar dit sou lekker wees. Dolla, bring vir my 'n icecream'!(translated: hahaha, I'm not that drunk, but an icecream would be nice. Lovey, brin me an icecream'!)

Just note, this was the first week of July, quite cold etc...

He's wife told him to get in bed, as she was really angry, and after 15 min I could hear the jackals and the hyena's again......

Yes it was a wondefull time when the lion's roared so you can't sleep.

You hear them no and then but not like the old days.

During the late 80's we also visited LS and there was a great male that roared as if it was his last.

It was just amazing to hear.

Gone are the days when you could wait in front of the gate to be 1st out. Today you are 1st at the gate but behind the delivery trucks, the taxi's and so 4rth.

I wonder if someone remembers the 1st peice of tar road........

The gravel road is now closed after the 2000 floods. between Skukuza and Lower Sabie there was a gravel road folowing the river. There was a 100 meter stretch of tar on the road that was reported to be the 1st test section.