Everything comes in batches, sometimes
Last time, we told you about our misfortunes with several repairs when we had prepared for only the new clutch. Well, there was still more to come, but this time in better surroundings...
EDIT 21st of August, 2024: Added the voiceover to this post (read by Piritta):
After the new clutch installation, we thought everything was in order for a long time when we left Windhoek for our beloved National Park in South Africa: the magical Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.
But little did we know that there was still more to come…
Leaving Windhoek Had Some Issues…
According to the original plan, we were supposed to go to Angola.
But after all these recent happenings and our still leaking shocks, we decided it was better to head to South Africa.
If our shocks would need to be changed, we’d be much better off doing so in South Africa, where they are cheaper and readily available. So, Angola just had to wait for next year for now.
So, we said goodbyes to our friends in Windhoek and left for Kgalagadi. We were lucky to get some “last-minute” reservations at the Kalahari Tented Camp, Nossob, and Twee Rivieren camps.
We woke up early, the car was packed, and we were ready to go — only to find a new leak in the transfer case! You can read the rest below.
And we think that the expression on the dog’s face tells it all… 😂
After a night in Mariental, we continued onwards.
So we drove towards the Mata Mata border post straight to Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. After the approx. 600 km drive altogether from Windhoek, we crossed the border from Namibia to South Africa.
Blissful Days in Kgalagadi Before the Storm
It had been almost five years since we last visited Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP), so we were glad to be back in this amazing park!
After crossing from Mata Mata, we spent a couple of days relaxing at the Kalahari Tented Camp. The camp had a nice view of the waterhole, and we could observe animals right from our porch.
A lot of black-backed jackals especially liked to hang around.
Then we drove to Nossob and changed to camping. We enjoyed early morning game drives in the game-rich Nossob area of northern Kgalagadi, and life was good.
Then We Suddenly Had Clutch Issues – Again
However, on the third day in Nossob, while we were on a game drive and on a lion sighting (!), disaster struck yet again — suddenly, our clutch dropped to the bottom, and it didn’t get back up again! 😬
And as we were surrounded by lions, there was no way to come out of the car… We had to make a plan…
Niina lifted the clutch pedal back up with her hand and managed to change the gears, and we limped back to camp on 1st gear. We knew there was air in the clutch system, and it needed bleeding — which is not an easy task in a Defender Puma, and we’d need help from the camp staff.
Long story very short: surprisingly, it was hard to get help from the Nossob camp staff (they just suggested to “get a flatbed and go to Upington” — which wasn’t really an option for us). We succeeded only with our persistence in getting help, but ultimately, we got our clutch somewhat back in operation.
But we lost a day trying to bleed the clutch with various successes. Fortunately, we had enough clutch fluid with us, as none wouldn’t been available in Nossob camp.
But the stress, agitation, and irritation we felt were huge. As if we had not had enough trouble already…
Also, this should not have happened in the first place for a just-changed clutch, which should’ve been bled accordingly! What all went wrong in Windhoek, we don’t know, but luckily, we managed to get a working clutch back, and we could continue staying in Kgalagadi and using our reservation.
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park Gave Us Great Sightings
After temporarily sorting out the clutch, we finally had time to enjoy Kgalagadi and all its magic again.
And we sure did enjoy it!
One of the most memorable sightings in the Nossob area was a cheetah hunting the springbok. Unfortunately, she failed then, but seeing her spring into full speed from right behind our car was awesome!
In the Twee Rivieren area, we located a meerkat nest and observed these awesome little creatures for several days – and they had babies, too!
We had many other great sightings during our several days’ stay, and we were happy when we left Kgalagadi.
It’s magical how being in nature sweeps away hardships and stress and replaces them with tranquility and peace. 🙏
Which is why we love to be in the bush so much. It replenishes your soul and gives you new energy.
We Got Our Clutch Back in Great Working Order in Upington
When we exited Kgalagadi, we went straight to Upington to bleed our clutch properly in a Ford workshop, where our Windhoek mechanic directed us to sort it out.
This process took a few days, but in the end, the clutch worked perfectly again when it was bled professionally.
So we were good to go slowly back towards Pretoria. On the way, we stopped in new places where we hadn’t been before, like the beautiful and tranquil Augrabies Falls National Park, where lots (!) of dassies (rock hyraxes) kept us company for days. 😅 And we also visited the small but fun Mokala National Park.
But more from these places in some future posts.
Summer was also approaching fast in the Northern Hemisphere, and we had to start planning for our summer back in Finland again.
But we still had time, and many things were happening on the way.
What exactly? Well, you will need to stay tuned and read our future posts 😅
So, until the next time, Stay Wild,
What’s Happening On Our Buy Me A Coffee -Page?
We have just added 5 pieces of exclusive Wildlife Photography Art Prints of Piritta's photography. All pieces will be hand-signed by Piritta with a personal message to you!
These are one-off prints, and only the 5 pieces are available. When they’re gone, they’re gone.
So, take a look and grab one! 😃 🐘
And, we’d also like to take this opportunity and once again say thank you to all of you, our dear readers, who supported us in a time of need. Much appreciated! 🙏
