Reset search
Cathy SertoriCathy Sertori
SatelliteEdit route
traveled in 4 countries Read more
  • TravelerSouth African adventure
    23
    Day 16

    Rockfig - final safari

    January 25, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Pete opted for a sleep in and the kids and I were up and ready for our 5am departure. Just as we were about to leave the lodge I was looking out beyond the pool and noticed movement. I thought it was a lion, but I had actually spotted a male leopard. We all crept to the outside area and watched this elusive creature as it stealthily made its way across the plain and into the bushes. We jumped in to the vehicle and went in search of it. Eddie went on foot with another guide to track it and we searched by car. It disappeared. Such an elusive animal. We were so lucky to have seen it at all. Timing is everything. We drove past 3 Cape buffalo that were right near the track we had walked on yesterday. We were relieved that we hadn’t seen them by foot!
    We then headed off and saw wildebeest on the tar road, their coats glistening in the morning sun. Then to the hyena den where we saw the 5 cubs playing out of the den, and we only caught a glimpse of the mother as we were leaving.

    We decided to go in search of the lions in the south. On our drive there we were amazed to see a lion in the distance sitting beside the road and then astonishingly finding an entire pride on both sides of the road with their cubs. Eddie then spotted the two male lions, off road. After observing the lionesses and cubs we went off the track and spent a long time watching the two male lions who were so close and looking extremely majestic. They were awake, alert and relaxed watching us. Liv got some great shots of the lions. Incredible we had seen the 3 different prides in this vast wilderness. On the drive back to the lodge we had close encounters with giraffe and zebras. We saw a leopard tortoise, elephants and vultures. We agreed it was one of the best safari trips, and such a great way to end.

    We had breaky in the lodge and met Pete to share our stories, the kids happy to rub in what he missed, and he claims to have been happy with the extra 3 hours of sleep… We exchanged details with the Mitchells and got ready to pack up. Just as I was about to head to the chalet, Nicole advised me my room has been invaded by a baboon, breaking the glass jar where the nuts were held. It was probably the one time we had not locked the door and it was all in the space of an hour. They must observe and try each time.

    We said fond farewells to all the RockFig team and were so grateful to have Frank and Eddie as our guide and tracker.
    Flight from Hoedspruit to Joburg and then on to Sydney. Ted has already started plotting the next trip. We had the most amazing trip and created memories of a lifetime.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth African adventure
    1
    11
    Day 15

    RockFig - a bushwalk

    January 24, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Today we decided to change it up and decided to do a bushwalk. It is a totally different experience. Just as we were about to set off we heard a loud male lion roaring in the distance. Beautiful and scary at the same time, reminding us all that you never quite know what you will find anywhere in the bush. Frank estimated it was about 2km away. Frank briefed us that we had to go single file, not talk and communicate by clicking our fingers. He carried a rifle and said when he gave a command we had to follow it, no questions and not to run if we saw anything approaching us. We wondered how this would all go with Ted… The sun was just rising, a stunning part of the day. We were lucky right at this moment to spot giraffes and zebras. They were curious to observe us as they rarely see people on foot. The zebras made some noises and were more scared but calmed down when they saw the giraffes calm. We continued on, sometimes on the road tracks and sometimes cross country through the plains in the long grass and dodging thorns and spider webs. Ted had fun scaring Dad with a long piece of grass when we were near a spider’s web, tickling the back of his neck and making him jump and us all laugh. We learned a lot about spiders, plants and the environment, and spotted leopard, elephant and hyena tracks. We crossed a river bed and saw how clever elephants are as they dig using their trunks to find clean water. We saw beautiful birds, impala and kudu in the distance on the walk - very skittish. We arrived at a beautiful waterhole with Eddie (our tracker) having set up our coffee break. We ended up walking 3.8 km, taking about 2 hours. Frank asked us to check for ticks and Jess was freaking out, the only who had them, and they were all over her pants. She was worried she’d get limes disease, but Frank assured her that they only itch. We then spotted two lapwing birds squawking and flicking up a snake in the air next to the waterhole. It was quite a funny sight. The birds were scared off by the snake and we realised that they were trying to defend their nest. We watched in amazement as the snake swallowed a lapwing egg from the nest, this tiny snake stretching and stretching its mouth to a size about 10x its circumference. It took a good half hour to do so and it moved about 50m in the process, looking very funny like it had a bulging head. On the way to our bush breakfast we saw more elephants, one with an estimated 2 week old calf. More commentary and wildlife discussion, always more to learn. Our guide Frank with 17 years experience is a fountain of knowledge. It was Liv’s turn to ride on the hot seat!

