Of black maned lions and rampaging hippos

[bPeteb]

I love a good waterfall. Augrabies must be spectacular with a lot of water flowing over it.


Hyrax. Super cute little babies.


About six soccer games on the go as we drove down the road to and from the national park.


We’re on the Quiver Tree route. I’d had no idea what a quiver tree was until Misheck stopped on the side of the highway and pointed out a hillside of them. Related to the aloe.

 

[bPeteb]

Some very angry and protective geese at the hotel. That’s a lot of goslings!



We were all very happy to see L and B walk in while we were having dinner. They had pumped L full of fluids as she was dangerously dehydrated and given her something for equally dangerously low blood pressure. L was like a different person.

Dinner was again included. My lamb chops were very ordinary. Served rare as requested. Just very chewy. I’m not even sure why I chose them. Wine ok.

 

[JohnM]

more vineyards on the way to the national aprk. We all commented on the unusual way the grapes are grown
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It’s for table grapes, so quite normal.

 

[VPS]

Sat, 17 Aug, 323 km

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yep, another beautiful sunrise
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We stopped at the bushman camp at the intersection out onto the main road. Uncle and nephew. The uncle was a lovely guy, the nephew a little shy. What a life being a photo opportunity for travellers. I gladly handed over some money, but how sad.

I find that really depressing too
PS loving the trip report

 

[RooFlyer]

Why are there none of these here??

There was one announced the other day, I think - don’t have the details to hand though.

 

[bPeteb]

Sun, 18 Aug, 594 km, a very long drive



Mishek had said to some of us that this was his least favourite drive of the trip. On top of it being very long, it was for a lot of it on very straight roads that are boring to drive on. Corrugated was much better to keep the concentration at 100%.

Nice breakfast then off we went. L a bit better again than last night. Even complaining about her coffee cup not being pre-warmed, an excellent sign

We drove west and then headed down the N7 through some more interesting towns and yet again spectacular landscapes.



We stopped in Calvinia for a couple of reasons. One was lunch at the quirky and excellent Hantam Huis for lunch but more importantly an appointment has been made at a local doctor for L to go over the prescriptions given to her by the hospital and to have another couple of tests done that they could not perform.

 

[bPeteb]

Lunch was fantastic at https://calvinia.co.za/hantam-huis-restaurant/


This venison (springbok) pie was bloody amazing


as was bAlt’s curry


Everyone raved about the food afterwards. Well, except for the hlos who sat across the road in the park with their bag of fruit.

L came back with some modified scripts and a big smile on her face. Her bp was nearly back to normal. With it came a desire for food and beer

One of the group had a relative who had fought in the Boer War and wanted to stop at a memorial, which we duly did.

 

[bPeteb]

The wildflowers were just starting to come out and Misheck said give it another couple of weeks and it would be an endless carpet of colour.


We drove down a spectacular long and steep pass that gave the most amazing views.


Misheck warned everyone that the accommodation at Highlanders Highlanders Campsite would be the lowest standard of the trip. I’d looked at their website and it seemed pretty nice to me so I was surprised by the comment.

You drive down a long bumpy road and are greeted by this. Your thoughts? We loved it and our most picky couple thought the same. We both wondered why Misheck said what he did.

 

[bPeteb]

We paid for a wine tasting. I can’t actually remember what it cost but it wasn’t much. The wines were, ok, but the host was super cute


and the view out to the range gorgeous


per bottle prices


The moon rise was AMAZING


Dinner was a simple but delicious buffet and the fire was roarding away beside us. L even had her favourite whiskey on the rocks with dinner. She was back!

This place is really nice!

 

[bPeteb]

Mon, 19 Aug, 267 km, short drive down to Cape Town

Highlanders was shrouded in fog when we pulled back the curtains and we drove down the highway for at least half an hour in pea soup conditions

Beautiful drive down the river valley. We were on the wrong side of the bus so no pictures. So incredibly green and so much agriculture - vines and citrus


Stopped at Piketburg for morning team



the long ride, however enjoyable, is nearly over


Then a cafe at Knollevally for a late lunch of bunny chow. Delicious!


We could see Table Mountain from the windows of the cafe!

And then we were in Cape Town


A city I’ve dreamt of visiting. We’d thought we might get grey and wet and instead it was the most glorious day.

 

[bPeteb]

We drove through the city


and up past Bo-Kaap


First stop was supposed to be the cable car station (the cable car was still closed for maintenance) but even the road to the station was also closed. Instead we went straight up Signall Hill.

