South Africa 2018 - Overlanding with Intrepid
South Africa - part 1
Intrepid Trip - Kruger, Coast and Cape
27th August 2018 - Drakensberg
Today we planned to leave Durban straight after breakfast but one of the group had to urgently see a dentist so we postponed our departure by a few hours so they could get fixed up; I headed out for a bit of shopping and one last walk along the beach. Heading inland the scenery was like much we had already seen. It is the end of the dry season so the ground is quite brown at the moment with areas of green under the huge irrigation rigs. In some places the rigs run up and down the fields in others there are beautiful perfect circles where the rig is tethered in the middle and drives around and around.
Today we were travelling inland and up into the Drakensberg mountain range which forms part of the border between South Africa and Lesotho. The plan was to get there in time for a short hike but instead we had a lazy few hours, admired the scenary and Tim got out his fishing rod.
We're staying in a lovely hostel with outdoor kitchen facilities, lovely well equipped rooms and a big bar. Tomorrow we do a whole day hike up in the mountains I think we'll have a well earned drink or two in the bar tomorrow.
28th August 2018 - Drakensberg
Today was one of the days I was looking forward to most. We are up in the Drakensberg Mountain Range and we were to do one of the Top 10 day hikes in the world, the Amphitheatre hike. This part of the Drakensberg forms a plateau above the Royal Natal National Park below and it's curved main escarpment gives it its name. Again we were up early and soon heading off in mini-buses to the Sentinel car park for our hike. It took about 2 hours through fantastic scenery with the last bit up to the car park at 2500m on a very rough road. From there the hike started along well maintained gently ascending paths towards the the sentinel rock you can see below.
The first hour was fairly gentle with a little scrambling up some rocky sections but it was mostly much easier than I expected. An then we reached the fork, left for the the Gully Route and right for the Chain Ladder route which the sign said was closed for construction although out guide told us to forget we ever saw that sign.
We headed left up the Gully Route and it definitely was a gully. It rose steeply up between two steep rock faces. I'd guess it averaged about 1:1 all the way up and it was a long way up or atleast fekt it. It was a scramble all the way up and my strong long legs definitely were a huge advantage. We clambered up over rocks, 2ft high steps and a lot of loose rocks. It was a fun climb challenging and knackering without ever feeling impossible. on't know how long the clamber went on for but even in the 2 or 3 degrees cold and being in shadow all the way up sweat was dripping off my forehead by the end despite wearing only a tee-shirt. (I admit everyone else had coats on but they must've been roasting by the top).
Maybe 2 1/2 or 3 hours after leaving the car park we emerged on the plateau next to the Sentinel Rock. We crossed to the other side of the plateau and whoa; a 1000m shear drop-off. We could look out over from 3100m to the basin floor below and all the way around the amphitheatre stretching off to our right. It truly was a spectacular sight and well worth the effort to get to the top.
We stopped for 20 minutes or so taking photos and just taking in the size of the amphitheatre and the height of the drop right in front of us. From the sentinel rock we walked along the plateau to the Tugela Falls which we were told is the second highest waterfall in the world but at the end of the dry season as we are now you can't really call it much of a waterfall it just trickled out over the edge. But anyway a great lunch spot with slight different views out over the surrounding area.
Remember the ladders were closed for construction, apparently the sign has been up for months and there's been no signs of any workers let alone work being done so we head to the back of the plateau and scrambled down to the ladders which hung down over the edge of a pretty shear 40m drop with a small ledge in the middle where we change ladders. The ladders are around 40 years old and hang out over the cliff just attached at the top and bottom. On each of the two sections were two ladders on made of heavy chains and the other much lighter. The heavier one sat fairly heavy on the rock and didn't sway around much the other looked much more hairy. I'm pretty good on ladders but I took the steadier looking ladder.
Of course it was a bit dangerous and there was quite a drop if you fell but a ladder is a ladder, as long as your feet and hands are in the right place the huge drop below is irrelevant. The rocks sticking out making some of the rungs very narrow and at a couple of place twisting the ladder making for a bit of tricky maneuvering were a little relevant but really it was a breeze. We were offered to be roped for the climb down, but most of us didn't bother and were down in fairly short time.
