SANParks.org Forums

Hi everyone,
This is such a wonderful thread and has released warm memories of my childhood holidays spent in this very special place. The excitement of getting ready to be the first at the gate and the anticipation of the animals I would see. The absolute terror sitting in the back seat with my dad filming a elephant on zoom and not realising how close it was.(I'm still very careful around elephants!) I was given a small grey box kodak camera and can remember getting home waiting for the folks to have the pictures developed and not being able to see what I had photographed(no zoom for me in those days). Things have changed, but some things will never change, that feeling one gets driving into the park that will last a lifetime.

I remember as a child pulling into Tshokwane for a pitstop no shop or anything like that and asking the guard if he had seen any lions, he laughed and indicated to us to be quiete he showed us around the back of the toilet block and there the lions were sleeping in the shade of the toilet block while everyone had their picnic not even 25m away. I also recall the day the river came down in flood at Skukuza ,everyone had to park their cars on the far bank and walk over the rail bridge to the camp for the night.

I remember as a child pulling into Tshokwane for a pitstop no shop or anything like that and asking the guard if he had seen any lions, he laughed and indicated to us to be quiete he showed us around the back of the toilet block and there the lions were sleeping in the shade of the toilet block while everyone had their picnic not even 25m away. I also recall the day the river came down in flood at Skukuza ,everyone had to park their cars on the far bank and walk over the rail bridge to the camp for the night.

On 25 April, ValandJoe wrote:

"I see ther are lots of 'oldies' on this site! Does ANYONE remember a resort called SHLARALUMI. what happened to it? I seem to think it was near the Orpen camp area. i have many happy memories as a child especially of the night time concerts in the lapa there."

Shlaralumi was a Rondalia resort back in the 70's. In 82 it was purchased by the Jordans of Hoedspruit and they changed it into a Shareblock company, now with just over 200 members. They renamed the farm INGWELALA (Where the leopard sleeps). Nhlaralumi means "where the buffalo sleeps" (I think). It borders the northern side of Timbavati and onto the southern part of that top half of KNP where the Nhlaralumi river enters the Kruger and later flows into the Olifants. (Goodness, does this make sense to you???) Anyway, it's part of the Umbabat Nature Reserve and obviously also open fenced. If you look at the KNP map, its north of Orpen, on the northern border of Timbavati, on the Nhlaralumi river.

The Motswari farm mentioned by Ndloti in the follow-up post on the thread is our neighbour on the eastern side.

Funnily enough I just got off the phone with my Mom, who was telling me a funny Kruger story told to her by her Dad. They were in Shingwedzi, I think - ages ago , and they still had the big old communal braai. Everyone was happily cooking their boerie and chops etc, when two young guys arrived with 2 freshly filleted fish! They proceeded to braai their fish, while everyone else looked on amazed. Eventually my Grandad asked them, "where the hell did you get fresh fish in Kruger from?".... "The river" they replied.

Turns out they were two naughty rangers who had obviously grown tired of boerie and chops, and decided to angle some fish out of the teeming Shingwedzi river!

How many of our Forum members can remember the time when the clock tower at Skukuza was at the entrance gate, on the outside of the camp?

I remeber that. You used to check the time on that clock as you went in & out of camp to make sure you were in on time

Just a story that was quite amazing to many. The happening was in Afrikaans but I will write in English for the benefit of all.We were camping in Satara August 2007.One evening in the Men's showers the following was overheard : a father was washing his about 4 years old son and the hot water ran out.Son : oooh the water is cold. Father : it is not so cold just wash and hurry up.Audience in ablution : deathly silence not a sound.Son : but the water is cold .Father : OK I know but just wash . Son : but I told you the water is cold . Audience : still not a sound you could see the smiles but not hear a sound.Son : the water is very cold . Father : I know but just wash .Son : I told you the water is cold . Father : come on don't be a sissy.I cant because the water is FLIPPEN cold.Audience :raised the ablution block roof.

When one sits down and starts thinking, a lot of memories suddenly appear.
In the picture gallery of days past I saw a DKW standing in front of a tent in the tent camp at Lower Sabie. The tents were equipped with paraffin lamps, army beds and those green chairs and a green tin table. But we were only too glad to be in the Park!
By the way, how many Forumites remember those DKWs. I believe they had a wooden body.
At that time the road between Skukuza and Lower Sabie was still gravel and not as level as the tarred road today. When you went through a dip you went through it! Down one side, right to the bottom, and up the other side. My poor mother used to get very car sick on those roads.
Tsjokwane was just a thatch roof under a tree. It was quite a novelty when they started selling tea there!
I can still remember the time before tarred roads, when the Parks Board experimented with all types of oils and wonderful things to try and bind the gravel on the roads. In the end they agreed that tar would be the best.
Wonderful times.
I agree that today's visitors don't seem so friendly as in those days. But then, the olden days always seem better. Not so?

Orpen gate used to be where the firewood is housed today; if memory serves me right. The gate houses are still there today.

Did one not have to enter through the Timbavati first and then follow the road east until you came to the gate?

Yes that rings a bell Aquilla.

Correct . Till 1985 one drove through the southern Timbavati , signing a visitors book at 2 different gates . The entrance gate then was straight in line with the tar road to Satara , the gate guard room is used for wood and cooldrink storage.
In 1985 I stayed at Orpen for 10 days in the last hut at the far end against the fence , that was before the family cottages were built .
It was with dissappointment towards the end of the stay that we heard the earthmoving machinery approaching as they finished the preparations for the new tar road .

The entrance gate was relatively seldomly utilised in those days , Orpen felt much wilder , no electricity , no OSV's ...

In the early sixties Letaba had a lot of asbestos huts. In one of them there was a round hole in the outer plate, just above the foundation.
We were told that it was a bullet hole made by the ranger when he had to shoot a lion in the camp.

Hi everybody. How priceless a thread this is! Love your rememberings. Well here goes.
I grew up on Tzaneen and met “Die Wildtuin” 35 years ago. Fanatical lovers of the park
we would, every other weekend come h or high water travel the +- 100km to Letaba. We being, mom dad and sis together with my bestest uncle, aunt and four couzies.
With everything packed during the week, we left right after school on Friday afternoon for Letaba.
A weekend’s camping in those days cost a whopping R5.
One of my fondest memories is of Uncle Blackie Swart, Letaba’s resident motor technician. My dad and he would love to chat whenever their paths crossed.

One evening, we were camping more or less were the camp shop is today, when we saw Uncle Blackie’s tow-truck, orange lights slowly turning, driving ever so slowly towards the gate. In front of the truck was old Letaba being escorted out of the camp.
Letaba walked a very stately dignified walk, not taking any notice of the flashin truck or the bunch of very quiet, wide eyed children walking behind the truck. Every now and then Letaba would stop, we would stop breathing, only to pick up a leave or twig or to take a short rest before proceeding. Out he went, peacefully at his own pace.
Uncle Blackie would also as a standard arrangement on old years eve slowly drive around camp with his lit up tow-truck. RIP Uncle Blackie and Letaba.

Nice story giraffee.