The wind that had been blowing all day in the park on Monday continued into
the night, and got quite chilly. After dinner and sending the blog we
decided that we should see if a more sheltered spot was available to move to
for the night as we were quite open where we were. At the other end of camp
there was such a spot, and much quieter and secluded. It felt almost like we
had moved into the bush. So we moved, made camp, and hit the tent. I think
we were much better off wind wise than if we had stayed put. A cold front
was on its way through as from that night thru to leaving on the Thursday
the air temperature plummeted. Hot in the sun, not in the shade. On Tuesday
the cooler conditions suited us nicely as we took to the trails again for a
trip up to the top of Pointer, a rocky hill just across from the camp. The
walk took us from the camp up to 1150m at the top of the jagged rocks a
climb of about 250m, fantastic views all around, and then on around the
plateau for a total of about 15km or so back to camp. It was great to be
walking in the NP, and to see Zebra and Kudu by foot instead of on our bums
in Mufasa. Got a taste for it and fancy doing some of the Kruger walks
sometime even with the prospect of larger and more dangerous game around,
well me anyway not sure Sue thinks it is such an exciting prospect! Sue
caught up with the washing on Wednesday and on Thursday we were on the move
again heading south for Oudtshoorn.
However we never made it. Halfway there down the N12 we suddenly decided to
take a detour via Prince Albert a small town at the foot of the Swartberg
Pass to our west. Our diversion was via a great gravel track, memories of
East Africa. Well great at the time of writing, but with all the streams
passing across it that were thankfully dry if the heavens had opened it
would have been a different story. Boy are we glad we made the detour.
Prince Albert, a beautiful little town in great surroundings. We got the 'we
could live here' feeling, dangerous!! After a quick drive around, not a very
big place, and a stop at the tourist info we hit the Lazy Lizard for lunch.
Home made food Karoo style. We both indulged in a Karoo Lamb curry with all
the trimmings and then shared some apple pie with clotted cream and a gut
busting slice of carrot cake washed down with homemade lemonade and fresh
coffee. Oh yes, top drawer. After the feast we popped out to Bushman's
Valley (S33 15.446 E22 02.764) a couple of KM south of town to check out the
camping, fantastic spot tucked into the rocky hills, and then ventured back
to town to give it a thorough going over. We walked the place flat. Great
old houses of Karoo, Cape Dutch, and Victorian style. It comes as no
surprise that there are many a property for sale. Nowt bad going on but just
locals trying to cash in on the 2nd home buyers that have landed in most of
the desirable towns. With thoughts of a holiday home for ourselves and plans
for how to make it work somehow we headed back to camp to sleep off the
large lunch.
Friday was a slow start. I think we made it back into town just after 11h30,
time for coffee!! This time Cafe Albert hit the spot with great coffee, some
cheesecake with prickly pear syrup and a homemade scone with cheese and jam.
The town is quite a tourist trap with many a place to feast and more B&B
than you can shake an AA South Africa B&B Guide at. It was time yet again to
walk the place flat and check out the estate agents just for the heck of it.
Prices are still not too bad, a good 3 bed house for under R1M, but nothing
that grabbed us. Eventually after having a look around one house, Sue
accosted the owner in his drive and he very kindly showed us around, we
decided that the town was not for us. Nice weather now in the autumn and
winter, bloody hot as hell in the summer!! Most houses are still on septic
tanks in the old part of town and they still receive 'lei' water at most
houses via a system of water channels and sluice gates that channel the
water from the mountains. Very sweet but it has a problem. Most house owners
have a small dam or pool on their property to store their share of water, a
haven for mosquitoes!!
After two very peaceful days at Bushman's Valley it was alas time to move on
again. Managing to get going a bit earlier than we had on Friday we made it
briefly back into Prince Albert to hit the Saturday morning market. We
hadn't expected much and although we were correct in our expectations of the
size of the market there were still several purchases to be made. Some
rusks, tomatoes, chocolate brownies, fresh bread, and a jar of marmalade.
Then after a quick dash to the only petrol station in town to feed Mufasa
and check his tyres, to the Swartberg Pass it was. Oh, bugger. Turning onto
the gravel road for the pass we came face to face with a 'road closed' sign.
