Monthly Archives: October 2024

Gecko Road Trip 2024 – Cathy’s Story

Cathy and Alec joined us as travel companions on our latest road trip, and I’ve invited Cathy to share her perspective in a guest post.

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Bright and early on Monday, October 14th, Alec and I teamed up with Helen and Earl in Bredasdorp to start another two-week journey through some of South Africa’s most beautiful national parks. Monday was mainly a travel day, so we enjoyed a leisurely drive through the stunning Tradouw Pass to Barrydale, where we were welcomed with coffee and breakfast at the Country Pumpkin. We took our time along the R62, admiring the vast Karoo landscapes and dramatic passes like Huisrivier just outside Calitzdorp until we reached our overnight stop at the Kleinplaas Resort in Oudtshoorn.

We were excited to get going the next day and headed out through the magnificent Meiringspoort pass. Driving along the N12, you’ll enter Meiringspoort, about 11km from De Rust. As the Groot River gnawed its path through the enormous Swartberg Mountains, it created this breathtaking gorge, resulting in a remarkable natural gateway that links the Klein and Groot Karoo.

Besides its colossal rock walls and spectacular scenery, Meiringspoort is best known for its 25 drifts. Throughout the 25km drive, the road criss-crosses the river 25 times by means of these drifts, each individually named and with an interesting story behind every name. Various stops along the poort give visitors the opportunity to pull over and take some time to enjoy the magnificent scenic beauty, the sheer rock walls, and their mind-bending formations. Restroom facilities (kept neat & clean) and shaded picnic spots are dotted along the way.

Since we left early, we arrived at Karoo National Park near Beaufort West with plenty of time to settle into our two adjacent sites.

The campsite at Karoo National Park is very well laid out. The well-demarcated stands are arranged in a circle around the ablutions and kitchen, and most have a little shade. The ablutions are well maintained, spotlessly clean, and very user-friendly. The amenities are also well developed, with a small shop that carries all the necessities as well as curios and a restaurant that serves excellent value-for-money meals.

The next three days were spent exploring the park. This is not a park for critter-crazy folk. While there are many types of antelope, Mountain Zebras, and lions, the true value of this park is the awesome scenery. With a blue sky that stretches for miles, incredible rock-covered crags, and rocky, stubby bush-covered plains, this park enchants the eye on all sides. It is a place to relax, unwind, and allow the serenity of nature to calm your soul and uplift your spirit.

Leaving the Karoo National Park, we drove up the N1 to a little past Three Sisters before turning onto the R63 and heading towards Graaff Reinet. The road surface was excellent, but as soon as we hit the Eastern Cape border, it deteriorated and became very bumpy, with patches on top of patches. The Western Cape certainly has some of the best-maintained roads in South Africa!

We were blown into Camdeboo National Park by a howling gale. It is a long time since we have stayed in this park and the campsite was a welcome sight. This campsite is reminiscent of Tsendze at Kruger, with each campsite carved out of the bush and relatively private. The ablutions showed their age a little, but they were spotlessly clean and user-friendly. With its proximity to Graaff Reinet, this camp has no shop or restaurant, but the gate closes at 10:00 pm, so you can eat in Graaff Reinet.

That first evening, with the wind howling, we could not risk a braai fire as the grass was dried and the risk of a bush fire was too high, so we resorted to Plan B and telephoned Domino’s Pizza. Indeed, they would deliver to the reception at Camdeboo, so we feasted on pizza while tucked away in our caravans for the evening. This is the only thing I don’t like about the Gecko – there is nowhere to sit inside when there is bad weather. Alec has fitted a small removable table that we can use for meals or to play cards (I trounced my hubby at Rummy!), but the space is minimal, and moving around is almost impossible.

The following day, we set out on a game drive around the camp, but there was nothing much to see apart from some birds. Admittedly, the weather could have been better with intermittent drizzle. A crossing over the Sundays River leads from one game section to another. Still, neither Alec nor Earl wanted to try the crossing, despite reception saying it was drivable, as the water level was rather deep.

That afternoon, we drove to the alternative entrance on the R63 and enjoyed a drive around the game area, seeing a few animals. The weather was still drizzly and cold, so we went into town for an early supper. Helen and Earl had previously enjoyed eating at Pioneers, so we refuelled, and they took us to the restaurant. It has since changed its name to Frontiers but serves the same excellent food, and we thoroughly enjoyed our lamb shanks.

