This morning it’s off to Exeter River Lodge in the Sabi Sands Reserve, which will be ‘home’ for the next 6 days. First off it’s a shuttle flight with Federal Air to Ulusaba airstrip. It’s a 2 hour wait for the 19 seater plane, and the Federal Air lounge is well-equipped to spend time in with catering, cold and hot drinks, and Wi-Fi.
The Kingsville has 14 passengers, so it isn’t full, but it does seem small and crowded with 14 passengers!
The downside of the shuttle is that it drops passengers off at 3 airstrips along the way. The Sabi Sabi airstrip is the first destination, and we almost lose 4 passengers who have run to the toilets at the tiny terminal. Thankfully Ulusaba is the second stop, as neither my ears nor stomach could have withstood another take off and landing. After flying Auckland to Melbourne on Thursday, Melbourne to Sydney on Saturday, and Sydney to Johannesburg on Sunday, my ears give up on the first landing at Sabi Sabi and I’ve lost hearing in my left ear by the time we arrive at Ulusaba airstrip.
I’m the only arriving passenger for Exeter River Lodge at Ulusaba, and I meet my ranger (Rich) and tracker (Chris) who will be with me for the next 6 days. I’ve splashed out on a private vehicle for the duration, so I can decide what to do and when, without having to share a vehicle with 6-7 other people.
Exeter River Lodge is run by andBeyond, and has 8 chalets or suites, 4 each on either side of the main building. I’m assigned Room 1, which is the furthest from the main building, and is private and quiet. It looks out over the Sand River, which surprisingly does have some water in it. In flood, it must be an impressive sight. My room is large and comfortable, but suffers from the same design omissions as Phinda Zuka Lodge, in that it lacks a desk or table to spread cameras and electronics out on for charging. The top of the fully stocked bar will have to do.
I’ve taken a large risk in travelling with my recently upgraded Canon 7D Mark II and 100-400 II lens. I’ve broken the cardinal rule of bringing camera equipment that I haven’t had time to use and practise with. I’ve tried to mitigate the risk by sending both to Canon Professional Services to check the autofocus and to calibrate the body with the lens. This proves to be a good strategy as I’m pretty happy with my first few shots – they’re sharp!
It’s a hot afternoon in the reserve, and many raptors are on the ground seeking shade. Others, like the crocodile, are busy sunbaking.
We spend most of the time with the spotted hyena cubs at their den. The light is very low, but a bit of noise reduction in Lightroom makes them presentable. There is a female hyena guarding the den entrance, and she spends a lot of time with her head in the den entrance checking on something out of sight. Maybe there are hyena cubs too young to emerge with the others?