We stopped and a couple of people passed us, we were not sure what to do. As
Bushman's Valley was just back a couple of KM on the main road we returned
there and Ian the owner phoned the garage and cop shop in town to see what
the deal was. The police didn't really know but said it might just be some
water damage after the heavy rains they had a week or so ago and a 4x4
should be ok. So satisfied that we might make it we set off again. Boy what
a great road! The pass may not be that high, I think we climbed about 800m
to just over 1500m but the winding narrow gravel road is a stunner. The rock
formations on the northern side are awe inspiring compared to the much
smoother southern side. We stopped near the top for coffee and chocolate
brownies. Oh yes, delicious, glad we bought 4, wish we had bought dozens!
Declining to take a there and back detour to 'The Hell', check it on the
web, it was over the top and back down to normal heights. We made a quick
stop off at the Cango Caves to check out the prices. Not too expensive but
not a giveaway to get yourself stuck in some narrow hole in the rock
somewhere under the hillside. So on it was to Oudtshoorn, where we stayed a
few years back on a tour of the Cape. As it was only just midday we (well
me) decided that we should push on to Wilderness NP via the shops at George.
Two missions in mind at the new mall on the edge of town, when we eventually
found it, were food and phone. Food, the cupboard was bare, and phone as the
mobile we use for the internet had decided that it no longer wanted to
charge as we discovered in Graaf Reinet. As to whether it was phone or
charger we didn't know. Thankfully after visiting a Vodashop we were
relieved that it was the charger which was broken. Armed with a new one we
are now back in the 'real' world again. Nice to be able to get back in touch
with the football world, Man Utd losing twice in a row, snigger.
On through George we arrived at the Wilderness NP. Nice to see the sea again
after a long time, but back to misty sticky damp sea air something that we
have not had since Mozambique. A nice camp, well one of two camps. Ebb and
Flow South camp (S33 59.379 E22 36.482) where we are is south of the road
and funnily enough Ebb and Flow North camp is north of the road, both on the
east bank of the River Touw. They have a funny pricing scheme here for
camping, as it seems they do at Nature's Valley and Storms River that we
shall visit later up the coast. Bargain basement is no power and no view for
R125 (i.e. us, no surprise there), then power with no view for R175, and
finally the posh seats with power and a view for R195. The view being a
pitch on the bank of the river, and no view being anywhere. So far at
SanParks we have paid, if needed, R10 a night for electric. Here the
difference is R50 a night, electricity must be darn expensive down on the
coast!! No problem, we have our own source, the Sun! Being at the coast and
not a game park we didn't expect it to be that busy which even though it was
a Saturday it wasn't really, well not that evening anyway.
I guess at this time of year a park such as Wilderness NP makes a nice slice
of needed income from day visitors at the weekends when the camping is a bit
on the slow side. The place sure became a lot busier throughout the day, but
as the average age of the visitors was probably over the 50 mark the peace
and quite was not shattered quite like we had experienced last year at
Chintheche on Lake Malawi. By the end of the day all the picnickers had gone
as had all the remaining campers so it was just us here for the night which
was nice. One of the perks of travelling out of season, you quite often get
places to yourself. We knew however that we would have company again in the
morning as they are rebuilding one of the ablution blocks here, and builders
would be 'hard at it' come day break.
Today it was time to take to our walking boots again and try out one of the
trails at Wilderness NP up to a waterfall on the Touw River that runs past
the camp. One of the routes was shut, overgrown and lack of maintenance
possibly, so we took the alternative path. It was a very pleasant walk, many
a good bird spot on the way including a Narina Trogon, amazing colours. The
trail map advertises this particular walk as having a world class boardwalk.
As to whether the world class title applies I couldn't say but it was most
impressive none the less. As for the waterfall at the end of the trail,
probably not quite as impressing as I am sure it is after some heavy
rainfall. After probably 8km up and down thru the forest it was back to camp
for a late lunch and possibly a doze. Well the doze might be on the cards
provided I get this typed before dinner time!!
Monday 23 March 2009
Monday 16 March 2009
Just larking around in the Eastern Cape
After leaving Zastron we soon dispatched the last of our current stay in the
Free State. The countryside was scenic as usual and the towns, Rouxville and
Aliwal North, nice but probably well past their best. Next stop the Eastern
Cape. After travelling on many a km of tarmac so far arriving in the Eastern
Cape is a pleasant surprise, they actually seem to care about their roads
and an active road repair scheme must have been active for some time,
potholes, a banished word hurrah!! The towns of Burgersdorp and Steynsburg
flashed past the windscreen, again nice but not places worth more than a
cursory glance, well from our perspective anyway. Then in the middle of
nowhere comes the one and a half horse town of Hofmeyer. There really was
not much there in the sense of a real frontier town, but it just seemed
sweet. We managed to only come away with some Koeksisters from the
shop/resturant/toilet/b&b although tempted by many of the various jars of
jams and pickles on sale. Then it was onto our destination the Mountain
Zebra NP (S32 13.470 E25 28.723) just west of Cradock. Cradock by the way
was not too bad for a largish town, some pretty old houses, and cheap fuel
if nothing else!!
