Flying over the Klein and Great Karoo at 10 000 metres, one can see a multitude of gravel roads, all seeming to go somewhere. Where exactly? Some of them end abruptly against mountain ranges, some of them go through convoluted poorts and some of them take one to unheard-of places. Inspired by these sights from above, we are on a journey to travel in sections from Agulhas to the Kunene River, as far as possible on gravel roads. This section began at Matroosberg Private Nature Reserve where we unloaded our transport and spent a peaceful night camping in the grass under the stars. The “traditional” campsite is set in pines and has three essentials: a view, water and a bathroom.
The ridge behind Matroosberg juts out in the distance waiting to be climbed
The reserve is on a working farm and is a popular place to have fun in the snow in winter. An interesting 4×4 route up the mountain is open to day visitors and there are many paths through the fynbos along the lower slopes.
A working farm with basic accommodation in clear air and quiet surrounds
The road from Matroosberg to Touws River carries little traffic and the only excitement was what appeared to be army manoeuvres with heavily laden soldiers puffing and panting while clambering in and out of fierce looking vehicles. Needless to say there are no photographs of the action here, I like my camera. Touws River passed in a flash and we came across a pan with springbok doing their enthusiastic pronking while wildebeest gazed calmly into the distance, not moving a muscle.
The hot, dry pan outside Touws River
Our night stop was around 60 kilometres away in the Anysberg Nature Reserve and we travelled along rocky surrounds imagining the movements of the crust of the earth forcing strata in wildly different directions.
Vertical slab
There was no shortage of rocks on the route and someone used them to advantage but then decided to move on. What stories we can conjure in our minds about the lives of the people and the dramas that took place here. Maybe a drought, or the lure of the city, or livestock disease caused them to abandon what looks like a solid structure.
Solid, standing, roofless and uninhabited. Times change, people move on
There was once an old railway linking Touws River and Ladismith but it is no more. This building close to the track appeared to be a shop of some sorts in its time. The decayed look is another monument to people moving on for better things.
Times have changed, customers have moved on
We arrived at Vrede, the main centre of the Anysberg reserve and were greeted by more horses than humans. They wandered over, nosing into places where food was likely and one suspected they were a little spoilt with snacks by the riders on the Tapfontein route. The horses munch away at the flat lawn in front of the cottages and somehow don’t disturb the roots. If one was a horse rider who played bowls, one would be in heaven.
One day at the corral
Looking at wildlife raises the wow factor in me. How did we get here? Who designed it all? Who created God? How can something so complex and intricate be packaged into something so beautiful? If the universe was created out of the big bang, what was next to the big bang before it went off? What was the time before time began? Looking at this photo of a dragonfly, all of the above can be answered with just, ‘Wow!’ Who cares how it came about, just go to the reserves view, marvel and enjoy.
I think the designer of the Alouette helicopter used this dragonfly as a blueprint
The water in the reserve has the purest of tastes compared to some other parts of the Klein Karoo. There also seems to be a fair amount of water feeding the vegetation. This results in ample grazing in what seems an arid area.
A red haartebeest watches carefully
Gemsbok or oryx are interesting when they dart out of the bushes unexpectedly. The ground reverberates with their weight as they move quickly through the surrounds. Not being inside a vehicle, we were as watchful as could be.
A fight? An accident? Stunted growth?
I love sunsets and the Chameleon cottage puts on a great show inside the kitchen. A farm style cottage with the gas fridge purring away, lights from a solar powered battery, solar powered geyser for hot water and a gas cooker, it is an “off the grid” delight.
Eve in the Chameleon cottage.
Our journey to Heidelberg and back to Matroosberg was a success and was videoed for viewing elsewhere. More gravel stories to follow in the future.