The following day, we set off for the short drive to Mountain Zebra. This is one of our favourite parks, and arriving at the campground, we found two sites along the fence that we could enjoy. This campground is also well laid out, with the stands clearly demarcated, though the stands along the fence could be more level! The little Sherpa Tiny caravan next to us was precariously balanced on rocks to try and level it out!

This is the first time we have visited this park since the ablutions have been upgraded, and we were keen to see what all the fuss was about. I was amazed at the lovely tiles and mirrors that I saw when I went in to wash my hands. Sadly, this was where the amazement stopped, and the irritation started. These ablutions are more about flash than bang.

Why would you choose tiles that are slippery when wet for a public restroom? The floor is an accident waiting for its victims.

Then there are the showers, which are minuscule and very strangely placed. Two are across a corner with hooks hidden in nooks, and the others are so tiny that the cubicle width is a few millimetres wider than the cubicle door. The windows are placed high up and recessed so they are impossible to reach, resulting in condensation on the tiles and dampening everything. Then you have a positively dreadful three-panel sliding door to close. The gap left by opening the doors is tiny, and I am sure many people struggle to get through that gap and into the shower. Then, when you go, you must step back into the wet shower to open the cubicle door. Then, you must navigate slippery tiles with wet shoes. The whole thing is laughable. I suggest that Sanparks ask an organisation like Kampmal to assist when redesigning ablutions so campers design for campers!

Mountain Zebra is similar to the Karoo in that it is a park designed for scenery rather than animals, though many species exist to enjoy. The park is named after the Mountain Zebra, so there are many of those, along with large herds of Black Wildebeest, Springbok, Red Hartebeest, and Blesbok. There are also cheetahs, lions, and hyenas as predators, though judging by the numbers and large herds of antelope, there could be a lot more! It is very disappointing to arrive at the gate and see all the names on the register state that they are there for culling! It’s not exactly what you want to see at a National Park.

We had three fantastic days at Mountain Zebra, where we again revelled in the vast skies, beautiful vistas, and some tremendous sightings, the cream of which was the cheetah female with her cubs. On our last evening, we drove up one of the hills looking for the black rhino, and halfway up, we came across a lone buffalo bull standing in the middle of the road. There was a long drop-off on one side and a mountain on the other, so we needed somewhere for us or it to go. We pulled over to the side of the road, turned off the engine, and hoped he would simply walk past on the right. Rather than walk past, he walked right up to the bonnet of the Ford. We both sat silently while he stared, and we stared, and the birds were the only sound! I know how unpredictable dagga boys can be, so I had my heart in my mouth and taped the entire thing, so I had something to show the insurance company if need be! Another car came from the opposite direction, so he clambered over the rocks and got far enough off the road to allow both cars to pass.

A Rainbow tells us that the rain is past

All in all, it was a lovely, restful trip. Having enjoyed a large bowl of chicken soup for our souls, it was time to pack up once again and start our trek home. All too quickly, our two weeks away ended, and the reality of day-to-day living is again back!

Gecko Road Trip 2024 Mountain Zebra National Park

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22 October 2024 to 25 October 2024

The final game reserve we visited was Mountain Zebra National Park near Cradock in the Eastern Cape. Upon signing in at the entrance gate, we were initially disappointed to hear that culling would occur during our visit. Later, we discovered that it was conducted at night, which did not affect our stay in any way.

Fortunately, the weather began to clear up, allowing us to set up camp just before the onset of rain. Since it wasn’t warm enough to cook outside and we are all getting too old to rough it, we opted for the convenience of eating at the lovely camp restaurant. Each day the weather got better until the last two were quite hot.

There was a spit and and a spot of rain on our second night but we simply had to cook our meat. Thanks to our intrepid braai masters

We’ve visited Mountain Zebra many times and have experienced most of their 4×4 trails. However, this time we opted not to take our car on these routes and instead adhered to the standard gravel and tarred roads.
The scenery in the park is stunning,

We were thrilled to discover an abundance of wildlife. At times, we encountered vast herds composed of various species mingling together. As avid birdwatchers, we paused for each bird, compiling a list of approximately 50 different species, though we captured fewer photographs.

