Mashatu Game Reserve is located in the eastern portion of the North Eastern Tuli Game Reserve ( an area of 720 square kilometres) which is the eastern most part of the Tuli Block in south eastern Botswana. Mashatu is unusual in that it has so many diverse landscapes to explore. To the north west is the Motloutse river outlook, Soloman’s wall and Mmagwa Hill. To explore these three sites is a half day trip. It is ideal to be up Mmagwa either before dawn or at dusk. It is about an hour and a half’s drive from Ponte Drift (South Africa-Botswana border post), so it is easier to do a sunset trip.

“These are islands in time — with nothing to date them on the calendar of mankind. In these areas it is as though a person were looking backward into the ages and forward untold years. Here are bits of eternity, which have a preciousness beyond all accounting.” ~ Harvey Broome

This means travelling in an open game vehicle in the afternoon heat which depending on the time of the year can be very hot in mid-summer. Thankfully, we were in Mashatu in early spring when it was still hot but bearable.

The drive to Mmagwa takes you through a “foot and mouth” dip where you have to stop, get out of the vehicle and walk on a chemically saturated sack in a tray. After this chemical adjustment we got back onto the vehicle and proceeded onto Mouloutse river lookout.

It was early afternoon so it was hot as we drove into the amphitheatre which is a few hundred metres from the Motloutse outlook. The amphitheatre is a sandy open area surrounded by a rugged sandstone ridge. The shade of a well leafed tree at the edge of the amphitheatre provided welcome shade for lunch.

After lunch we drove down to the Motloutse lookout. It is a climb to get up the rocks to the lookout but it is worthwhile. The vista is spectacular from the lookout. One is able to look up and down the Motloutse river for kilometres. Being early spring, the river was just sand but in the rainy season, when in spate, this river flows bank to bank.

“To me, a wilderness is where the flow of wildness is essentially uninterrupted by technology; without wilderness the world is a cage.” ~ David Brower

The Motloutse lookout is on top of a granite ridge. It is rugged and stark but has a charm which lingers in your imagination.

Even if you have no interest in geology, you cannot help but be fascinated by the rock formations in Mashatu, especially in the Motloutse-Soloman’s Wall area. Apart from which there is plenty of wildlife up in this part of the game reserve.

Solomon’s Wall is an impressive basalt dyke which once formed a vertical natural dam wall across the Motloutse River. The two sides of this breached barrier still tower up to 30 m high, and are 10 metres wide.

Before the wall was breached, the dyke created a natural dam wall which held back a great lake. Evidence of this lake lingers in the form of alluvial semi-precious stones including quartz and agate which can be found in and along the Motloutse’s riverbed. The first diamonds found in Botswana were found upstream of Soloman’s Wall in the 1960s.

“With mindfulness, you can establish yourself in the present in order to touch the wonders of life that are available in that moment.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Over the millennia this dyke weathered to form blocks. At some point the dyke was breached by the water which dammed up behind it. Today the wall has been washed away across the Motloutse river which allows the river, when in spate, to flow unimpeded down to the Limpopo river. Either side of the river, Soloman’s Wall remains intact as a reminder of what must have been an impressive natural dam wall with an equally impressive waterfall over it. Even though for most of the year the Mouloutse is a wide dry river of sand, in the rainy season it can flood bank to bank making it completely impassable.

After visiting Solomon’s Wall, we drove to Mmagwa Hill. On top of Mmagwa Hill is the remains of the Moltoutse ruins. Mmagwa was once part of the royal dwellings of the rulers of the Leopard’s Kopje Dynasty – the forerunner of the legendary Mapungubwe Empire, southern Africa’s first kingdom. The remains of this empire can also be seen some 35 km east of Mmagwa at the Mapungubwe World Heritage Site in South Africa. Great Zimbabwe is thought to be another satellite of this erstwhile empire.

This area was also made famous by Frederik Courtney Selous who hunted elephant in the region during the late 1800s. Baines also passed though here on his voyages. Cecil John Rhodes who led the led the Pioneer Column through this area into south western Rhodesia. It was also the route for the Zeederberg Express (stage coach service) from South Africa into Rhodesia. Cecil John Rhodes must have also stood on top of Mmagwa gazing north and contemplating the possibility of the Cape-Cairo railway. Rhodes’s initials can still be seen engraved in the trunk of the baobab tree on top of Mmagwa Hill.

A characteristic of the Tuli landscape is the abundance of ridges and outcrops formed from a variety of rock types making the Tuli area a paradise for geologists and landscape photographers alike. The geology has, to a large extent, determined the soils which lie above the rocks and the geology has also determined the ground water system in the area.

The Tuli area is situated on the Basement Complex which consists of a number of stable shields, known as cratons, surrounded by less stable mobile belts. The cratons are large, stable masses of mainly granite and metamorphic rock. The Tuli area is specifically located on the Limpopo Mobile Belt which is unstable (in geological terms) which has caused its significant deformation. Strongly folded rocks form the base material which is overlaid sandstone and igneous rocks such as granites and dolerites, which give the area its diversity of rock types and its impressive landscapes.

