Adrian and Rentia arrived at Addo Elephant Park just as we were pulling in – not bad timing considering they drove from one side of this huge country and we drove from the other. What a joy to see them! We’d said goodbye in Cape Town 17 months ago, and now here we are together again; a pinnacle has been reached. Adrian made the reservations, booking us into the main camp for two nights, then off to bush camps for the last two nights. There is so much to talk about. Four days will not suffice, but it will have to do.

Addo Elephant Park is a haven for the great beasts and the usual suspects in an African game park, with a couple of exceptions. Addo boast the “Big Seven” as opposed to the Big Five – the designation given to those animals most difficult to hunt on foot, namely elephant, buffalo, rhino, lion and leopard. So who are the other two animals that account for the Big Seven? It isn’t monkeys or baboons although there are plenty of those. Addo Park encompasses a portion of the Indian Ocean and guess what swims right into the park – whales and white sharks. Clever, right? The big seven. I think whales and the white shark fit the billing – who’d hunt them on foot anyway?

The four of us (the Big Four) enjoyed what Addo main camp had to offer and for many it is the only camp they visit.  By contrast, Mvumu camp is one of the bush camps and while it does not boast large predators and elephant, the camp is remote and rarely used. There was an ingenious parafin-heated hot water shower (a dribble really, not a “shower”) and a bird hide – what more do you need? The road was not sedan-friendly. In fact it was healthy to have two vehicles traveling together, not that anything went wrong. Stream crossings, crazy steep and narrow mountain passes, rocky roadbeds – all in a day’s work for the two Toyotas.

From Mvumu the track led us (slowly and cautiously) over the mountains through the biome known as the Avery Thicket, past giant ancient cycad trees and tiny cacti, and on to the seldom-used Darlington Dam campsite.  The gate guard told us to be aware, there are three lion around, he said, but no one knows exactly where they are. When we heard a mournful hooting call we at first assumed it was the cats, but it turned out to be a male ostrich. They make an deep-toned, drawn out hoot – at Marakele Park they hooted right next to us and yes, it is loud. So next time you are sleeping in an unfenced camp miles away from anywhere and you think you hear lion roaring, just tell yourself it is an ostrich. Happy dreams!

Adrian and Rentia are embarking on a three-month self drive trip beginning this fall, and with all that to plan for, plus work in general – well, it was incredibly generous of them to take the time to come all the way to Addo just to camp with us. Our reunion was at once both joyous and  bittersweet, for none of us know when we will see each other again. Not ones for long drawn-out goodbyes, we simply left it at “when we meet again”. Adrian and Rentia are so special, best friends worth seeking out any time, any where. We will see them again.