From the ladders we still had an hour or more to walk and quite a bit of altitude to lose and to be honest this was the bit I was least looking forward too. Going down hill especially clambering down is always harder on the legs and the joints than going up. Thankfully it was less steep than the Gully Route would've been (I'm so glad we didn't have to come down that way) but there was still a lot of big steps down and narrow awkwardly angled rocks to navigate. My legs held up pretty well but the constant impact of ever downwards step did mean I was glad when we got back to the car park. Which in the photo below is far top left.
From the car park we could look back up to where we had been reflect on a good day's work. I didn't do bad for an old fat bastard.
29th August 2018 - Lesotho Highlands
Today we head out of South Africa again and into what I think is country 79 for me, Lesotho. But first a few more hours driving through national parks with the Drakensberg range looking down on us. The scenery truly is spectacular. Before we hit the Lesotho border we stopped off in Ladybrand for an early lunch, a nice little town with a few old buildings made from the local sandstone. They look beautiful and will last for centuries, it's a pity they don't build houses as well these days.
After another quick border crossing we headed out across the 'Kingdom in the Sky', Lesotho. The scenery continued as before with wide open spaces and hills rising up on both sides. Being the end of the rainy season the grass is brown and the many rivers dry. We pass through some small villages with their brick and galvanise houses and each with their own brick but usually galvanise thunder boxes in the back gardens. Amongst the brown dry landscape some colour is added by the pink blossom on the numerous peach trees.
The scenery is so big and wide I decided to show a few panorama shots to give an idea of the scale of the place. This shot is from the Gates of Paradise Pass looking down into the bowl below.
We are staying in a hostel at the bottom of the pass; it's nice and rustic and as most places this time of year quite quiet. The views across the whole area are stunning, I'm beginning to sound like a broken record.
By the time we had moved into our cozy but unheated rooms the sun was beginning to go down. Time for a beer or two, another country another new local beer to try. We sat outside around the fire pit and had a pleasant couple of hours before dinner.
30th August 2018 - Lesotho Highlands
It's cold up here in the hills. Living in Bangkok it is a long time since I've been cold, it's fun for a day or two but I'm looking forward to getting back to wearing shorts and sandals soon. Anyway the bed was firm and the blankets heavy so I slept well until woken up by the villager's animals. Breakfast and then out for a guided walk around the village. First stop a little tin shop selling fruit and veg, bread, some cooked food and some random packets of biscuits and sweets. We bought some little don-nut like balls to nibble on and on the way back I bought some lovely chewy bread rolls.
Next up a house where they brew local beer. The woman talked us through the process. It is made from hops brought in from South Africa some sugar and a few other things all boiled up and fermented and ready to drink in one day. It's only two percent alcohol so no one's getting very drunk. I tried a bit it was very palatable. The village and villagers were interesting but the fresh air, clear blue skies and amazing views made the walk. The beautiful peach blossoms, aloe plants, some daffodil like flowers and the animals lying in the sun warming up after the cold night.
We walked on to the next hamlet which sat on the edge of the gorge. Time for another photo of another gorgeous view.
We looked at the 'museum', which consisted of a few examples of items used in olden-days; bowls, baskets, an oven, a club, a grinding stone. Interesting enough and the guide told us more about how they used to live. From there it was back to the hostel via the handicraft centre. A very pleasant morning stroll.
After lunch we headed out to see the bushman cave paintings. Most went by horse but three of us hiked down into the gorge. It was an energetic without being anywhere near as hard as on Tuesday. It was maybe an hour down and an hour back through more fantastic scenery. Today's walks were just what I needed to keep my legs from seizing up although they have actually been remarkable good considering how hard Tuesday's hike was.
The caves are tucked under the cliff in the base of the gorge. There were figures of humans and animals; antelope, monkeys, maybe a lion. Interesting enough and if they were painted hundreds or thousands of years ago then that is amazing but things like this really don't do it for me.
