Kalagadi in Summer

On 16th December we set off for Kuruman, driving through places like Ventersdorp and Sannieshof and stopping for lunch at Barberspan. It was great to be travelling in SA with Stefan and Andrea again and to have first timers Larry and Jean on tour with us. Paulet, Gavin and Clarissa too. Kuruman has become a dump! We did visit the neglected Moffat Mission station where Livingston proposed to Mary Moffat but it was sad to see how everything is falling apart. Luckily we were staying on a game farm a few kilometres out of town. Once Jean got over all the trophies in her bedroom and we all got over the fact that we got macaroni cheese instead of a braai for dinner, it was fine. At least the drawers in the back of the bakkie were filled with wine. After a grocery stop in Upington we made it to Twee Rivieren in the Kalagadi Transfrontier Park. It was hot! Vrek warm as they would say there! Luckily we were in air-conditioned bungalows and not camping. Note to self and everyone else : never go camping in the Northern Cape in December. On the first game drive that evening we didn't see much and began wondering if the trek was worth it. However, the next morning we had a couple of amazing lion sightings. It's thrilling to realise how much is out there in the desert. All in all we had 8 sightings of lion, 3 of cheetah and lots of birds. There were plenty of gemsbok, springbok and wildebeest and I just loved all the desert giraffe. We spent 2 nights up in Mata Mata and a fourth back at Twee Rivieren.Back through  Upington, we stopped for lunch at Bezelel wine estate. The bobotie was great, the wine not really. The Orange River area is just too hot to make good wine but the table grapes and sun dried raisins are exported all over the world. We spent a night at Augrabies Falls National Park. (It's been about 18 years since we were last there.) The falls were not very full but the canyons at sunset are stunning. We drove to Tankwa Karoo National Park via Calvinia for lunch. The wilderness cottages are isolated, peaceful and romantic with the best vistas across karoo landscapes.The next day we continued our drive south, with a stop for wine tasting and snacks at Gabrielskloof wine farm in Botrivier before arriving in Hermanus.

Kalagadi

Tankwa