30/06/2008
Time Area and details of animal Weather: Sunny
Min temp: 07°C
Max temp: 22°C
07:30 Report
08:30 Went to Ladysmith to get AFTW Vehicle’s front right wheel fixed and to get some blades for the grass cutter at AFGRI
12:00 Got back home and changed the wheel of the AFTW Vehicle
12:10 Went up the mountain to check how we are going to place the container for the batteries and repeater of the radios
13:10 Saw 3 Blesbok on top of the mountain while going to the container
13:20 Marked out a position for the container next to the foundation of the mast, now we will put a foundation for the container there then all will be finished
14:00 At the bottom of the mountain coming back I saw 3 Kudu bulls and 3 Zebras next to the road
14:30 Went to ryefield
14:55 At the ryefield I saw 24 Waterbuck, they seem to like it there now and they are
getting pretty used to the vehicle by now
15:00 Saw 3 Sacred Ibis also on the ryefield near the centre pivot
15:30 At the 2 ponds near the main gate I saw 4 Warthog males wallowing in the mud
16:00 Went back to the farm house to check my e-mails and get the reports from the game guards
16:30 Went to switch off the centre pivot and take the game guards home
17:30 Home
01/07/2008
Time Area and details of animal Weather: Sunny
Min temp: 05°C
Max temp: 19°C
06:45 Fetched staff
07:30 Got everything ready to go and burn the firebreak at the back of the mountain at N3 Highway
09:00 Started burning the firebreak; started slow for the grass was still a bit wet, but later as it started to get warmer it went well, burned about 200m along border fence
12:30 Finished firebreak
13:30 Went around mountain to check on the prickly pears and cochineal
14:00 The cochineal is spreading nicely and I found some more Prickly Pear Moth
larvae on the prickly pears
15:00 Went back to the place where we burned firebreaks just to double check that
everything is ok there
16:00 Saw 6 Zebras with 4 Oxpeckers on them near the house
16:30 Took staff back
17:15 Home
02/07/2008
Time Area and details of animal Weather: Sunny
Min temp: 05°C
Max temp: 20°C
07:30 Report
08:30 Checked on the Prickly Pear Moths I have. They are still in their larvae stage and are burrowing nicely in the prickly pear leaves I gave them
09:00 The fencing material arrived and we offloaded it at the workshop
10:00 Went to Pietermaritzburg with Mike to go and see the people who gives courses in First Aid, got a quote from them for a Level 3 First Aid course, we also went to Protecta Wear to get gloves for the staff
15:45 Stopped at Mooi River on the way back to fetch the new water cart and to check
on the river pump to see what is wrong with it.
17:30 Home
03/07/2008
Time Area and details of animal Weather: Sunny
Min temp: 03°C
Max temp: 19°C
06:45 Took AFTW Vehicle in for a service and to get 2 bolts for the tractor
13:30 Got home and I went straight up to mount Sully to check on the Blesbok, could only see 3 up there, one cow and 2 calves.
14:30 Went to the ryefield, I saw 7 Blesbok there, so I think that some of the blesbok
from the top of the mountain have come down to the ryefield
15:30 Went to the back at the N3 side to look for the Hartebeests, only saw the one-
horned animal near the river
16:30 Home
04/07/2008
Time Area and details of animal Weather: Sunny
Min temp: 07°C
Max temp: 21°C
07:30 Report
08:30 Went to drop the alien plant team at the R103 to ring bark some Gum Trees
09:30 Went to the back of Geluk Farm to check on the progress the TLB Dozer is
doing fixing the road there so that it is easier to do firebreaks and fencing at the back of Geluk
12:30 Went to check on the Waterbuck on the ryefield, saw 24 animals again today,
I can still only make out 8 calves, but I think there may be more than that
13:30 Went to Geluk farm to check on everything there, went to the dam at the old
bush camp, it has enough water left for the winter
14:30 Went to Vertrek farm to look for the Blue Wildebeests, could not find them and I
checked the water holes, there is enough water for the animals
15:30 Left to go and pick up the alien plant team at the R103 at the back of Vertrek
16:30 Home