The so-called Rhodes Baobab impressively stands at the western end of the Mmagwa ridge. This solitary baobab towers as a sentinel at the most exposed part of the ridge but has managed to survive there for hundreds of years. The top of this baobab must have broken off many years ago leaving the uniquely shaped trunk and two major branches which are still alive.

It is always worthwhile being on top of Mmagwa Hill at sunset. The vast vistas reveal herds of elephant and the height provides a view for tens of kilometres.

“Mmagwa is place to come and contemplate the ages past. The view is expansive. There is a calm sense of reverence instilled in this wild place. A reverence which will remain with you long after you have left.” ~ Mike Haworth

Quiet contemplation of the beauty of this area over a sundowner sitting on this massive granite rock while bathed in soft evening light will illuminate your imagination and lighten your soul. When everyone is quiet, there is a palpable sense of reverence on top of Mmagwa Hill.

I have been up Mmagwa many times but this visit was unusual. This time, Jack asked Kate to marry him at sunset next to the baobab. It was a very romantic setting and the occasion produced many tears of joy, huge smiles and offers of congratulations.

After the celebration the sun had set below the horizon. The air was still and the temperature warm. For about 20 minutes after the sun has set the colours in the evening sky became progressively more saturated gladdening this photographer’s heart.

In early spring it is very dry and the air is full of dust which the light catches at sunset creating this beautiful smokey orangy-peach hue. We were making our way back along the ridge to get down one of the steep sections before it became too dark.

Once you hear the hyaenas calling in the valley below as they make their way to the spring, you know it is time to get off the hill.

This is one of those places which infuses a deep sense of Africa in you. You really get a sense of times past. The landscapes reflect the geological history and the hyaena’s whoop at sunset remind you that this is Africa and the nocturnes have awoken.

“Land, then, is not merely soil; it is a fountain of energy flowing through a circuit of soils, plants and animals.” ~Aldo Leopold

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its inter-connectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike

Mashatu Game Reserve is in south east Botswana adjacent to the Tuli circle. Today, Tuli is a village in Zimbabwe which forms the centre of a circle described by a 10-mile radius. The Tuli village was the base for early poineers into the then Rhodesia. The circumference of circle was described by the radius of the canon’s firing range which was positioned in the camp at the Tuli village. The southern half of the Tuli circle stretches south of the Shashe River into Botswana.

“There is a delight in the hardy life of the open. There are no words that can tell the hidden spirit of the wilderness that can reveal its mystery, its melancholy and its charm. The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased and not impaired in value. Conservation means development as much as it does protection.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt

Despite being a dry area for most of the year, this is an area of prolific wildlife and birdlife. We are fortunate enough to be involved in a private syndicate operating in Mashatu. One of the special features of Mashatu is its leopards but the cheetahs are also thriving in this private game reserve.

On our first afternoon game drive we found one of the female cheetahs with four sub-adult cubs. It was dusk, it was dry and dusty. The cubs were clearly tired.

The cheetah mother was ever alert. This is the the inbetween time when the day time hunters are looking for a place to sleep safely and the nocturnal hunters are just starting to get moving.

Stop for a moment and think how stressful it must be as a cheetah mother trying to constantly stay alert and keep your little ones alive. Surprises are dangerous and can be deadly in the bush. I am always so impressed with their independence and self-reliance.

“The wilderness holds answers to questions man has not yet learned to ask.” ~ Nancy Newhall

The next day, mid-morning and we found this lone cheetah male who had just killed an impala ram. It was hot and the kill was out in the blazing sun. This male was panting heavily. As all cheetahs do, they rest for a short while to catch their breath and then tuck in to their kill because of the high probability of it being stolen.

This male cheetah has started to feed and opened up the soft underbelly but he was clearly very hot and did not look under nourished so he just stood assessing what the odds were and tryed to decide what to do next.

Eventually he decided to retreat into the shade of a Shepherd tree. It was too hot and he was too tired to drag the kill into the shade. I always marvel at bush cats’ ability to lie on rough stoney ground in apparent comfort.

“The wilderness and the idea of wilderness is one of the permanent homes of the human spirit.” ~ Joseph Wood Krutch

Wild animals do not seem to have regrets or harbour their thoughts on what might have been. They take stock of the area and start looking for the next opportunity.

The four sub-adults were in prime condition, testament to an excellent mother. It would not be too long before they would be abandoned by their mother, as her teaching would be done. True empowerment with consequences!

But for now the shade and the company would do just fine while they regrouped and waited for the next opportunity to present itself.

These sub-adults looked relaxed but they were still alert and as soon as a distinct sound was heard they all turned around to locate it.

I watch wild mothers and see how they protect their young as best they can and even more importantly they empower their young and teach them the way of the world to ensure they can survive on their own.

“If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them something more than the miracles of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it.”