Now for us this is where we are getting into new territory as far as the
South African National Parks go. Hopefully all that we shall visit on this
brief trip will be a great experience. Mt Zebra was definitely this. It is
only a smallish park and there is no Big 5 to draw the masses, but plenty of
game and birds to be seen, although the birdlife seemed a bit lacking
probably due to the time of year. There was promise of Black Rhino and
Cheetah but sadly we saw neither. The rest camp was nice if compact, new
ablutions, and very busy. Sometimes it is not just the wildlife that is
there to be observed but also what is going on in the rest camp! One evening
there was much coming and going between four different couples each admiring
the others 'nice set-up' be it tent, trailer tent, or caravan. We were quite
sure we were probably witnessing the 'nice set-up' of some OAP swingers!
Needless to say after we had finished dinner and done the washing up we were
up our into the tent, ladder hoisted, and ready to repel any advances!!
There is just something about being in a park, especially a quiet one like
Mt Zebra. Up on top of a hill along one of the 4x4 tracks, just sitting
there, coffee in hand, peace and tranquillity, bliss. When there is no one
else around then everything that you can see in all directions belongs to
you and no one else. Well apart from any wildlife there of course, wouldn't
begrudge them a slice of our paradise. We had a nice introduction to one
crazy bird, the Clapper Lark. Oh, we hate larks, hundreds of different larks
and they all look the same, best to be ignored sometimes and look for sommit
easier to identify! However, up in our paradise we made a real effort, and
one of the better and easier was the Clapper Lark. It does exactly what is
says on the can. Leaves its perch, flaps furiously up into the air, beating
its wings together as it does so making the clapping noise, and the suddenly
stops 'clapping' and glides back down letting out a 'weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee'.
Most amusing. Not quite sure how this attracts the most suitable lark of the
opposite sex, but I guess it must work. We spent three lovely nights at Mt
Zebra, but had exhausted all routes and decided to move on to pastures new.
Sue has several places that are on her list to be seen and Graaff Reinet is
one of them. On the way we had to get over two very high passes. Yeah right.
More like little speed bumps compared to some of the heights Mufasa climbed
to up in Ethiopia. Having said that it is quite hard to imagine sometimes
that these passes at around 1800m are only half as high as the dizzy heights
we ventured to on our last trip and these ones were hard work in places.
Anyway, on to Graaff Reinet. Thankfully we arrived just in time to catch the
shops before they closed. Yep, old world South Africa. The shops shut at
lunch time on Saturday. Nice for the workers, bloody inconvenient for the
travelling shoppers!! Thankfully we managed to get some meat and some veg to
keep us going for a few days. Then it was on to find our home for the night,
Urquhart Caravan Park (S32 14.563 E24 31.623). What can we say about the
place. Loads of pitches, no one there except us for a while until a few more
passers by stopped off. The jewel of the place, the ablutions, NOT. I am
sure several hundred years ago when they were first built they were
delightful! Thankfully the town is set inside the Camdeboo NP and so that
evening we decided to pop out of camp not far up the road to take in the
sights of the Valley of Desolation. Sounds interesting, you bet, stunning!
Not to go into too much detail, you drive up to the top of a hill
overlooking some truly amazing rock formations, and if you get there as the
sun goes down they go very nicely red with the setting sun. As traditional
for this type of setting we had some sundowners, well tea from a flask if
that counts. We will post some pictures of the place sometime, but have a
look on the WWW, not sure but I would think there are some nice photos
already there.
Grateful to escape the delights of Urquhart Park it was off to the Western
Cape and see what another national park, the Karoo, would have in store for
us. After a quick stop off just outside Aberdeen at the Kamdebo Padstal to
buy some rusks and olives we made the long haul on a road that the Romans
would have been proud of from Aberdeen to Beaufort West, very long and
pretty straight, we arrived at our next park on the list, the Karoo NP (S32
19.955 E22 29.505). Again not a big draw for lions etc. but extremely scenic
and there are several walks to be done, weather permitting. The camp site is
very nice, although quite busy. You have to laugh sometimes. One couple
arrived in their Land Cruiser towing a smart 'hard core' off road caravan,
and then the hubby proceeded to spend ages trying to get their satellite TV
set-up, I think he gave up after a couple of hours. Not quite sure why they
have the kit they do that can get them away from it all when they don't
understand the point of getting away from it all. Perhaps it is just me?
