Day 19: Sat 7 Sep - Victoria Falls to Robins Camp, Hwange National Park, 110km (3.5 hours)

13-33 deg C
Walk: 5km

I woke up feeling a lot better, but not 100%. Had Breakfast at 7am and departed at 9am for Robins. We were transferred to a safari vehicle – a cut down 70 Series Land Cruiser, rebuilt with nine seats on three different levels. It took about an hour to get from Vic Falls to the transfer point, and then another 2.5 hours to get to Robins as the road was not sealed and was very bumpy and corrugated. We also stopped to see a few animals along the way. After checking in and being allocated rooms (room #9), we had a few minutes to freshen-up before lunch of chicken and mayo sandwiches with chips and salad. Nothing to write home about but fed the worms.

We were told our afternoon drive would start at 3pm, so we had about 1.5 hours to kill. I unpacked some stuff, got stuff ready for the drive, then had a nap. The drive started at 3pm and ended about 6:45pm. Self-drive vehicles have to be in my 6pm, but camp operated vehicles are allowed out a little after dark, which was fine by us. We ventured via Little Toms and Big Toms (water holes, fed with solar-pumped water). Saw elephant at Little and Big Toms, and on the way back into camp, we stopped in at Little Toms again, and I spotted a cheetah. The guide was a bit sceptical at first, but when he did see it, he was impressed. Photos are not that good as it was a fair distance from us and the light was low. But, we all got to see the cheetah. Other wildlife we saw today: impala, baboon, zebra, giraffe, kudu, green hoopoe, brown snake eagle, ground hornbill, guinea fowl (aka chubby chicken), Franklin, red buffalo weaver bird and nests, long tailed starling, reedbuck, roan antelope, Egyptian geese, side striped jackal, lion.

The road in to Robins was not the best surface, but nothing we don't see in Australia

How the locals live

The very dry Matetsi River


Cape Town to Cairo rail line










Zebra and impala

My room at Robins Camp, #9



Sabi Star, very similar to the Australian desert rose

Water hole at Robins, with some zebra and impala


Robins camp common areas

Kudu

Warthogs

Elephant skull, most likely died from natural causes - malnutrition due to teeth being too short to chew


Steenbok



Egyptian geese

Roan antelope and zebra



three lions





G&Ts at sunset

Our tour vehicle








There is a cheetah in these pics





Kudu



























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Day 27: Sun 15 Sep - Brisbane to Home, 280km (4hrs)

11-26 deg C Walk: 6km Had a bit of a restless sleep and started coughing about 1am, and about 3am I noticed that Greg was awake as well, so ...