Has the Pilanesberg lost its magic?

TRAVEL PILANESBERG
Has the Pilanesberg
lost its magic?
If you live in Gauteng, the Pilanesberg is one of the most accessible
Big Five weekend escapes. But it gets crazily busy and there are
reports of deteriorating roads and resorts. Here’s our special report.
WORDS TABBY MITTINS PICTURES VILLIERS STEYN
BOX CLEVER. Don’t compete with the
game-drive vehicles from the various
lodges (above). Rather go explore the
quieter roads of the park and you might
have a leopard on a koppie (right) all
to yourself.
32 September 2013
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September 2013 33
A
s travel journalist, I usually have the
luxury of exploring game reserves at
times when most people can’t, like
midweek. But that often gives a skewed
impression of a place, especially a place as popular
as the Pilanesberg National Park near Sun City in
the North West. So this time I’ve invited my stepsister Claire and her six-year-old daughter Michaela
along. And we’re going for the weekend.
As we squeeze out of Pretoria along the R556
in Friday afternoon traffic, Michaela asks: “Are we
going to the zoo?”
“No,” I reply. “We’re going to a game reserve.”
“What’s a game reserve?”
And then it dawns on me that she’s never been
to one. Villiers glances at me and I can see he’s
thinking the same thing: This weekend has to be
one she’ll never forget. For Michaela’s sake, I hope
the Pilanesberg still has some magic to offer.
The birds of Bakgatla
HARD TO MISS. Elephants are some of
the easiest animals to spot (obviously)
but spending time with a breeding
herd is always special. Look for them
along Thutlwa Drive north of the
Pilanesberg Centre.
It’s a pleasant surprise to find that only 20 or so
of the 120-odd stands in the campsite at Bakgatla
Resort are occupied. Bakgatla is in the north-eastern
part of the park and it’s one of the most popular
places to stay.
The facilities in the campsite have seen better
days: The bathrooms are tired (but clean) and the
stands have a general look of scruffiness about them,
like they need be raked or trimmed. The huge pool
Be prepared
is the exception to the rule. I’m impressed at how
sparkling the water is.
But a holiday in the Pilanesberg is not about
having a five-star accommodation experience;
you come here because you can leave Pretoria at
lunchtime and still fit in an evening game drive.
Our evening drive is short, but we see elephant,
wildebeest, impala, springbok, warthog and ostrich,
all of which are terribly exciting for a six-year-old.
The birdlife in camp is another highlight. While
we linger over breakfast on Saturday morning, we
count 13 species, whistling, twittering, cackling and
shouting “go-away” from every available perch.
Mind the potholes
The roads around Mankwe Dam are
full of potholes (especially the Hippo
Loop and the road that leads to
the hide). But none is actually deep
enough to deter your Polo.
Most scenic roads to drive
Mankwe Way and Thutlwa Drive are
the two most beautiful roads in the
park. The former winds through an
open area that attracts plains game
like wildebeest, zebra, tsessebe and
springbok. The latter is denser, attracting browsers like kudu and giraffe,
plus breeding herds of elephants.
For the best view of the park, drive
up to the Lenong Viewpoint.
Give Mankwe a miss
Mankwe Dam, roughly in the middle of the reserve,
is where most of the animal action is concentrated
and as a result it sometimes resembles the parking
lot at Sandton City. Unless you’re a fan of traffic
and fellow visitors behaving like morons, give
Mankwe a miss. Rather head west, where there’s
a fantastic network of quiet gravel roads that are
much more rewarding.
That’s where we’re going. It’s 8 am on Saturday
and we’ve already dodged a few elephants and
ticked buffalo off the list – a first in the Pilanesberg
for Villiers and me. Michaela is on high alert. The
shrill squeak of a dassie brings us to a stop in the
shade of a rocky koppie near the turn-off to the
Lenong Viewpoint.
FELINE PAPARAZZI (above). If a lion is
seen anywhere around Mankwe Dam,
expect a crush of cars.