Naturally, the first animal we encountered in the park was a Mountain Zebra, and these creatures kept us amused throughout our visit. At times we observed them alone, at other times in large herds, and occasionally alongside other animals.
South Africa has three different species of zebra namely Plains Zebra, Mountain Zebra, and Grevy’s Zebra. (Grevy’s not seen in South Africa – only East Africa – Thanks Anne for the correction.)
The Plains Zebra is the most common and is characterized by broad stripes that can run horizontally or vertically, often accompanied by shadow stripes.
The Grevy’s Zebra is significantly larger than the other species, with narrow pinstripes and a sturdier build.
The Mountain Zebra is smaller, distinguished by a dewlap and stripes that are narrower than the Plains’, and more distinct, particularly on the rump.
Each species has adapted to its environment, with the Mountain Zebra as its name suggests, favouring mountainous regions.
In the 1930s, the Mountain Zebra was considered a threatened species, which led to the establishment of the park for their protection. This initiative has proven to be successful, as there are now large herds of them thriving in the park.

Another species that is thriving well in this park is the Black Wildebeest/White-tailed Gnu.
Blue Wildebeest/Brindled Gnu/White-bearded Gnu prefer the savannah. They are larger and have horns that curve sideways out from the head.
Black Wildebeest/White-tailed Gnu are smaller, have horns facing forward, and have white tails.

Antelope species common in the park are Blesbok, Red Hartebeest, Gemsbok, Eland, Kudu, Springbok and a variety of others that we did not spot.

What are you staring at? Haven’t you seen a Gemsbok before? I’m also known as an Oryx

Other creatures that gave us entertainment were jackals, ground squirrels, and buffalo.

This was our only sighting of buffalo – crossing the road in front of us

In camp we were also delighted to have some smaller visitors.

This brave little striped mouse was not afraid at all.

On our second day in the park, our travelling companions, Alec and Cathy saw a mother cheetah and two cubs. I was thrilled for them but also a little jealous that we had missed this awesome sighting. The next day we set off to find them on the Ubejane Loop but were disappointed. They were nowhere to be seen.
It was our last full day in the park and the weather was stunning. “Let’s see if we can find those cheetahs today, ” I suggested to The Earl. “They’re probably long gone but let’s be positive.”
We made our way to the Ubejane turnoff. It was after nine o’clock and I felt that we should have left camp earlier. But we couldn’t have timed it better. A single white Toyota Land Cruiser was standing still a short way from the turnoff. The Earl drew up beside him and I nearly jumped out of the car when he said they were looking at a cheetah! But do you think we could locate her? We scanned the hillside and then turned to the guy for clearer instructions. How insane! We had looked too high and too far not believing she could be right there, under a bush, sitting up and literally waving at us!

“Where are the cubs?” The Earl was worried. After a few minutes, one appeared and came to sit with Mom. Soon a second came along and we breathed a sigh of relief that they were both safe.

And then another one appeared.

The first two cubs stuck close to Mom but the third was clearly the problem child of the family, always lagging behind, looking for his own adventures.

It was breakfast time and Mom needed to hunt. She instructed her cubs to stay put and set off to find food. For over an hour we watched her hunt but although she made two attempts her prey got away. I was glad for the poor bokkie but sorry that the family had to go hungry for a little longer.

The two obedient kittens came when called

But the naughty one lagged behind as usual

Cheetahs were successfully reintroduced to the Mountain Zebra National Park in 2007 and have thrived in the mountainous terrain. Having never spotted them on previous visits, I considered booking a guided game drive. However, I’m glad I refrained, as this self-discovered sighting became the highlight of our trip.

I have asked Cathy to write a ‘guest blog’ and her story will appear here soon.

Gecko Road Trip 2024 – Camdeboo

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Note: When viewing the groups of photographs click on first one to enlarge. Use arrows to see slide show. Press escape to return to the blog post. If you are on your phone you just need to swipe to see each photo and click on the x to return to the blog post. You might also need to click on the info icon to see the captions.

Following our trip to Karoo National Park, we went to Camdeboo near Graaff-Reinet. This was our third visit to the park, although the weather was less favorable than during our previous stays. While caravanning in a small caravan offers more comfort than camping in a tent, it’s still not ideal when the weather prevents you from enjoying the outdoors. The only disadvantage of the Gecko is the limited space available indoors. However, we set up our indoor table, brought the kettle and other essentials inside, and managed to enjoy our breakfast without getting wet!

