For half an hour the red earth under foot has given up secrets as we have walked its flat surface.
Coarse white hairs and black dung are clues a tower of giraffes rested here last night.
Further on, the paw prints of jackals; the single ridged horn of an impala battle — casualty perhaps, or evidence of the mammal’s grisly end?
From Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa presents as a boundless Eden; a wilderness where only prey and predators roam. Yet here we are among them. Ten vacationing New Zealanders trailing one behind the other on a walking safari, led by two guides with loaded guns.
It was the appeal of stretching my legs that had me sign up for this mid-morning hike.
For three incredible days I have sat in a safari jeep, firstly in Kruger National Park, and now in Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa’s North West province.
Before leading out, Mitchell, our guide, explains: "Walking allows us to be in the environment without the barriers of a safari vehicle. Because of that your senses heighten. You begin to see, hear and smell things that might otherwise go unnoticed."
I notice the land is never still.
Even when its quiet, shiny black beetles, as broad chested as construction workers, turn over small orbs of animal waste — heading exactly where it’s hard to tell.
Giant ants scatter across the landscape in the constant stop-go motion of dodgem cars.
A fat cricket hurls itself across my path as we pause to listen to a chorus of twittering birds. How did I not register this ever-present birdsong until now?
Called on by Mitchell, I crush leaves of a wild plant known as bushman’s tea between my fingers and take a sniff. The greenery is citrus fresh, a zesty note added to the morning’s earthy, humid air.
This is day eight of a nine-day tour of South Africa with World Journeys New Zealand. Our trip starts in Cape Town, exploring the city, a nearby wine region and Table Mountain.
After flying northeast to Hoedspruit, we spend two days on safari in Ngala Private Game Reserve, before overnighting in Johannesburg and making our way to Madikwe Safari Lodge.
In 2023, 91% of South Africa’s wildlife tourists were either American or from Europe. In contrast, Kiwis and Australians accounted for just 2% of the country’s safari-goers.
"Travelling to a national park or game reserve is quick and easy in South Africa, so combining a fun city break with a bucket list safari is totally doable," Ruby says.
"On top of that you can choose to stay inside a private game reserve, upping your chances of seeing rare wildlife with pretty much no-one else around."
I can see other reasons for New Zealanders to visit — like the vibrancy of South African culture and practical upsides like the strength of the New Zealand dollar against the rand.
At Madikwe Safari Lodge, I am staying in a spacious suite at Lelapa, one of three adjoining camps on site, aimed at families.
The lodge’s design is airy treehouse meets luxe resort. My 100sqm suite includes a large bedroom, bush views, a private, sheltered deck and its own cold water plunge pool.
Dithaba, another four-room camp but with elevated views, is the most high-end of the three, positioned on a hillside beyond Kopano camp.
All main meals of my trip are served in Lelapa’s open-air dining room, which offers views of the game reserve. After dinner on night one, I am treated to an exuberant music performance as Lelapa’s staff sing, stomp, whistle and clap their way through a traditional song about love and marriage.
The diversity of wildlife within Madikwe’s 750sqkm game reserve is everything I had hoped for. Travelling in open safari vehicles, we start and finish each day scouring grasslands, valleys and rocky outcrops for life.
I love what we see — zebra foals encircled by protective herds, a lone wildebeest with horns shaped like a perfectly coiffed moustache. We look for Madikwe’s resident wild dogs but see none.
On our two-hour walking safari, my primal instinct is to flee when a single rhino comes into view. It is a full-grown adult male — and to see him at eye level metres from where I stand sends my heart racing.
"It will have our scent and heard me talking," says Mitchell of the approximately 2000kg ungulate in front of us.
I notice Mitchell’s posture stiffening, his eyes scanning the near distance. For my part, I am thinking: was the main safety instruction really not to run?
"We’re walking in the natural environment of the Big Five and others," Mitchell had warned us before starting out.
Out here, he says, we must walk in single file, refrain from talking at all times and be vigilant.
"We don’t want to disturb the animals," he had continued, as we turned our cellphones to silent mode and practise the hand signals for get down, get behind and gather around.
"But if we do come across wildlife: don’t run, listen to your guides. We’ll tell you exactly what to do."
I recall these words as I watch the rhino retreat into the bushveld.
Then, I hear Mitchell whisper: "Did I mention don’t run?"
From city to safari: 9 days in South Africa
Days 1-3: Cape Town
Arrive in Cape Town, staying at the Taj Hotel Cape Town, a stylish 5-star hotel in the city’s heritage district. Spend your first day touring Cape Winelands, the region’s main wine-producing area, wine tasting and shopping the boutique stores of Franschhoek. Finish the day at the Bombay Brasserie, a fine-dining Indian restaurant at the Taj. The following morning, check into Cape Cadogan Boutique Hotel in the fashionable Gardens neighbourhood. Take the cable car up Table Mountain for spectacular coastal and city views. See the brightly coloured houses of Bo-Kaap, a Muslim neighbourhood, visit Company Gardens, established by Dutch settlers in 1652, and tour Slave Lodge, a museum telling the story of slavery in South Africa. Finish the day with a cocktail and dinner at Cape Cadogan’s Upper Union restaurant.
Days 4-6: Ngala Private Game Reserve
Fly from Cape Town to Hoedspruit in the Limpopo province, the gateway to Kruger National Park. Travel by van to Ngala Safari Lodge to begin a two-day safari with tour providers andBeyond. Every morning and afternoon look for elephants, buffalo, rhino, lions, giraffes and more on guided safari drives. Stay in classic cottages. Take a dip in a large swimming pool overlooking a waterhole popular with roaming elephants. Enjoy candlelit bush banquets.
Return to Hoedspruit airport to fly to Johannesburg to spend a night at The Peech Hotel, a boutique hotel ideal for transiting (and recharging) between game reserves.
Days 8-9: Madikwe Game Reserve
Arrive at Madikwe Airstrip in North West province and transfer to Lelapa, a camp within Madikwe Safari Lodge, for another two-day safari. Enjoy early morning and afternoon game drives. Join a morning walking safari. Look out for the Big Five (lions, leopards, elephants, rhino and buffalo), as well as African wild dogs (Madikwe’s signature species). Stay in modern treehouse suites with private plunge pools. Dine in an open-air lounge with plains views.
The details
Getting there: Air New Zealand (from Auckland) and South African Airways (from Perth) have connecting flights to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport and Madikwe Game Reserve’s private airstrip from Johannesburg.
Bookings: World Journeys offer tailored South African safari itineraries. See: worldjourneys.co.nz
— The writer was hosted by World Journeys and South African Tourism.