BARGAIN (right). Michaela McLaren pores
over the illustrated checklist that comes
with the official park guide. It costs R40
and is available in all the park shops.
LIFT-OFF! (below). The campsite at
Bakgatla abounds with birds, including
cheeky Bushveld favourites like southern
yellow-billed hornbill.
Where to find the animals
Of the Big Five, buffalo are probably
hardest to find. They prefer the hilly
western region of the park (Sefara,
Nare and Moloto drives). To give
yourself a sporting chance of seeing
a leopard, listen out for the warning
calls of impalas, vervet monkeys,
guineafowls and tree squirrels. Black
rhino are most frequently seen in the
thickets along Dithabaneng Drive in
the north-eastern part of the park.
Look for your own lions
If you see one or more game-drive
vehicles racing somewhere, go the
opposite direction. You’re likely to end
up stuck in a crowd of these operators
who are often in radio contact with
each other.
Stretch your legs
The Pilanesberg Centre in the middle
of the park boasts a snazzy coffee
shop and restaurant, plus a small curio
market. You’ll also find clean ablution
facilities and a shop that sells basic
groceries. This centre was originally
built as a magistrate’s court in 1936 for
the people of the Bakgatla tribe.
Hide out
Mankwe Dam Hide is a great place
to photograph waterbirds, especially
in the afternoon. It’s busier than the
other hides, though. If you want to
avoid crowds, visit Ratlhogo Waterhole Hide or Ruighoek Dam Hide.
34 September 2013
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September 2013 35
TRAVEL PILANESBERG
BUMPY (right). Many of the park’s tar
roads are badly degraded. Come on
Pilanesberg, time to put some of that
visitor money to good use.
PHOTO SESSION (middle). The Mankwe
Dam Hide is a great place to hone your
bird-photography skills. You might also
see crocs and terrapins up close.
RELAX (far right). The campsite at
Bakgatla, although a little frayed around
the edges, is still a great place to pitch
your tent. Light the fire and put your feet
up. Monday will feel very far away.
In other words
Ester & Gert van Vuuren
Regular visitors, from Centurion
“We often drive to Malatse Dam east
of Bakgatla early in the morning.
There are seldom any other vehicles
and we’ve regularly found predators
there. Another good road for pre­
dators is Mankwe Way.”
Pilanesberg’s hides have always stood head and
shoulders above many of those in the Kruger.
Pilanesberg
National Park
Bakgatla Resort
Ratlhogo Waterhole
Malatse Dam Hide
Lenong Viewpoint
Pilanesberg Centre
Mankwe Dam
Mankwe Hide
Manyane Resort
Manyane Gate
Ruighoek Dam Hide
The verdict?
As we drive back to Pretoria, I look at Michaela
leafing through her animal checklist booklet with
a happy smile on her face. Despite the Pilanesberg’s
shortcomings, we’ve actually had a fantastic
weekend. Don’t go there expecting the Serengeti or
Londolozi. There will be traffic, there will be someone
hanging from a car window and there will be cracked
tiles in the ablution block. But there will also be starflecked night skies, a leopard if you’re lucky and the
smell of dust on your clothes when you drive back
into your garage on Sunday afternoon.
Yes, there’s still plenty of Pilanesberg magic to
go around.
Bakgatla Gate
Bakubung Resort
Bakubung Gate
Kwa Maritane Resort
Sun City
Kwa Maritane Gate
to Rustenburg
GENERAL STUFF
Best time to go?
Game densities are high and many
areas are open, so you’ll see animals
throughout the year. One of the
best times to visit is early summer
(November and December) when the
veld is green after the first rains and
many animals have their babies.
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36 September 2013
Helping hands
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
hab
“Bakgatla has a stunning pool and
a great campsite. I couldn’t believe
how many birds there were around
our tent in the morning. In the park
itself, I saw much more than I’d expected to. You can’t drive for more
than five minutes without stopping
for a giraffe, springbok or warthog.”