We did two game drives on our full day in the park. The first we accessed from the campsite but were prevented from accessing the whole park because of an inaccessible road. Later in the day, we traveled 5 kilometers through the town and onto the R63 to reach the game reserve’s entrance gate.

Our heroes contemplating whether to forge the raging river! Discretion is the better part of valour!

Despite our best efforts, we saw very little. It seems the creatures were hiding in their burrows, dens, and nests! Below are the photos of what we saw on both drives.

The Vervet Monkeys were amusing and certainly found us just as interesting as we found them.

These mischievous cousins were all over the place.

We were lucky enough to spot Black Wildebeest also known as White-tailed Gnu. They were quite a distance away so photographs are not that clear.

Even the birds were scarce but we enjoyed those that braved the cold and wet. Spotted Thick-knee are very photogenic. Ostriches seem to like any weather.

We departed from the park at 5 o’clock. Earl and I had enjoyed meals at Pioneers restaurant during previous visits to Graaff-Reinet, so we opted to dine there for supper. To our surprise, it was now under new management and renamed Frontier. Despite the alterations, the cuisine remained outstanding. Even though it was early on a Sunday evening, the place was bustling, and we were fortunate to secure a table. Cath and Alec savored tasty lamb shanks, Earl chose the Springbok shank, and I indulged in a delightful traditional Bobotie.

We left Camdeboo this morning and arrived at Mountain Zebra at 11:15 am. The weather was cold and overcast but it did not rain so setting up camp went smoothly. More about our visit here next time.

Gecko Road Trip October 2024 Day 3,4 and 5 Karoo National Park

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Wednesday 16 October 2024 to Friday, 18 October 2024

We spent three lovely days exploring the Karoo National Pak. On Wednesday, the weather started off cool but warmed up beautifully as the day progressed. Thursday, was very hot and we did not spend much time out. Today, Friday, started off quite cool but by the afternoon it was hot again.

On Tuesday we took the Klipspringer and Potlekkertjie Loop. We didn’t spot any klipspringers but we did encounter Grey Rhebok on the Potlekkertjie loop.
We stopped at the Doornhoek Picnic site for breakfast and a loo break.

Once again we were intrigued by the wonderland of ancient rock formations dating back to the Permian Period. Millions of years ago dinosaurs roamed these plains.

Below is a list of the creatures we encountered: the first group consists of mammals, and the second group comprises birds.

‘Mom who are those strange looking primates:” “Distant cousins, dear – pay them no attention – they’re the nasty side of the fmily’

We heard and saw a number of birds but of course, most of them did not stop to pose for their portraits. Thanks to those who indulged the Paparazzi. The Verreaux’s eagles were the highlight of the day. I spotted them when I stopped to look at pale-winged starlings. We got out at the viewpoint but could not see them from there so went back to just before that and got some reasonable shots.

Over the next two days, we saw much of the same, and I will let the photos below tell the story.

On Thursday, we popped in at Bulkraal Picnic Site near the gate and were impressed with the facilities. On Wednesday and Friday, we had our breakfast at Doornhoek Picnic Site, which is on the Potlettertjie Loop.

There is always some bird activity at picnic sites and Bulkraal did not disappoint.

Baboons are always so amusing and this morning as we were coming around the bend of we encountered a troop using the wall as a lookout. They were not impressed with us and one clung to the grooves in the wall hoping we would not spot him.

The birds were particularly active today but not all would pose for the Paparazzi. We had a stunning sighting of two secretary birds. One was in a tree and another flew in to say hi to him and then they scurried away at great speed making photography extremely difficult. The photos are simply too bad to be published! Below are the more obliging of the feathered friends.

Very common and very pretty – Cape Sparrow

These female ostriches camouflage so well. We wonder if they’re sitting on eggs?

The mammals also gave us some lovely Kodak Moments.

Mountain zebras are particularly photogenic

A Grey Rhebok surprised us on the road and leaped off into the bush but we still managed to get some shots of him.

This afternoon, we packed as much as we could for our departure tomorrow. In the evening, we dined at the camp’s restaurant. Earl, Cathy, and Alec savored the oxtail potjie, while I indulged in the venison potjie—sorry, Bambi!

