Pretoria - A male elephant in musth is a tricky beast. And when the grumbling, clearly uncomfortable bull decides that a game viewing vehicle is not what it wants between him and another part of the bush, life can get exciting.
Our ranger, Riaan, had enough time to tell us how elephants can be “right-brained” or “left-brained” just like a human, before the bull shook his massive head and stepped up his pace towards us.
“Look at his right tusk. It’s shorter than the left which means he’s left-brained,” said Riaan as the packed car of occupants gripped the seats and squealed. Only once he was sure he had made his point did he begin reversing down the road as our logical thinker bumbled closer, lifting his trunk and sampling our scent.
We had half a dozen small children on the vehicle who were hiding under their jackets but emerged with big grins.
It was hard to believe we were just over an hour’s drive from our home in Joburg, immersed in fabulous bush where the Big Five roam. Dinokeng is a reserve of 18 500 ha just north of Pretoria. It is relatively new, having opened in 2011 and slowly the Big Five have been introduced, with numbers growing.
The bush is attractive and varied despite the rather flat landscape and lives up to its name: “The place of rivers”, with plenty of waterways and dams. Our accommodation was fabulous too. To celebrate a visit by family friends from the US, we booked the full monty at the Maroela Treetop Lodge, a bush lodge with 16 rooms. Shane van den Berg, manager of the establishment, even allowed us to bunk four pre-teen boys in a first-floor room together.
For a small extra fee, we had access to a large entertainment area, with bar and spacious lounge. Van den Berg told me he hosts a lot of weddings and corporate functions. We were given access to the kitchen where we prepared delicious meals for 35.
On Easter Sunday, we put the tables outside and enjoyed a late lunch of lamb and fillet under the trees. In addition to the game drives, which were booked through neighbouring Mongena Game Lodge, visitors can go on the newly proclaimed self-drive or mountain bike along the fence on the flat dirt tracks. Van den Berg tried to coax us into visiting the monkey rehab centre down the road but we were happy to laze around the pool during the day.
The pool lapa features a big swimming pool with Sun City-style bar seats and a central gazebo. But the small huts dotted around were the real attraction: one with a pool table, one with a dart board and the third, a table tennis set. Young and old alike enjoyed a sports round robin in the afternoon as the scrabble players fought for a table in the dedicated areas.
We had dinner in the open-plan living area before retiring to the boma. The chalets had kitchenettes so casual breakfasts were enjoyed in privacy.
Easter morning dawned with a slight mist that hung low, accentuating the earthy smell of the bushveld. The Easter bunny thankfully braved the wild animals and found his way into the garden area between the lodge building and the pool. It didn’t take long before 17 kids were scampering around searching for eggs.
The other mornings kicked off with the buzz of scooters and bicycles as the kids whizzed around the perimeter fence until Riaan arrived with his game vehicle and we left to find animals.
We saw elephant, jackal and buffalo and enjoyed a wonderful time with friends, but the highlight was that we could flop into the car and drive for just an hour to do it.
l For more information, visit www.maroelatreetop.co.za, call Shaneon 082 320 2802 or e-mail maroelatreetop@mweb.co.za
Saturday Star