I’m not even sure how the conversation started but Misheck kept mentioning the possibility of someone paragliding off Signall Hill and that’s just what bAlt did. I wish I’d done it too but I just wasn’t sure if the harness would agree with Colin.

Bloody amazing but the moment bAlt took off, I burst into tears. I was terrified. We had not ever not done something like this on our own. Luckily the flight was so short I could see the ‘wing’ touchdown in a park down by the sea.

 

[bPeteb]

We just strolled around the top of Signal Hill and took lots of pictures, then eventually we drove down to pick bAlt up via what looked to be some very expensive places to live



He was here by the sea for 35 minutes waiting for us!


World Cup stadium


we agree


We had two nights at Breakwater Lodge included and had booked another to give us a free day in CT
Waterfront Hotel in Cape Town | Protea Hotel Breakwater Lodge

We went to this ‘room’ (rooms?) and I said nah. One of the weirdest hotel rooms I’ve ever seen. Two rooms both too small to do anything but sleep in and then a vestibule between the toilet and shower room. Nowhere to put our bags except on the bed and nowhere to sit.





I went back to reception and with my biggest smile and nicest voice asked if they had anything else available. Anything with just one room and one bed. If there wasn’t anything then we’d be happy to pay to upgrade. Lots of tapping away then asked if we’d like to come and check the option out. Sure we said. As we walked across the courtyard we were asked if we would mind being in a ‘paraplegic room’. Their words, not mine.

Of course not, we said. This is what we were shown, and graciously accepted. It’s an accessible suite, no extra charge.


our room 1025

 

[bPeteb]

Everyone was organising dinner as a group but we really needed a night off so we raced out and down to the V&A waterfront, all of a five minute walk. This city is bloody gorgeous



but of course is a city for the haves. The have nots just work for the haves then disappear off to the outskirts.

Very torn.

At least where we chose Seafood Restaurant Cape Town V&A Waterfront Cape Town - Quay4 wasn’t full of loud obnoxious white South Africans and other white tourists. We were definitely the exception and we had a great evening.


We ended up back at the hotel bar and had a couple of double Amarulas. Yum!

 

[RooFlyer]

and the view out to the range gorgeous

Were they the Drakensberg Mountains?

 

[bPeteb]

Maybe Cederberg looking at Google Earth?

 

[drron]

The Drakensbergs are in the east. Kwazulu Natal. Staying there was excellent.

 

[craven morehead]

We got up early in the morning in the hope that maybe they had tooth gear in the small lodge shop. No luck, but, they had them in the staff shop!! Win!!

Spent some time wandering around the lodge. It is truly beautiful. I think the trip should stay here two nights and offer a canyon tour and game drive during a full day, instead of rushing to the canyon at the end of a very long drive.
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This place looks absolutely fantastic

 

[craven morehead]

I love a good waterfall. Augrabies must be spectacular with a lot of water flowing over it.
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Hyrax. Super cute little babies.
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About six soccer games on the go as we drove down the road to and from the national park.
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We’re on the Quiver Tree route. I’d had no idea what a quiver tree was until Misheck stopped on the side of the highway and pointed out a hillside of them. Related to the aloe.
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Dassies (Rock Rabbits)

 

[kookaburra75]

Thank you again for the fantastic photos, and all the information on what you saw and where you stayed. We're adding them to the list of places to see and stay - along with @RooFlyer and @kpc info.

And concentrated solar thermal energy is getting here in Australia - Australian Solar Thermal Research Institute I did some work with ASTRI a couple of years ago and they have a test site at Newcastle, and planning another at Port Augusta. There's a lot of interest from the mining companies.

 

[bPeteb]

Home stretch

Wed, 21 Aug, Peninsula tour

Breakwater Lodge is across three buildings up above V&A. It was a prison built in 1859 Breakwater Lodge - Wikipedia Our group was mainly in block A with one in block C where the restaurant/bar is located.

Breakfast was a huge spread.

The trip included a peninsula tour. 20 days before, Chapman's Peak drive had been closed due to landslides, but it was open again so that is where we headed.

First we drove through the affluent eastern beach side suburbs then Llandudno, Hout Bay, Chapman’s Peak (a terrifying drive where I swapped away from the window), Kommetjie, Misty Cliffs, then across the peninsula to Cape of Good Hope. We had our one and only few seconds of light rain here. It was very cold all day, under 15.

Our return was via Boulders Beach, lunch at Simon’s Town then to Fish Hoek before heading back into the city via the M3 freeway. It was a great day.

our last day on our trusty truck. What the hell? It's cloudy, and bloody cold!


Cape Town's east


interesting colour choice for an Aston martin. As if it didn't already scream look at me


Chapman's Peak road. Scary!