NYARHINI

The bush in November was a very difference experience from Punda Maria  in August where the bush was dry and tawny with dashes of green along the river. Now at the end of November, after the first rain, the bush turned a lovely light green with the migratory birds returning and the excitement of seeing the newly born impala kids.

Alastair the game guide and Rayka the game tracker

Breakfast in the river

We were guests of Andrew's mother, Francie who not only invited us to her game farm Nyarhini, but also provided an extremely knowledgable guide Alastair Kilpin who enriched our bush experience immensely. It was definitely Conal's idea of heaven on earth. On the first morning Conal was sitting on his bed looking out of the window when with a yelp - "there's a rhino" - he shot out of bed in his pyjamas into the Landrover with Alastair to follow the fast moving hunk down the river bed.

We arrived on a perfect day and then the impending rain was announced by increased activity – the call of the monotonous lark and that of a frog – and yet there were very few clouds and we were beginning to think that the signs of the bush had got it wrong but suddenly as we were having dinner with a flash of lightening and a roll of thunder the rain arrived.

Nyarhini 

The lodge is our idea of a perfect place to be. Thatched roofed, it hugs the Klaserie River and one could spend days just in the shyeesha watching the game coming down to drink in the river. At night the way to the bedrooms is lit by paraffin lights and candles light the bathrooms - although we did have a bedside light for reading.

Sundowners - Alastair, Conal, Phillip, Barbara & Rayka

Francie and Wendy on game drive

And so we draw close to the end of our holiday -