    Liv and I enjoyed a soothing bath to wash off the walk and sleep today has eluded me. Jess had an outdoor shower to get all the ticks off and then her ambience was interrupted by a wasp. We all enjoyed pool time, reading books, backgammon and enjoyed chatting to Chris, Sally, Ben and Ollie (the British family). We then headed off on our afternoon safari and think it was the hottest ones yet as it was 39 degrees and the sun was beating down. We had another close encounter with an elephant doing a mock charge, stretching its ears wide, stomping and trumpeting. It unnerved Jess and me, despite us being towards the back of the vehicle and it happening directly in front of Eddie who sits outside the vehicle. Frank is so calm and talked us through exactly what it meant and why you have to stay put, not reverse back and let him think he’s boss, as it was a young male learning. We then ended up at the same waterhole we had morning coffee, set up for our last sundowners. The British clan (the Mitchells) joined us and we watched the spectacular sun go down. We were offered a local worm delicacy, Pete, Jess and I tried it - not to our taste! Jess regretted her decision when the light was shone on them.

    We returned back to the lodge for a communal dinner. Ted tried Eland, Pete and I enjoyed a klip fish and the girls went for the vegetarian option. We had a lot of laughs with the Mitchell family and were sorry our time didn’t overlap more. We stayed up well past our bedtime, knowing we were on for our last morning safari.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth African adventure
    Day 14

    RockFig - on the hunt for lions

    January 23, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    Too tired to upload yesterday after a full day, and wanted to do the blog justice, so here it is now!

    Up and ready to go by 430am, some more ready than others. Frank had to pound on Liv and Ted’s door as they were in a deep sleep. He said it was the hardest he’s had to knock to wake guests up in the years he’s been here. After a quick coffee, smoothie and snack we hopped in the jeep for a longer drive to the north in search of a new coalition of lions that were moving in to the area. On the way we spotted wildebeest, giraffes, zebras and 5 white rhinos waking up in the sunrise. Much to our delight the longer drive paid off and we found 3 male lions, one snuggled up with a lioness. We eagerly watched for some activity as lions sleep for 18hours a day. We were in luck, as one of the males sat up, shaking its head, grooming itself and even giving us a big yawn. Then it stood up and started walking towards the vehicle. Jess was in the best position at the back, and was filming him walking towards us but then stopped as she got scared it was going to jump up on the vehicle as it almost touched the vehicle. Though it was very calm and simply finding another spot to sleep; the scrub behind us. Such an amazing close encounter. We stayed and watched them for a long time as they are so special to find and observe. We then stopped for a coffee break enjoying our lion stories, and then made our way back for our bush breaky. Such an amazing set up in the bush. Delicious selection of fruits, scones, cold meats and cheeses. Then a hot breakfast is cooked over a wood fire. A feast of scrambled or fried eggs, beans, sausages, bacon, tomatoes and mushrooms - a feast fit for a king. There’s a drinks table that has all juices with mimosas, vodka, pimms and blood Mary all on offer. We had a nice chat to Frank, mostly consisting of our family asking him lots of questions about the animals of Africa.