On the way back we passed a few herdsmen talking their cattle home after a day grazing them in the gorge. Many still dress quite traditionally with their blankets wrapped around them and their sticks in their hands. Theirs is a simple life in an amazing environment.
We walked on back to the hostel but still time for more photos of more peach blossom. Today has been another very good day.
31st August 2018 - Wild Coast/Chintsa
Long drive today so we were up at 5am and wheels rolling at 6am, a perfect time to see the sunrise from the top of the pass taking us out of the region we were in. In fact we were a tad early but it was still a great sight.
We travelled south through more wide open countryside, over hills and into valleys, past more parched farmland and through the odd town. The further south we got the more houses and towns we saw. 12 hours after we left we arrived at Cinstsa on the Wild South Coast of South Africa. When we arrived there were some rooms available to upgrade into. There was one family house which most decided to check-in to as it was quite cheap. So rather than camp I decided to get a room too; a beautiful place with a bedroom and a seating area but more importantly a big balcony looking out to sea.
With no worrying about tents and no activities planned for tomorrow tonight there was time for a few beers and when I see one locally brewed it is rude to say no. It was quite nice and with pint bottles and 5.6% alcohol had a very pleasing effect. I'll sleep well tonight.
1st September 2018 - Wild Coast/Chintsa
A rare day off on this trip. A lie-in until 9am, what a luxury and what a view to wake-up to.
The hostel sits on the hill above the Cintsa River where it meets the Indian Ocean. From the hostel it's a short walk down to the river and along the sandy riverbank to the beach. The beach runs as far as the eye can see in both directions; beautiful fine yellow sand and the waves lapping on the shore. The photo below is looking back on the hostel with my room in the building near the top of the hill.
I thought I'd walk along the beach as far as the eye can see and see what was beyond. I met up with someone else in the group also walking along the beach and off we went. It really is a beautiful beach with sand dunes behind and lush green vegetation in places running right down to the beach. We walked for about an hour and a half down the beach and the far headland didn't seem to be getting ay closer so we turned and headed back. I guess the only thing putting a very small damper on the morning was the water temperature which was a little bracing.
Part of the reason for turning back when we did was wanting to get back at a sensible time for lunch. I'd read some reviews and the Barefoot Cafe in the town had some decent reviews especially for their pizzas. Some of the group we already there and others arrived a little later, we all had the same idea. When the pizzas came we weren't disappointed they were big and tasty, further enhanced by the chili and garlic sauce on the table. A pizza well earned and very much enjoyed.
After a meal like that the rest of the day was always going to be lazy. So a nice bottle of wine, sit on the balcony and look out over the beautiful view. I'm not sure why this wine was recommended for me though. I just don't get it :-)
2nd September 2018 - Addo Elephant National Park
Today we travelled on to Addo Elephant National Park, we were up early again for the 7 hour drive. Founded in 1931 the Addo Elephant National Park to protect the region's eleven remaining elephants. Today there are over 450 elephants in the park, as well as Cape buffalo, black rhinos, all kinds of antelope and the flightless dung beetle which is unique to the park.
The forecast for today was for thunderstorms so I decided to upgrade again, tonight I sleep in a 'safari tent'. It is a lovely big permanent tent with proper beds, power, lighting and a great view from the veranda. I saw these kudu fighting in the paddock right in front.
Everyone else put their tents up and we headed out in the dry in the truck to spot some game. It was a slow start. Some more kudu and warthogs, a giant tortoise by the road and this strange bird which Francios told us was a secretary bird.
But it was very slow going and then it started to rain and rain and rain. Not hard but enough for us to have to close the windows. Looking for game through steamed up rain soaked windows isn't easy. You'd think we'd still be able to spot a few elephant but nothing. We'd all but given up on the afternoon. But the rain finally eased off and our luck changed in a big way. Lions.
There were a couple of male lions way off on the hill but they were heading towards the road off to our left. Siia drove us around and we sat and waited. Slowly the came towards us. They looked to be young healthy males approaching their prime. The way the were walking and sniffing the air it was obvious something was up.
