DINOKENG
The Big Five
in your backyard
DINOKENG
Dinokeng Game
Reserve, 45 minutes
north of Pretoria,
markets itself as a Big
Five reserve in Gauteng.
But does the place
live up to the hype?
Can you have a proper
wilderness experience
so close to home?
WORDS TABBY MITTINS
PICTURES VILLIERS STEYN
TRUNK CALL. Writer Tabby, guide Werner Roets
and tracker Goodman Nyathi look for elephants
after driving past a herd of waterbuck (left).
46 April 2013
gomag.co.za
April 2013 47
DINOKENG
TAKE ME TO THE ACTION. On a late-afternoon game drive near Mongena Dam, guide Pieter Pretorius (right) and tracker
Rackson Nyathi scan the veld for the resident pride of lions.
I
f I close my eyes and ignore the distant
lowing of a distressed cow, I could be in
the Kruger. Metres away, the trilling of
a pair of crested barbets nearly drowns
out the shrill whistling of a magpie
shrike, but not the happy, giggling song of
a woodland’s kingfisher, surely the ultimate
background soundtrack to a Lowveld summer.
But I am nowhere near the Kruger. In fact,
I haven’t even left Gauteng. Villiers and I have
pitched our tent at Dinokeng Lodge, less than
50 km north of Pretoria. If you can’t remember
whether or not you locked your front door, no
problem, you can nip back and check.
We’re here to explore the Dinokeng Game
Reserve, apparently the first place in Gauteng
where wild lions have roamed freely in a
hundred years. (Gauteng wasn’t around a
century ago, but you get the drift.) And now,
since buffalo were introduced in August 2012,
Dinokeng is a fully fledged Big Five reserve.
Like an onion, Dinokeng Game Reserve lies
within the bigger game-and-cattle Dinokeng
region, which has its own attractions like the
Roodeplaat and Rust de Winter dams, Rayton
and the diamond town of Cullinan on its
periphery. And, like that onion, deciphering
what to do and where to stay might make you
cry. With hundreds of different land owners
offering team building, paintball, bush golf,
48 April 2013
wellness spas, art retreats and even hot-air
balloon rides, Dinokeng can be overwhelming
for a first-time visitor.
But I’m not here to build team spirit. I want
to see the Big Five. And since you can only find
them on this 18 500 ha reserve in the northwestern corner of Dinokeng, that’s where
Villiers and I have come.
To be honest, we didn’t really have much
hope driving here. That is, until we drove
through the Tau Entrance Gate on the edge
of Hammanskraal and immediately spotted
a buffalo. Game on!
Big plans
We’re staying in the campsite at Dinokeng
Lodge, just outside the electrified “Big Five
Area”, which is what most people around here
call the Dinokeng Game Reserve.
The owner of the lodge, Johan Scholtz,
pores over a map and explains the future
plans for the Big Five Area: Phase 1, completed
in September 2011, saw 271 landowners in
the area drop their fences, creating 18 500 ha
of wild and rehabilitating veld for wildlife to
roam. Phase 2 is now underway, which will
hopefully increase the size of the reserve to
45 000 ha in the next few years. The ultimate
aim, at the end of Phase 3, is to expand the
sTARING CONTEST. Zebras are a familiar sight in the
Dinokeng Game Reserve.
reserve even further, to 100 000 ha, which
would make it the second biggest game reserve
in South Africa after the Kruger Park.
At the moment, however, the game reserve
is still a baby. You’re not allowed to go on a
game drive in your own vehicle yet, although
this is on the cards. So, to see the Big Five,
we need to arrange some guided activities at
a lodge within the reserve proper. All helpful
fingers point to Mongena Game Lodge where,
for a reasonable R200 per person, you can
hire the services of guide Pieter Pretorius and
veteran tracker Rackson Nyathi.
With cameras locked and loaded, we hop
onto an open game-drive vehicle and start
our search. Soon enough, Pieter and Rackson
track down some buffalo wallowing in a
muddy pool and also two hefty lionesses on
a wildebeest kill. We watch as the lionesses
clean their bloodied faces and, after a couple
of impressive yawns, retreat to the shade of
a nearby thorn tree.
