Golden Gate Highlands and the End

Our final destination before returning to Johannesburg was Golden Gate Highlands National Park, just north of Lesotho.

After resolving some minor housing concerns at the reception area, we headed out to cover the two main driving loops of the park before sunset.

The park is fairly small, especially when you consider the parts navigable on foot or by vehicle. We were in search of a short list of birds that were targets for the area: bearded vulture, red-collared widowbird, and several species of korhaan and bustard that we feel like we should have seen by now but we’ve seen nothing resembling a bustard for almost a week.

Black wildebeest and blesbok at sunset

We did get some nice views of the beautiful black wildebeest with their pale tails and glowing manes. They are skittish in this park and did not allow our vehicle to ever get too close.

Rock Kestrel in flight

As we drove up to the vulture hide we noticed a large group of greater striped swallows exhibiting some stress, and we quickly realized there was a pair of rock kestrels in the area. Odds are they weren’t hunting the swallows, but it was understandable that the swallows became defensive.

Vulture hide at Golden Gate

Sadly the vulture hide isn’t active right now. The rangers usually supply a carcass or two in order to attract Cape vultures and bearded vultures to the area, but for some reason that isn’t happening now. The staffer at reception gave us no hint as to why.

White-necked Raven

We did see two white-necked ravens hanging out there, picking at some long-abandoned bones and a carcass for tidbits. These birds have massive chonky beaks.

Eland by the cliff wall

The next morning Ken and I moved west towards the park entrance to hang out by a creek and some wetlands looking for birds. Ken spotted a herd of eland hiding up by the cliff wall above us, with perhaps the most massive male we’ve ever seen. Given that the common eland is the largest antelope species in South Africa, we might have observed the largest antelope in the country. Who knows?

Fountain drinks at Nando’s

We found a Nando’s on our way back to Joburg for an early lunch, and for the first time in southern Africa I encountered a bottomless soda fountain machine. What a treat! Sadly, my only accident and injury of the entire trip followed: I fell coming down the stairs with a glass of Coke Zero in my hand, hitting a pillar with my right shoulder and then landing on my back. Safely held in my right hand was a 1/3 full glass of soda, with Coke splashed over three tables and their chairs and all over the floor. I’m still in pain in both shoulders from the fall, but that’s it. No head injury, no broken glass, and no cuts.

Ken and Chris at the end

Our final stop before returning to our Protea airport hotel was at Bushlore in Midrand to return the Land Cruiser (aka White Lion). We returned it just five miles short of 9,000 miles driven. The vehicle had plenty of damage to report but all was good in the end. I’ll share more stats and details on vehicles etc. in a future post.