ANOTHER GAME COUNT

We decided to do another game count and this time we were situated at the southern end of the park at Wexcau in the ‘Wild Area’ of Hwange where tourists are not allowed in their own private vehicles and covered an area of 6827 sq. km’s. They can only go there with a professional safari operator, so nice and peaceful. We borrowed a friend’s 4x4 bakkie and headed off soon after breakfast to be there in time to set up and be ready to count by 12 noon. We had ‘Aussie’ Cathy with us again.
When we arrived we decided that we would set up on the north side of the pan, even though the only big tree was a lovely Leadwood tree on the south side, it had far too much evidence of elephant rubbings on it and all the elephant paths ran off in that direction!!
We were all set and ready at 12noon in anticipation of some animals coming down to drink. Well we had a very long afternoon with absolutely nothing, so had to contend with counting birds and bugs- exciting for some of us, but not everyone in the party. We also caught up on a lot of whispered chats, reading and sipping tea to while away the hours. Sun downers came and went, and dinner and still no animals. Half the party decided they would go to sleep, so Cathy and I offered to do the first shift. We settle down next to vehicle on a tarpaulin and gazed up at the stars and chatted.

Around about 8pm when all was quiet and a few snores where heard from the bakkie an elephant bull came sauntering out of the bush opposite us for a drink. He also seemed to be enjoying the peace and quiet, as he was in no rush. It was lovely to just sit and enjoy listening to him sucking water up and the excess dropping back into the pan like a dripping tap.
When finally he decided to meander off he started heading off to the right of the pan and us. Cathy was now convinced that he was heading our way. I repeatedly kept telling her not to worry he was far away and not coming in our direction. But she was not convinced. Finally he headed into the bush and we lost sight of in the shadows cast by the moonlight.
About ten minutes later lo and behold he started coming out of the bush behind us, well you can imagine the fright we got. We both rolled under the vehicle (thankfully had high clearance) and waited for him to satisfy his curiosity as to what we were. Cathy was full of glee that she was right, but I am still convinced that she telepathically lured him our way!!

Thankfully after that the rest of the party had woken up with our commotion, so we swopped shifts and we put our heads down for a good sleep before facing a new day.
The next six hours of daylight counting did not produce much either, except for a couple of zebra!! But it was just good to be out in the bush away from phones and noise. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys the wildlife and nature.

HWANGE NATIONAL PARK

Here are some facts of Hwange, that some people might find quite interesting.



A recent study (Wetenhall 1991) found that:
1. The number of tourist doubled between 1986 and 1990
2. Tourist revenues attributed to the park have increased from ZW$3.1million in 1987 to ZW$17 million in 1991.
3. The park management budget has declined from ZW$815 thousand to ZW $688 thousand over the same period.


TOTAL NUMBER OF VISITORS PASSING THROUGH EACH OF THE 3 TOURIST CAMPS FROM 1980 – 1987 SINAMATELA

1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 TOTAL
MAIN CAMP 11132 25592 26334 20757 24867 40785 45762 41730 95682
3481 659 5134 3880 3759 9272 8694 6748 10979
ROBINS 818 914 1407 688 1394 1615 1668 1932 10436
TOTAL 15431 27165 32875 25325 30020 51072 56124 50410 117097

TOURIST REVENUE
JANUARY TO DECEMBER 1987
MAIN CAMP 302 829.53
SINAMATELLA 81 002.80
ROBINS 13 929.15

397 761.48
(Bet they can't brag about this figure anymore!!)


HISTORY OF DAM BUILDING
1936 Masuma, Mtoa 1¤ & 2¤
1938 Deteema
1951 Nantwich, Robins, Tshingahobi
1953 Mandavu, Masuma 2¤
1955 Tshompani, Gomo and Limpande
1958 Inyantue (Masuma 2 broke and was never repaired)
1965 Leasha (borehole sunk)
1971 Salt Pans
¤ = collapsed

DRILLING DATES
1969 BAOBAB 1957 LINKWASHA 1963 SECHECHE
1965 BASHA 1957 MANDUNDAMELLA 1936 SHAPI
1963 BEAVER 1970 MAHOBOTI 1936 SHUMBA
1970 BUMBUZI 1957 MAKALOLO 1 1959 SIDINA
1969 BUMBUMUTSA 1963 MAKONA 1973 SINANGA



