Day 17 - St James Lodge to Golden Gate

I woke up once during the night and the rain had stopped but when I got up at five it was raining again and when it started to get light we could see snow on the mountains around the Sani pass area. We got up the pass just in time.

Based on the advice we had got and the fact that it had rained all night we decided not to take the road east to Katse dam but instead to head north along the A1 to the border and see how it panned out time wise. Our fellow travelers had travelled along this road the previous day and said it was a good tar road. To get back to this road we had to go down a steep pass into the valley and then out the other side on a now wet and slippery road. So it was a slow drive in four wheel drive down and up.

The tar road was very good and I was considering pumping my tyres up again. That thought went out the window very shortly when we started hitting the potholes. We were going up Tlaeeng pass and the tar road deteriorated into just gravel. Now and again you could see the tar strips sticking out. We climbed and climbed and the potholes got worse. I suppose you could start calling them craters now. Suddenly we came around the bend and saw snow. Lesley had to get out and touch it. I got a snowball against the windscreen and after checking the outside temperature gauge, it showed 4 degrees, was glad I was inside the car. The temp had dropped from 8 degrees when we left St James.

A little later we saw a sign for Sky Restaurant, the highest restaurant in Africa. It turned out to be on the premises of Afri-Ski. They operate a ski slope in winter and offer other activities. We were greeted by Heather and Jacques who are involved in the resort and had a nice friendly chat. They told us that the current restaurant premises are new and that there are new summer activities that have been introduced. You can get all the information on their website at www.afriski.net It would appear that Tiffendale ski resort in South Africa is closed and this is the only one in Africa. We enjoyed excellent cappuccinos and toasted sandwiches in the restaurant before we left.

(It seems that Sani Top Chalet’s claim to having the highest pub in Africa is no longer valid. Sani Top Chalet is at 2874 metres. Afri-Ski has a bar in the Gondola Café which resides at over 3000 metres.)

The road got better a little way past Afr-Ski and we were able to get into fourth gear in places. We were driving along and suddenly we had snow hitting the windscreen. It was amazing for us country bumpkins who had never seen it snowing before. We really got excited.

We also encountered a bird of prey perched at the top of a pole. We could not identify it in our bird book though. All the way along the road we have had to dodge sheep, goats, donkeys and cattle. The more we try to go past them the faster they run. Quite funny really.

We were stopped at the top of Moteng pass by traffic police to wait for an abnormal load of an excavator coming up for the diamond mine. The truck was assisted with a tow by a massive dump truck that was brought from the mine to get it up the pass. When we were let on our way down the pass I could see why. This pass is really steep with some very sharp hairpin bends. It was very carefully down this one.

The rest of the way to the border at Caledonspoort was relatively easy. We had decided that we would look for a place to stay in South Africa and Lesley had seen on the map that Golden Gate National Park was not too far from the border. It was a quick stop in Fouriesburg to pump the tyres and check the route on the laptop.

As Lesley has not been feeling that great we decided not to camp and managed to get a longdawel in the Glen Reenen resort. Very nicely equipped but rather expensive. Tomorrow we will do some of the drives before heading to Ladybrand where we will be staying with my cousin, Andrew and his family. We had a lovely braai and went to bed.   

Potholes and snow on Tlaeeng Pass

If this pass was gravel it would rate as a level 4 4X4 route

Rock kestrel?

This one did not make it off Moteng pass

In Lesotho you are either going up a pass or down a pass

Sunset at Glen Reenen Resort, Golden Gate park

Day16 - Glengarry to St James Lodge

What a day! I am lying in bed in a hut in Lesotho with the rain pouring down and a paraffin lamp for light. We had left Glengarry at about 09H00 this morning on the next leg of our travels. The manager at Glengarry had suggested we take the back road towards Sani pass as the scenery was more spectacular. We took his advice and were not disappointed. The road was good and the mountains beautiful and green with a waterfall here and there.

We wanted to find a place that sold medicine as Lesley was getting very chesty and she wanted some Vicks, so we headed for Underberg and found an OK Bazaars that stocked it. After filling up with fuel we turned off on the Sani pass road. They are busy tarring the road so for a while it was nice and new and then suddenly it turns into a bad gravel road. It stayed bad until the South African border post where we had our passports stamped. And then the road got worse and the scenery got more amazing. From the border post to the top it is 8km of real challenging road. Lesley says it is not a road but terrain. I started off in 4 wheel drive high range but eventually had to resort to low range. The road has been damaged even more after the last rains and they are still repairing it. We hopped around some of the corners near the top, as there were huge stones on the corners, and at one of them could not make it around in one go as the turning circle of the Colt is not that good. Near the top, which is the worst part, to my astonishment, a Toyota Hi-ace taxi filled with people, came around the corner going down the pass. I had to stop and ask the driver if it was four wheel drive and he assured me it was.

