Kruger National Park, South Africa.

In 2013, I’d just started writing Journeys with Johnbo and was also busy discovering blogs written by others. One blog I was quick to discover was DeWetsWild here. An African safari has long been on my bucket list, and Dries incentivized me to be sure it happened. OK, so it was a decade in the making… COVID got in our way, other destinations got in our way, and cruises got in our way, but when I saw a post on his blog about a photo event being offered, I enquired about the details. Though the dates of that event didn’t work for us, I started making plans in earnest. Well, Dries provided all I needed to know about the logistics of such a trip and proposed a private group tour. I convinced my niece and her husband to join us, and these are but a few of the photos I captured.

We toured Cape Town and Kruger, but I will share the Cape Town photos in my usual Travel Tuesday schedule. I am scheduling Friday posts for this series of images to focus on the Safari. Planning started in earnest many months before our arrival in Cape Town on September 30, 2024.

In addition to travel guidance from Dries, I also asked Hannes Rossouw for his suggestions on bringing photo gear. I told him my camera would be a Nikon D500, and he recommended purchasing a used Nikkor 200-500mm lens, a popular model for wildlife photographers. He also made other valuable suggestions and was available via WhatsApp with equipment advice.

Irving Knight is a fantastic safari guide with experience and knowledge about South African wildlife. As he drove, he provided a running commentary on the wildlife we saw, and he was always ready to stop and capture what we could see on camera.

We soon learned that impalas are a major food source for predators. Because they are so plentiful, we quit taking photos of them. After our short flight from Cape Town to the airport inside Kruger National Park at Skukuza, we were introduced to Hannes and Irving. Once our luggage was loaded on a trailer, we started our first safari hunt. We spent the afternoon traveling to the camp at Satara, where we would stay for three nights. The plan included side trips so we would arrive at camp just before the gates closed at 6 PM each night.

Just moments after passing the herd of impala, Irving spotted two lions hiding in the grass. Both had their heads down, and the novices among us couldn’t see them. I only spotted the lion when one of the heads popped above the tall grass. I captured the photo but didn’t realize that the second lion was also in the shot until after returning home when I loaded the image into Adobe Lightroom. We were already impressed; we had barely started our safari and saw our first lions on the hunt.

I was introduced to an antelope called a nyala on this first day. The species is native to Southern Africa and has an unusual appearance. To me, a bull nyala is dressed in 1970s attire, while a female is much smaller and less uniquely adorned. Only the bull has horns.

A juvenile giraffe learns quickly to survey the environment for threats before drinking. Though it was looking right towards us, animals have generally discovered that the safari vehicles are no threat and tend to completely ignore them. Moments after I took this photo, the youngster was already drinking.

Another animal that was new to me is the klipspringer. The klipspringer, also known as the “rock-climbing antelope,” is a small, sturdy antelope found in eastern and southern Africa. According to Google, klipspringers are exceptionally well-adapted to their rocky habitat. Their specialized hooves resemble suction cups, allowing klipspringers to climb steep cliffs and navigate treacherous terrain easily.

We saw many baboons, usually in small family groups, often sitting near the road, on rocks, or in nearby trees. This juvenile appears to be deep in thought.

Another youngster climbed up to join in the meditations. For a time, they sat together.

We also came upon a small herd of antelope that grazed contently with a few wildebeest. Impala are fast and high jumpers. They can run over 50 miles per hour (80 kph) and jump up to three times their body height. The blue wildebeest is a large antelope found in the African savanna.

Our first day in Kruger was full, even though it was afternoon before we stepped off the plane at Skukuza. We did not know then what awaited us, but we headed off for adventures unknown.

My camera complement included a Nikon D500 with a 200-500mm Nikkor lens, enhanced by a beanbag for resting that long lens over the edge of the vehicle, and a monopod for the D500 generously loaned to me by Hannes. I decided on a last-minute purchase of a Nikon Z7 II with a 24-120mm Nikkor S lens to bring to Africa, so I wouldn’t have to change lenses to switch between far-off action and close-up photos of subjects nearer to us. I also bought the FTZ II adapter to put the 200-500 mm lens on the Z7 II in case of camera problems with the older D500.

I posted these images and several more in my Flickr album here. Each Friday, I will post fresh photos in separate albums corresponding to the six days of our adventures in Kruger National Park. I hope you enjoy this virtual photo safari with me.

John Steiner