Into Wild Lion Country: Mabuasehube Botswana Overlanding (Wild Side of Mabua Ep 1)

Introduction

Good morning. It's the start of a new day, the morning I crossed the border into Botswana. Let the journey begin.

Crossing into Botswana (Skilpadshek)

Arriving at Skilpadshek border post, and there's a queue of trucks. First time at this border post that I've seen the queue this long. I've never experienced that here. All the border formalities went very smooth and we're on the road, on the way to Mabuasehube, but spending the first night on the cutlines.

Coffee stop before Jwaneng

Quick stop here before Jwaneng for a nice cup of coffee and something to eat. I need to pick up some meat, which I ordered in Jwaneng, because we're not allowed to bring meat into Botswana. I had leftovers from the braai last night and some extra pies, so coffee on the side of the road and a bit of espresso. I don't make cappuccinos with the espresso often. I just press the button two or three times to fill up with water and coffee, then put some milk in. Nice coffee, nice snack. Time to hit the road.

Jwaneng Diamond Mine

Some info about Jwaneng, a small town with a big story. Located about 160 kilometres west of Gaborone, Jwaneng means a place of small stones in Setswana, which is fitting since it became home to one of the world's richest diamond mines. The town was purpose built in the early 1980s to support the Jwaneng Diamond Mine, which officially opened in 1982. It's operated by Debswana, a 50/50 partnership between De Beers and the government of Botswana. Discovered back in 1972, the mine still produces some of the highest valued diamonds on Earth, earning it the nickname the Prince of Mines. Beyond the sparkle, Jwaneng contributes billions in revenue and provides thousands of jobs.

Jwaneng Meat Market

I've got Donald here helping me choose my meat in Botswana, at the Jwaneng meat market. If you come to Botswana on holiday, the Jwaneng meat market, you have to stop here. Fresh meat, the best you can get. This one is spiced as well. Rump steak, one kilo. Jwaneng Meat Market and Fresh Produce. Definitely stop here on your way to Namibia or Mabuasehube when you're in Botswana.

Diesel in Sekoma

This is Sekoma, a very well known fuel stop for South Africans coming to Botswana. They've got a nice shop. Time to fill up with diesel. Puts in a total of 400 litres. Spent a couple of minutes in Sekoma and ready to go.

Spaza stop

Stopped at the local spaza shop in one of the small towns to see what I can find. Picked up some St Louis beer. Thanks, guys.

Cutline, deflate tyres

Approaching the turn off to the cutlines, just another few hundred metres. Very excited to finally get through to the bush. Got to stop, deflate the wheels, engage 4x4, and then the real fun begins. Getting goosebumps in anticipation of this turn off to the Mabuasehube cutlines. As heavy as this camper is, you don't want to underinflate your tyres, that causes its own problems. You don't want to sit out here with a flat and only one spare. I usually take a camping trailer with six spare wheels, so I can leave the trailer in the bush, go fix a tyre and come back for it, but I didn't bring it on this trip. Right, tyres deflated. Can't wait to get onto this cutline and drive it properly.

KD/12 concession

East of Mabuasehube, way out where the silence gets real and the sand never ends, you'll find the KD/12 community concession. It's community land, managed by the locals. When you camp here, your money goes straight to the people who actually live with the wildlife. Botswana started protecting this region a long time ago with the Gemsbok National Park, and later added Mabuasehube in the 70s, but places like KD/12 stayed in local hands. These community areas help link the massive Kalahari ecosystem together. Hundreds of kilometres of dunes, pans and wildlife corridors. No fences, no facilities, no noise.

First night on the cutlines

Nice day driving the cutlines. After 80 km I found a camping spot, so I pulled off to set up camp. It's just after 6, which breaks one of my own rules of pulling off at about half four, but I'm here, I'm safe, remote in the bush. This setup takes about 2 to 3 minutes. The first St Louis beer from Botswana, and maybe the first beer in months for me. First time I'm doing something like this on my own. I've done overlanding plenty of times, but not alone, always in a group. And I'm enjoying it. This is me signing off for the night.

