MASORINIThe earliest inhabitants of Masorini, which nestles among large boulders against a low hill, were Stone Age people. Much later, in the 19th century, it was also inhabited by Late Iron Age people who built their huts on the terraced hillside. Smelting furnaces, forges and other implements have provided evidence that the inhabitants worked iron, which they probably obtained from Phalaborwa. Artefacts such as grinding stones and potsherds are displayed in the information hut, and photographs and illustrations tell the story of the site and other aspects relating to the park’s early inhabitants. Visitors can take a guided tour of the reconstructed village, which includes, among other things, the excavated remains of a smelting furnace. From the summit of the hill, there are expansive views over the surrounding landscape. |
LETABALetaba rest camp lies high above a horseshoe bend in the Letaba River, offering a grandstand view of the animals that come to quench their thirst. The Tsonga name, Letaba, means ‘sand’ and seemingly refers to the river’s extensive sandy banks. The vegetation to the west of the rest camp is typically mixed woodland dominated by bushwillow and mopane, while the camp itself lies in a belt of mopane shrubveld, characterised by mopane and apple-leaf trees. Among the rich diversity of game to be seen are kudu, eland, tsessebe, sable, buffalo, blue wildebeest, Burchell’s zebra, giraffe and the big cats (lion, leopard and cheetah).
In the rest camp is the Elephant Hall, which forms part of the Goldfields Environmental Education Centre. The focal point of the hall is a display of the tusks of six of the park’s largest elephants, which became known in the late 1970s as the ‘Magnificent Seven’. Among these are the heaviest pair of tusks ever recorded, weighing 75 kg and 55 kg, and the 317-cm and 303,5-cm tusks of Shawu – the longest tusks on record in southern Africa. There are also highly informative displays covering all aspects of the elephant’s history and biology. |
OLIFANTSSituated on a cliff overlooking the Olifants (Elephant’s) River, the Olifants rest camp was opened in 1960 to accommodate the increasing number of tourists visiting the Kruger National Park. In a departure from the usual whitewashed walls, the huts were painted dark green to blend in with the surroundings. The camp is famed for its unrivalled views of the Lebombo Mountains and the surrounding plains. Another attraction is the network of loop roads around the camp, which provide excellent game-viewing opportunities along the Olifants and Letaba rivers. The Olifants River is home to hippo and crocodile, while visitors are also likely to see elephant, buffalo, blue wildebeest, impala, kudu and Burchell’s zebra. Surrounded by plains, the vegetation varies from mopane bush savanna in the north to knob thorn bush and shrub savanna to the south. |
SATARAUnlike the other rest camps, Satara does not have a river, dam or mountains as an added attraction. Situated on plains dominated by marula, knob thorn and round-leafed teak savannah, it is Kruger’s second-largest rest camp and its design features several large circles centred around lawns. The name Satara is said to a corruption of the Hindi word satrah, (seventeen). Apparently, the original farm was the seventeenth to be surveyed in this area, and the name was suggested by a Hindu labourer. Since this is one of the best grazing areas in the park, game is abundant. Large herds of Burchell’s zebra and blue wildebeest occur in the area, which also supports large numbers of giraffe, kudu, elephant, impala and sable. Although there are few rivers or stretches of open water in this part of the park, there are numerous water holes along the pipeline supplying water from the Olifants River to the rest camp. |
ORPENOrpen, the name of the gate and the small, intimate rest camp on the park’s western boundary, was named in honour of two of Kruger’s biggest benefactors, James and Eileen Orpen. Between 1935 and 1944, Mrs Orpen bought seven farms totalling 24 500 ha, on the park’s western boundary, and donated the land to the park. The couple also gave money for the construction of water holes, and James Orpen helped to survey and clear the western boundary line. A small rondavel, about 10 km east of the gate, marks the original entrance to the park before the incorporation of the seven farms. As a living memorial to the Orpens’ contribution to the development of the park, the hut now serves as a small museum, the Rabelais Museum – named after the original farm. Good game-viewing is to be had along the Timbavati River. |
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