Later that afternoon, on our second game drive,
there’s a pile-up of cars on the Hippo Loop next to
Mankwe Dam. We debate whether it’s worth joining
the procession and for Michaela’s benefit we do.
After all, only lions draw such a crowd.
She gets a glimpse of a tawny cat but the squeeze
is no fun. And the roads are terrible. We call it a day
and take the Korwe Road back to Bakgatla, chatting
in the fading light and not really concentrating.
“There’s a lion!” Michaela screams.
The young male looks just as surprised as
we do but he regains his composure and carries
on walking. We follow him until dusk turns to
darkness and we arrive back at Bakgatla with wide
smiles on our faces. Not only have we seen the Big
Five in one day, we haven’t had to share our best
sightings with other vehicles.
They’re well placed for photography, with parking
areas far away enough that you don’t have to listen
to vehicles coming and going. And best of all, they
have proper loos.
On Sunday morning, the Ruighoek Dam Hide
in the west of the park is jam-packed with people
fixing up the fence and wooden walkway. They’re the
Friends of the Pilanesberg Society (FOPS), a group
of volunteers who help with alien plant control,
poaching patrols and the maintenance of public
facilities. It turns out that this particular hide has
become the favourite plaything of a pesky elephant
bull, hence the hammers and nails.
The Friends also plan fundraising events to raise
money for their various projects and it’s moving to
see how much time and effort they put into the park
they love, but it also begs the question: Why doesn’t
such a popular game reserve have the resources to
do its own maintenance?
Ses
Claire McLaren
First-time visitor, from Joburg
“I think there’s a leopard around,” Villiers
whispers. We sit and listen to more high-pitched
warning calls, not really believing him. A leopard?
Come on. “There!” he hisses.
Halfway up the shady hillside, as if embarrassed
at being seen, a big male leopard stares at us for a
moment then melts back into the greenery.
We drive on in stunned silence for a while, before
Claire shouts, “Rhino!” Sure enough, three white
rhinos are ambling along.
Michaela takes out her pen and ticks off number
three and four. It’s only 9.15 am!
R556
Elands
Avoid long weekends and school
holidays when the park is busy.
Buy the map
The official map and park guide
(R40) is sold in most park shops.
It not only contains a detailed map
with all the roads, picnic sites and
hides, but also an illustrated bird
and animal checklist.
Entrance fees
R65 per adult; R20 per pensioner;
R20 per child and R20 per vehicle.
Entrance fees are once-off, not
per day.
Find out more
• For park info:
pilanesbergnationalpark.org
• To see the work that FOPS is
doing, or to make a contribution:
fops.org.za
WHERE TO STAY
Bakgatla Resort
There are a number of places
to stay in the Pilanesberg, from
resorts to private camps. Bakgatla
and Manyane resorts offer the
best value for money, even
though the facilities at both
are looking a bit ropey. Manyane
is busier, aimed more at the
caravan crowd. Bakgatla is smaller
and quieter – in our opinion, it’s
a better bet. The pool is great
in the summer months, there’s
a restaurant on site and also
a small shop that sells the
basics like milk, wood and
Sunlight liquid.
GPS: S25.18936 E27.14636
Rates: Camping from R190 per
stand with power (max six people
per stand) in the low season; R290
during peak season. Self-catering
chalet R2 250 per night for a
family of four. Dinner, bed and
breakfast R2 770 per night for
a family of four.
Contact: Golden Leopard Resorts
014 555 1000; reservations@
goldenleopardresorts.co.za
Make note: There’s only
one wheelchair-friendly unit
at Bakgatla. If you require
wheelchair access, ask for that
unit specifically when you book
through Golden Leopard Resorts’
central reservation office, but also
phone the reception at Bakgatla
directly ( 014 556 8500) and ask
them to allocate this unit to you.
It’s worthwhile phoning again a
week before to make 100 % sure
you get the right chalet.
Tabby and Villiers travelled
independently and the magazine
covered all costs.
September 2013 37