JOHANNESBURG TO BAOBAB RIDGE COUPLES CONFERENCE

Finger food platters for Murdock's departure farewell at the Area Offices, Johannesburg.

Friends gathered to bid farewell to Murdocks

Sister Murdock at the podium.

Brother Murdock launching the slide show recapping their mission.

Sister Kyle reading farewell poem. The Kyles replace the Murdocks in the office.

Food unwrapped.

Elder Hamilton and Jerry Murdock. Elder Hamilton is the counselor in the Area Presidency over our area. He approved our transfer to Pointe Noire.

On the way out of town headed for Kruger.

Countryside on the road.

Pit stop.

Gas Station entrance to store.

Fritos for the road.

Elder and Sister Cinquini, headed for Durban  to replace the Kyles.

Cows in pasture.

Roadside business.

Texas meat store.

Funerals.

Sue heading to the store.

Heading for the Drakensburg mountains.

In the Drakensburgs.

Water fall just before a tunnel where we stopped at souvenir stands.

Cliffs in the Drakensbergs.

Souvenir stands.

Souvenir stands.

View of village from the highway.

Descending the Drakensburgs on the other side.

Approaching a restaurant for lunch en route to Baobab Ridge by Kruger.

Grounds by the restaurant.

Sue wearing her new paper beads bought at the souvenire stand.

Gift shop.

Souvenir shop.

Place mat made of rolled paper.

Place your order.

At lunch.

Lizard.

Grasshopper stow away.

Entering the park/game reserve area, costs about 12 dollars a vehicle.

Giraffe. In this area private landowners use their land for tourists and many have rooms for rent and conduct game drives. Fences along the road enclose the reserves, but many are un-fenced and connect directly to Kruger Park on its borders.

A good Samaritan stopped in front of us to rescue a Leopard tortoise crossing the road.

Another gate to cross.

Getting closer.

Millipedes by the thousands everywhere, about 8-10 inches long, with many little ones too.

First sighting of free roaming animals, Impala. They are very successful and are visible everywhere we drive, by far the most common animal in the area.

Entrance to Baobab Lodge where we spent the five days, two days of game drives, all day, and then the conference for three days, with game drives morning and evening. Jason and Nini were our hosts.

Jason and Nini hugging Sister Murdock.

Jason and Nini, sister Murdock.

Dung beetles everywhere.

On our way to our bungalow, no. 3.

Our bungalow for five days.

Photo tour of the bungalow.

Bedroom.

Living area.

Bathroom.

Bathroom.

Looking toward the shower. The right side is all glass looking outside, shielded by a sapling wall so no one can look in.

View across the bedroom toward the living area.

Bed and pillows.

Eating area.

Boma where barbecues and outside meals are done.

Flowers.

Spiny plant.

Loading up for our first game drive.

David our driver and tracker and the crew, Cinquinis and Kyles.

Common bird, called a Coriane I think, not sure.

Sue in the breeze on the road.

View of the terrain.

First lion sighting, one of the "Big Five".

Male lion, lioness drinking in the background.

Lioness leaving the water hole.

King of the jungle.

Elephants were in the same spot as the lions by a water hole.

There were several elephants.

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They got close. Elephants tear the trees apart to get at the best leaves.

The herd foraged as if we were not there.

Matriarchs rule.

Panorama of the herd.

Fresh dung attracts dung beetles that fly in and plop on the poo, make a ball of dung that they roll away and bury after the female lays her egg in it.

Kudu male with curly horns.

Herd of Impala.

Female Kudu.

Kyles, Bybees,  Sean Donnelly.

Young lion on the move.

Matriarchs rule the herd.

Around the fire.

Shot with a flash around the fire.

Sparks.

At table eating.

The one-eyed resident cat.