Thornybush: close encounters
View of the dry river bed from the swimming pool at Thornybush Game Lodge
Article By: Gillian McLaren
click to read published article online: http://travel.iafrica.com/safaris/826001.html
A
leopard! The young male is strolling through the bush and we are
holding onto the bar in front of our seats as the land cruiser bounces
over dead branches. Charles, our guide, expertly weaves through the
veldt as our tracker, Peter, signals the way through the thorn trees.
The sun is low on the horizon and the sky perfused with an
orange glow, and we are thrilled to find this elusive creature in
Thornybush Private Nature Reserve and to follow him off-road as the day
draws to a close.
Suddenly there is a pneumatic hiss from the side of our vehicle.
“A puncture!” declares Charles. We huddle on the vehicle -
wondering where the leopard has gone off to - as a high-lift jack is
fitted. “Please climb off now and stay close together.”
Charles is a consummate storyteller and entertains us with
tales of his near death experiences in the bush that – while they
certainly amuse - contribute to our nervousness as we feign bravery. We
are palpably relieved that it takes Peter only a few minutes to replace
the damaged tyre.
As we return to Thornybush Game Lodge, the staff welcome
us home with hot facecloths and Amarula liqueur. We regale them with the
stories of our amazing game drive, with sightings of three lionesses
snarling over an Nyala kill, a cheetah on a Reedbuck kill and surviving
the puncture in the fading light.
I am escorted back to my room, as the camp is unfenced.
The luxurious suites are situated on the banks of a wide riverbed, which
is now dry and so vast it resembles a beach. From my outdoor shower I
can see an Nyala bull under a tree, in the moonlight. I wrap myself in
the plush bath sheet and stroll to the private deck to hear a
Fiery-necked Nightjar calling nearby, and enjoy the bright display of
stars.
For our evening meal, tables are set on the deck of the
communal area, which overlooks two water pools left after a recent
flood.
Thornybush Game Lodge was established in the 1960s, but
the only thing that is old-fashioned is the level of hospitality. The
menu is modern and exotic: I choose roast butternut and coconut soup,
followed by the vegetarian option of aubergines stuffed with vegetable
risotto. They are delicious and beautifully presented. Vanilla
cheesecake is served with a warm caramel sauce.
Back in my elegant suite, I sit on the verandah to enjoy
the cool night air and debate whether I should go on the game drive in
the morning, or take time to explore the camp and do some bird watching.
What a delicious dilemma.
I wake to the sound of a variety of birds in the canopy of
trees that frame the view from my bed, and decide to spend the morning
spotting in and around the lodge.
After a leisurely breakfast I stroll to the swimming pool,
toting my binoculars. With sunlight streaming down onto my face,
standing in the infinity swimming pool, I observe a row of tiny blue
waxbills on the pool rim as they drink water then dip their breasts and
shake their feathers. Some flit away and a Green-Winged Pytilia, pair of
Jameson’s Firefinches and Bulbuls joins the party.
A flash of red appears above me, as a Purple-crested
Turaco lands in a tree. I saunter to a deck chair and lie in the shade,
beneath a bright green umbrella. It is so relaxing I could easily fall
asleep, but I don’t want to miss any birds coming to the poolside.
After a lazy morning, I reluctantly leave this serene spot, as I must
pack to leave for my next lodge.
Off to Waterside Lodge
Thornybush Waterside Lodge after half an hour’s drive from Thornybush
Game Lodge and its airstrip. Set on a perennial lake, my suite is built
at treetop level, overlooking the water. Gone is the old colonial look,
with heavy furniture and dark earth tones. Instead, the walls are soft
white and the room has a blue theme, to represent the water and sky. By
candlelight I luxuriate in the bath, which has a view of the bush.
The next morning I meet our guide Stanley; a gracious man
who has worked in the bush for decades. He is adept at driving the 4x4
and takes us along a sandy riverbed where we spot two white rhino.
White Rhino in a dry riverbed
Stanley assures us that the rhino are habituated to the
vehicle and will not charge us, although they could do serious damage
with their bulk. Further down the riverbed we spot a white-backed
vulture on its nest of thick twigs.
After the exhilarating game drive, I laze in a deck chair
facing the lake and watch a frenzy of bird activity in a flowering
Boer-bean tree. Weavers are constructing nests, a Long-billed Crombec is
calling, Sunbirds are sipping nectar from the crimson flowers and a
Black Crake walks along a dead branch hanging in the water.
Nearby, a Water Monitor is lying as still as a sculpture.
Two Nyala bulls are fighting on the bank. To crown it all, I hear a Fish
Eagle’s evocative cry. This is sublime entertainment.
On the way home, aboard the Federal Air Pilatus PC12, I
sit in the co-pilot’s seat. We take off and I watch the bushveld
disappear below us, as we climb into the cloudless sky.
At Thornybush Main Lodge and Riverside Lodge, I have had
close encounters of the thrilling kind with all of the big five, as well
as cheetah and wild dogs - an adventure of a lifetime.
For more information, visit www.thornybushcollection.co.za or call 011 253 6500.
Federal Air bookings can be made on 011 395 9000 or at www.fedair.com.
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