Port Elizabeth - Swartberg Pass

Hi everyone,
Today we did a "circuit" from Oudtshoorn, driving over the spectacular Swartberg Pass then back via the Meiringspoort Pass.  The Swartberg Pass was completed in 1888 by Sir Thomas Bain.  It is still a dirt road.  Our little hire car was in first gear for half of the ascent and the brakes were a bit weary at the bottom!

Approaching the pass

Milesone along the pass

As we ascended the southern side of the pass we were enveloped in cloud.  Visibility gradually reduced to about 50m in foggy "mizzle".

Spectacular flowers in the high country

In the fog on top

When we drove over the top of the pass we descended out of the cloud very quickly - the cloud base on the leeward side was far higher than on the windward side.  The scenery which emerged was spectacular.

Emerging from the fog on the lee (north) side

Into the sunshine

Amazing flora and scenery

Once over the high pass there's still work to do.  The road descends dramatically into a deep gorge and runs alongside the river to exit the Swartbergs.

View down into the gorge the pass traverses on its north side

View from inside the gorge

We were a bit worried we'd be disappointed with the pass while ascending through the fog.  In the end the foggy ascent just added to the overall experience.  The pass is an amazing engineering feat and was a lot of fun to see.

The rest of the loop back to Oudtshoorn was a nice drive too.  Mountains all around and interesting farming country between.  We had lunch in Oudtshoorn before driving south to the coast and east to Kynsna where we are staying tonight.

Port Elizabeth - Camdeboo National Park

Hi everyone,

On Tuesday we drove from Cradock in Eastern Cape province to Oudtshoorn in Western Cape province, a distance of about 400km.  Along the way we visited the Camdeboo National Park near the town of Graaff-Reinet.  Camdeboo means "green hollow" and the area is principally flat farming land surrounded by large mountain ranges.

The park all but surrounds the town, with most game found near the Nqweba Dam.  We saw ostrich, vervet monkeys, duiker, springbok, black wildebeest, blesbok, red hartebeest, gemsbok and steenbok.  None of the species appeared to be here in large numbers.

Ostrich

Inquisitive Vervet Monkey

The park area west of the town appears to have less game, although we saw ostrich and baboons there.  However the country is spectacular and the road leads up to a vantage point high above the town.  Medium sized aircraft were passing by below us!

Valley of Desolation

From Graff-Reinet we drove south west across a large plain used for farms running goats, sheep and cattle.  The area is well known for its mohair production.  The country reminded us of parts of the Pilbara region - wide open spaces with big properties and occasional flat-topped hills and water courses.

As we moved further south west the mountains got a lot bigger.  The country then reminded us of parts of the south-western US.  You'd drive across a set of hills and find completely different country with different farming (or none).

On the road

Spectacular plains surrounded by mountains

Clouds lapping over the Kammanassieberg

We arrived in Oudtshoorn, capital the "little karoo" region mid-afternoon.  The town was once known as "the feather capital of the world", and there are still a huge number of ostrich farms in the area.  Recently it has become an arts and cultural centre and is quite "posh".  Parts of it reminded us of Subiaco with what we would call "federation style" houses in nice tree-lined streets.

Port Elizabeth - Mountain Zebra National Park

Hi everyone,
On Monday we departed Port Elizabeth for some inland touring.  We are taking a few days to explore the hinterland.  On day one we drove to the town of Cradock and visited the nearby Mountain Zebra National Park.  The drive up to and through the pass at Olifantsop was spectacular, with cloudy skies on the seaward side becoming bright sunshine on the other.

We saw a large number of mountain zebras in the park.  They, springbok and black wildebeest seem most common here.

Mountain Zebra

Mountain Zebras

Black Wildebeest

Springbok

The park consists of a plateau and several river valleys.  The antelope seem to like the plateau area, perhaps because predators would have to work hard to remain concealed.  The country is spectacular.  Water holes are few, and they seem to be kept supplied artificially by pumps.  I'm sure the animals don't mind and they gather there.

Water hole

Other antelope seen included gemsbok, kudu, blesbok, red hartebeest, mountain reedbuck and eland.  The gemsbok are spectacular animals with their long straight horns and striking colours.

Gemsbok

Female Kudu

Blesbok

One bird we'd hoped to see (but didn't expect to) was the secretary bird.  We spotted one just as we were about to leave the park.

Secretary Bird

There were many ostriches in the park too.

Male and female ostrich

The southern part of the park has high ground either side of a river valley/gorge.  The hills on each side of the river are spectacular and the Kranskop Loop road goes from the river up and over the top of a high ridge.  The dirt road is on the edge of extremely steep ground (not quite cliff but almost) with no safety barriers - the public wouldn't be allowed near it in Australia!

Crossing the river bed

View across the valley

Along the ridge

 Mountain Zebra NP is certainly worth a visit.