The lions crept up on a herd of zebras. One was quite close to the truck, it crutched, crawled forwards and then it was off. It ran towards the zebra, it arched in behind one and grabbed at it but it missed and the zebra got away. On all my safaris it's the closest I seen to an actually kill. I really was rooting for the lion.
Stalking Lion videoThe zebra had all scarpered but the lions stayed near the road for a good while longer. Siia backed the truck up the road along side them as strolled along. They really are magnificent beasts.
They eventually walked off into the bush and we started back to the campsite. Soon after leaving the lions we found elephants; a mum and two young males right beside the road chewing on the bushes. They were not far from the road to begin with and then they started towards us.
They walked right in front of the truck and then started on the bushes right next to us. I'm sure the mum was keeping an eye on us but they seemed quite oblivious to the fact we were there at all. We sat and watched them for 15 minutes or so before walking past the truck and down the road behind us. For a drive which started so slowly se ended up having one of the best games I've ever done.
We got back after 5pm and some went straight back out for a night drive which I decided to skip. Judging by the thunder and pouring rain I'm listening to whilst typing this I probably made the right decision, I'll find out for sure over dinner.
Turns out they went out for maybe 15 minutes and the thunder and lightening was so bad they had to come back, so I definitely did make the right decision.
3rd September 2018 - Tsitsikamma National Park
I woke up to the sound of rain and water running down the path below my tent. Forking out for the upgrade to the safari tent is looking like a better and better decision.
The others had a rough night in their tents some even had some leaks. I know from Mozambique when it rains and you're staying in a tent everything gets wet. You carry the rain into the tent with you, the tent, your clothes, your sleeping bag everything gets damp. And this is where I slept last night.
The others went out for a morning game drive in the truck as it was raining at 6am I decided to skip it and went back to bed for an hour. The rain did stop around 7am and this is what I woke up to when I got up the second time I got up. There was even a hint of blue sky.
The others came back around 8:30, we got the tents down and got breakfast going. As I had no tent to take down I went on toast duty. Toasting on a BBQ you have to keep your eyes on the toast in order not to burn it. But today I also had to keep half an eye on the monkeys looking down from the tree eyeing up a breakfast of their own.
Just as we were finishing up breakfast the heavens opened again. So just as everyone was beginning to dry out we were drenched again. We all jumped on the truck and headed off at about 10am down towards the coast with wet clothes hanging up all over the truck. We stopped off for lunch in Jefferies Bay. J Bay is apparently a famous surfing spot and it was definitely full of surf shops but surf wasn't up today so we just settled for a fantastic lunch at Tasty Plate. I had a huge chicken burger with bacon, cheese, avocado and onion rings. Yum, yum.
From J Bay it was a couple of hours on to Tsitsikamma National Park. The park runs along the coast and up into the wooded hills. It is a nice spot which we will explore in various different ways tomorrow. For tonight I checked into tonight's upgrade, a Forest Hut and took some photos of the ocean.
4th September 2018 - Tsitsikamma National Park
Tsitsikamma is gorgeous, we are staying right down on the water with the green hills rising straight up behind. There are many adventure sport options here but as we only have one day I decided to just go for a hike this morning. Most of the other chose to kayak up into the gorge.
As we walked along the beach there were 20 or 30 hyrax running around on the rocks. These large rodents are funny little creatures and I could watch them for hours. Scampering around, feeding on the shrubs and I'm guessing warming up as the sun comes up over the hills.
In the end 4 of us along with Siia went for a hike across to the suspension bridges and then on up to the view point on the top of the cliff on the other side. It was a nice walk along to the suspension bridges along boardwalks and up and down many steps. The series of bridges span the gorge and run along the cliffs. They were fairly stable but did have a nice bounce to them as walked across them.
From the bridge we started up the other side. It was a nice stiff walk up over. Some steps, some rock, some path, enough to work up a sweat without it being over taxing. We made a few stops for photos on the way up and to catch our breath then onwards and upwards.