Eventually we got to the top and headed for the Lesotho border post building where we paid R30 vehicle fee and had our passports stamped. Tick off another country. Then it was off to the highest pub in Africa where Lesley had soup and I had a beer.

It was another 48km to our overnight place which is called St James lodge. It took us 2 hours to get here because the roads are really, really bad. I don’t think these roads have ever been graded since they were built. I must admit I never expected them to be this bad. It is very tiring having to concentrate for so long as a lot of the time the roads are mountain passes.

We met some missionaries at the lodge who advised against taking the road to Katse Dam as it was in very bad condition. There were some other travelers at the lodge who also decided not to go that route as they had a trailer.

L: Arriving at the ‘lodge’ was a bit of a shock. My first clue should have been that of the dozen people I was the only female. Our rondawel had two single beds, two side tables and two paraffin lamps. No lock on the door. Our bathroom/outhouse has no lock on the door(getting the pattern), no hot water. Later on we discovered that our hut leaked water onto the bed and the slats of the bed were broken.

S: The communal lounge and kitchen were very well equipped however and the fire made it very warm and comfortable.

L: We being from Cape Town, Steve devised a plan to lock our door by taking a piece of rope and attached it to the door handle and the roof beam so that the handle could not be turned.

We made cowboy stew from leftovers and went to bed early as it was cold and pouring with rain.

Scenery on the way to Sani pass

Waterfall along Sani pass road

Last and most difficult part of Sani pass

View from the top

Glad to be at the top

St James Lodge rondawels

Day 15 - Around Glengarry

It rained last night and it was still drizzling when we got up. The weather did not look very promising so we were undecided about what we were going to do today. I cooked breakfast in the meantime and when we had finished we got in the car and drove to the gate. There was a place called Highmoor we could go to or we could go back to Giant’s Castle. I had googled the place last night and there are some caves that have bushman paintings and are an important cultural place. It is not too far to walk and if the weather holds should be interesting to see.

We headed out to Giant’s Castle and paid our R30 per person at the gate. Then it was another 7.5km drive to the resort reception where we had to pay another R30 per person for the cave visit. I can tell you the money paid was worth it. We have so many wonderful photos of the mountains and the valleys and butterflies. The scenery is spectacular and it was a relatively easy walk along the mountainside to get to the caves. It just got a bit tougher on the last bit where it was uphill to get to the caves. We had to wait about 25 minutes for the hourly tour and we were the only ones on it. The bushman paintings are amazing and there are so many of them and the guide explained the meaning behind some of them.

We took another route, which was shorter and along the river, to get back to the resort. Then it was time for a bite to eat at the restaurant. Good food at a reasonable price. All in all we were glad we made the effort to visit this place. Then it was home to our campsite.

Tomorrow we are off into Lesotho so we might not have internet access for a few days but as soon as we can we will post.

Sunset

Giant's castle valley

Beauty crosses our path

Looking back at the resort

Paintings in the cave

Giant's Castle

Imagine finding house no: 120000

Day 14 - Mahai to Glengarry

It was an interesting morning before we left Mahai. When Lesley got up to go to the loo there was a olive woodpecker at work in the tree near our tent. While we were checking this out the rest of the campers around us came to see and it was awhile before we could get about the task of breaking camp. We have such a nice bunch of fellow campers around us.

We were sorry to leave Mahai as it must rate as one of the best value for money, and well equipped campsites we have stayed at. There are great walks and it is a nice place for children.

We retraced our route back to Mooi River, avoiding the toll plaza by turning off the N3 10km before and going in the back way. We found a huge Spar and did some shopping for the next few days. Then it was a fill up again and off to Glengarry farm via Rosetta. The weather had been threatening rain for most of the day.

Glengarry has a 9 hole golf course, if you play golf, a 7 lane bowling green, if you play bowls, and trout fishing, if you do fly fishing. Unfortunately we do none of those, but the scenery is fantastic. They have 10 grassed caravan sites and only one was occupied when we arrived. They have now left and someone else has now arrived. There has been much activity here with preparations for a wedding on Saturday with huge tents going up.

Lesley is not too charmed with the ablutions as in one set you have the gas water heater over your head when you sit on the toilet. Anyway she has found one to her liking and due to there being no one else here she has claimed it as her own.