Driving along the muddy tracks around
Mongena and its neighbouring properties,
I’m amazed at how little of Dinokeng’s
agricultural history remains. There’s the
occasional old water pump and reservoir, and
even a run-down homestead (or “honeymoon
suite” as Pieter calls it) but there’s none of the
DINOKENG
DINOKENG
The reserve has a surprising variety of habitats
– open plains, riverine forest and dense
bushveld – plus all the smaller animals that call
those habitats home. As a result, by the time
we stop for sundowners next to a bubbling
river, as the moon rises high and bright in the
sky, I’m not particularly concerned about our
failed elephant hunt. We sip our drinks and
munch sticks of droëwors, happy to just chat
while the day fades into night.
“This is one of my favourite spots,” says
Werner. “I’d love to see the elephants here
some day.”
He may as well have said “abracadabra”.
On cue, a ghostly grey herd emerges from
the bush. Crunching contentedly, they make
their way to the water’s edge with the clear
intention of crossing over to our side. We
pack up quietly and retreat to the vehicle,
watching as the elephants pick their way
across the river in the moonlight.
GHOSTLY. Elephants make their way down to
the water under a rising full moon.
Although we came here to prove (or
debunk) the claim that you can see the Big
Five in the wild in Gauteng, I’m no longer
bothered by my incomplete checklist. The
birdlife alone is reason enough to visit, not to
mention the abundance of animals. Not only
do you get the feeling that you’re properly
in the bush, you can escape the city in style
without breaking the bank.
Fully rested, we climb into the car and begin
the short drive back to Pretoria, keeping our
eyes peeled for a farewell rhino. But Dinokeng
has a different surprise for us: Loping along
next to the road is an old leopard… tortoise!
Hey, after such a great weekend, that’s close
enough for me.
IN OTHER WORDS
Anèl & Pieter
Naude, Pretoria
“Mongena Game
Lodge really
impressed us. We
were welcomed with
refreshing drinks,
our rooms were luxurious, and the game drives
were a treat. We saw the newly introduced herd
of buffalo and tracked lions until dark. To have
sundowners and snacks in the middle of the
bush was a special experience.”
Johan Scholtz,
owner of
Dinokeng Lodge
“The birdlife here is
very rich. In 2011, a keen
twitcher counted more
than 170 species in just
three days.”
Pieter Pretorius
& Werner Roets,
guides at
Mongena Game
Lodge
“The late-afternoon
game drive (4.30 pm) is usually the
best for game viewing because by that time
we’ll have received reports of where the
animals were seen on the three earlier drives.”
50 April 2013
POST-LUNCH NAP. Two lionesses (one collared) catch their breath after devouring a wildebeest carcass.
rubble or leftover corrugated iron you usually
see on rehabilitated land.
That is, until night falls and the lights of
Hammanskraal blink at you from the horizon,
or when you bump into the inevitable fence on
the boundary of a neighbouring cattle farm.
Still, Dinokeng Game Reserve and its affiliated
lodges offer a remarkably authentic wildlife
experience considering how close you are to
Sandton City.
Night ellies
More importantly, how’s our checklist going?
It’s evening on the second day of our visit
and we’ve still only seen two of the Big Five.
The rhinos could be anywhere, and, let’s
face it, leopards outside Londolozi can’t
be relied upon to show up just because you
ask nicely.
Although a lot of general game species like
zebra, impala and waterbuck – even leopard
and rhino – have occurred in this region for
many years, lion, buffalo and elephant are
fairly recent additions, and they therefore
tend to favour certain areas of the reserve.
Lucky for us, our guides know where those
areas are.
Werner Roets, head ranger at Mongena
and our guide for this evening’s game drive,
takes us deep into elephant territory in the
hope that we’ll find them, but alas, the ellies
are hiding.
There’s lots to keep us entertained, though.
More things to do
KEEP BUSY. You might see African jacana (above) on a boat cruise on the dam at Mongena. The Kingfisher Restaurant
looks out over the same dam (below left). At nearby Mystic Monkeys, you can see a ring-tailed lemur (below right).
Linger over lunch
Head chef Johannes Marebi, who once worked
as a private chef for Harry Oppenheimer, is
the man behind the meals at Mongena Game
Lodge’s Kingfisher Restaurant. The restaurant
overlooks a small dam where blue wildebeest,
zebra, blesbok and giraffe come down to drink.
We can recommend the Giant Kingfisher
(R95) – steak, boerewors and a lamb chop,
served with traditional pap – or a good old
home-made beef burger (R65).
Outside visitors are welcome; you don’t have
to be a guest at the lodge.