The view from the top was great right back across the bay. We spotted a few whales out to sea but quite a way out. Easier to spot were the kayakers coming across the bay to the gorge. They were a long way below us a good test for my long lens.
The view at the top was spectacular. Fir trees, bright green shrubbery, some flowers breaking through. Over the back of the hills were mountains peaking out in the distance.
As usual going down was harder than going up but thankfully the ground is pretty dry so it wasn't too tricky. It didn't take us long to get down but by the time we reached the bridge the kayakers we well into the gorge; time for the long lens again.
This blog hasn't included enough selfies so the suspension bridge was a perfect spot to get a shot with out intrepid band of hikers. This morning has been another great morning.
We had a bit of time to waste before heading out in the afternoon so I wandered further up the shore line and watched the waves. The swell was getting up and waves were crashing hard into the rocks. With the sun out the green of the hills, the blue of the sky, the white of the waves, a lovely scene.
This afternoon I signed up for a Segway tour. I'd never been on a Segway and figured it was something I had to try. It was only an hour down through the woods but it was fun. After a few wobbles on the first practice run I soon got the hang of it and was zipping about in no time.
Maybe not the most elegant look but I had to get a photo. The session was a bit too short and we didn't spend much time at full speed but I'd definitely do it again.
5th September 2018 - Oudtshoorn
Today we headed along the Garden Route coast for a while then up into the mountains. We stopped off at Knysna a beautiful tourist tour set on a lagoon with a narrow inlet from the sea between two towering peninsulas, or at least that's what I saw on the postcards. In the mist and rain we couldn't see a thing. The same goes for the beautiful mountain passes we drove over. At least the famous Cango Caves were not rain effected. These are a series of huge caverns going deep underground. I've seen more interesting caves but I'm not sure I've seen bigger. We walked around with an interesting guide she gave her all and tried to make it fun so fair play to her
Next stop an ostrich farm. The Oudtshoorn area is famous for ostrichhfarming. In the old days this was mainly for their feathers but today it's a combinationfarming. In the old days this was mainly for their feathers but today it's a combination of feathers, mat and leather. We were talked through how the farm works then headed outside to meet the ostriches. We hand fed them and them had them reaching over us to feed from a bucket, this was described as an ostrich massage. It was actually quite fun but you really could tell how strong they are, you wouldn't want to meet an angry one in a dark alley. Some might think that they were exploiting them for tourist dollar but this is a working farm. If we did the same with cows or horses feeding them from a bucket no one would bat an eye-lid.
The rain continued and the campsite we were meant to be at was quite basic so Francios suggested we change and go to a hostel in town instead. We jumped at the chance, camping, cooking, eating in the rain would've been awful. Instead we had log fires and indoor BBQ and a bar which we really made the most of.
6th September 2018 - Swellendam
Travelled along the scenic Route 62 this morning and as the clouds were higher we got some decent views. We drove through some high mountain passes through some beautiful alpine scenery. We also passed through some lovely old colonial towns. We pulled over a few times to stretch our legs and take some photos.
We are coming out of winter and the weather is quite cool. Up on the higher hills we could see a little snow. Up here in the hills the land is semi-arid and so quite brown, good for ostriches and goats but not a lot else. but when we cleared the final pass it suddenly changed and everything all around was green. We started to hit more towns and stopped to buy some lunch in the lovely little colonial town of Swelledam the 4th oldest town in South Africa. I'd love to have spent more time looking at all the heritage buildings but I did get chance to photograph the beautiful church below.
Tonight we're staying at a lovely secluded hostel sitting by the river where the plan was to go rafting but as it's the end of the dry season the water levels are quite low, that along with the threat of and some actual rain meant I skipped it but others did go out and had a fun time.
Once again with rain around I upgraded to a little cabin for the night rather than camping, in fact everyone did. Even mid-afternoon with the damp in the air it was bloody cold so for the rest of the day I wrapped up warm, drank hot chocolate and got comfort in the fact I'll be in stinking hot Bangkok again in 3 days.