One night here so far, had a great 45km drive today, not too much game to
see, but the landscape is desolate, and stunning. I think we will hit one of
the walking trails tomorrow and possibly stay here for another 2 or so
nights.
Free State. The countryside was scenic as usual and the towns, Rouxville and
Aliwal North, nice but probably well past their best. Next stop the Eastern
Cape. After travelling on many a km of tarmac so far arriving in the Eastern
Cape is a pleasant surprise, they actually seem to care about their roads
and an active road repair scheme must have been active for some time,
potholes, a banished word hurrah!! The towns of Burgersdorp and Steynsburg
flashed past the windscreen, again nice but not places worth more than a
cursory glance, well from our perspective anyway. Then in the middle of
nowhere comes the one and a half horse town of Hofmeyer. There really was
not much there in the sense of a real frontier town, but it just seemed
sweet. We managed to only come away with some Koeksisters from the
shop/resturant/toilet/b&b although tempted by many of the various jars of
jams and pickles on sale. Then it was onto our destination the Mountain
Zebra NP (S32 13.470 E25 28.723) just west of Cradock. Cradock by the way
was not too bad for a largish town, some pretty old houses, and cheap fuel
if nothing else!!
Now for us this is where we are getting into new territory as far as the
South African National Parks go. Hopefully all that we shall visit on this
brief trip will be a great experience. Mt Zebra was definitely this. It is
only a smallish park and there is no Big 5 to draw the masses, but plenty of
game and birds to be seen, although the birdlife seemed a bit lacking
probably due to the time of year. There was promise of Black Rhino and
Cheetah but sadly we saw neither. The rest camp was nice if compact, new
ablutions, and very busy. Sometimes it is not just the wildlife that is
there to be observed but also what is going on in the rest camp! One evening
there was much coming and going between four different couples each admiring
the others 'nice set-up' be it tent, trailer tent, or caravan. We were quite
sure we were probably witnessing the 'nice set-up' of some OAP swingers!
Needless to say after we had finished dinner and done the washing up we were
up our into the tent, ladder hoisted, and ready to repel any advances!!
There is just something about being in a park, especially a quiet one like
Mt Zebra. Up on top of a hill along one of the 4x4 tracks, just sitting
there, coffee in hand, peace and tranquillity, bliss. When there is no one
else around then everything that you can see in all directions belongs to
you and no one else. Well apart from any wildlife there of course, wouldn't
begrudge them a slice of our paradise. We had a nice introduction to one
crazy bird, the Clapper Lark. Oh, we hate larks, hundreds of different larks
and they all look the same, best to be ignored sometimes and look for sommit
easier to identify! However, up in our paradise we made a real effort, and
one of the better and easier was the Clapper Lark. It does exactly what is
says on the can. Leaves its perch, flaps furiously up into the air, beating
its wings together as it does so making the clapping noise, and the suddenly
stops 'clapping' and glides back down letting out a 'weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee'.
Most amusing. Not quite sure how this attracts the most suitable lark of the
opposite sex, but I guess it must work. We spent three lovely nights at Mt
Zebra, but had exhausted all routes and decided to move on to pastures new.
Sue has several places that are on her list to be seen and Graaff Reinet is
one of them. On the way we had to get over two very high passes. Yeah right.
More like little speed bumps compared to some of the heights Mufasa climbed
to up in Ethiopia. Having said that it is quite hard to imagine sometimes
that these passes at around 1800m are only half as high as the dizzy heights
we ventured to on our last trip and these ones were hard work in places.
Anyway, on to Graaff Reinet. Thankfully we arrived just in time to catch the
shops before they closed. Yep, old world South Africa. The shops shut at
lunch time on Saturday. Nice for the workers, bloody inconvenient for the
travelling shoppers!! Thankfully we managed to get some meat and some veg to
keep us going for a few days. Then it was on to find our home for the night,
Urquhart Caravan Park (S32 14.563 E24 31.623). What can we say about the
place. Loads of pitches, no one there except us for a while until a few more
passers by stopped off. The jewel of the place, the ablutions, NOT. I am
sure several hundred years ago when they were first built they were
delightful! Thankfully the town is set inside the Camdeboo NP and so that
evening we decided to pop out of camp not far up the road to take in the
sights of the Valley of Desolation. Sounds interesting, you bet, stunning!