“We must not only protect the country side and save it from destruction, we must restore what has been destroyed and salvage the beauty and charm of our cities … Once our natural splendor is destroyed, it can never be recaptured. And once man can no longer walk with beauty or wonder at nature, his spirit will wither and his sustenance be wasted.” ~ Lyndon B. Johnson

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its inter-connectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike

We visited Mashatu in mid-September 2019 with family and long standing friends, Simon and Cora Ford and their daughter Kate and fiancee Jack. Simon and I grew up as children in Zimbabwe and both developed our love of the bush from our early childhood. Our friends have a deep love of the bush and it was a privilege to show them around Mashatu.

“More than any other creature, beyond insects, birds offer a kaleidoscope of colours, shapes, and behaviours and they are exquisitely designed for their environment.” ~ Mike Haworth

In mid-September, it is early spring in southern Africa so the migrants have not yet arrived and the residents are preparing for the time of plenty.

This tawny eagle was perched on top of a large bush just above a kudu bull which looked to have died from natural causes. The reason the tawny was in the tree and not on the ground was that a leopard was surveying the carcass.

Not far way, the lions had taken down a female Eland. There was not much left after the lions had had their fill followed by the hyaenas and then the jackals. Needless to say, the real waste disposal team were on the scene, an assortment of vultures and Marabou storks were also congregating. Marabou do not have ability to tear off flesh from the carcass so rely on pieces removed by the vultures. Marabou are not shy to use that strong dagger like beak to steal a morsel or two.

Another diurnal resident is the ubiquitous Kori Bustard. This is one of Mashatu’s big seven. It is the largest flying bird in this part of the world. It is very seldom you will find an image of a Kori bustard walking towards you, they are very wary of vehicles and like all wildlife have a distinct safe distance which they like to keep from something they are unsure about.

After driving around the Majale river environs looking for lions, cheetah and leopard we traditionally find a prominent spot to get off the vehicle and have a “sundowner” and watch the sun setting. This is normally a time of animated chatter about what we had seen in the past hour or two. This means it is dark by the time we head back to camp. There is a spot light on the vehicle which we use after dark. It has a red filter to reduce the effect on the wildlife. On the way back we saw this Spotted Eagle owl.

The Spotted Eagle owl was quite a sighting at night. Even with our vehicle turned off and everyone silent on the vehicle this owl would turn its head back and forth picking up sounds in the night air which we could not hear.

Another excellent night time sighting was this Three-banded courser. The Three banded and Bronze-winged coursers are mainly nocturnal and tend to freeze when approached. Their eyes are large and wide open, ideal for nocturnal activity. I have also frequently seen the diurnal Temmnick’s courser in Mashatu.

A Red-eyed dove. This is a common visitor around camp in Mashatu, it is bigger than both the African morning dove and the Cape turtle dove but they all have the distinctive black collar on the back of their neck. This dove likes the riverine forest habitat around our syndicate, Rock Camp, in Mashatu. I find the best way to try to remember their calls is to verbalise. For a red-eyed dove it is ” as if to say – I am”.

A pair of Tropical boubous visited camp every day. They were usually seen burrowing around in the leaf litter under the large Mashatu tree just next to the main lodge. These boubous have an astounding medley of call. The Tropical boubou is a bush shrike and it pairs for life. They can often be heard duetting. To vocalize, they move higher off the ground than during their usual activities, and may perch on an exposed site. They also nod their head and bow their body when calling, making them even more conspicuous sometimes. As many as seven different types of duet have been recorded and seem to form some sort of morse code like language.

“Hear how the birds, on every blooming spray, With joyous music wake the dawning day.” ~  Alexander Pope

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A Jameson’s firefinch distinctive because of its red belly, neck and face and black-grey bill. The crown, nape and back are a washed pink. They normally come to drink from the bird bath in ones or twos.

These are Green wood-hoopoes. They travel in family groups of up to ten individuals. They scour the bark on the trees for insects and grubs. They make a racket like babblers and are colloquially called “cackling widows” because of their noise and dark plumage. It was interesting to see them in what looked to be sucking up water with their long red bills.

“In order to see birds it is necessary to become part of the silence. ” ~Robert Lynd

This was a young Kurricane thrush which was just starting to develop its malar markings on its throat and cheeks. This was also an afternoon visitor around camp. It also scoured and tipped through the undergrowth looking for insects and grubs. Although a common resident in southern African I have not regularly seen them.

These white helmeted shrikes were wild but are quite habituated to all the comings and goings in the camp so do not fly off at the first sight of people.

White helmeted shrikes normally travel in family groups of around six birds. They chatter constantly but are not as noisy as babblers. They are alway a welcome sight around camp and visit daily for a drink and dip in the bird bath at the camp.

These were the birds that we saw on out travels around the Mashatu game reserve and we did not specifically stop for the birds. The rest were seen around camp in the middle of the day. There is abundant birdlife in Mashatu at all times and it becomes overflowing in summer when all the migrants from lesser spotted eagles to all the cuckoos and woodland kingfishers and carmine bee-eaters arrive to feast on the abundant insect life.

“There is nothing in which the birds differ more from man than the way in which they can build and yet leave a landscape as it was before.” ~Robert Wilson Lynd

Explore, seek to understand, marvel at its inter-connectedness and let it be.

Have fun, Mike