    We are always greeted back at the lodge with cool face washers and a host. We all took off to our chalets and we all napped and felt much better for it. We then lazed by pool, played backgammon and read. Ted had a sleep and was busy watching the Hawaii surf cam. New guests arrived, an English family who had just flown in. Another delicious lunch, this time a salmon salad (Jessica and Ted requested for a chicken substitute), and we spotted a vervet monkey in the tree. Ted was fascinated and despite knowing that it was a sign of aggression, smiled at it (they take this as you baring your teeth at them). It went further up the tree, wary of us (Ted). It continued to watch us as we lounged by the pool. They are apparently quite smart, and Frank told us they’ll distract us with their babies and then steal food when we’re not looking.

    We set off on the afternoon drive and went straight to a spot where African wild dogs had been seen earlier in the day. It was a highlight for Ted as he’s fascinated by them. They are endangered and only about 5,000 left in South Africa. There were four and they weren’t overly active, however their big ears were constantly flapping and tails twitching, on high alert for anything that may come their way. One eventually got up and stretched his legs and wandered over to a different scrub area. We decided they look a bit like German shepherds. We got news that there was a pride of lions spotted, the guides share news via their radios when something of interest is spotted or seen. So Frank said it would be a Ferrari safari to get us over to the other end of the reserve. On the way we saw plenty of impala, kudu, giraffes and zebra. As we were approaching a waterhole we spotted two hippos, one did a great big “yawn” at us, letting us know they were there. Fascinating watching them and incredible to see how wide their mouth opens. We heard some noises and we initially thought they were coming from the hippos. However, Frank told us it was actually a lioness roaring to call for her pride. They have a shorter and not as deep roar as the males. As we watched the hippos and listened to the roar, Liv spotted a lioness in the distance on the other side of the waterhole. Amazing to see these two huge creatures not that far apart. Eventually the lioness got up and made her way to the lion that was calling her. We then saw a stunning sunset on our way to find the lions.

    Driving into the open field where the huge pride of lions lay was surreal. It was incredible, and we counted 22 lions, including 2 males and some very cute cubs. The largest amount of lions I’ve ever seen in the one spot. We sat and watched them for half an hour. We saw two gorgeous cubs, movement within the pride as they played and towards the end of our watch the 2 males made an appearance. They are such affectionate animals, rubbing against one another and lying on top of each other. When the of the male lions arrived, its male cub came up to greet it with lots of head rubs, a reminder of Mufasa and Simba.

    With such a full on drive there was no time for a sundowner. We arrived back and had time to freshen up before dinner and Pete and I enjoyed our own sundowner on our deck. We were joined at dinner with our guide Frank, Katie (who is a front of house operator, Frank’s girlfriend and also a guide) and the English family who were really nice. A relaxed, delicious and enjoyable dinner. We discussed at dinner whether to start our safari an hour later, however the kids were all keen to stick to the 430am wake up time. We were off to bed by 10ish, to be up and ready for our wake up knock.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth African adventure
    24
    Day 13