Not to go into too much detail, you drive up to the top of a hill
overlooking some truly amazing rock formations, and if you get there as the
sun goes down they go very nicely red with the setting sun. As traditional
for this type of setting we had some sundowners, well tea from a flask if
that counts. We will post some pictures of the place sometime, but have a
look on the WWW, not sure but I would think there are some nice photos
already there.
Grateful to escape the delights of Urquhart Park it was off to the Western
Cape and see what another national park, the Karoo, would have in store for
us. After a quick stop off just outside Aberdeen at the Kamdebo Padstal to
buy some rusks and olives we made the long haul on a road that the Romans
would have been proud of from Aberdeen to Beaufort West, very long and
pretty straight, we arrived at our next park on the list, the Karoo NP (S32
19.955 E22 29.505). Again not a big draw for lions etc. but extremely scenic
and there are several walks to be done, weather permitting. The camp site is
very nice, although quite busy. You have to laugh sometimes. One couple
arrived in their Land Cruiser towing a smart 'hard core' off road caravan,
and then the hubby proceeded to spend ages trying to get their satellite TV
set-up, I think he gave up after a couple of hours. Not quite sure why they
have the kit they do that can get them away from it all when they don't
understand the point of getting away from it all. Perhaps it is just me?
One night here so far, had a great 45km drive today, not too much game to
see, but the landscape is desolate, and stunning. I think we will hit one of
the walking trails tomorrow and possibly stay here for another 2 or so
nights.
Monday 9 March 2009
Its all about being in the right place at the right time
Not wanting to let the hiking fever vanish without trace we donned our boots
again Tuesday morning and hit the trails. Nothing too exhausting but enough
to get the hearts pumping and the muscles working especially when the
weather closed in, the thunder rumbled, and we made a hasty return to camp.
Boy we were glad we did. Not too long after getting the boots off the
heavens really did open up. The campsite became a river, the little river
running past the camp became a gushing torrent with fallen trees white
water rafting their way down stream at speed, and the immediate area around
Mufasa a waterlogged mud pool! This is the main advantage of the roof tent
over a ground tent, we were safe and sound where a ground tent might have
been flooded or worse washed away! In between the heavy downpours we managed
to have a late lunch and make dashes to the ablutions, but thankfully by
dinner time the worst had past and we were able to cook some food. The next
morning all the lying water had gone but the areas we had been tromping on
around Mufasa were a tad muddy! We had our final walk up to the amazing
escarpment for some great views before a relaxing day back at camp dodging
the light showers.
On leaving the camp Thursday morning we drove the 2 'park drives' and then
made off back to Clarens and west towards Fouriesburg. What a lovely drive
we had, mountains galore south of the road disappearing across the border
into Lesotho, lovely sunshine, and an easy amble along with not a care in
the world. Well nothing except the news of another base rate cut in the UK,
groan! Fouriesburg is a nice little town, old sandstone buildings and a
relaxed atmosphere. We checked out the tourist info for places to stay and
chose the Meiringskloof Nature Reserve (S28 36.155 E28 13.507) just north of
town. The lady in the info place also had some home grown fruit and veg for
sale and we made arrangements to return the next day to purchase some.
Meiringskloof was a lovely spot, and just us there although there were
several bookings for the weekend. The only fly in the ointment was a problem
in the ablutions with some emergency plumbing work. So no water for showers
etc that evening. Never mind, we had a very nice braai and a chilled
evening. In the morning the water was on for a while so showers were an
option, well for Sue anyway. By the time I had done the washing up and Sue
had returned the plumbing works had resumed and there was no water, bugger.
I issued Sue with the emergency 'no shower today' nose peg and all was well.
We stopped off to get some of the home grown fruit and veg but the info
place was shut and no one appeared, so we left.
Our next planned stop had been Ficksburg, but the place just did nothing for
us. It is the cherry centre of SA and even though not cherry season many a
jar of jam or bottle of liquor was available. We stopped in at a place
called Die Blikplek a most unusual shop. They sold the usual cherry products
and had what I can only describe as a bonkers metal scrap yard out the back
where they made anything and everything from collected scrap metal. One of
the owners Ansie was most excited to find out that we were from the UK as
she has 3 daughters there and went into great detail about what they were
doing and where they were living, very proud of them all. Apart from that
and the Spar, Ficksburg did nothing for us as it just seemed a busy
industrial (cherries) town. The residential area seemed nice but on to
Ladybrand it was.
