BONTLE rest camp in Marakele National Park is one of the loveliest of all the Sanparks camping areas, but for Bill and me it is two unforgettable experiences there that make this park and its comfortable camping area so special.
You see, we were among the very first park guests ever to stay at Bontle. That memorable visit was over a long weekend in September, back in 2002 and we arrived the day the Bontle camping area was officially opened. We nearly missed the entrance.
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Workmen were still busy putting up the signage when we arrived and while we were booking in, other workers were hurriedly putting the finishing touches to the amenities.
Ah but we received such a warm welcome. The Sanparks team members were so proud of the stunning new camping area and there was such excitement in the air. It felt as if we were arriving for a sumptuous gala opening night. There really should have been a red carpet somewhere. It is a bushveld memory I will treasure forever.
We’ve been back to Marakele a number of times and I’m glad to say the staff members have not lost their friendly charm over the years.
We have always received a warm welcome and the camping area, although not spanking new anymore, is still well-maintained , well-appointed, clean and attractive – as are all Sanparks’ rest camps.
The best sites are the shady ones under the big trees on the camping area boundary, overlooking a golden plain and a little water hole. We have enjoyed many happy sundowners on the edge of the plain, watching the passing parade of birds and animals coming down to the water hole for their evening drink.
Wherever you go in Marakele, it is incredibly beautiful. It is an absolutely magnificent piece of conserved land, set in the heart of the Waterberg mountains in Limpopo Province.
Somewhere in the middle of South Africa’s dry west and rain-rich east, it can be lush and green and dripping with moisture but it can also be very spiky and dry.
As pretty as it is when it is green, there is a special magic about the park in the dry months when the winter-bronze grasslands and dark, leafless trees show off the copper, maroon and red tones of the rocky mountains.
It is a gorgeous national park but its scenic splendour is just one of its many attributes. Most of the usual larger mammals are resident in this park and, it being a transitional area, the birdlife is amazing.
The main section is all mountains and deep valleys, wetlands and streams. Bontle camping ground is situated in the smaller, flatter, section consisting of grassy, game-filled plains and patches of woodland. The distant mountains provide the perfect backdrop to the ‘Out of Africa’ scenery.
There is an extensive network of roads and 4X4 tracks, offering a huge variety of scenery in both the plains and mountain section. One of the popular drives is along a steep, winding road up to the Lenong viewpoint, on one of the highest peaks in the park, where we usually see the resident Cape vultures and often spot klipspringer, my favourite antelope.
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I said at the beginning of my blog that two experiences made it special for me, the first one being our ‘opening night’ welcome. The second one occurred towards the end of our most recent visit.
The sun was sinking and it was starting to get dark when all at once there was a minor disturbance in camp. A startled impala rushed past us and there was a sudden increase in the avian noise level.
All at once, from out of nowhere, a single wild dog appeared. It hesitated for a moment then ran right through our camp, a stone’s throw away from where we were sitting.
It then swerved onto the plain, startling a herd of zebra at the waterhole, then disappeared into the surrounding bush. For a while we heard it calling then its calls were answered and then there was silence as it rejoined the pack.
What a magical moment it was for us, such a special memory of a beautiful and special park.
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