Rhinos and Zebras came a little close for comfort to a family Wedding I attended this weekend, but the day after the wedding, it was our turn to go and see what they get up to, not a difficult task as game is abundant in this over 3000 hectares game reserve. The only rule was not to get out of one's vehicle at any time when out game viewing, in fact, one cannot walk between the lodges either, as the Rhinos and other wildlife often wander very close to graze on the lush grass.
Tala Collection Game Reserve's ease of accessibility makes it the perfect getaway to experience a little taste of Africa. It took us just over an hour to arrive; the turnoff is at Camperdown, an area known for its chicken farms, and the last section of the road was not bad at all. We had to watch out for the odd pothole, something we're used to here in SA.
We were greeted warmly on arrival at Tala's reception, and directed to our rooms at Paperbark Lodge. Wedding guests could check in early to dress up for the afternoon wedding that went on till almost midnight at the Acacia function venue.
The happy couple
Besides game viewing and weddings, there are other activities such as a spa, fishing, archery, paintball, and cycling, which I'm sure is in a restricted area only, although the Rhino, who have been dehorned, are still being guarded at all times.
Onto the game drive; we went on our own drive early morning before breakfast. My friend's son was the driver, no 4x4 was needed here, although we still could not go on all the roads with a Hyundai Tucson as some of the roads were quite rutted and muddy after recent rains.
A herd of Impalas walking along the road, totally unperturbed by us humans, despite there being babies. I presume they feel safe in numbers, that's why they stick together.
Some of us are just like them, right? Others are loners, although it was likely looking for shelter from the extremely hot sun.
Zebras grazing with a chicken farm in the background and way in the distance one can see part of a mountain range, which possibly is the Drakensberg.
We could not get to the Fisherman's Lodge and its lake, so it was time to do a U-turn, not so easy but our young driver did very well!
We almost missed the giraffes as they were camouflaged by the thorn trees. One was scratching his neck on a branch, and the others enjoying nibbling on the leaves.
This lone Waterbuck, one of the large Antelopes in Tala, is likely guarding his territory. I would not want to walk into those horns for sure!
We also came across a couple of striped Nyalas, medium-sized Antelope that are native to southern Africa.
The Ostrich with its long neck seems to be on the lookout, possibly for its mates. They can give one quite a kick so don't be fooled by their looks.
Tala with its many waterholes and small lakes is a bird lovers paradise; weaver nests, Red Robins among the reeds, and other birds having a bath to cool off.
Now onto the big game, the Wildebeest, also known as Gnu, belongs to the family Bovidae, which includes antelopes, cattle, goats, and sheep. It is a large animal and can run speeds of up to 80 kilometres per hour when on a stampede. Definitely not an animal to get close up and personal with!
The critically endangered white and black Rhinoceros are guarded day and night, even though they have been dehorned to protect them from poachers!
Some of these look like they've had a good muddy bath, while others look all sleek, likely in preparation for showing up at the wedding ;)
One last look at the landscape before we headed off to breakfast, and onto the Midlands Meander as we tried to squeeze out as much of this day.
I hope you enjoyed this virtual game drive as much as I did!
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