The granite Wilderness
Trip Start
Unknown
1
14
23
Trip End
Ongoing
Matopos National Park, Zimbabwe
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Camp Amolinda and the granite wilderness.
Up early for our trip to Bulawayo and Camp Amolinda. The weather was hot and sunny and once we cleared the city limits the road was surprisingly wide and good. When the highways were first built they did a good job and despite having speed limits signposted at 100K there seemed to be only two speeds of travel, either 40kph or 140kph. At times we were zooming along at 140 and were overtaken by the odd merc or other V8 doing at least 160. The roads were at first quite straight, with wide verges, and probably in better nick than most western NSW main roads.
Traffic was light and with only a couple of stops we reached Bulawayo in less than 5 hours.
Bulawayo (Zim's second largest city and I’m told a pop. of around 1 million) looks really interesting and so different from Harare. Different cultural group (the Ndebele v the Shona of Harare area) and as we were planning a stop-over there after our safari trips we just got quick directions to Camp Amolinda which was about 45 clicks south of the city and headed for our first bush adventure.
Reached Amolinda mid afternoon and it lived up to its title of "Wilderness of Granite". The road into the camp was along a bush track and over dry creeks beds and granite outcrops. No place for your normal vehicle and we were happy with Gemma’s Honda’s CRV high wheel clearance and off road tyres. It’s called a camp but in reality is nine bush lodges literally built into the sides of granite outcrops with thatched roofs and rustic safari furniture, plus lounges, a library, bush bar, and dining areas all at different tree top levels and natural granite swimming pool at creek leevel. Never seen anything like it, and as we crossed a rope and slat bridge to one of the gazebos from our cliff room we felt like a cross between Fred and Wilma Flinstone, Tarzan and Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Check it out on the web for more description but the pictures hardly do the place justice.
We were the only party staying at the camp and after we had settled into our rooms, our camp host, a convivial young white Zimbabwean from Victoria Falls called Billy, took us on a short bush walk to the top of a large outcrop to enjoys gin and tonics and local beers that he had carefully back packed, as the sun set. Absolutely magnificent ! Our first taste of the Zim bush and we came across some recent spoor of black rhino but We didn’t see many animals other than the large black eagles and their prey the rock dassie. (hyrax species, about as big as large rabbit).The rhino would have to wait for the morning.
The camp sits in the world heritage site, Matobo Hills, right on the edge of the world famous Matopos National Park and the park has the highest density of black eagles and leopards in Africa.
Quite something to experience, sipping G & T’s at sunset gazing over such a rugged granite wilderness. Almost prehistoric.
Back to camp before it gets too dark and to a wonderful camp fire (It gets a bit chilly ay night) and a superb 3 course meal and lots of safari and hunting folklore from Billy.
