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Kariba Houseboat Safari – Day 5 & 6

Sunday, March 15th, 2009

African Fish Eagle, Kariba

Kariba Houseboat Trip Report – March 2009

Day 5 | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 |

Thunderbolts & Lightning – Spurwing to Antelope Island
A massive thunderstorm, drove me from my bedroom under the stars to the cabin in the early hours of the morning and we later woke to some heavy winds and steady rain. We made the decision to put off our trip back to Antelope island until the wind dropped, not that it was a danger to the houseboat, but rather the small tender boat that we were towing that would have taken on water with the large swells. This gave me time to explore this section of Spurwing Island and I managed to get some photos of a hippo taking advantage of the sunless sky to spend some more time on land grazing. Then I spotted a group of about 6 small raptors, which I later identified as (Western) Redfooted Falcons using the strong winds to catch dragonflies. It was a fantastic sight and luckily I managed to get some photos of them using tree stumps as perches. Upon closer investigation, I found the discarded wings of the dragonflies around these stumps.

Once the wind calmed down we made our way back to the northern side of Antelope island, the 5 hour journey going without hitch, apart from right at the end when we were mooring, the gearbox of the boat seemed to loose all drive.

Day 6: Antelope Island to Kariba
We were unable to fix the gearbox overnight, but because Kariba is only 20 minutes away by speedboat we decided to go and get help, rather than call for help on the radio. Whilst help was on the way it gave me another opportunity to explore some of the other side of Antelope Island. I found some old foundations, and all that remains of what once was a tsetse fly control research centre. I think they used Antelope island because it is large enough to hold a permanent population of Buffalo, but small enough to be able accurately assess the results.

Birds: Antelope Island
Only new species from those previously listed are shown below:

Pearl-spotted Owlet (heard not seen)
White-Browed Sparrow-Weaver

Trip Report Menu
This post is part of a series of posts on a Lake Kariba Houseboat Trip in March 2009

For more Information Check out the Safari Holiday Guide to Lake Kariba Houseboats & Safaris

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Tags: Houseboat, Kariba, Safari, Trip Report, Zimbabwe
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Kariba Houseboat Safari – Day 4

Saturday, March 14th, 2009

African Darter, Kariba

Kariba Houseboat Trip Report – March 2009

Day 4 | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 5 & 6 |

Spurwing Island, Kariba
We decided to move on, around Spurwing Island finding a place stop on the northern shoreline of Spurwing, right next to Fothergill Island. As the houseboat moved at it’s leisurely pace past the Spurwing Island Lodge, I took the smaller boat with my father to go and check out the lodge. We spoke to the manageress, who was a little busy at the time as they were hosting a large wedding party. The whole lodge complex seemed in excellent condition and for around $100 US, you can still spend a really comfortable night in one of their chalets and go for a game drive with one of their two full time field guides (safari guides), something well worth considering for our next trip.

Birds: Spurwing & Fothergill Islands, Kariba

(Western) Redfooted Falcon
African Fish-eagle
White-crowned Lapwing (Plover)
Blacksmith Lapwing (Plover)
Spotted Thick-Knee (Dikkop)
Woolly-necked Stork
Cattle Egret
Wire-tailed Swallow
Grey-headed Gull
Reed Cormorant
African Darter
Pied Kingfisher
Egyptian Goose

Trip Report Menu
This post is part of a series of posts on a Lake Kariba Houseboat Trip in March 2009

For more Information Check out the Safari Holiday Guide to Lake Kariba Houseboats & Safaris

(more…)

Tags: Houseboat, Kariba, Safari, Trip Report, Zimbabwe
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Kariba Houseboat Safari – Day 3

Friday, March 13th, 2009

Sunrise Impala, Kariba, Zimbabwe

Kariba Houseboat Trip Report – March 2009

Day 3 | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 4 | Day 5 & 6 |

Palm Bay, Matusadona National Park, Kariba
I woke up as the sun was just about to peer over the horizon, to find that there was an Impala ram silhouetted against the fiery sky…. what’s that saying about the early bird catching the early worm?

I spent most of the day taking photographs, either on land, from the houseboat or taking out the smaller fishing boat to get closer to the action. Highlights included a family of at least 11 elephants with plenty of young not far from us, a saddle-billed stork, an African Fish Eagle that was happy to pose for me and what I guess best of all, a Banded Gymnogene that I think was almost in breeding plumage, with a pinkish bill. It was obviously on the hunt for chicks in nests in trees and when I managed to get close to it, it was being mobbed by a pair of brave Glossy Starlings.

Angry Hippos
Other wildlife spotted included a bachelor herd of Impala, a herd of Zebra, Hippo, Crocodile and a Terrapin. One thing that was very noticeable was that apart from the usual pods of hippo there were a few hippos just wallowing in an inlet on their own, they seemed to be far more aggressive than usual (I found this out when trying to manoeuvre the small boat to get some photos of the Saddle-billed Stork!) My guess is that they were females getting ready to give birth: Pregnant hippos will remove themselves from the rest of the pod to find a safe sheltered spot to give birth and will stay away until the baby is able to survive the attention it will receive once they re-unite themselves with the others.

That night we had a braai that included steak and some excellent boereworse on the front of the boat.

