Photo Album: On the Way to Drakensberg
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Due to accommodation availability at Kruger National Park, my choice of dates being there were limited. I would have preferred to stay on the Garden Route a little longer, but I had to keep moving to meet the booked schedule.
So, I headed out of Port Elizabeth and drove towards the general directions of the Drakensberg Range, early in the morning. There are a few Points of Interest along the highway to Mthatha.
The first point of Interest was the 1820 Settlers Monument just outside Grahamstown.
Although, by implication, this monument is more to do with White settlers, I was also surprised to find a plaque marking the end of White minority rule, the General Elections of April 1994.
I surmised that this is all part of the reconciliation process that has been the main theme since the end of the Apartheid period, 20 years ago.
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| A hill top view of Grahamstown |
The next major town was Butterworth, which seemed to be quite chaotic compared to those I have encountered since re-entering South Africa from the northern borders with Namibia. I did not stay too long, just wanted to have my tyres checked as they were quite flat for some reason. But there appeared to have no real problem.
But the villages on both sides of the highway, seems to be quite well organised, though I could not say they are affluent.
Soon, I reached the village of Qunu, the ancestral village of Nelson Mandela, and also his final resting place, in his family home.
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| The village of Qunu |
Unfortunately, the guard outside his home indicated that the home was not open for public visit under instructions from his family.
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| Mandela's Home and final resting place |
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| The village of Qunu, Mandela's home village |
The night was spent in the city of Mthatha. Well, what could I say, just another city.
From Mthatha, I started driving inland towards Bloemfontein. More and more traditional villages were visible along the highway.
Without commenting on the current political situations in South Africa, after the retirement and death of Mandela, this sign board seems to be saying something that rings the bell.
The terrain gradually becomes more mountainous, with the small highland kingdom of Lesotho not too far away on the eastern side, it was not surprising.
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The original plan was to cut through Lesotho to the Drakensberg on its eastern side, however, after some research, it seems that the road conditions on that side of Lesotho are more for 4x4 vehicles, I now have to go via Bloemfontein and the Golden Gate Highlands National Park on the northern borders of Lesotho.
A couple of villages had plenty of blooming blossoms celebrating the arrival of Spring.
But some villages are less beautiful.
Between Bloemfontein and the Royal Natal National Park of the Northern Drakenberg Ranges, beautiful rock formations were beginning to appear, even before entering the Golden Gate Highland National Park in the north.
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| This perspective vs the one below of the same rock |
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| This perspective vs the one above of the same rock |
Golden Gates Highland National Park is easy to drive through with bitumen highway, leading through some very interesting escarpments.
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| A Secretary Bird - see the pencils behind the ears ! |
I found this on the eastern side of Golden Gate Highlands National Park, a village with houses all uniformly having similar if not identical solar water heaters.
After making inquires along the way, I finally found the direction to a village where I might found accommodation.
But first I have to negotiate a very bad stretch of road with crater sized pot holes and rock, but along side a very beautiful lake, the Sterkfontein Dam Reserve.
Finally at Amphitheatre Backpackers, with a very spacious camping ground and excellent facilities.
And a beautiful spot to watch the sunset.
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