Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park: No ULP fuel currently available at Twee Rivieren Rest Camp!

The management of Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park has announced that there is currently no ULP fuel (unleaded petrol) available at Twee Rivieren Rest Camp. Travellers are advised to fill up their vehicles with unleaded fuel outside the National Park in the town of Askham, which is located about 200 km north of Upington at the junction of the R31 and the R360 roads, or at Nossob Rest Camp or Mata Mata Rest Camps inside Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

Twee Rivieren is largest rest camp in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and its administrative headquarters. The camp is situated on the banks of the dry Nossob riverbed. Activities and facilities are diverse, as are the animals and plants found both within the camp and in the surrounding areas. Besides the new Interpretation Centre, Twee Rivieren Rest Camp has a reception, shop, fuel, restaurant, information centre and swimming pool. This is the only camp with 24 hrs electricity and cell phone reception in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

Cape Town: Table Mountain National Park (Skeleton Gorge) fire update!

South African National Parks (SANParks) reported several fires inside Table Mountain National Park in Cape Town on 27 April 2024. These fires were caused by lightning strikes in multiple areas, namely Cecilia Forest, Silvermine, and the Cape Of Good Hope (Cape Point) main road. Due to wind changes, overnight flare-ups have now been reported behind Newlands, Fernwood Park and on the slopes of Kirstenbosch, moving towards Orangekloof, as well as towards Maclear ‘s Beacon and the Back Table of Table Mountain National Park, with extensive burning observed in steep and challenging terrain on the slopes of Kirstenbosch and Fernwood. The affected areas are mostly inaccessible, and visibility is poor, posing challenges for ground and aerial crews and making it difficult to carry out water-bombing activities and active fire suppression.

As of today (30 April 2024), the following hiking trails are closed to the public:

• Platteklip Gorge hiking trail
• All hiking trails between Newlands and Constantia Nek
• All trails leading to Maclear’s Beacon and the Back Table
• Trails leading from the area between Camps Bay, Hout Bay, and Orangekloof

After a temporary closure caused by a fire, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden has reopened its doors to the public. However, hikers are advised not to access the garden via Cecelia or Newlands Forest as these areas are still considered unsafe.

Addo Elephant National Parks: Rhinos now tracked by AI-powered collars!

South African National Parks (SANParks) has announced that 31 rhino collars with Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology have been donated to Addo Elephant National Park by various stakeholders to secure the safety of the rhino population in the National Park. Smart algorithms continuously monitor the rhino’s behaviour and in the event of an incident, an alert is generated that pinpoints the rhino’s location via Global Positioning System (GPS). This enables the effective, real-time investigation of possible poaching incidents. Behaviours that can be tracked include fighting, mating, giving birth and death. According to SANParks, this is a first-of-its-kind intervention at Addo Elephant National Park.

Addo Elephant National Park is located about 30km outside Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) in South Africa's Eastern Cape. The National Park spans across an area of approximately 1,640km² and consists of a variety of landscapes, including dense forests, rolling hills, open grasslands, and coastal dunes. Addo Elephant National Park is not only home to the traditional Big 5, but the Big 7, which includes the Southern right whale and Great white shark in its marine environment.

Kruger National Park Calendar - June!

Weather:

• days usually warm, sometimes hot
• generally wind free
• cold evenings
• rarely rain falls

Temperatures:

• between 9°C - 26°C (Fahrenheit: e.g. 28°C = [(28x9)]/5 + 32 = 82.4°F)
• visit our webcam page for live footage from Kruger National Park!

Landscape:

• most pans and vleis dry up
• bush thins out
• grasslands begin receding
• umbrella acacia pods twirl out

Animal Activity:

• large elephant populations in northern Kruger
• animals concentrate around reliable water sources
• predators very active around reliable water sources

Kruger National Park tours >>
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South Africa: South African Airways delays intercontinental route expansion!

The interim Chairman of South African Airways (SAA), Derek Hanekom, recently said in an interview with South African television news broadcaster eNCA (eNews Channel Africa) that SAA's plans to extend intercontinental flights beyond Perth in Australia have to be delayed by a couple of years unless "some sources of capital can be found". According to Mr Hanekom, the airline was actually planning to launch intercontinental flights to London, Frankfurt and North America. As of now, South African Airways is operating two intercontinental routes, namely Johannesburg/Cape Town <> Sao Paulo and Johannesburg <> Perth.

Mr Hanekom further said that South African Airways is not only actively seeking for potential minority investors but also for access to capital markets and loan financing. Once SAA is getting additional capital from "whatever source", a more rapidly expansion might be possible.We'll keep you posted!

South Africa: Government scraps sale of South African Airways (SAA)! >>

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Durban: Nine beaches are currently closed for swimming due to water quality!

The eThekwini Municipality, the local government body responsible for governing and managing Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, has released updated lists of beaches that are currently (as of 26 April 2024) open and safe for swimming, closed for swimming and of swimming pools that are currently open to the public. According to the lists, 14 beaches in Durban are currently open for swimming, while swimming at nine beaches is prohibited due to water quality. 32 swimming pools in Durban are currently open to the public.

The following beaches are open for swimming:
- operating hours 06:00 - 18:30 -  

1. Point Beach
2. Wedge
3. Bay of Plenty
4. South Beach
5. Addington
6. North Beach
7. Thekwini Beach
8. Battery Beach
9. uShaka
10. uMgababa
11. mDloti Main
12. Westbrook
13. uMhlanga Main Beach
14. Bronze Beach 

Beach(es) closed for swimming:

1. Country Club
2. Laguna Beach
3. Anstey's Beach
4. Brighton
5. Pipeline Beach
6. Winkelespruit
7. Warner Beach
8. Toti Main Beach
9. Reunion 

Recreational activities other than swimming at beaches closed for swimming are allowed!

Addo Elephant National Park: Matyholweni Rest Camp experiencing an electricity supply problem! [update]

update (29 April 2024): Power is restored.

South African National Parks (SANParks) earlier today (27 April 2024) announced that the Matyholweni Rest Camp in Addo Elephant National Park is currently experiencing an electricity supply problem. According to the management of the National Park, staff are attending to the issue. We'll keep you posted!
Addo Elephant National Park's Matyholweni Rest Campis located a mere 3 kilometres off the N2 highway near the coastal town of Colchester at the Sundays River Mouth. It is the quickest gateway into the National Park from Gqeberha (previously Port Elizabeth).