I’m getting used to being in one spot for a few days but am not unhappy to leave behind the freezing nights as we head to Bulawayo. Needless to say, when we arrive at Paradise Lodge, a lovely home with a pool and a pond with a little stone bridge and cottages at the bottom of the garden, almost everyone decides to upgrade, which ends up posing some logistical problems for the lovely Christine, who runs this delightful home from home. But she’s up to the challenge and before long everyone is happily accommodated.
Half an hour later Andy arrives to take us on a game walk, tracking for white rhinos, in the Rhodes Matopos National Park. Andy is a stocky,white Zimbabwean and ace tracker. He wastes no time telling us the rules and the penalty for failing to observe the rules...... death by goring.
We set off from the entrance, everyone following in single file (well, almost everyone), everyone staying close together (well, almost everyone), everyone as quiet as can be (well, almost everyone) and everyone copying Andy’s every move (well, almost everyone). It seems the rules don’t translate well into Dutch! It’s like a silent Simon Says.. each time Andy ducks down low, there’s a Mexican wave ducking low, as we snake along his chosen route. He points to a pile of dung and tells us all the information he can glean from it. Rhinos were there this morning, and further along, this is where the rhino slept. Black rhinos were here, white rhinos were there. It’s fascinating and he is obviously passionate about his tracking but I’m beginning to wonder if we’ll ever spot the rhinos.
But, needless to say it’s not long before we spot something in the distance. Two white rhinos grazing. As we approach, they sense our presence and trot off in the opposite direction. This happens several times until I think they must be getting a bit fed up and might think about charging. Eek. Andy decides to take a different path and track around to get beyond them.
Eventually we get into a position where everyone can get some excellent photos of mother and child without disturbing them. Then we are heading back to the land rover, checking for tracks all the time. Then we’re off to the other side of the park, where there are supposed to be black rhinos too. Everyone is taking a turn riding in the jump seat which is suspended over the front bumper to make it easier to track while driving. A movement is spotted over to the side. It is not the elusive black rhino but a single male white rhino that has had its horn surgically removed so that poachers won’t slaughter it.
Andy crouches down and encourages us to move closer. It’s nerve wracking and some choose not to but we are quiet as mice and manage to creep within 10 metres of the rhino whilst he is grazing and have our photos taken.
Elated, the sun is dipping down over the horizon and the air turns distinctly chilly as we head back to Paradise. Joy of joy there is an old VHS player and some old taped movies. After dinner, the girls fetch their duvets and we settle down for a girls night in with our bottles of wine and a girlie movie.
Paradise indeed.
Half an hour later Andy arrives to take us on a game walk, tracking for white rhinos, in the Rhodes Matopos National Park. Andy is a stocky,white Zimbabwean and ace tracker. He wastes no time telling us the rules and the penalty for failing to observe the rules...... death by goring.
We set off from the entrance, everyone following in single file (well, almost everyone), everyone staying close together (well, almost everyone), everyone as quiet as can be (well, almost everyone) and everyone copying Andy’s every move (well, almost everyone). It seems the rules don’t translate well into Dutch! It’s like a silent Simon Says.. each time Andy ducks down low, there’s a Mexican wave ducking low, as we snake along his chosen route. He points to a pile of dung and tells us all the information he can glean from it. Rhinos were there this morning, and further along, this is where the rhino slept. Black rhinos were here, white rhinos were there. It’s fascinating and he is obviously passionate about his tracking but I’m beginning to wonder if we’ll ever spot the rhinos.
But, needless to say it’s not long before we spot something in the distance. Two white rhinos grazing. As we approach, they sense our presence and trot off in the opposite direction. This happens several times until I think they must be getting a bit fed up and might think about charging. Eek. Andy decides to take a different path and track around to get beyond them.
Eventually we get into a position where everyone can get some excellent photos of mother and child without disturbing them. Then we are heading back to the land rover, checking for tracks all the time. Then we’re off to the other side of the park, where there are supposed to be black rhinos too. Everyone is taking a turn riding in the jump seat which is suspended over the front bumper to make it easier to track while driving. A movement is spotted over to the side. It is not the elusive black rhino but a single male white rhino that has had its horn surgically removed so that poachers won’t slaughter it.
Andy crouches down and encourages us to move closer. It’s nerve wracking and some choose not to but we are quiet as mice and manage to creep within 10 metres of the rhino whilst he is grazing and have our photos taken.
Elated, the sun is dipping down over the horizon and the air turns distinctly chilly as we head back to Paradise. Joy of joy there is an old VHS player and some old taped movies. After dinner, the girls fetch their duvets and we settle down for a girls night in with our bottles of wine and a girlie movie.
Paradise indeed.
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