After a busy week of visiting homesteads Thando offered to drive us to Hlane (pronounced Hla – nay) National Park… which was only 20 minutes away from where we’re staying. The National Park is wonderful – it has Braai (Swazi BBQ) facilities. You can even camp in some of the designated areas.
So with cameras ready, we booked a guide, hopped into his 4WD and began our 2 hour safari along the park’s many a winding dirt tracks.
On the first part of our journey we managed to see the following wildlife:
• One lion
• Elephants
• Impalas
• Kudos
• Warthogs
• Rhinos
• Dung Beetles
• Birds (so many colours)
• Waterbucks
After our safari we stopped for a break by the waterhole and Braai (BBQ) area. An Ostrich roamed freely around the Braai area. Whilst I was teaching Fi about some of the features of our digital camera, the ostrich tried to steal some of the meat that a family was cooking for their Braai. It was a hilarious sight (well for us anyway). Everyone was trying to scare it away. One of the workers came out with a broom and finally chased it away…
We then met up again with Thando and Heli and went to Simunye Country Club for pizza (pretty snazzy place compared to others places we’ve seen).
On the way back, with just an hour to go, we went back to chill out at the park’s waterhole. Thando’s keen eye spotted a giraffe in the distance and so we made a detour to find it. When it came out from behind one of the trees we were all in awe with this beautiful sight.
It certainly made Fi’s day!