    RockFig - settling into the groove

    January 22, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    We all slept soundly and quickly after our delicious dinner stargazing by the fire pit. Surprisingly we were all up (not necessarily alert or communicative) at 430am and met at the lodge where there was coffee, tea, muffins, scones, fruit and yoghurt, mango smoothies and fresh OJ all to have before the safari! Off we set and saw a magnificent sunrise over the plains. We saw tracks of leopards and lions that didn’t lead anywhere, always an anticipation looms. It’s a different safari experience as there are 60,000 hectares to cover and there are no fences so the animals wander everywhere freely and you don’t know what you’ll encounter. We came across many elephants, a cute baby with its mum, and the biggest male (4m tall) with the longest tusks I’ve ever seen. Our guide Frank began to come down with a migraine so the lodge manager subbed in and we had heard of him through an ex-colleague of Pete’s. We continued our drive discovering the vast plains and countryside with many bird species, impala and kudu. We came across a hyena den with two of her cubs, one of them sleeping with her. They were cuter than I remembered, perhaps it was the pup. We had a coffee stop at a dam. The lions and leopards remained elusive. We were then driven to an area set up for breakfast, outside in the bush. It was delicious, a buffet with both hot and cold options. Ted even got to ride in the tracker’s seat on the way back to the lodge. Then some quiet time in our chalets. Liv and Ted were lucky enough to see nyalas right outside of their room. We then ended up at the pool, all having a swim except for Ted. The water was so warm, red dragonflies keeping us company but sadly no elephants. It was so hot that after about 10 minutes being out of the pool, you were ready to go back in again. Despite wondering how we could possibly be hungry, we were ready for lunch - a delicious chicken salad and crème brûlée. More reading and backgammon before our afternoon safari. Still so hot when we left for our safari, Martin our safari guide as Frank was still a bit ill. It was a bit slower this afternoon, most probably because of the heat and the animals being lazy. Our tracker, Eddie, joined another tracker to follow some leopard footprints. Meanwhile, we drove and saw some elephants (majestic as always), Cape buffalo, hares, a chameleon and a giraffe. Then time for a sundowner drink and snack in this vast plain of sand that, to our amazement, can be a river in the wet season. We had fun attempting to find animal tracks in the sand, Ted even making a few of his own, trying to play them off as some big cat footprints (no one bought it). We hadn’t heard from Eddie and hope was dwindling, but then Martin said there may have been a leopard sighting. Back in the jeep and away we went, it gradually getting darker as we drove. To find where they were, we had to go off-trail and really drive through the bush, knocking down small trees and ducking to avoid branches as we bumped around on the uneven ground. Alas, our patience paid off and we saw two leopards! They were a bit far and it was a little dark by this point, so there was a flashlight used to see them, Ted capturing a video. Best way to end the safari. Then back at the lodge where we enjoyed a BBQ dinner and talking with the other guests. We even saw three elephants again, including a baby, by the pool, having a night time drink. Another one came later and simply rested its tusks on the side. Ready to do it all over again tomorrow!Read more

  • TravelerSouth African adventure
    1
    1
    Day 12

    Cape Town to Rock Fig - Timbavati

    January 21, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 35 °C

    We agreed to be bags packed at the car by 8am. This means different things to the family. Ted had toast at 745am and just made it to the car on time. Jess was up and organised and Liv slept a little later as she’d been woken up in the night by mossies. A smooth drive and drop off of the hire car to airport. We checked in and enjoyed coffee and a relax with crosswords and wandering the shops until our flight. We arrived at Hoedspruit airport and met by our guide for our transfer, it was a 45 min drive to the lodge. Wow, the lodge was impressive by its socials, however it’s next level. We went to our rooms, Liv and Ted are sharing, Jess her own lodge as do Pete and I. Beautifully done, attention to detail and such engaging and genuine guides and hosts. After dropping our bags we went to lunch to be greeted by an elephant drinking by the pool. Amazing. We enjoyed lunch despite having eaten on the plane as it was delicious and rude not to! We went on an afternoon safari with our guide Frank and tracker Eddie. A new terrain, flatter than the hills of Kariega and always exciting. We finally spotted the elusive baboons in trees and on foot. Then we drove through the 60,000 acres and saw Cape buffalo in the waterhole, impalas, kudu, wart hogs, birds - enjoyed a sundowner over a glorious sunset. We enjoyed dinner with a host Nicole and a German couple, lots of stories shared. As we were heading off to bed we heard a lion roaring, so special. Off to bed as our safari drive is at 5am, wake up call at 430am 😱Read more

