Once we entered the park, we had a bit of a drive to the Hilltop Camp where we would be staying. We were only a few minutes into the park when we had our first animal sighting - zebra and giraffes! Just a little ways down the road, I was even more excited when we saw a bunch of rhino. In the safaris I have been on in the part, the rhino has proved to be one of the more elusive animals (it was the only one of the Big 5 that Mom didn't see on our adventures 4 years ago), but this proved very wrong at Hluhluwe. The park has been the centre of rhino conservation and now boasts the largest population of white rhino in the world. So, rhino sightings became routine (Mom - you will have to come visit).
Once we arrived at Hilltop camp and started to settle into our rondevals (and after a little issue that involved a slithery-being and tears on my part), we all grabbed a beer and snacks. 
Sabrina, Joseph, Sarah, Ellie, Ali, Sean, Mathieu and Tim
On our way back to the main building we had a monkey spotting, which made me a little concerned about leaving anything in the rondeval. Those animals are just way too smart for their own good. And mischievous on top of that. But everything was fine, and we had no monkey break-ins. Deiter and Johann were excited to be at game park (the first time for both). And they really enjoyed the views from the Hilltop patio. I agree, it was spectacular.
As the evening game drives were fully booked, we decided to just venture out on our own little game drive. Pretty much as soon as we left the camp gates, we came around the corner to this little guy - what I now know to be a white rhino. I was a little nervous, ridiculously excited and maybe a little stupid (see my facebook profile picture). Pretty sure Chico would have lost if the rhino decided to fight. But instead, the rhino just calmly walked by us. Amazing!!!! (I think Sarah's face suggests that she was experiencing similar emotional reactions as me).
After a wonderful evening of playing games and sharing stories, we had a very early morning game drive. Luckily, being 8 of us, we had a truck all to ourselves. We started at 5, just in time to see a beautiful African sunrise. We again had a rhino spotting immediately outside the camp gate, and as we drove along, I spotted a rhino in the bushes. You couldn't see it very well, but when I pointed it out, our guide was excited because I had spotted a black rhino. Now, difference between the black and white rhino. Black rhinos have little pointed lips, are smaller and usually live in more hidden areas. The white rhino has a wide mouth (where it's name actually comes from the wide-mouthed rhino), which kinda looks like a vacuum when it eats, is bigger and usually is found on the more open savannah. The black rhino is critically endangered, numbering under 5000 in the entire world. I am pretty sure all the other rhinos I have seen in the wild are white rhinos. Anyways, not a great picture, but this is our black rhino sighting...
I really liked this stork. It reminds me of Robin Hood in the Disney version when he dresses up to win a kiss from Maid Marrion
Also saw some cape buffalo. We had a good discussion later on why the cape buffalo is included in the Big 5, nobody seemed to know. We also discussed the fact that water buffalo are Asian. Cape buffalo are African.
I think zebra are very photogenic creatures. In fact, I think generally black and white animals are more photogenic.
And Tim got the prize for the best animal sighting of the day - this lovely lion popped out of the grass and walked across the road behind us. Then he wandered up the hill and along a ridge. He was quite beautiful. Although this picture, I have to laugh because Boots (my old cat) used to always walk around with her mouth slightly open like this. It must be a cat thing.
Photogenic.
After our lovely game drive we went back to camp and hung out for a bit. We also caught the end of the SA v. Australia rugby match. Everybody (except Tim) was pretty disappointed with the result. So now I am trying to get everybody to cheer on Wales. These were our little rondevals. They each slept two. Very cute.
We took a longer route to leave the park on the way back to Durban. Right before we left the park, there were a ton of cars parked on the side of the road, sure sign of an animal sighting. Well, not only was it an animal sighting, it was a very cool one - a lioness having a little snooze in a tree. It was quite far away, but awesome.
Made it back to Durban just in time to send the Grahamstown crew on their way (another 12 hour bus ride) and say goodbye to the Jo'berg gang. It was a really great weekend. The only thing that could have made it better was if there had been turkey and pumpkin pie.
As the evening game drives were fully booked, we decided to just venture out on our own little game drive. Pretty much as soon as we left the camp gates, we came around the corner to this little guy - what I now know to be a white rhino. I was a little nervous, ridiculously excited and maybe a little stupid (see my facebook profile picture). Pretty sure Chico would have lost if the rhino decided to fight. But instead, the rhino just calmly walked by us. Amazing!!!! (I think Sarah's face suggests that she was experiencing similar emotional reactions as me).
After a wonderful evening of playing games and sharing stories, we had a very early morning game drive. Luckily, being 8 of us, we had a truck all to ourselves. We started at 5, just in time to see a beautiful African sunrise. We again had a rhino spotting immediately outside the camp gate, and as we drove along, I spotted a rhino in the bushes. You couldn't see it very well, but when I pointed it out, our guide was excited because I had spotted a black rhino. Now, difference between the black and white rhino. Black rhinos have little pointed lips, are smaller and usually live in more hidden areas. The white rhino has a wide mouth (where it's name actually comes from the wide-mouthed rhino), which kinda looks like a vacuum when it eats, is bigger and usually is found on the more open savannah. The black rhino is critically endangered, numbering under 5000 in the entire world. I am pretty sure all the other rhinos I have seen in the wild are white rhinos. Anyways, not a great picture, but this is our black rhino sighting...
I really liked this stork. It reminds me of Robin Hood in the Disney version when he dresses up to win a kiss from Maid Marrion
Also saw some cape buffalo. We had a good discussion later on why the cape buffalo is included in the Big 5, nobody seemed to know. We also discussed the fact that water buffalo are Asian. Cape buffalo are African.
I think zebra are very photogenic creatures. In fact, I think generally black and white animals are more photogenic.
And Tim got the prize for the best animal sighting of the day - this lovely lion popped out of the grass and walked across the road behind us. Then he wandered up the hill and along a ridge. He was quite beautiful. Although this picture, I have to laugh because Boots (my old cat) used to always walk around with her mouth slightly open like this. It must be a cat thing.
Photogenic.
After our lovely game drive we went back to camp and hung out for a bit. We also caught the end of the SA v. Australia rugby match. Everybody (except Tim) was pretty disappointed with the result. So now I am trying to get everybody to cheer on Wales. These were our little rondevals. They each slept two. Very cute.
We took a longer route to leave the park on the way back to Durban. Right before we left the park, there were a ton of cars parked on the side of the road, sure sign of an animal sighting. Well, not only was it an animal sighting, it was a very cool one - a lioness having a little snooze in a tree. It was quite far away, but awesome.
Made it back to Durban just in time to send the Grahamstown crew on their way (another 12 hour bus ride) and say goodbye to the Jo'berg gang. It was a really great weekend. The only thing that could have made it better was if there had been turkey and pumpkin pie. 
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