Contact: 012 711 8920; mongena.co.za
Meet Richard Parker
Spoiled rotten. A guided game drive is a pleasure. Not only
do you get taken to the animals, you also stop for coffee!
gomag.co.za
The kids will enjoy an outing to Mystic Monkeys
& Feathers Wildlife Park near Rust de Winter
Dam. The sanctuary is home to 33 different
species of primates, including chimpanzees and
a few lemur species, plus white lions and Bengal
tigers. You’ll struggle to find a sanctuary with
cleaner enclosures and happier animals.
Where? About 21 km from the Yingwe Gate
into Dinokeng Game Reserve, next to Rust
de Winter Dam.
When? Daily from 9 am – 4 pm.
Cost: R100 per adult; R50 per child aged
3 – 13; free for children under 3.
Contact: 012 723 0315;
mysticmonkeys.co.za
Go on a sunset boat cruise
At Mongena Game Lodge you can spend a
relaxed afternoon on their very own 28 ha dam.
The cruise lasts about two hours and gives you
the opportunity to see African jacana, squacco
heron and malachite kingfisher, plus plenty of
other waterfowl. You can even try your luck at
bass fishing.
Cost: R220 per adult; R110 per child under 11,
including snacks and one drink per person.
(Min four passengers; max 15.)
Contact: [email protected];
mongena.co.za
April 2013 51
DINOKENG
10 km
naa
Rust de Winter
Nature Reserve
r
Pie
s
to Cullinan
ken
Hammanskraal
nd
na
ar
Ela
Dinokeng
Game Reserve
Boe
hou
tsp
to Pretoria
ruit
How to get there: From Pretoria, take the N1
north and exit at Hammanskraal after about
35 km. Turn right across the highway and left
immediately onto the Rust de Winter road.
Follow this road for about 3 km to the Dinokeng
Game Reserve information centre, next to the
Tau Entrance Gate. GPS: S25.37855 E28.30909
Self-catering
to Bela-Bela
Pie
KNow
before
you go
Tussen-i-Bome
Three unique camps, each with a double bed in
an authentic ox wagon and two single beds in
a side tent. Each camp has running water and
a flush toilet, but no power. Gas bottles and
firewood are provided for cooking. (Heat your
own water for the barrel bath.)
Where? The turn-off is outside Dinokeng Game
Reserve, about 12 km from the Ts’ukulu Gate, on
the R628 gravel road.
Rates: From R300 per person per night sharing.
Contact: 082 511 1169 (Gerhard van
Jaarsveld); tussenibome.co.za
Tussen-i-Bome
Dinokeng Lodge
Stay in one of two twin-room chalets, each
with a kitchenette and en suite bathroom, or
in an en suite lodge room with a shared living
room and kitchen.
Rates: Chalet R750 per room per night; lodge
rooms from R550 per room.
Contact: 082 787 7789 (Johan Scholtz);
dinokenglodge.com
Dinokeng Lodge campsite
WHERE TO STAY
There is a glut of accommodation
establishments around the Dinokeng
Game Reserve. We can recommend these:
Camping
De Rust Caravan Park
The campsite has 25 lush stands with ample
shade, green lawns, braai areas, power points
and a swimming pool.
Where? Inside Dinokeng Game Reserve (less
than a kilometre from the Ndlovu Gate), on
the banks of the Pienaars River.
Go for a ride. If you bring your own bike on
a weekend, owner Jan de Preez can take you
for a ride through the Big Five Area.
Rates: Camping R100 per person
52 April 2013
(no children under 15 allowed).
Contact: 083 282 7292 (Jan de Preez);
derustcaravanpark.co.za
Dinokeng Lodge
The campsite has 32 stands with ample shade
and power. There are only a few braai places, so
play it safe and bring your Weber. There’s also
a swimming pool and communal kitchen.
Where? The turn-off is outside Dinokeng
Game Reserve, about 15 km from the
Hammanskraal off-ramp (N1) along the
Rust de Winter road.
Rates: Camping R75 per adult; R25 per child
aged 7 – 12; free for children under 5.
Contact: 082 787 7789 (Johan Scholtz);
dinokenglodge.com
Mongena Game Lodge
Lodge accommodation
Mongena Game Lodge
A selection of twin and four-sleeper family
rooms, all with en suite bathrooms. The lodge
also has a swimming pool and restaurant.
Where? Inside Dinokeng Game Reserve,
about 6 km from the Tau Gate; 10 km from
the Hammanskraal off-ramp (N1).
Rates: From R700 per adult sharing; R290 per
child aged 3 – 11 (including breakfast).
Contact: 012 711 8920; mongena.co.za