  • TravelerSouth African adventure
    11112
    Day 11

    Cape of Good Hope - scenic drive

    January 20, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    Pete woke early and did a coffee run. We agreed to be on the road for our adventure today by 930am and we were pretty close! We planned a day trip to the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Point (southernmost tip of west Africa and where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet). A beautiful day with a stunning drive on the coastline to get there. It took 1.5 hours to get there via Chapman’s Pass. We saw many seals lounging around on rocks when we arrived. After a short walk up a rocky staircase (not unlike yesterday’s walk…), seeing lizards and Ted on the lookout for baboons (none spotted much to his disappointment), we arrived at an amazing viewpoint. Quite a few buses arrived as we left, and we all agreed we were happy not to be on a tour bus! We drove to the lighthouse and with reception, we were thrilled to hear news of the safe arrival of Tim and Emily’s baby boys (Aidan and Oliver)!!!! We were so excited about their arrival that some impromptu shopping for the babies ensued. The funicular to the top of the point and to the lighthouse was undergoing maintenance and after our tough walk yesterday and having seen the view the other side, we all agreed to skip this walk. We were all hungry at this point and embarked on the same route back, arriving in Simon’s Town in 30 minutes and deliberated where to go for a light lunch. The cafe Pete wanted to go to unfortunately didn’t have many options, and another one seemed to be a bit greasier than we wanted (Ted was keen however). We finally found a small looking cafe that seemed to have a good specials menu. However we started to question our decision when we were unable to see any customers or find any server until the back courtyard, with a woman stubbing out her cigarette and no shoes on. She ushered us to one of the three tables, and we didn’t feel like we could leave as she explained the disjointed menu. As she walked away we saw the black soles of her feet and everyone hoped she’d washed her hands before she prepared our food as it was a one woman show. This caused much giggling to everyone but me who tried to keep some order. It was a quaint heritage listed building and we act ually enjoyed delicious, fresh bread sandwiches and home made ginger beer. We then drove Boulder's beach, famous for its penguins. We enjoyed watching these creatures in their natural habitat, swimming, sunning themselves and waddling about. And there were so many of them! It was a hot day so we all went for a swim at Seaforth beach, except Ted who didn’t want to go if there wasn’t a shower to wash off the salt. The water was cold but very refreshing. Back to the house for some R&R, games and chilling. Pete, Jess, Ted and I wandered down to the beach for a quick swim (Pete and Ted) with some full on, on shore waves, while Jess and I watched from the shore. We went to a restaurant Pangara, recommended by our host. It was probably the more fine dining of all our dinners, however the waitress was less enamoured and we were at the back of the restaurant. However the food was great, although Pete did have to send back his fillet that was rare, not medium. Out of the three restaurants at Cape Town, I think we all agreed the best atmosphere, view and ambience was Zenzero, Dad and Ted 1 - girls 0. We enjoyed a gelato afterwards. A full, fabulous and satisfying day!Read more

  • TravelerSouth African adventure
    211
    Day 10

    Cape Town - a beautiful town, tough hike

    January 19, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    It was nice to wake up at no specific time. Pete, Jess and I headed out for coffee and breaky supplies around 9. Ted decided to stay home and we didn’t wake Liv. We enjoyed a simple breaky at home for once, and then headed to Table Mountain to do a hike. Stunning coastal views on the drive there. We weren’t quite sure where to park and start the hike earlier than we needed to as it seemed crowded with cars. We walked about 800m to the lower cable car station with a cafe and kiosk, and then another 25 mins to the trail head. Finally, we started the hike, Platteklip Gorge to the Upper Cable Station. It was at the fork in the trail about 15 minutes into the hike, we reached an impasse. Ted absolutely did not want to hike the 2.1 km directly up, already complaining about the part we’d just walked up. After a terse discussion, Ted left to go on another path and wait at the bottom of the cable car, a 760 m flat walk. Pete, Jess (begrudgingly as she was too scared to go alone with just Ted), Liv and I did the hike. It was hardest walk I’ve done, it being a steep, large stair-like, rocky route the entire way, needing to use your hands at some points to be able to climb it. The route overlooks the city, Table Bay, and Devil’s Peak. Platteklip Gorge splits the cliffs of the main plateau, and the views from the top of Table Mountain are described as one of the most epic in Africa. The route finished at the top, spectacular views, we would have enjoyed savouring this view, however wanted to find our lone wolf, Ted. It was 5.8 km in total walk, which doesn’t take into account the incredible steep ascent, and took 2.5 hours. It was relief to get to the top, Jessica wishing she’d opted out with Ted. We took the cable car down, with more spectacular views. A beer and celebration to find Ted (lying down on a bus bench using the free wifi) to finish the hike. We chilled at the house before Pete, Jess, Ted and I walked to Camps Bay beach for a swim. It was cold. Beautiful end to the hike. Showers and back for a beautiful sunset and cocktails dinner. A great chat talking about our highs and lows of the day. Ted’s best was not doing the walk! It was Jess’s worst and Pete, Liv and I were happy we achieved it.Read more