We decided to go for a little walk around the golf course but the weather did not look so good so we cut it short and decided to go for a drive. We ended up going to the entrance gate of Giant’s Castle reserve which is about 32km from Glengarry. The mountains are really beautiful and very green. On the way back we stopped off at a village store for fire wood. There is a nice couple who owns the place and they have been there for just a year. Part of the property has a pub on it called the Knackered Swan. Apparently the previous owner, whose name was Swanick, for some reason, hit a horse on its hind quarters and the horse kicked him in the ?????? He had broken bones and was quite badly hurt but he healed OK. He named his pub what all the local farmers were calling him. We enjoyed a sherry while the owners swopped a few stories with us. You do meet the most interesting people in the strangest places.

Then it was back to our campsite for a braai and bed.

Good morning Olive ,,,, woodpecker

 

Glengarry cottages

How sad that this building has ended up like this

Sunset

Day 13 - In and around Mahai

Lesley : Woken by chattering birds at 05H30 and when I stepped out of the tent saw the most amazing sunrise again (sorry guys, can’t resist these things). Breakfast was a cup of coffee and cereal as we wanted to start our walks rather early when it is still cool.

S: While we were clearing up after breakfast we were visited by our deer and its little one again. Then to our amazement another mother with her even smaller baby joined them. Out came the camera again.

The first walk on our agenda started at the campsite and is called the Cascades. It is wheelchair friendly so is a wide cement path most of the way. The book says it is a 2.4 km walk one way and was a most enjoyable walk which ended in a beautiful pool and series of small waterfalls. Lesley even went for a swim.

With that easy stroll behind us I thought it was time for something a little longer so I picked a walk to what is called Sunday’s waterfall. The info said 3km one way which should take 45 minutes. Well it took us 1,5 hours one way. It was uphill most of the way and started getting rather hot. I kept trying to convince Lesley we should turn around but she was determined to get there. I said she was stubborn and she says she is tenacious. I have to agree with her but she only just managed to get off the mountain with her sore feet and ankles. I must admit my feet are also a little sore after that. The scenery however is magnificent with massive rock buttresses around us and wonderful views of the valleys.

We were hungry after that and Lesley wanted pizza so we headed down the road to a place called the Tower of Pizza. It is about 14km down the road and the place also offers helicopter flips. The pizzas were great and so was the homemade ginger beer.

Then it was back to the campsite to do some more washing and to chill with a nice cold drink. As I am typing this one of the deer is grazing near me.  

L: I died on the long walk, if you work it out that was at least 10km and we only got back after 13H30 so most of it was in the blazing heat. Now I am going to have a long bath and soak my feet as I can barely move and Steve will have to do all the work tonight.

Supper was left over pizza and tea. We have caught up on the blog and tidied the car ready for our trip tomorrow.

What Lesley cannot resist

Ain't she cute?

Reach out and touch it

Ain't he cute?

The amphitheatre

Still a long, long way .....

Unusual dragonfly

Resting at Sunday falls

Day 12 - Dumbe to Mahai

Sunrise seems to be Lesley’s thing when we are on holiday, and this morning’s one at Dumbe was a doozy. She was up and taking photos. We only had a short drive to Mahai campsite at Royal Natal park so it was nice to lie in and then have a leisurely breakfast before we had to pack and be on our way.

We retraced our route and turned off the R74 towards the mountains. The amphitheatre was spread out in front of us. Quite magnificent. We arrived at the main gate and were allowed through without having to pay anything as it was during the holidays. A little further on we arrived at Mahai campsite. It is beautifully set out amongst huge trees with grassed sites. There are all the facilities needed including a laundry with coin operated washing machines. Lesley has taken the opportunity to catch up with the washing.

There are a lot of walks here ranging from 1 hour to 6 hours. There is also a guided walk to bushman paintings. We were planning to go on one or two walks after arriving here but it was very hot so we decided to wait till later. Then we ended up changing camp sites from non/electrical to electrical as I did not think the dual battery would last for the time that we were going to be here as we would not be driving around much to charge it and the battery does not have the life it used to have.

Then just as we were deciding to go walking a thunder storm started approaching and it started to rain. We took shelter in the washing up place, which is right next to it, and munched on avos. Walking was something we were only going to get to tomorrow.

After the rain stopped we started our braai and when we had finished we had a deer and her little one walking through the camp site, quite tame. Amazing to see them so close. I then went for a shower and when I was walking back I saw something moving on the road. I shone my torch on it and here was this owl checking me out. He flew off before I could get any closer.

Yeah, Steve, that was the cute and cuddly wildlife……I had a close encounter with the big male baboon while he was down at reception and it really enjoyed a lick of the braai grid before I and my fellow campers managed to scare it off…..