Birds: Palm Bay, Kariba

African Wattled Lapwing (Plover)
African Jacana
African Fish-Eagle
Gymnogene (African Harrier-Hawk) (Mobbed by Glossy Starlings)
White-Headed Vulture
Cape Glossy Starling
Cattle Egret
Wire-tailed Swallow
Greyheaded Sparrows (building nest in hollow of a tree)
Redbilled Wood-Hoopoe
Grey-headed Gull
Reed Cormorant
African Darter
Pied Kingfisher
Egyptian Goose
Grey Heron
Blacksmith Lapwing (Plover)
African Openbilled Stork
Great White Egret (Black bill – in breeding plumage)
Burchell’s Coucal
Lilac-breasted Rollers
Little Bee-eater
Common Sandpiper
Green-backed Heron
Dwarf Bittern
Saddle-Billed Stork
Red-billed Hornbill (Heard)
White-faced Duck
Black Heron
African Sacred Ibis

Trip Report Menu
This post is part of a series of posts on a Lake Kariba Houseboat Trip in March 2009

For more Information Check out the Safari Holiday Guide to Lake Kariba Houseboats & Safaris

(more…)

Tags: Houseboat, Kariba, Safari, Trip Report, Zimbabwe
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Kariba Houseboat Safari – Day 2

Thursday, March 12th, 2009

Elepahnt Bull in Kariba Zimbabwe

Kariba Houseboat Trip Report – March 2009

Day 2 | Day 1 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 & 6 |

Awaking just before sunrise, I went for a walk on Antelope Island, I wanted to see if I could get a photograph of the sunrise with a Fish Eagle in it, the birds wouldn’t play ball and even with my new 1.7x Teleconverter lens on my camera, I couldn’t get close enough before they flew off. All I managed, was to get dive bombed by a Blacksmith Lapwing, protecting it’s nest and to see what can only be described as the biggest Baboon (excuse my French) turd on top of an anthill ever (I would hate to meet that boy down a dark ally late at night!)

Antelope Island to Palm Bay, Kariba
After breakfast we left for the long 5 hour trip to Palm Bay, a wonderful spot at the foot of the Matusadona Mountains. I could see plenty of elephant through my binoculars as we passed Fothergill Island, Spurwing Island and Bed Island (Yes someone has actually cemented down some bed bases and all you need is a matress, should you want to sleep on this tiny mosquito infested island. Although I am not sure if by now they have rusted away or not?)

‘Holy Croc infested Sandbanks Batman’
On arrival in Palm Bay we saw that another houseboat had taken the inlet that we had planned to use. Whilst searching for another in very shallow water, we hit and got stuck on a sandbank. After nearly two hours of shouting, sweating and using the small tender boat (usually used for fishing) to push and pull the big boat, we finally managed to get free. By the time we had, the spot we originally wanted was now free! Drama over and now in our preferred position we were rewarded by an elephant bull, who shortly before sunset, wandered out of the bush down to the lake right next to us to drink and to cool off.

Trip Report Menu
This post is part of a series of posts on a Lake Kariba Houseboat Trip in March 2009

For more Information Check out the Safari Holiday Guide to Lake Kariba Houseboats & Safaris

(more…)

Tags: Houseboat, Kariba, Safari, Trip Report, Zimbabwe
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Kariba Houseboat Safari – Day 1

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

African Fish Eagle on Lake Kariba

Kariba Houseboat Trip Report – March 2009

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 & 6 |

Harare to Kariba

That’s around 15 beers a day…per person, I thought to myself as I finished loading the car with all the food, clothes, fishing equipment and the cases of beer for our 5 night Houseboat trip on Kariba. Soon afterwards, we set off on the Lomagundi road, for the four hour journey from Harare to Kariba. A journey that was only interrupted by a stop just before the town of Karoi at Buffalo Downs butchery for my supply of biltong (dried meat) and chili bites (more dried meat.. with a chili flavour). Oh and one emergency stop just before Kariba on the twisting, winding road from Makuti down to the Zambezi Valley when my nephew, became more than little car sick… all over the car… after eating my biltong!

Kariba to Antelope Island
We finished loading Nautique (my dads houseboat) shortly after lunch. After paying National Parks for fishing permits, lake fees and some other fees, that I guess are for his new Mercedes, we set course for Antelope Island, just over an hour away, giving us plenty of time to get sorted before sunset. We moored in our favourite spot, on the western side of the island, with it’s wide open grassland area and tall dead ‘Kariba’ trees, it makes an excellent habitat for Fish Eagles. I immediately counted over 10 individuals and 3 nests, each with chicks in them. As well as Fish Eagles, we saw Baboons, a small herd of Impala and in the water: Hippo and the usual Crocodile. With sunset approaching, I cracked open an ice cold beer or two and later on placed a mattress on the front deck of the boat under Orion and his mates and drifted off to sleep.

Birds
On the road trip From Harare to Kariba

Martial Eagle
Bateleur Eagle
Gymnogene (African Harrier-Hawk)
Francolin – think a Coqui
Golden Weaver Birds
Lilac-breasted Rollers

Antelope Island

African Fish Eagle
Cattle Egrets
Wire-tailed Swallows
African Pied Wagtails
Pied Kingfishers
Crowned Lapwing (Plovers)
Blacksmith Lapwing (Plovers)

Trip Report Menu
This post is part of a series of posts on a Lake Kariba Houseboat Trip in March 2009

For more Information Check out the Safari Holiday Guide to Lake Kariba Houseboats & Safaris

(more…)

Tags: Houseboat, Kariba, Safari, Trip Report, Zimbabwe
Posted in Trip Report, Zimbabwe | No Comments »

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Archive for the ‘Trip Report’ Category

Kariba Houseboat Safari – Day 5 & 6

Kariba Houseboat Safari – Day 4

Kariba Houseboat Safari – Day 3

Kariba Houseboat Safari – Day 2

Kariba Houseboat Safari – Day 1

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