Now this was where our amazing weekend started. Ladybrand is a nice town, it
has its rough spots but it seemed quite relaxed. First stop the tourist info
to check out the accommodation options. Jan is the man there and he kept us
spellbound for 20 minutes or so with his passion for Lesotho and his love of
fossils. Nice man, very helpful, and sold Lesotho to us no problem. So a
plan had to be made. He had recommended the Little Rock campsite in town and
we made our way there with a view to then making the short hop to Lesotho in
a day or so. We were nearly at the site when I noticed a white LR Freelander
behind us looking like he wanted to get past with a flash of lights and a
toot of the horn. Once through the gates of the Little Rock site only to be
followed still by the Freelander. We stopped and the guy got out and walked
over to Mufasa. Here we go I thought, what does he want? To our bemusement,
Ben, a resident of Ladybrand proceeded to offer us free accommodation out at
his farm, 30km from town, even despite us driving a Land Cruiser as he was a
Land Rover man. Err OK we said, not quite sure what was going on. He first
drew us a quick map but decided that he would rather show us the way. So we
followed him to his house in town first, and then via a bottle store (we
needed some refreshments) out to his farm in the middle of nowhere! Glad he
showed us as I think with his map and all the farm tracks we would have got
very lost in the mealie fields! He has 900HA or something that was a farm
before he bought the land a few years ago. There are two chalets that he has
built, and he offered us free use of one of them for the weekend (S29 02.873
E27 23.346). Cool! He then left due to a prior arrangement and left us there
to enjoy the remoteness of the location. Which we did. Feet up, refreshments
in hand. We had a fantastic weekend. No mobile reception, hence me blogging
now, and nothing but us and the ground squirrels to enjoy the sights and
sounds. Early Sunday morning Ben took us for a walk across the farm up to a
great view point in the hills on his land. Stunning. Later that morning some
friends of his came out on with his wife Jane and after a spot of very
unsuccessful fishing at one of the dams on the farm that Ben has stocked
with fish, we had a very nice braai and a few drinks. We still can't believe
our luck.
Anyway, sadly the weekend came to an end and it was a shame to have to leave
our little haven in the countryside but it was time to move on, didn't want
to outstay our welcome! After making the decision not to venture into
Lesotho at this time (found out you can't take any booze in) we continued
south along the scenic R26 stopping here and there to take a look at some of
the small towns on route. Hobhouse, nothing to report, Wepener, pretty much
the same story. Although we did see quite an amusing road sign on the way
out of Wepener, 'Road Flooded During Floods', well when else? The scenery
along the way was totally different. Leaving the majority of the mountains
and hills behind us it was mostly rolling farmland with the odd large rocky
outcrop to break up the horizon.
Eventually we arrived at our destination for the night, Zastron, and a small
home run b&b with camping called Mountain View (S30 17.837 E27 04.407), and
yes there is a mountain and we have a very nice view of it! Sadly despite a
quick drive around the town we were not approached by anyone offering free
luxury accommodation!
again Tuesday morning and hit the trails. Nothing too exhausting but enough
to get the hearts pumping and the muscles working especially when the
weather closed in, the thunder rumbled, and we made a hasty return to camp.
Boy we were glad we did. Not too long after getting the boots off the
heavens really did open up. The campsite became a river, the little river
running past the camp became a gushing torrent with fallen trees white
water rafting their way down stream at speed, and the immediate area around
Mufasa a waterlogged mud pool! This is the main advantage of the roof tent
over a ground tent, we were safe and sound where a ground tent might have
been flooded or worse washed away! In between the heavy downpours we managed
to have a late lunch and make dashes to the ablutions, but thankfully by
dinner time the worst had past and we were able to cook some food. The next
morning all the lying water had gone but the areas we had been tromping on
around Mufasa were a tad muddy! We had our final walk up to the amazing
escarpment for some great views before a relaxing day back at camp dodging
the light showers.
On leaving the camp Thursday morning we drove the 2 'park drives' and then
made off back to Clarens and west towards Fouriesburg. What a lovely drive
we had, mountains galore south of the road disappearing across the border
into Lesotho, lovely sunshine, and an easy amble along with not a care in
the world. Well nothing except the news of another base rate cut in the UK,
groan! Fouriesburg is a nice little town, old sandstone buildings and a
relaxed atmosphere. We checked out the tourist info for places to stay and
chose the Meiringskloof Nature Reserve (S28 36.155 E28 13.507) just north of
town. The lady in the info place also had some home grown fruit and veg for
sale and we made arrangements to return the next day to purchase some.
