Antelope Park

Monday 17th October - At 12.45 Alastair, Penny and I set off for Antelope Park, just outside Gweru, en route to Bulawayo and The Matopos.  Driving out of Harare is pretty grim as you go through the cow's guts and on down Beatrice Road and the industrial sites.  The market area down Fourth Street parallel to Meikles Hotel has grown with loads of commuter omnibuses, touts and vendors.  A lorry had overturned at the end of Beatrice Road just before the cemetery at the roundabout.  So unlike the Uk where the road would have been closed off we just weaved our way around it.............as did everyone else.  The dual carriageway has sort of opened there now but it does come to an end and it's easy to carry on to a dead end because you've missed the cross over back onto the normal road!

Lots of inspirational quotes at Antelope Park

Anyway, we got to Antelope Park at about 4pm and checked in.  Alastair into a basic room whilst Penny and I each had a "water edged" river tent room with verandah.  It's the dry season so the river by the tents was dry but they're still in a beautiful setting with birdlife and it's a great introduction of what's to come.  There's now a bar at the camp next to to the boma so, of course, we met up pretty quickly to douse our thirst.  Over supper we decided that Penny and I would walk with the lions the next morning before heading off for Bulawayo...............................

The Park attracts many volunteers from over the world to work on its conservation and community projects.  There is, however, some controversy over the lion project.