This is a lovely place and the mountains around us are spectacular, feel like we are in a bowl with mountains on all sides.  Yes, once again, you will have to suffer some of my sunset pics, but I just can’t resist and this camera is a joy to use too.

Spoke to the girls on BBM tonight, told them that I wish they were here to see this, it is lovely and a place that so few South Africans ever get to see as it is so pricey to stay at most places.  We are blessed.

Good night all, sleep tight, hope we do too with the owls a-hooting and the baboons a-screeching……!!  Zzzzzzzz

Sunrise at Dumbe

Mountain view from Mahai

Wonderful setting

Sunset at Mahai

Happy campers in the distance

Little deer coming to visit

Day 11 - Amanzimtoti to Dumbe

We were woken up this morning at about two by the last of the lifesaving after party revelers going back to their hotel. After that it was difficult to get back to sleep. When we eventually got up it was to no electricity. Great, it was going to be fun carrying everything down from the third floor. Halfway through the process the electricity came on but neither of us wanted to chance the lift after that.

We took the N3 out of Durban and it was good to be on our way again. The first toll plaza we came to cost us R8 but the next one at Mooi River was going to be R35 so we took the off ramp and the alternate route. The first town we came to was Nottingham Road and there were these 3 old corrugated iron churches all on the same site. There was a church service in progress in the one.

We carried on along the R103 until we got to Winterton and found a guy selling ripe avocados. We had to stop and while Lesley was haggling with the guy, I got a frantic call from Heather who was standing at the check-in at the airport. They would not let her board without a copy of the credit card that I used to book her flight as well as my id. So we took a photo of both and sent them via BBM, MMS and WhatsApp. She had it within minutes and they allowed her through. Isn’t technology wonderful?

It was time for brunch at the Wimpy in Mooi River and we managed to buy some meat for the next 3 days at a butchery on the same site. We still got caught at Mooi River toll plaza as we took the on ramp onto the N3 but this time it was only R11. A little further on we turned off on the R74 and after passing Little Switzerland went up to the top of Oliviershoek Pass. The road here is terrible with huge potholes and some of the road disintegrating. At the top of the pass we turned off onto Retief pass and after 12 km reached our destination, Dumbe 2. This area is historic as it was the place where the voortrekkers such as Retief, Maritz, Uys, Potgieter and the rest crossed the Drakensberg on their way to the sea.

Dumbe is a cottage on the top of a mountain with one incredible view over the valleys below. The whole front of the cottage is just windows so that from anywhere inside you can see the view, even the bed and the bath (which has spa jets). There is nobody there when you arrive, you just walk in. If the comments book is anything to go by it seems to be a special place for a lot of people, as there have been quite a few proposals and anniversaries celebrated here.

Lesley:  As well as honeymoons, and yes, Steve, you did it again, this is probably our best place ever, it is in the most exquisite site and the building is so tastefully constructed.  There are a lot of little extras to make it special.  Thanks, Steve :->

We also took a walk to some monuments in the area regarding the trek and women’s rights. L:  There is a lovely bronze statue which from far looks like a real woman standing on the skyline.  It is a reminder of the hardships these women went through.

We also saw a bird, which is a new one for us, I was fascinated by it – we think, from the bird books we consulted that it is an “Oostelike Rooipootvalk” ? Eastern RedClaw Falcon, not sure what it is in English, any ideas anyone.  It is really small for a bird of prey only 30cm as an adult. (We have found out that it is called the Eastern Redfooted Kestrel in English)

This was a lovely evening where we enjoyed supper, an indoor fire and a Jacuzzi bath and a really comfortable bed (the one in Toti, was not so great)!!   Night all.  X

Farewell Toti

One of three corrugated iron churches

Hello stranger

View from our balcony

Dumbe chalet

A colourful couple

Bath with a view

Day 10 - Last day at Amanzimtoti Beach

Day 3 on the beach pretty much followed the same pattern as the previous two days so we will not bore you with too many details.

Today there was some BIG surf, and I mean BIG surf. Some of the top competitors got crunched in the huge waves and there were some big upsets. But that is what makes surf life saving so great; it is so unpredictable and sometimes gives the other competitors a chance to shine.

Heather and her team mates managed to get a third place in the taplin relay event. Taplin is when 4 people do a relay where each person does a different discipline. Board, ski, swim, run.

Anyway we really enjoyed the competition, but are also glad it is now over and we can carry on with our trip. By the way, Fish Hoek won the competition, beating their arch rivals, Durban Surf on their own turf.

Tomorrow we are on our way again. It has been raining rather hard this evening which is a welcome respite after the heat.

Craft rescue in action

Lyle

Rather large surf to negotiate

A winning team

Next generation lifesaver