Meiringskloof was a lovely spot, and just us there although there were
several bookings for the weekend. The only fly in the ointment was a problem
in the ablutions with some emergency plumbing work. So no water for showers
etc that evening. Never mind, we had a very nice braai and a chilled
evening. In the morning the water was on for a while so showers were an
option, well for Sue anyway. By the time I had done the washing up and Sue
had returned the plumbing works had resumed and there was no water, bugger.
I issued Sue with the emergency 'no shower today' nose peg and all was well.
We stopped off to get some of the home grown fruit and veg but the info
place was shut and no one appeared, so we left.
Our next planned stop had been Ficksburg, but the place just did nothing for
us. It is the cherry centre of SA and even though not cherry season many a
jar of jam or bottle of liquor was available. We stopped in at a place
called Die Blikplek a most unusual shop. They sold the usual cherry products
and had what I can only describe as a bonkers metal scrap yard out the back
where they made anything and everything from collected scrap metal. One of
the owners Ansie was most excited to find out that we were from the UK as
she has 3 daughters there and went into great detail about what they were
doing and where they were living, very proud of them all. Apart from that
and the Spar, Ficksburg did nothing for us as it just seemed a busy
industrial (cherries) town. The residential area seemed nice but on to
Ladybrand it was.
Now this was where our amazing weekend started. Ladybrand is a nice town, it
has its rough spots but it seemed quite relaxed. First stop the tourist info
to check out the accommodation options. Jan is the man there and he kept us
spellbound for 20 minutes or so with his passion for Lesotho and his love of
fossils. Nice man, very helpful, and sold Lesotho to us no problem. So a
plan had to be made. He had recommended the Little Rock campsite in town and
we made our way there with a view to then making the short hop to Lesotho in
a day or so. We were nearly at the site when I noticed a white LR Freelander
behind us looking like he wanted to get past with a flash of lights and a
toot of the horn. Once through the gates of the Little Rock site only to be
followed still by the Freelander. We stopped and the guy got out and walked
over to Mufasa. Here we go I thought, what does he want? To our bemusement,
Ben, a resident of Ladybrand proceeded to offer us free accommodation out at
his farm, 30km from town, even despite us driving a Land Cruiser as he was a
Land Rover man. Err OK we said, not quite sure what was going on. He first
drew us a quick map but decided that he would rather show us the way. So we
followed him to his house in town first, and then via a bottle store (we
needed some refreshments) out to his farm in the middle of nowhere! Glad he
showed us as I think with his map and all the farm tracks we would have got
very lost in the mealie fields! He has 900HA or something that was a farm
before he bought the land a few years ago. There are two chalets that he has
built, and he offered us free use of one of them for the weekend (S29 02.873
E27 23.346). Cool! He then left due to a prior arrangement and left us there
to enjoy the remoteness of the location. Which we did. Feet up, refreshments
in hand. We had a fantastic weekend. No mobile reception, hence me blogging
now, and nothing but us and the ground squirrels to enjoy the sights and
sounds. Early Sunday morning Ben took us for a walk across the farm up to a
great view point in the hills on his land. Stunning. Later that morning some
friends of his came out on with his wife Jane and after a spot of very
unsuccessful fishing at one of the dams on the farm that Ben has stocked
with fish, we had a very nice braai and a few drinks. We still can't believe
our luck.
Anyway, sadly the weekend came to an end and it was a shame to have to leave
our little haven in the countryside but it was time to move on, didn't want
to outstay our welcome! After making the decision not to venture into
Lesotho at this time (found out you can't take any booze in) we continued
south along the scenic R26 stopping here and there to take a look at some of
the small towns on route. Hobhouse, nothing to report, Wepener, pretty much
the same story. Although we did see quite an amusing road sign on the way
out of Wepener, 'Road Flooded During Floods', well when else? The scenery
along the way was totally different. Leaving the majority of the mountains
and hills behind us it was mostly rolling farmland with the odd large rocky
outcrop to break up the horizon.
Eventually we arrived at our destination for the night, Zastron, and a small
home run b&b with camping called Mountain View (S30 17.837 E27 04.407), and
yes there is a mountain and we have a very nice view of it! Sadly despite a
quick drive around the town we were not approached by anyone offering free
luxury accommodation!
Monday 2 March 2009
Handbrake off, 1st gear engaged, lets go go go
Is it really 4 months since we were living life on the road? I guess that
explains why my feet have been itching badly for a while! Time for something
completely different? Well not really, just a bit more of Africa. Why this
continent has to be so damn huge I don't know, but it keeps us out of
trouble, most of the time anyway.
