No hair dryers or make up and a very limited wardrobe helped to keep things simple and uncomplicated for the 2 ladies on this trip. The guys were so chilled by the fourth day that all they had to do was 'drink us pretty'. Life in the bush is so relaxing that one forgets what day it is, you eat when you are hungry and sleep when you are tired - no stress or routine - only thing we all missed was our daily dose of exercise.

20th May saw us head back home via Satara and our overnight stay in our 2 bed roomed lodge was very comfortable but the inevitable Kruger standards of single beds and very basic equipment in the kitchen apply . My take on this is that they encourage guests to use the Mugg & Bean or other restaurants. Braaing is easy - trying to cook a decent meal with a few antiquated utensils and blunt knives - my absolute pet hate!! Thankfully we were geared for a braai and having done our last game drive which was not that exciting, we settled on the verandah in balmy weather and watched Terry cook the meat to perfection - he was our braai master on this trip! Peter was our early morning coffee king and Carol was our hot shot game and bird spotter with her chic Swarovski binocs!! Yours truly was the blogger of the trip and voted the Mampara of the trip - must say that I was just a wee bit forgetful on a few occasions!

The Elephant Museum which is located at Satara, is worth an hours visit to learn about the history and lifespan of these magnificent gentle giants. There are still some great tuskers living in Kruger and the park rangers monitor them closely. The walls of the museum are adorned with pictures and actual tusks of those who have passed on . There are many displays of dissected body parts of the elephants various organs to show their size and comparison to that of a human being! Could have spent longer in this Elephant sanctuary!!

We headed back to the Orpen Gate the next day and we four had a fabulous early morning sighting of two cheetahs on the roadside but as usual these cats are never still for long and sensing the audience of a few cars, they headed off into the long tawny grass. We were sad not to have seen any Leopards or more lions on this Kruger Jol but as everyone who has been to Kruger or another game reserve knows, there's a lot of luck in being in the right spot at the right time. Others had seen lots of lion so the KNP count of 2000 lions (done 2013) means there are plenty roaming the open plains of Kruger. Cheetah count is 225 and Leopard stand at 950. Buffalo come in at more than 16000 and Elephant around 12000. Sadly wild dog are now only 350 and are on the endangered list as are Black Rhino at 300, probably less after all the poaching that has taken place over last two years .

We had a delectable breakfast in Hazyview and parted company with our friends Carol & Peter, both parties visiting their offspring in Jhb and our decision to try the newly revamped Rupert acquisition of The Drostdy Hotel for our final stop in Graaff Reneit was a good choice. It is now under Newmark hotels management team and we found the staff very friendly and the rooms and food were 5 star as was the interior decor of all common areas and there is plenty of secure parking in the grounds for the likes of travelers with trailers. This is a very interesting little town which dates back to the 1800's and there are a multitude of tourist options like Museums and Monuments and also worth a visit is The Valley of Desolation situated within the Camdeboo Nature Reserve with its amazing views over the dam and town and Klein Karoo landscapes. Sunset makes these sheer cliff faces come alive with colour.

The N9 was our preferred route from GR having driven it on a previous visit and this scenic route traverses 2 beautiful mountain passes before coming out into George.

5700 Kms later, Terry and I arrived back home to a warm autumn day in beautiful Knysna. We count our blessings every time we cross over the white bridge with the lagoon snaking its way to the Heads.

Thanks to all participants who made comments on my various blogs, I really do appreciate your interest - now I look forward to a trip of a different kind!

Cheers from Lizzie & TK