Travels in April Part V

So this will be the final post about my KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, Kruger and Panorama Route trip. I'm not sure what I'll be posting next but I'm sure something will come up.

On day 6 of our tour we did the Panorama Route which refers to a bunch of sightseeing stops in Mpumalanga near Nelspruit and Kruger Park.

Bourke's Luck Potholes was the first stop and refers to a series of rock pools along the Blyde River.

The pools are beautiful and the rocks are red and black. The river looks slow moving here but it is actually quite fast. I wouldn't recommend going for a swim!

 As you can see, the river valley is actually relatively steep and the canyon grows steeper. The potholes mark the beginning of the Blyde River Canyon which I saw at the next stop. The potholes consist of many little whirlpools and reminded me of the time I travelled through the Icefields Parkway back home and there is a spot along the North Saskatchewan River that looks very much the same.

Next stop was along the Blyde River Canyon. Unfortunately it was a bit of an overcast day, but on a clear day you can see all the way into Mozambique. Across the canyon you can see the three round hills which are called the "Three Rondavels" or the Three Sisters. The rock formations are incredible and the view was amazing. I wish my pictures could better capture the sheer scale of the canyon. I stood and stared for a good fifteen minutes until we were ushered back onto the bus.

After the sightseeing, we went to Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. Some of you may have heard the story, but here is a photo of the baby Black Rhino who headbutted me. She was rescued from Kruger as an infant because she got stuck in a deep, man-made mud rut and her mother couldn't get her out and was forced to abandon her. Fortunately, the park noticed and managed to get her to Moholoholo where the managed to nurse her back to health. She was very close to death and it is quite lucky. Here she is now 7 months old and nearly 300 kg. Not tame, but very gentle, she is being hand-raised by a trainer at the centre until she is old enough to go back into the wild.

Because she is so gentle, we were allowed to pet her. Her skin is quite rough and thick. Unfortunately though, some of the group surrounded her and she spooked and walked into me. She looked up at me with these big eyes and I gently pet her head before she trotted off. Even as a baby though, her little horn is quite strong and tough. Rhino horns are actually made of the same material as our fingernails to give you an idea. It was an amazing experience and I feel so lucky to have been headbutted!

Unfortunately at this point my camera died so I wasn't able to take many more photos but Moholoholo was incredible. I got to hold a bald-headed vulture and feed it meat which was really cool. Vultures are huge and super heavy! My friend who was travelling with me had the fun experience of the vulture crawling down his back! I also got to pet a cheetah which was really neat. I definitely recommend Moholoholo and I would love to go back someday.