Friday 25 August 2023 Twee Rivieren to Prieska

This morning we left Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and made our way to Prieska where we would spend the night.

The Kalahari is the traditional home of the Koisan and there are still a few who follow this traditional lifestyle. As we made our way we saw a few Koisan on the side of the road

We arrived at Gariep Country Lodge Caravan Park at around 2 p.m., settled in, and then went to find a place to have a snack. A lovely coffee shop served us a quiche and toasted sandwiches.

In the evening we went to the lodge next door to our campsite and had a delicious supper there.

Saturday 26 August 2023 Prieska to Karoo National Park

The next leg of our journey took us to Karoo National Park near Beaufort West. We stopped for breakfast at The Old Mill Coffee Shop in Britstown. We have been there before and we always enjoyed the quaint decor.

Unfortunately, the owner of the establishment was not there this time. She had left just one staff member to do the serving and the cooking. Consequently, we had quite a long wait and as it was very cold at that hour the coffee and the food were served at a temperature that was a little too cool.

Previously the service and food were a lot better but nevertheless, it is still a lovely place to stop if ever you are in the area.

Travelling from Prieska to Karoo National Park was quite pleasant with roads in pristine condition and the views were lovely.

We are always complaining about the trucks on the road and bemoaning the fact that the railways are non-functional. So imagine our surprise and joy when we spotted a working train!

It was still chilly when we arrived at Karoo National Park and it did not warm up at all today.

When we arrived at the campsite we spotted another Gecko. It was number 31 – Bill and Monica who were on their way to Namaqualand after visiting Mountain Zebra. On their way back to KZN they will visit Addo.

As it was the weekend and Karoo National Park had a promotion the campsite was quite full. We found two spots next to each other opposite Bill and Monica so we were in good company.

This caravan park is pristine and the facilities are first-class. We’d decided that as we were low on supplies we would have our dinners at the restaurant and the food there was excellent. We recommend the Lamb Potjie which is served with delicious vegetables and your choice of chips, rice, wedges, or mash.

Sunday 27 August 2023 Karoo Nationa Park

It was below zero when we awoke this morning but unlike yesterday it warmed up beautifully. During the night Earl and I heard the lions roaring but when we went in search of them this morning we were not in luck. However, Alec and Cathy spotted a lovely male.

We were delighted with the sightings we did have, especially as far as birds were concerned.

The highlight of our morning drive was seeing some ostrich pornography!

Spring had arrived in the Karoo and the beauty of the veld reminded me of a song, Lentelidjie, by C Louis Leipoldt, that I learned as a child.

Here are the first few lines:-

Al die veld is vrolik

Al die voeltjies sing

Al die kriekies kriek daarbuite

Elke sprinkhaan spring.

Loosely translated this means that all the veld is cheerful, all the birds are singing, all the crickets are chirping and the grasshoppers are hopping.

Basically, the poem/song goes on to describe the beauty of spring.

The spring flowers really made the veld look cheerful. I have no idea what the names of the flowers are – except for the daisies!

The birds were certainly singing and showing themselves beautifully.

And then there were the mammals.

We did a long morning drive and then a very short one in the afternoon just in case the lions appeared. They did not but we had some lovely last-minute sightings.

The cherry on the top was finding a bird that we have not often seen.

The mountain views in this park were spectacular.

It was certainly a good idea to end our trip at Karoo National Park.