Kruger National Park Satara

We left Lower Sabie yesterday morning and took a slow route northwards to Satara, another large camp. In fact there is a larger camping area here than any we have been on before. Although there are quite a lot trees they are sparse and we had to drive around several times to find a spot which would give us shade. We arrived here about 12.00 and it was 35C. As it is such a large campsite it wasn't so crowded last night. We spoke to a couple who had come from Maroela, the site we are headed for next, a 'basic' site, only tents and caravans, no shop or other facilities, just toilets, showers and washing up area. They know the Park well, they live in Jo'burg and have been coming here for years, and  said it will be busy with weekenders when we go on Saturday, but it could well be our last busy campsite as  far fewer people go to the northern part of the Park. It actually juts up against the Zimbabwean border, but there isn't a border post inside the Park at the moment, we have to leave the Park and travel west and just a little bit further north to the crossing point at Beitbridge. I have heard rumours about developing a trans-fronteir Park which would not only extend from Kruger into Zimbabwe, but also across the eastern border at this point into Mozambique. There is an interesting looking place on the map called 'Crooks Corner, where the three countries meet. After all, the animals don't stay within the country borders, but wander freely between them.
It was a good drive here yesterday, we aw lots of animals. Maybe this is a good time to make a  list of all the animals we have seen so far:
Elephants++
Zebras++
Giraffes+
Hippos++
Rhinos
Crocodiles+
Lions
Wilderbeest++
Black backed Jackals
Hyenas
Warthogs++
Hartebeest
Mongoose
Impala++
Common Duku
Kudu
Steenbok
Vervet monkeys++
Baboons
Ostrich
Saddle-billed Stork
Southern Ground Hornbill
+ Loads of birds, only some of which we are able to identify, obviously the Starlings, many varieties, turquoise and glossy, and the Weaver birds, darts of yellow. The Hornbills are impressive, with their long curved beaks. Many of the small birds are dashes of bright colour, gone before we can reach for the binoculars of the Birder Guide.

The tent is working very well. Yesterday afternoon we walked past some of the (very expensive) chalet bungalows. They had their windows shut and noisy air-con chugging away. With all the ventilation, although it was a still a bit warm when we went to bed at 21.00 we had no trouble sleeping, and I woke up at 01.00 and needed to pull a sleeping bag over as I was old
It is of course, still Spring here, well pre-Summer, May equivalent. Just as the Jakarandas were in full blossom when we were in Pretoria so many of the Veld (Bush) shrubs and trees are in flower. The perfume, particularly early morning and after dusk is exotic and heady.
We were up and out in the Park by 05.00 this morning, getting back at 07.30 for some breakfast. Although we had two good viewings, the Blacked backed Jackal and the Saddle-billed Stork, there was not the proliferation of grazing animals we expected. The Park is vast, animals obviously move around freely and it is very much a case of being in the right place at the right time.