  • TravelerSouth African adventure
    1
    1
    Day 9

    Mossel Bay (underwhelming) to Cape Town

    January 18, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    We all agreed that Mossel Bay was a dated seaside town. It was a little run down and not much of a vibe. Our hotel has the perfect location and was a little dated and had a dank smell. Fortunately we all slept well, except Pete who was a little hot. Comfy beds. Breakfast was from 630am and Pete, Jess and I grabbed a light breaky - it wasn’t overly appetising, coffee was good. We were able to keep our room for a 2pm check out after our shark cage dive adventure which saved us a lot of hassle. Unfortunately the shark dive was a disappointment as we didn’t see any great whites and didn’t even go in to the cage! We were all excited, 6 from Belgium, our family and another German who had driven back from his destination as he was told this experience was more likely to see sharks. We motored out about 15mins as they had been seen 48 hours before. They hung a tuna head off and made a trail of fish burley and chum in the water to attract the sharks. All we saw were some small hammerhead sharks and dolphins. We gave it 3 hours and we were all happy to call it as Pete and Liv had slight seasickness. Our first big disappointment for the trip, however apart from Jess would would have preferred extra time in Cape Town we agreed it was worth trying! Back to the hotel to change and pack up we made a 4.5hr drive to Cape Town. Arrived at our Airbnb and shown around by Blessing and it’s a great set up for the next 3 nights. Pete did an amazing job driving us and navigating the roads and the drivers and nuances. We are in Camps Bay, a short walk to the beach and restaurants.Jess gave us a few options for dinner and after showers we wandered down and had a fine feast and enjoyed first foray to the beach side and this fabulous city.Read more

  • TravelerSouth African adventure
    Day 8

    From fire to rain

    January 17, 2023 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    We underestimated Jess’s concerns as we awoke a few times in the night with the heat as the air con was off all night (due to load shedding) and fire flames were coming down the ridge, appearing much closer than it was, however still quite a dramatic view from our room. Pete ventured to see where it was the next morning and it was about 4kms away. We had breakfast and made our way to Mossel Bay. The hot dry heat changed as we went over Robinson’s Pass and by the time we reached Mossel Bay it was 24degrees (as opposed to 38). We were too early to check in to the hotel so went went to the local supermarket to get a few supplies and had lunch at the Dolphin Cafe - basic and simple lunch. We did a short walk up the Blaise Lighthouse and back to town, which was impressive with its view. We came across many of these animals called dassies which look like large rats. We booked at Big Blu beach house for dinner, a short walk from the hotel. The kids decided to chill and Pete and I went the maritime museum and a drive to Santos Beach where we had a short walk. The museum had one interesting exhibit, while the rest of it we could have gone without seeing. It’s drizzling and a dull day. There was definitely no need to have booked the restaurant; empty except for one couple! Pete was keen to go somewhere else, with a limited menu on offer, but everyone else wasn’t bothered. On the bright side, the view was lovely as are the views from our rooms. An early night as an early start for the shark dive adventure.Read more

Join us:

FindPenguins for iOSFindPenguins for Android

  • 2024© FindPenguins
  • Home
  • About us
  • Blog
  • Group Tracking
  • Press
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy & Cookies
  • Support
  • Legal notice
  • English