Today’s wander is remembering back to a cold, crisp January day when my darling cousin and I boarded a train bound for the nation’s capital, Washington DC. After arriving at Union Station we then clambered aboard an open top tourist bus and spent the day being extremely touristy. The open top bus was an interesting choice given the temperature that day. I was also reading Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol at the time which lent an interesting perspective to our wanderings.
So we are back on the Panorama Route headed towards one of my most favourite places on earth.
Many happy childhood memories spent driving this route. Our end destination today, Hoedspruit, holds a particularly special place in my heart.
Wind your way along the R532 which hugs the edge of the escarpment. Definitely a stop at the Three Rondavels lookout for photos of these iconic mountains and into the Blyde River Canyon below. Mariepskop in the distance.
The R532 meets up with the R36 at the Abel Erasmus Pass. This pass takes you through the last of the mountains past interesting vegetation and rock formations. As you are nearing the J G Strydom tunnel there’s a pretty waterfall if you know where to look amongst the cliffs. Peregrine Falcon breeding spot apparently?
The other side of the tunnel you will start a sharp descent into the lowveld of the Limpopo Province, the Olifants River to your left. You gain a different perspective of those same mountains and cliffs of the escarpment from below.
Drive past the game farms and citrus orchards until you get to Hoedspruit. So much to see and do in this area. I highly recommend staying for a while.
One particular recommendation is a tour around the Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre…. And yes, that is a pic of the famous Stoffel, the honey badger Houdini.
Today’s wandering takes us to the other side of South Africa. To Mpumalanga.
Near Ohrigstad there’s a pass that winds up towards the edge of the Drakensberg escarpment – Robbers Pass. At the top of this pass there is a forestry track off to the left, hard to spot unless you’ve been there before. Bump along this track through the pine plantation for a short way until you turn a bend and the whole valley stretches before you. You have arrived at Themeda Hills Mountain Camp.
Now I don’t know if it still operates anymore, but this spot has to be one of Mpumalanga’s best kept secrets. My family have been visiting for years. I can’t remember who found it first, but I definitely associate trips to Themeda with my Grandad Jim.
Eight little stone rondavels perch on the edge of the world here with simply spectacular views. At a fairly decent altitude there is a distinct alpine tinge to the air and vegetation and the sometimes moody cloud. Rondavel 8 is the best. I saw my first African Crowned Eagle here.
Words and photos do not do the magic of this pure space justice.
After losing yourself on top of the world for a little while, time to join reality again. Down the other side of Robbers Pass you will come to Pilgrims Rest. Two options from here.
First, the road less travelled. A dirt road the follows the Blyde River from its source near Pilgrims Rest as it ambles and meanders its way toward Bourke’s Luck Potholes.
The second option is the more popular R533 to Graskop. A stop at Harrie’s Pancakes before finding the R532 which will start you on the Panorama Route through the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve with lots of scenic stops like God’s Window, Lisbon and Berlin Falls along the way.
More of this Panorama Route tomorrow…
Today, a few photos from a trip along South Africa’s Atlantic coast from Lambert’s Bay south to Eland’s Bay, the Postberg Flower Reserve, West Coast National Park arriving in Cape Town.
Wild… a different sense of isolation from the Kalahari desert we have just left behind. Wild winds, wild waves, wild flowers.
Rich… steeped in history both natural and cultural. Cave paintings and interesting archaeological sites. Incredible birding opportunities.
Its our last day in the Kgalagadi. Time for one more little adventure – the Nossob 4×4 Ecotrail.
A perfect way to meander through the dunes on the tracks less travelled. Stop to investigate the less iconic wildlife often overlooked. Hear stories about the unique plants including surprising flowers that bloom in the desert. Climb a dune to drink in the view to infinity.
Making camp in time to enjoy a spectacular Kgalagadi sunset before enjoying an evening round the fire. Going to sleep to the screech of an owl or the jackals calling. Wondering what the rustle in the bush close by is during your midnight toilet break only to discover the leopard tracks in the morning. Kgalagadi magic!