We left Monks Cowl Sunday morning. After a great show at Falcon Ridge we got going late, at nearly noon, to make a campsite near Reitz, 240km away. We did most of it on the N3, but then turned off heading to Bassfeather Country Lodge near Reitz. With 3 different GPS’s giving us different routes, we settled on Google Maps, which ended up giving us a short but rough track to the campsite. Bassfeather was pretty well empty, but expensive (420 Rand). Next morning we headed off towards Joberg. We stopped at a 4wd drive place in BoksBurg to replace the solar panel that we lost a year ago with two smaller panels that will just fit to replace the larger one.
So a day of fixing and packing up in Joberg before we fly out to Singapore on Wednesday.
Our last day in Injusuthi turned cold and rainy. The temperature peaked at 6C, and we ran the diesel heater all day in the camper. We left Friday morning.
We moved a whole 8.7km straight line from Injusuthi to Monks Cowl, however it required 50km of driving. Part way through the drive we stopped to look at some vultures, and I found oil leaking from the engine. We pulled a way off the road, and examined things, and it looked quite bad. However I re-clamped the alternator return oil hose, and it was fixed. We were on the road again, after a oil top up.
Monks Cowl is a valley over from Injusuthi. However the Monks Cowl valley is totally different from Injusuthi. The Injusuthi valley has a spread out village, that ends at the park border. Then 12km of nothing until you get to the campsite. It feels pretty remote. The Monks Cowl valley is full of tourist facilities. Bakeries, restaurants, zip-lines, hotels and more.
We got to Monks Cowl and found a good campsite. We had to be careful again, Vervet monkeys and Baboons were around. It was still pretty cold and overcast, so we didn’t do much the afternoon we got there. Next day in the afternoon we did a walk out to Sterkspruit Falls, when it was sunny.
On the way out Sunday morning we visited the Falcon Ridge Bird of Prey Centre, which puts on a display every day. It was an hour long with lots of Eagles, Falcons and more put through their paces.
The clouds came down and filled the valleyClouds and rain, we put up the newly fixed awningCamped at Monks CowlThe up to 3200m Drakensberg peaks overlooking Monks CowlFishing Eagle at Falcon RidgeFalcon ridgeFalcon Ridge
We arrived at Injusuthi camp Monday afternoon, finding we were the only campers there. It is such a stunning location. The camp is at 1500m, while around the camp towers the Drakensberg mountains from 2000m to 3500m.
The campsite is plagued by Baboons, we have to be careful keeping everything closed up.
The next day on Tuesday, in great weather, about 28C and sunny, we spent the afternoon walking to Grindstone cave. It was only about 3.5km, but 350m of altitude gain. We were already at 1500m, so we found it hard, and gave up and turned back 2/3 of the way in.
On Wednesday we headed for Battle cave, about 6km away, and again 350m of altitude gain. The weather was good, sunny and warm. We headed along a river valley following the river on a track cut into the hillside above. We crossed the river, continued on the other side and then crossed at a confluence of two rivers. The rivers flow well, fed by creeks and waterfalls high up the hills. Eventually we got to Battle cave, and unlocked the gate with the key we got from reception. Some of the San paintings under the rock overhang were very detailed, with fine lines for things like spears.
We headed back to camp. We were trying to get back before a cool change came through the area.
Drakensberg Walking to Grinders CaveWalking the track to Battle caveBattle CaveSome of the cave art in Battle caveCave art Battle caveWalking in DrakensbergWalking in DrakensbergA weaver bird that took a liking to usSunset over the DrakensbergLooking eastThe cool change came clouding the hills
Six days in Kloof at an AirBnb, luxury. I got my bike off the back, cleaned it up and rode into Kloof a few times for supplies. I got floats from the fishing shop to fix one of the water tanks. I fibreglassed new supports for one of the inside seats, storage boxes. I fibreglassed more of the damage from when I hit a tree branch in Zimbabwe. I glued carpet back on, and variously other fixes. While I was doing this Karen was working, slaving away writing papers.