And it looks like this will be my last post on WordPress as I have run out of free space. I will have to think about what I am going to do – give up blogging or set up a paid space.

Gecko Roadtrip October 2024 – Day 2 Oudtschoorn to Karoo National Park

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We awoke to clear blue skies this morning, but it was still fairly chilly. I dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt. We were all up by 7:30 and went to the Kleinplaas restaurant for breakfast. You could choose from a full buffet of cereals, yogurt, fruit, eggs, bacon, etc., or have a plated health breakfast of cereal, yogurt, fruit, or bacon and eggs. Earl and I had bacon and eggs while Cathy and Alec settled for the health.

At around 09:00 we left to make the two and a half hour drive to Karoo National Park. Once again we enjoyed another beautiful mountain pass. Swartberg Pass starts from the quaint village of De Rust. What an amazing feat of human engineerng this pass is. Imagine the Voortrekkers of old having to make their way across these majestic mountains in their ox wagons. What amazingly brave and tough people these men and women were.

Day 2 Journey – Oudtschoorn to Karoo National Park near Beaufort West

The road has dramatic twists and bends and the scenery is magnifcent. The sheer rock faces in hues of grey and red are interspersed with lush green pockets of vegetation that miraculously sprout from the dry, stony earth. Once over the pass the landscape becomes typically semi-desert with scattered trees and scrub and the lovely low flat topped mountains and koppies.

Although the skies were clear and blue there was a nip in the air and the wind was blowing. When we entered the park the gate guard told us that it was summer last week but now winter had returned!

I love the colour of the Karoo and the park displays the tapestry of ochres, rusty reds and deep orange in its rocks and soil. The vegetation is a show of different shades of mauves, pinks, browns, greens and yellows.

After checking in we found two lovely sites next each other and soon set up camp. The fascilities are stunning. Everything is neat and well maintained. There is a camp kitchen and a laundry and the ablution block is spotlessly clean.

We spent the afternoon in camp and enjoyed the birds and animals that don’t mind sharing their habitat with humans.

I strongly disapprove of feeding the wildlife but I am sure there are people wno do otherwise why would a beautiful kudu female feel so comfortable among us? She visited us today and it was extremely tempting to offer her a carrot or some cabbage but I would not allow The Earl to give in to his emotions. You can see from the photographs how tame this creature is. She visits the campsite often but is truly wild and goes to join her kudu friends once she’s greeted everyone in camp.

Gecko Road Trip October 2024 – Day 1 Struisbaai to Oudtschoorn

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Monday 14 October 2024

For those reading my blog for the first time, let me explain the title of this post. The Gecko Caravan is a rare species. There are just over two hundred of them in Southern Africa and most of us are on a WhatsApp group where we share news. tips about camping and adaptations to our vans, etc. Each Gecko is numbered according to when it was manufactured so if you see a Gecko Off-road Caravan with the number 81, you will know it was the 81st one built. That just happens to be the number of the one we are the proud owners of. Our travelling companions are Alec and Cathy who own Gecko 109. They live in Napier, 50 km from Struisbaai. If you don’t already know, Struisbaai is a small fishing village near Cape Agulhas, the southern tip of Africa.

We met our friends at the silo towers, Bredasdorp at 09:00 and set off for the first leg of our journey. We will spend one night at Kleinplaas Campsite, Oudtschoorn, then four nights at Karoo National Park, two nights at Camdeboo, and finally four nights at Mountain Zebra National Park.

The weather today was cool and overcast and we had a few splashes of rain too. It might have been overly optimistic to dress in jeans and a short-sleeved T-shirt but my fleece gave me enough warmth while in the car!

Our journey graced us with stunning vistas. Route 62 boasts breathtaking landscapes, grand mountains, and imposing cliffs that stand over pristine streams. The delightful natural flora is a sight to cherish.

Following our traverse of the Tradouw Pass, we stopped for breakfast at The Country Pumpkin in Barrydale. We highly recommend this restaurant not only for its ambiance and quaint decor but for the excellent food served. You can also purchase delicious confectionery, home-bottled preserves, and souvenirs from their shop.

We arrived at our first overnight stop, Kleinplaas Campsite in Oudtshoorn at 13:00. The sites are spacious, grassed, and shady. The ablutions are well-maintained, clean, and neat.