CULLING FIGURES FOR WANKIE NATIONAL PARK

1971 1304
1972 972
1973 -
1974 698
1975 432
1976 552
1977 650
TOTAL 4608


NUMBERS OF CARNIVORES SHOT 1928 - 1933
YEAR LION LEOPARD CHEETAH HYAENA WILD DOG
1928/9 18 4 15 10
1930 5 5 9 2
1931 13 3 1 11 4
1932 3 1 1 1 14
1933 0 2 17
1934 7
1935 7
1936 2
TOTAL 55 13 2 38 47

(Nothing from 1936 to when we left in 1982!!)

RECORDS OF RHINO INTRODUCED TO WANKIE NATIONAL PARK
BLACK WHITE
1962 8
1963 40
1966/67 35
1980 5
1983 2
1984 21
1985 31
1986 34 5
TOTAL 134 47

Airstrips at : Main Camp, Cement, Robins, Sanyati, Sinamatella, Shapi, Josivanini, Shumba, Tshbema, Dandari, Umtishibi, Njekwa, Libuti.



Sorry this may bore some folk, but for the others who lived or worked in or around Hwange National Park I think they will find it quite interesting. Unfortunately, most of those rhino that were introduced have been poached by now, alot of the boreholes that were put in are not in operation any more and certainly most of the airstrips are no longer usable.

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GWAAI RIVER HOTEL

I feel that I have to mention this unique hotel, as this was where all our socialising would go on with the local farming community, which had wonderful people living in it.
The hotel was owned by Mr and Mrs Broomberg and was situated about ½ ways between Bulawayo and the Victoria Falls and had a reputation for their hospitality and ‘Gwaai pies’. From fishermen, businessmen, holiday makers and foreigners, they all had to stop to refuel, have a drink or one of their famous pies. There were also many a New Year’s Eve, birthday or impromptu party held there. The bar was filled with bank notes from all around the world and has been gazed at by millions. Mr Broomberg would always make a point of popping into the bar and having a chat with anyone who was there. If there was a big party going on, people would offer to buy him a drink and he would turn to the barman and say “I’ll have one of mine”, to which the barman would take a bottle of ‘whisky’ off the shelf and pour him a tot over ice. Not many people knew that that whisky bottle was filled with tea. I was never sure how some of the locals made it home as they had to cross the low level bridge, I am sure they did it VERY slowly with the wheels bouncing off the curb stones, as it was a single lane bridge. In the dining room there was a” Punka Walla” fan, and we used to laugh, as it would slow down, and then suddenly speed up and we would all say that someone must have given the boy a coke. It was a left over from the days when the hotel used to run on generators.

When we lived at Wankie, Mum and Dad regularly went to the hotel for the Lions meeting and had a social afterwards. Once it got to our bedtime we were made to go to sleep in the back of the car which was parked at the rear of the hotel. We hated to leave the fun, but one had to obey their parents!

A Zebra and a mule taking a drink from the pool

The children would have wild times in the swimming pool playing on a blown up tractor tube, or jumping on the trampoline, or occasionally playing a round of put-put while the adults had a Saturday afternoon of tennis.

Overlooking the pool to the bedrooms Trampoline
Most of the walls of the hotel and bedrooms were held together by love and white ants. If you knocked on the walls they sounded very hollow, and you certainly did not go there for a romantic weekend as your neighbours were bound to hear everything!

We even had President Mugabe fly in to visit the ceramic factory next door and have a cup of tea. There was great excitement, as it is not every day that one gets to see their President outside of a television box.
A lot of the farmers and later safari operators would order their supplies, anything from groceries to farm equipment, from Bulawayo and it would be transported up by RMS (Road Motor Transport, and was owned by the Railways), which would arrive on a Friday afternoon at the hotel and folk would collect their goods from there. This of course could easily lead to a social afternoon if people had nothing pressing on their agenda.
I did go back and visit the site in 2010, and remember all the happy memories of the hotel, and thought well that chapter of our lives is over and we are all now in a new one.

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