Where are we going this time? Just to get the travelling juices going again
we will be spending 2 or so months seeing some of the sights that South
Africa has to offer before heading north into Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, and
perhaps Malawi. Now as to whether we go from west to east or east to west
after South Africa depends on our plans for travels at the end of 2009 going
into 2010. Our choices are go north up the west coast of Africa, ship to
South America and aim for Alaska, or just pootle around South Africa again
for a while. We are hoping that before our 2 or so months in South Africa
are up we will have made a decision, some hope!
So after our long lay up, huge thanks again to Bob for putting us up (or
putting up with us!), we spent our last few days packing Mufasa. I seem to
remember thinking towards the end of our last trip that there was some
things we didn't really need and could free up some truck space. Nice
thought, Mufasa seems to be fuller than ever! We left 'sunny' Johannesburg
on Sunday after buying some last minute essentials and headed south to our
initial stop the Golden Gate NP in the Free State and the Glen Reenen Rest
Camp (S28 30.429 E28 37.162). South Africa offers some advantages for this
sort of travelling. Good roads, good facilities, and shops everywhere. Shall
we start with the roads. Toll roads great, they may cost a few pennies but
they are well maintained. Leave them behind and suddenly you are back in
Mozambique again!! Anyway the Golden Gate NP seems like a good place to get
sorted and find our feet. We might even use our feet a bit and get the
walking boots out.
Our main problem at the moment, apart from getting up in the morning, is the
weather at this time of year. Nice and sunny in the morning and then wet and
windy come late afternoon. The first night up in the tent last night was a
bit rock and roll at times but at least the sun was there to greet us come
morning. So after a bit of a slow start we decided to hit one of the many
walking trails that lead from the camp. Just an easy one to break in the
boots. The hills around here are stunning! Sadly our circular walk came to
an abrupt halt 3/4 of the way around at a very high fast flowing stream due
to all the rain. So it was back the way we came. Back at camp after a nice
cup of fresh coffee and a Chelsea bun, yep the plentiful shops, it was time
to get our heads stuck in our guide books to make a plan for where we go
from here. And the plan is, well have another look at them tomorrow!
Well that is it. Not much to report. One day down, plenty left to go. Oh and
surprise, its raining!
explains why my feet have been itching badly for a while! Time for something
completely different? Well not really, just a bit more of Africa. Why this
continent has to be so damn huge I don't know, but it keeps us out of
trouble, most of the time anyway.
Where are we going this time? Just to get the travelling juices going again
we will be spending 2 or so months seeing some of the sights that South
Africa has to offer before heading north into Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, and
perhaps Malawi. Now as to whether we go from west to east or east to west
after South Africa depends on our plans for travels at the end of 2009 going
into 2010. Our choices are go north up the west coast of Africa, ship to
South America and aim for Alaska, or just pootle around South Africa again
for a while. We are hoping that before our 2 or so months in South Africa
are up we will have made a decision, some hope!
So after our long lay up, huge thanks again to Bob for putting us up (or
putting up with us!), we spent our last few days packing Mufasa. I seem to
remember thinking towards the end of our last trip that there was some
things we didn't really need and could free up some truck space. Nice
thought, Mufasa seems to be fuller than ever! We left 'sunny' Johannesburg
on Sunday after buying some last minute essentials and headed south to our
initial stop the Golden Gate NP in the Free State and the Glen Reenen Rest
Camp (S28 30.429 E28 37.162). South Africa offers some advantages for this
sort of travelling. Good roads, good facilities, and shops everywhere. Shall
we start with the roads. Toll roads great, they may cost a few pennies but
they are well maintained. Leave them behind and suddenly you are back in
Mozambique again!! Anyway the Golden Gate NP seems like a good place to get
sorted and find our feet. We might even use our feet a bit and get the
walking boots out.
Our main problem at the moment, apart from getting up in the morning, is the
weather at this time of year. Nice and sunny in the morning and then wet and
windy come late afternoon. The first night up in the tent last night was a
bit rock and roll at times but at least the sun was there to greet us come
morning. So after a bit of a slow start we decided to hit one of the many
walking trails that lead from the camp. Just an easy one to break in the
boots. The hills around here are stunning! Sadly our circular walk came to
an abrupt halt 3/4 of the way around at a very high fast flowing stream due
to all the rain. So it was back the way we came. Back at camp after a nice
cup of fresh coffee and a Chelsea bun, yep the plentiful shops, it was time
to get our heads stuck in our guide books to make a plan for where we go
from here. And the plan is, well have another look at them tomorrow!
Well that is it. Not much to report. One day down, plenty left to go. Oh and
surprise, its raining!
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