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South African nature-lovers have been venturing back up to Zimbabwe for several years now. Many of them head for well-known attractions like Victoria Falls and Mana Pools, both more than eight hours' drive from Beitbridge.
Unspoilt Gonarezhou National Park is less than four hours from the border post. If you visit outside of the main holiday season, you'll likely end up having this 5 000 kilometre-square park very nearly to yourself.
Gonarezhou means place of many elephants in Zimbabwe's Shona language.
It is home to more than 10 000 elephants. We saw a bull minutes after arriving, a few hundred metres from the Chipinda Pools tented campsite, which is run as part of a thriving partnership between the Frankfurt Zoological Society and Zimbabwe's state National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.
The bull watched us steadily as our bakkie idled by the viewing point over the magnificent Runde River, which laces through the park. He had absolutely no desire to budge so we reversed and left him.
"We haven't had any incidents with our elephants," a parks official had told me at the gate. "But they can be lively."
Lively was the right choice of word. A day later, we were driving through rugged shrub-studded countryside on our way to visit the Chilojo Cliffs, a magnificent formation of red clay cliffs overlooking the Runde. My husband was hoping to see another Carmine Bee-Eater, a blue and red bird that looks exactly like an avian Superman. (He'd spotted several on a previous trip).
There was not another vehicle in sight.
Rounding a bend, we came suddenly on a natural waterhole. surrounded by zebras, impalas and a group of about six elephants, including calves. One of the elephants started suddenly towards us: not a full-on charge, just a warning. This place very clearly belongs to the elephants, and they know that.
But there's much more than just elephants at Gonarezhou. The next evening, we bumped four kilometres along the road from Chipinda Pools to the Massasanya Dam, carrying a bag of chips and a bottle of juice for sundowners. The dam's surface was as shiny and flat as a mirror, apart from the grey ink-bubbles where the hippos were treading water.
There were at least 15 of them. They were very interested in us, bumbling determinedly pod by pod across the dam to the side we were standing near. As three hippos cavorted in the water less than 20 metres away, I caught even my bush-loving husband glancing across to check our bakkie doors were open in case a quick retreat was needed. But then he got distracted by the Yellow-Billed Stork...
If you're planning on heading there from South Africa, here's a rough guide to the essentials...
What's the road to Gonarezhou like?
Not perfect, but OK. As with many of Zimbabwe's roads, particularly in the rural areas, you're at an advantage if you're not in a saloon.
After you've cleared Beitbridge head for Chiredzi (and remember that the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority says it has dedicated staff to help tourists at the border: look for them at the end of the bridge in the car park as you cross into Zimbabwe or check ZTA Beitbridge's FB page).
The drive will take you around three-and-a-half hours. The northern entrance to Gonarezhou (which is where the Chipinda Pools tented campsite is situated), is about 70 kilometres on from Chiredzi. If you're doing this as part of a grand tour of Zimbabwe and negotiating your way down from the city of Mutare, on the eastern border with Mozambique, be warned: there is a long pot-holed section near Chisumbanje.
Roads inside the park are rugged. It's important to note that November to May is the rainy season and some of the smaller tracks and the "wild" camping sites are closed.
How do we book to camp in Gonarezhou?
Pre-booking is essential. You can book one of the four already-erected tents at the Chipinda Pools campsite, or -in the dry season - one of the "wild" or exclusive campsites, for which you'll need to be fully equipped.
Email: bookings@zimparks.co.zw or centralreservations3@zimparks.co.zw. There is also a DIY campsite at Chipinda Pools which has ablution facilities and braai spots.
Prices for South African passport-holders:
Tented camp costs US$115 (about R1 415 at R12.31/$) per tent per night (2 people), US$136 per tent per night (4 people) plus conservation fee of US$6 per person per day. US$10 per vehicle entry fee (valid for 5 days). "Wild" or "exclusive" National Parks campsites cost less.
What do we take?
All your food. There are no shops nearby. If you're staying in the tented camp run jointly with the Frankfurt Zoological Society, a fridge, gas rings and bedding (and beds) are provided. You'll need your own matches, loo rolls, torches and mosquito repellent. If you're not staying at the tented camp, you'll need all the normal camping stuff.
Can we walk in the park?
There are viewing spots and picnic places, many of these inside designated camping sites. At these places it's expected you'll be getting out of your car to take pictures. Apart from these, as in all Zimbabwe's national parks, you are not allowed to get out of your car to walk along the road unless you are on a pre-arranged walking safari.
How safe is it?
This is a national park and there are potentially dangerous animals. At night you will hear lions (we also heard hyenas). Friends of ours met a leopard as they ambled unsuspectingly down to the Chipinda Pools at 4 in the afternoon. You are not allowed to take a weapon into the park with you. A word on breakdowns: try to avoid them. If your car gives up the ghost 34 kilometres into the park, there will quite likely to be no-one around for 34 kilometres. So make sure your vehicle is in tip-top shape. Another word of caution, there is no 'phone signal inside the park.
Good for kids?
Our two (both under 12) adored the glamp-y tent, with its built-in mosquito net, stone floor, hot shower and furnished verandah. As with all Zimbabwe's national parks, keep your children away from river banks. There are crocodiles.
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