Tsendze Rustic Camp
After check-in and a swim at Marula Restcamp we took a leisurely drive to the campsite which is situated 10 km to the south. En-route we stopped in at the Shipandane Hide. We love going there and had even spent a night there before.
It was an extremely hot afternoon and we noticed the birds practicing gular fluttering. ‘Gular fluttering’ refers to a bird opening its mouth and fluttering its upper throat muscles to promote heat loss. I felt so sorry for them.
While we were at the hide a familiar looking guy came in and in no time we started chatting. It was Rodgers, the camp attendant at Tsendzi! He told us where to find a Verreaux’s Eagle Owl on our way to camp and showed us photos he had of the parent and chick. After a bit of back and forth we eventually found the correct loop.
Something we always look forward to at Tsendze is interacting with the friendly staff. They are always keen to make your stay special. Rodgers came around at dusk as usual to check on all the campers and have a chat. He showed us pics of 20 roan that crossed the road on his way back from the hide and promised to show us the resident owls in the morning.
Roger suggested that we avoid the N4 and take a different route home, so we decided to exit the Park at the Phalaborwa Gate and travel home via Dullstroom.
While driving (not all that slowly, I might add) Roger noticed a ‘shape’ in a small Mopani tree alongside the road. He slammed on brakes and reversed to check it out. To our amazement it turned out to be a Southern White-faced Owl! This is the first time we’ve seen one in the wild, only having heard them calling before.
There is a picnic site at the Masorini Iron Age archaeological site, about 12 km from Phalaborwa Gate where we had lunch. After lunch we decided to take a guided tour with James, the local site guide. If you are interested in the iron smelting and trading activities of these people in the 1800s, follow this link: https://www.sanparks.org/parks/kruger/people/heritage/masorini.php
An interesting bit of information (for me) was that the women were not allowed to have any knowledge of the process in case they pass it on to rival tribes. They had to sit somewhere out of earshot/view and weave baskets while the men were doing the smelting. Iron ore was brought up from the lower lying Phalaborwa region to the smelter on this hill. The elevation provided security and allowed ample reaction time in case of enemy advance. Iron was a much sought after trade commodity.
After refueling at Palaborwa we headed towards Dullstroom. The road was scenic and not very busy at all. We arrived at Dullstroom in the late afternoon and found a camping spot at the Dullstroom Dam. In fact, it is the only camp ground in town. After a delicious dinner at the Dullstroom Inn we settled down and had a good night’s sleep.
The next morning we had breakfast at The Rose Cottage and a subsequent coffee at Beans About Coffee Roastery. We arrived home in the mid-afternoon. It was a good break indeed.