Matobo National Park

We were going to walk with rhinos and we had a half an hour journey to get to the gates to the park but within minutes we had found some rhinos.

We got quite close with our guide, Andy in charge as he know animals as he was a former hunter.

The rhino grazing in the shade.

Later we came across a female and a calf. Often they would walk away from us.

And sometimes they stood and stared.

And then walked away.

But we has plenty of opportunities to skirt around the animals and have another view.

Andy was brave to get within a few metres of the beasts.

A group of rhinos eyeing us.

A selfie to show that I was with the rhinos.

After the rhinos there was still plenty to see with curious boulders lying on the top of one of the many escarpments in the park.

And there were plenty of kopjies standing proud of the general gradient of the land.

There was a lake in the park and it was hot but swimming was not advised due to crocodiles.

Overlooking the lake were a series of caves and  numerous cave paintings of the San people who told stories in art.

 And then there was a climb up the highest peak in the park called the Worlds End. It was a scenic view.

This is where Cecil Rhodes is buried who had such an influence on the development of south Africa and after whom Rhodesia was named later to be called Zimbabwe. 

There is also a monument to Alan Wilson and his men who ventured out to subdue the Shona people and all of them were massacred in 1893.

This is a popular place to watch the sun set.

There is always clear skies here and the height gives the sunset an extra vividness.

Some of the boulders lying at the top of the hill.