2 OCTOBER 2020
Packing up in the rain is never easy but we are becoming a well-oiled machine with a rhythm that works for us. When we were all set to leave Mossel Bay, we had some coffee and rusks with Andre’s parents and then set off for Beaufort-West.
We drove through to Hartenbos and then turned onto the R328 towards Oudtshoorn. Despite the grey, misty weather conditions, we were so impressed by the scenic drive through the Robinson Pass. The genius of Sir Thomas Bain, designer of the mountain pass, was evident as we enjoyed the incredible vistas in all directions. We also saw some antelope as we drove past the private game parks situated here in this secret part of the Outeniqua Mountains. If we did not have a booking at the Karoo National Park, I would actually have loved spending a day or two in this area. We drove past farm stalls and restaurants begging to be explored. (NOTE TO SELF: We are coming back!)
And, unbelievably, as we drove into Oudtshoorn, it started drizzling. I know it sounds too weird to be true, but in the past ten years, it has rained each and every time that I have visited Oudtshoorn. I joked that I should rent myself out to the farmers around Oudtshoorn because I could not believe that this is an arid area. Most of those times, it had been to support my kids when they played tennis in Oudtshoorn. There is only one thing more frustrating than watching paint dry – and that is waiting for a tennis court to dry!
Andre is an avid Douglas Adams fan. He decided that we must be Rob McKenna, a character from The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Unbeknownst to him, Rob McKenna was the Rain God. He did not know that a place without rain existed, because it rained everywhere he went.
We continued on the N12, through De Rust, to Meiringspoort. After travelling through this beautiful gateway in the dark about a month ago, I was so glad that we had a second opportunity to experience this iconic Klein Karoo attraction. The road crosses the Groot River 25 times in the 25 kilometres that it follows the natural gorge through the Swartberg range. Meiringspoort, another of the masterpieces designed by Sir Thomas Bain, is the passageway between the Groot and Klein Karoo.
We stopped at the first picnic area. It is a beautiful spot with well-kept gardens, braai areas and neat and clean ablutions. We were tempted to braai there, but it was still drizzling, and it looked as though heavier rain could be on the way.
Next, we stopped at Herrie se Klip (Herrie’s Stone). Andre loves the works of Afrikaans writer, C.J.Langenhoven, the man who penned the words of Die Stem van Suid-Afrika (The Call of South Africa). Herrie, the elephant, was a fictious character first mentioned in his novel Sonde met die Bure. Langenhoven had chiselled the name out on the stone in 1929. With his well-known sense of humour, he, in jest, referred to it as a monument to himself. In 1973 this stone was declared a National Monument for the centenary of Langenhoven’s birth.
Thirteen years ago (2007), we spent a wonderful afternoon with the kids at the waterfall in Meiringspoort. We swam in the rock pools and they even did some slip-and-sliding down the slippery rocks from one pool to the next.
On our way back from Addo in 2012, we stopped there again and walked up to the waterfall.
The weather most definitely did not encourage us to swim this time, but we packed our trusty thermos flask, instant cappuccinos, rice crackers and cream cheese. At least, we could have a lovely standing picnic on the wet rocks underneath the waterfall.
The 130 kilometres on the N12 northward to Beaufort-West was not one of the more interesting roads that we have ever driven. Let’s just put it this way: I normally cannot sleep in a car, but this route frequently had my head nodding. Full marks to Andre for staying awake!
We arrived at the Karoo National Park late that afternoon. We quickly set up camp and then drove into Beaufort-West to refuel and buy a few groceries. While I was in Shoprite, the heavens really opened. The rain came pouring down in buckets. Rob McKenna was doing his job again…
We decided to head to a restaurant for an early dinner. WiFi was essential to work on our blog. In the end, the Red Canyon Spur looked like our best option. We spent a few cosy hours inside working on the blog over nachos and hot chocolate while it rained heavily outside. When Andre hit the brakes the first time on our way back to the park, the Niagara Waterfall came pouring down over the windshield. Following my brother’s prediction, the kayak had now become something you could bath in! Luckily, we could just dive into Miss Daisy for a good night’s rest before we started viewing game the next morning.