7th September 2018 - Cape Agulhus
A wet and cold morning. Hoodie and rain coat on the truck and still cold. So hands in the pockects for the drive to Cape Agulhas. Shiver, shiver, shiver.
Cape Agulhas the southern most point of Africa. The last time I was here my tan was shining and so was the sun; today I ran down to the point to warm up, took some photos and ran back. The rain had eased off but it was cold and the wind was blowing. Thankfully from here we were heading for wineries with big open fires.
First up a winery called Creation. Very civilised. Really friendly and welcoming even for a rabble like us. We were talked through the 6 wines, 3 white and 3 red as if we were wine buyers expected to buy a few hundred cases. We even got a lovely plate of bread cheese, meats and cheeses to accompany the wines. And best of all the wines were good. All 6 were very drinkable. What a great start.
From there were drove down the road but the next winery was a no go as the rain had made the road impassable. So a few hundred yards further we hit Brouchard Findlayson. From the moment we arrived we felt unwelcome. We were given the 5 wine tasting unenthusiastically with nothing to eat alongside. The owner Mr. Findlayson came in turned his nose up and left. Compared to Creation all 5 wines were very ordinary but time was pressing and we knew were had no time for an extra winery so and ordered extra bottles of the best of it and downed them in the half hour before they closed and left feeling quite merry.
From there we went to the hostel, we abandoned and idea of camping much earlier in the day, and the on to a restaurant for our final meal together and much more wine. I had a huge fish platter and a few bottles of chardonnay, lovely.
8th September 2018 - Cape Town
So today our tour ends; as usual after three weeks on the road I'm ready to stay in one place for a while and have a bit normality but this tour has really been great. We've had a decent group of people and a great tour leader and driver team. Of course the country , the scenery and the activities are a huge part of any holiday but the people you travel with can make or break it. Today we head to Cape Town with varying degrees of hangovers. I can definitely feel I drank a bit last night but not feeling too bad considering. We took the scenic route to Cape Town along the coast and the sun even put in an appearance.
It was a fairly quick and painless journey, we unloaded the truck said our goodbyes and checked into the hostel. I was ready to head out and explore by mid-day. I spent a month in Cape Town back in 2010 during the world cup and it all felt familiar. We are staying at Never@Home Hostel which is directly opposite the Green Point Stadium where I watched lots of games 8 years ago. The walk across to the V&A Waterfront was a well beaten track back then although walking on quiet streets rather than with 1000s of fans was different. First job of the day to get the photo of Table Mountain from Nobel Square. The four Nobel Peace Prize winner statues, the South African flag and Table Mountain, perfect.
From there I headed up towards where I stayed 8 years ago on Long St. I took a detour via the Eastern Food Bazaar and the Greenmarket Square. I didn't but anything at either but I enjoyed looking around them again. My main mission today was to walk right up Long St. past the Cat and Mouse hostel I stayed in then on down Kloof St. to Arnold's to eat some game. I know Arnold's from my previous stay in Cape Town and I knew what I was going to order the game platter. Kudu, Gemsbok, crocodile tagine and warthog ribs; it was delicious. I think they used to do more of a mixed grill but these were a little more complex dishes. You couldn't taste the actual flavours of the meat as well as before but whoa! The kudu and gemsbok were very good but the crocodile tagine was delicious and the warthog ribs the best of all, cooked to perfection. I'd been looking forward to this meal ever since booking this trip and I'm glad it lived up to expectations.
Feeling nicely full I wandered back along a similar rout to the one I took to get to Arnold's/ I detoured via the Company's Gardens and the Cecil Rhodes statue and via the Cape Malay area of Bo-Kaap to see the brightly coloured houses. Finally back to the V&A Waterfront for one more photo with Table Mountain in the background and some last minute souvenir shopping. Today has been a lovely end to a lovely trip.
9th September 2018 - Cape Town
And it's all over, today I fly home to Bangkok. Just time for one last walk down the the waterfront and one last Table Mountain photo. South Africa has been great and I'd recommend it to anyone. I'm sure I'll come back again some time.