Day 3, morning on the cutlines, on to Jack's Pan

Good morning. Good night's rest, it rained the whole night. Waited for the rain to ease so I could tear down camp, then time for a coffee. I'm on the cutlines on the way to Jack's Pan. You need a permit to be on the cutlines, to show you're overnighting or transiting to Jack's Pan. That's the KD/12 conservation area, run by the local community trust at Kokotsha, so you go to the town of Kokotsha to buy your permit. Much needed rain in the Kalahari. This area is a semi desert, the surface water evaporates very fast and drains into the sand quickly. About a 3 hour drive, left at quarter to nine from where I camped on the cutline, and arriving at the turn off on the Mabuasehube to Jack's Pan cutline. Did about 90 km in 3 hours. Road was good, corrugated here and there, speed between 20 and 40 km an hour but mostly 30. 36 km from the bush. That was about a 30 km drive from the cutline. Finally turned off to Jack's Pan. 6 km left, the last stretch before the wild begins.

Jack's Pan arrival

Welcome to Jack's Pan. That was a Kori bustard, the largest flying bird native to Africa, a member of the bustard family in the order Otidiformes, restricted to the Old World. Just arrived at Jack's Pan, about a 5 hour drive, 124 km from where I slept last night. Looking forward to two days here with this calm, peaceful, serene surrounding. Hopefully there are lions in camp and I can catch some footage.

Kamp Kos

Nice afternoon. Time to make some camp food, man style. I'm doing mince. I put the pasta inside the mince and let it cook together. Sorry for my back, I'm alone, no camera crew. Bought this coconut oil in Mozambique on my travels, putting a little in. Going to fry the onions, then the mince, this is game mince, then some veggies, mushrooms and mixed veg. Quite a small pot for all this mince, so maybe no veggies, or I do them in another pot. Add a little water, turn the heat down. I always make extra so I've got breakfast and maybe lunch tomorrow. I put it in Tupperware in the fridge. Some people will hate this, but I like my cold food. Adding rosemary and garlic olive salt I bought in Darling when I visited a friend down in Yzerfontein. Then a chilli spice I picked up on my travels, one or two teaspoons, let's be adventurous. When you come to places this remote, we go by the philosophy everything in, everything out. Whatever you bring in, take it out, there's no rubbish disposal here. There's also very little water, you can't rely on it. Sometimes you can fill your tanks at Mabuasehube gate, but I don't know how reliable that is, I've arrived at the gate before and there was no water. We had enough for about five or six days but were going to be in the park for 10 days, so we used it sparingly and luckily made a plan when we did get some. Most overlanders, 99 percent, live by that rule, we want to conserve these areas. Mince mixed with pasta and mushrooms, some chilli. That's the food for the night.

Day 4, morning and the day at the pan

Good rest last night. Woke at about 3, it was raining softly, stopped within 10 minutes and cleared up. Plan for today is to hang around camp, maybe a drive this afternoon around the pan, do camp chores. A wire came loose from my DC charger to my battery, so I need to sort that out, then relax and listen to the bush. Plains game is scarce, nothing on the pans. I picked up kudu and zebra tracks on the road but couldn't spot them. Hoping for plains game and lions, lions top of the list. Even small things, I love filming the ground squirrels. Awesome relaxing day, did my chores, went through footage, sat and relaxed. Eventually we had oryx on the pan, ostrich, springbok, about 600 metres out, probably too far for the camera. Quiet, just me and the bush. Steak and a beer on the go.

Close and Part 2 teaser

That's where we leave it for Part 1. In Part 2 we push deeper into the wild, more tracks, more camps, more Kalahari. Hit like, subscribe and the bell so you see when Part 2 of episode one goes up. The episode closes over the original Tusk and Tyre track Run with the Wild.