Auckland To Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe

Africa has always been somewhere I’ve wanted to go. It has an extraordinary history, vast areas of wilderness and incredible wildlife. But where in Africa? We’d already settled on doing a leg in Botswana, starting from Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, so it seemed daft to be travelling all that way and not do a little bit more . . .

Zimbabwe wasn’t on my consideration list until I started reading safaritalk, a forum full of people’s amazing trips all throughout Africa. I poured over trip reports, full of beautiful photos of people walking, with their guides, in Mana Pools National Park. This was what I wanted to do and Ben wasn’t going to say no!

 

New Zealand to Zimbabwe is not a speedy journey, but three international flights and one brief hotel airport night later and we had finally arrived in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe. On arrival we were met by Peter, our pilot for the next leg, and went straight back through security to get on the little safari charter flight. Two Australian women, who we started chatting to while waiting for our delayed flight from Johannesburg to Harare, were also coming with us.

All systems go!

Visibility was poor, due to the nearly constant fires in the dry season in Zimbabwe. Slash and burn is very common here. However, it was still and enjoyable flight, despite the building heat. I got to sit in the co-pilot’s seat and had a great time chatting with Peter about Zimbabwe, Mana Pools and travel in general.

The haze was so thick that the Zambezi river was hard to make out until we were almost over it. The vultures were the same - Peter had to swerve to avoid them as, in his words: “you don’t want to hit 25kg of bird.”

Approaching our first red dirt runway

The Mana Pools airstrip was just a strip of cleared dirt with two guys in a jeep to keep the animals off. Kevin Linforth & Alex Naert from Camp Dhumukwa were there to meet us, but the Natureways team picking up the Australians was nowhere to be seen. We repacked to get out suncream and hats and change our shoes to sandals. When we’d landed, about 10am, the temperature was 36C!

A vehicle arrived to pick up the Aussies, but there was a lot of confusion as the driver didn’t know where they were going. Much later it was figured out that the pickup had gone to the wrong airstrip!

Anyway, we were off! Finally we had made it to our safari.

Alex had already pointed out a Bateleur eagle at the airstrip, but our first sighting once underway was a fast strike out of the bushes by a small raptor - probably a sparrowhawk. He was just as quickly gone.

It was thrilling, bouncing down the red dirt road, waiting to see something, anything.

A loud rustling caused Kevin to stop and back up - a group of crested guinea fowl, which are rare to see and don’t live on the Mana floodplains. They were quite beautiful, but no photos as there were hiding under their bush.

The animals started coming thick and fast once we got onto the floodplains proper. Impala, waterbuck, zebra and then elephants.

The elephants were incredible. A small group of three adults and two youngsters, browsing on the albida tree pods. They were so relaxed, even with a few other vehicles passing.

First elephant sighting!  So exciting for safari newbies

The albida trees have no leaves in the rainy season - instead they have pods in the dry season, which all the herbivores eat. It’s amazing to think that these little pods sustain enormous elephants.

We saw the famous elephant Bosco in the distance, resting from the heat of the day. By now it was pretty hot, but not too bad in the moving vehicle or in the shade.

Camp Dhumukwa was set slightly inshore of the Zambezi River, a peaceful spot with no roads or other camps visible on the Zimbabwe side. It was gorgeous and rustic, with no running water or electricity.

By this time it was swelteringly hot, so we had lunch and rested in our tent.

The view from our tent across the Zambezi River, looking at the mountains in Zambia

Inside the tent - basic but comfortable

The tents may have been basic - but they did have an ensuite with a flushing toilet!

Sitting in the camp chairs in front of the tent we could see a vast array of wildlife. Elephants in the far distance, hippos, zebras, waterbuck and of course impalas and baboons.

From our tent - waterbuck with baboon and hippo in the background

Waterbuck next to our tent

At 3:30 we set off for an afternoon walk along the river. Alex gave us a safety briefing (essentially to do exactly as instructed) and walked with his rifle loaded.

Not only were we surrounded by animals but there were birds everywhere. Three different kinds of bee eaters, lilac breasted rollers, fish eagles and so many others.

Even though it was hot, the breeze and incredible distraction of so much to see made me forget the heat.

Ben spent a lot of time photographing the Little Bee Eaters and then the Carmine Bee Eaters. Both have burrows along the riverbank.

The adorable Little Bee-eaters

Lots of Carmine Bee-eater heads poking out of their nests in the river bank

Suspicious hippo

Turning inland, we saw elephants in the distance, moving slowly away from us.

The incredible Mana Pools scenery and light with elephants (I took this one, not Ben!)

Walking back towards camp, the sun was a red, glowing disk as it sank slowly down to the Zambian mountains across the river.

By the time we got back to camp twilight was falling. Alex agreed a time to pick us up from our tent for dinner, as it was too dangerous to walk around in the dark alone.

The shower was a hanging bucket which let out a slow trickle of lukewarm water - very welcome after such a hot and dusty day.

It was fully dark but still very hot by dinner time. The camp staff had set up the tables outside around a little fire pit. Due to being so dry, there were no insects and it was very pleasant sitting around chatting with a drink and a snack.

Dinner was mostly eaten when we had three unexpected guest - an elephant, her young calf and another young one. We were alerted to their presence by leaves rustling, but the noise was nothing like the size of the animals.

Being pitch dark we could just see their path when they came in front of the little lights on the tents. Every so often Alex would shine his torch near, but not on them.

Eventually the elephants worked their way to the dining tent, picking up albida pods off the ground. They came around the tent and approached the Dutch group that was dining across the firepit, giving us an amazing perspective as they came closer and closer.

Everyone was totally, utterly silent. I think the Dutch group had stopped breathing.

She picked up all the pods and slowly moved away, her calf waiting a little further back for her return. Truly incredible.

Before the elephants had come through we’d heard lions calling from the Zambian side of the river. Later on a leopard called from the south. About 15min later he called again, this time to the east. Kevin said the next day that his tracks were so big he initially thought it was lion tracks.

Alex walked us back to our tent, shining his torch on hippos, out of the river to graze for the night, and other herbivores. It had been a brilliant first day.