The view of Orpen Dam from the nearby thatched outlook.
PRETORIUSKOP is one of our very favourite places in Kruger National Park for a number of reason, not least because it was was the place where we encountered wild dogs after many years of searching for them. Although that magical sighting was a long time ago, it is still such a happy memory and ever since then I have always associated this southerly rest camp with Africa’s multi-coloured painted wolves. It was a while since we’d visited Pretoriuskop so we were looking forward to our two-day stay there. The wild dogs seem to like that part of Kruger so perhaps we’d be very lucky and see them there again. Pretoriuskop has, however, many other attractions and we love spending time there, even when the painted wolves are absent.
It is not as busy as some of the camps and is situated in a quiet, well watered and particularly scenic corner of the park. The network of small sandy roads around the camp offer good game viewing and lovely vistas of hills and undulating bushveld. The roads loop through long grass and stands of silver cluster leaf trees, over pretty streams and around the koppies and big bubbles of polished granite that are such landmark features. Some of the rocky domes are sloughing off their outer layers in great slabs of crumbling granite. Other outcrops have been reduced by the elements to a jumble of massive boulders. All form natural rock gardens and offer sanctuary to an incredible amount of wildlife, including the klipspringers that are often seen in the area.
A close encounter with a gorgeous spotted cat.
Then there is Pretoriuskop’s sense of history. As you gaze across the open veld you can almost hear those wagon wheels turning, reminding you of the many Voortrekkers, explorers, traders, transport riders and hunters who once wandered there. Often they followed ancient routes, in the footsteps of unknown people whose history was never writ. So peaceful and lovely now, the area has seen its fair share of death, treachery, warfare, unrealised hopes and shattered dreams The tsetse fly once took its toll and there were many who succumbed to the silent killer as they traversed the malaria-ridden low veld. It spite of all those perils many survived to tell their tales of adventure and eventual success. Perhaps Pretoriuskop’s biggest claim to fame, though, is the fact that it is Kruger’s oldest camp and an important cradle of conservation in South Africa.
Heading from Satara to Pretoriuskop we didn’t see any wild dogs but we certainly couldn’t complain about the en route game viewing.
There was plenty of general game around alongside the H1-3 on the way to Orpen Dam where we stopped for breakfast. A herd of buffaloes came down to drink at the dam while we were there and there were the usual impala tripping daintily along the shore. We were still seeing plenty of elephant and their numbers were increasing as we headed toward Skukuza along the scenic, riverside section of the H1-2. We were thrilled to see a flock of six ground hornbills just before turning onto the H1-1 at Skukuza but the sighting of the day came soon after that, as we were heading for the Mathekanyane Lookout for lunch. A row of parked cars alerted us to something interesting ahead. We stopped and a magnificent cheetah sauntered right past us. We hadn’t been very lucky with big cat sightings on this trip but this lovely encounter with the gorgeous spotted creature more than made up for that.
Scenic lunch break on top of Mathekanyane dome near Skukuza.
If you are travelling in this area you really do need to drive up to the top of the massive rocky dome called Mathekanyane. From this lofty perch the view of the surrounding veld is breathtaking and we thoroughly enjoyed our scenic lunch break there. Nothing much was stirring when we did a little post-lunch detour to Transport Dam but we had another close encounter with ground hornbills on the way to Shithave dam. By the time we reached Pretoriuskop, early in the afternoon, we’d notched up some amazing sightings. We really couldn’t complain if Pretoriuskop didn’t deliver another wild dog encounter.
When we arrived, the camp was looking magnificent with so many of its gorgeous old trees putting on a spring display of flowers.
After a swim in Pretoriuskop’s famous rock pool, we settled down to spend the rest of the afternoon watching the amazing collection of sunbirds and various avian insect eaters flocking round a huge boer-bean (Schotia brachypetala) tree, its crimson flowers dripping with nectar. It was a good way to round off a wonderful day. It was the scenery rather than the game viewing that we enjoyed the next day. We spent the first part of the morning doing the loops south of Pretoriuskop, including the lovely Fayi Loop, which we highly recommend. We then discovered a delightful new picnic site where we stopped for breakfast. Refreshed we decided not to head back to camp but to take a look at one of the northern loops.
A ground hornbill poses for a portrait shot.
First we headed north along the S10 then south along the S3 to Mestel Dam where we watched the cutest baby hippo playing with its mom. Then it was back camp via the H1-1 after a long and lovely morning. We’d seen some big ellie herds, the hippo mom and baby and quite a few kudu but nothing too exciting from a game viewing point of view. However, we’d forgotten just how exquisite was the Pretoriuskop section of the park and we’d had a wonderful morning.
It was still very hot so we spent the early afternoon at the pool beneath the flowering boere-bean tree.
Some of the rocky domes have been reduced to a jumble of boulders.
When the sun began to sink we set off again for a short evening drive. The hippo and her baby were still at Mestel Dam but nothing else was happening there so we drove back across the H1-1 to do one of the shorter southern loops. Although there was little game about we were quite happy to enjoy the scenery and the golden evening light. Eventually it was time to start heading back to camp. We were reminiscing about our first- ever wild dog sighting along the section of road on which we were travelling when we turned a corner and were thrilled to see two adult wild dogs, resting on either side of the road. Delighted, we stopped the car to see what they were doing. They seemed perfectly relaxed when we arrived but they suddenly sat up, a little agitated.
Echoes of those creaking wagons.
Then right on cue five gorgeous pups ran ‘on stage’, did a little dance on the road right in front of us, then scampered back into the ‘wings’, closely followed by the two adults.
It was such a brief encounter with the painted wolves but it was just so magical – and a wonderful farewell gift from our beloved Pretoriuskop.
David Rush is the editor, having been with the company for more than 30 years. He's seen it all, from the progression from black and white photos to the current advancements in digital and social media. He started as a sports journalist and still keeps his hand in, writing about any sport but particularly cricket, golf and tennis. Over the years he wrote and all topics and covered all the beats at various times. He still plays all those sports, and is a long-suffering Liverpool and Proteas fan.