We left Kloof Saturday morning, and headed 25km into Durban. We stopped first at the Durban Botanic Gardens. We were aiming to find the loneliest plant in the world “Wood’s Cycad”. Woods Cycad was discovered in KZN in 1895, and there was only one male specimen. Part of the plant was removed and planted in the Durban Botanic Garden. It has been cloned about 500 times, but no female plants have ever been found, no other specimens have been found at all. There were other interesting plants. There was a Fever tree growing in an island in a lake, and it was full of weaver birds making nests in the tree.
We then went onto the Phansi Mueseum, where we were guided around a large collection of African artifacts.
Then we went off to Bluff Eco Park, and made camp. We then had a walk up to the Flakey Hake Fish and Chip shop for late lunch early dinner. After that we walked down to a busy Brighton Beach, and walked along the coast, then back to camp.
Next day we headed north along the N3 highway 150km to Mtunzini and the Umlalazi Wildlife Park to camp for a few days.
reinforcement for the seat part of the storage box
Worlds loneliest tree, Woods Cycad
Weaver birds making nests on a fever tree in the Durban Botanic Gardens
We flew back to Joberg from Italy arriving on the morning of August 8th. First job was to drive to Blue Hole where I had left the awning and seats for some sewing work. Blue Hole put on a new awning, with thicker reflective material, new awning bag, and made two new bags for the folding chairs, plus a couple of seat covers. They did a great job, and it was cheap at $A280.
Then it was of to Harvest Place shopping centre for supplies for the next few weeks.
The next day we went to lunch with Marion and David the couple that run the storage place Airport en Route. We went to the Shed and Silo about a kilometer away. It was packed out, we had to wait about 30 minutes for a table, but it was a nice lunch.
Next day we headed out at around 9am headed towards Durban in KZN. Traffic was light as it was a long weekend. It was a holiday on Friday for Woman’s Day in South Africa. 337km out at around 5pm we arrived at a campsite at Spioenkop Dam nature reserve. A few other campers at the reserve. We had power and reasonable ablutions.
Next day it was back on the road and back to the N3. We had lots of the traffic on the N3, it was the last day of the holiday weekend. A long stretch of roadworks that were tricky to navigate. After a bit over 200km we arrived in Kloof where we are staying for 6 days in an AirBnB.
The next morning it was cold, but at last not raining. We got packed and drove the 30km into Masvingo, for more supplies, fuel, and water. We found a Pick n pay supermarket, which would also take a credit card.
I went over the road to another supermarket to get water. They wouldn’t take a credit card, so I had to pay with USD. So the bill is USD$3.20. So they have no change less than a $1USD note. So what would I like. So I grab a couple of bottles of water out of the fridge. That leaves 22c changed owed, what do I want to do with that? I don’t care, keep the 22c. However the checkout attendant says, can I buy myself a chocolate bar for 20c. I say fine. We then go out both of us to be checked by the guards for my bottles of water, and her chocolate bar.
We try a servo for fuel with a credit card, no luck, but they suggest the Puma out of town. We go to the six month old Puma with attached KFC about a km out of town and buy fuel with a credit card. We are trying to conserve our supply of USD.
We drive east around 140km, decreasing in altitude and with increasing warmth. A couple of police road blocks, but they wave us through. We then turn onto the Save river conservancy, which is so big, that its a 60km drive from the front gate to the camping spot we have booked.
We drive past (and nearly collide with) Elephants. We also see Zebra, Giraffe, Kudu and other antelopes. After a river crossing we arrive at the Humani compound. We don’t know how to get to the campsite, eventually someone guides us out the 3km to the campsite next to the Turwi river.
We saw Elephants down river from us the first night. Occasionally we hear lions. The second day we spent the afternoon game driving down to the Save River, but didn’t see a lot. When we got back to camp, there was an elephant next to our campsite.
Camped next to the Turvi river
Plenty of wood provided for a campfire
The solar panels set up on the bank, because the campsite is under trees
