Driving on the left side of the road, a pillow of copper dust trailing behind, I shift slowly from second to third gear using my left hand, keeping the steady speed of 40 clicks an hour. Dangerous manouver? For a tame Canadian it may be, but not for a driver scoping out the nature parks. . .

Going on a Road Trip

Last weekend, three interns (Tanya: Ontario, Christiane: Germany) bumble their way into a web of confusing roads twisting past mismarked signs that never correspond to the ones on road maps. Highway numbers that sprout from the side of the roads lead to unachieved destinations. And as they drive around in helpless circles, the kilometres of the rented car continue to increase- they will have to pay an extra R1.56 per kilometres. After the flurry of blind navigation, they reach the Promised Land: Sun City.

City of the Rising Sun?

The name itself raises goose pimples. Is this where the mountains part when the majestic sun sets to reveal a black starlit backdrop? Negative. Sun City is the name of South Africa’s very own Las Vegas. Walking in- the dim room with flashing lights blasting from the slot machines and clanking sounds of money and gambling contraptions – and you’d think that you’ve arrived in Nevada.

This billion plus dollar resort is huge: the complex, with its own wave/splashdown Park, hotels which includes the 5 star Palace of the Lost City looks like a gigantic theme park. The guide confided that the owner got all his invested back in a year (gambling was illegal in SA for a while)! The artificial elephant carvings aspiring to look African (in- of all places – Africa!) make a potential Las Vegas attraction: “Lost in South Africa”. This conglomerate reeking of profit is situated in one of the poorest regions of the country. I couldn’t wait to leave this Indiana Jonesesque land of debauchery.

Reserved for tourists

But than again, our main point of interest is Pilanesburg Nature Reserve, just over 2 hours away from Pretoria. Waking up in a decently furnished lodge in Rustenburg at 4:15am, we start our way towards the park gates that opens at 6am. More like a Where’s Waldo adventure, we roll the car along, squinting into the distance for anything that moves, armed with binoculars and cheap cameras. The terrain of golden wheat harvest resembles a rustic prairie scene on one side of the road, while on the other side is the seedier dark brown earth with rugged bare bushes leading up to hills. The rolling mountain range is sprinkled with silhouettes of trees outlined against the early sky. The animals graze early in the morning and when the sun begins to set to beat the heat.

We are fortunate to get close glimpses of the herbivore wildlife snacking on tree leaves. Clay-like elephants pull roots and leafy vegetation; quirky giraffes chomp on leaves from the tree tops, zebras punks snort at each other. I pinch myself to make sure that I’m not living some Nature Channel fantasy! We also see wildebeests, waterbucks, impalas, and kudus. The hectares of the reserve land span across a variety of terrain including water holes, drier desert and dams. Through binoculars we see lazy hippos napping, baboons hopping around and birds of all shapes. Zebras and elephants just cross the dirt path like moose or deer do back at home!

Funny how we quickly adjust to the more ubiquitous animals. As the day wears on and the heat drains us of curiosity, we pass by elephants as if they were lampposts in a suburban neighbourhood at night. “Oh, its another zebra. You don’t want another photo of that, do you?” We drive past without another glance.

Towards the end of the day, the skies darken, rain starts to pour and the animals go into hiding. But suddenly, the sky lights up with flashes of lightening tearing the dark sky apart. It’s too bad we don’t see a lion this time but I’m hoping next time I go to a reserve I will see them and the rest of the Big 5 (Lions, buffalos, leopard, rhinos and elephants).

ps. I've been here for exactly one month now!