overlanding – Clancy Abroad

Mt Everest Game Farm to Royal Natal National Park

We had a slow packup at Mt Everest. We got going at 9:45am and headed towards Harrismith. We got stopped by Police on the N3 outside Harrismith, but no problems, and he sent us on our way. First stop was Checkers supermarket for supplies. We managed to get everything we wanted for the next few days camping. We then went back down the N3 to the Engen and filled up with diesel (about$A3 a litre). Then we drove around for 5 minutes looking for a park so we could get lunch at Rocky Mountain Spur.

After lunch on our way to Royal Natal, about 75km. We ended up stopped at roadworks where we were told the road was closed . We turned back to a detour about 5km back, and took a narrow road that eventually rejoined the main road. We went through the gate of Royal Natal where they told us we should be able to get a campsite. Then the visitor centre were we paid 1,140 rand (about $A100) for three nights of unpowered camping in Mahai campsite. When we got to Mahai it was packed, It was Heritage Day long weekend, plus the start of the school holidays. Liz found us a good spot high up at the end of the campsite. It was a ledge, and with a bit of maneuvering we got ourselves set up with good views of the Drakensburgs.

We went for a walk up the Mahai river to the Cascades. Lots of people and kids splashing around in the river.

Bridge over the Mahai on the way to the Cascades

The next day we decided to do the walk to Tiger Falls, which was a 250m climb up above the campsite. It was well marked, and when we got to the falls we met a couple from Perth WA including their three kids. It was a well made path heading down but tough on the knees.

Mahai campground from the walk to Tiger Falls

The next day was also pretty nice weather wise. Most of the campers left on Sunday, heading back to Joberg or Durban. We decided to walk up to Sunday Falls, about 2.5km. It was a steady walk up, not as steep as the walk to Tiger Falls. We crossed a creek along the way. When we got to Sunday Falls, we took off our shoes and waded across to the other side and then took a 200m walk down to the base of the falls. We decided Sunday Falls was far superior to Tiger Falls, with a lot more water flowing over it.

Wading back over the top of Sunday Falls

on the walk back from Sunday Falls a Giant Wild Anemone

A troop of Baboons visited, here is one sitting close waiting for us to make a mistake

Planet Baobab to Eselbe camp to Kukonje Island

Planet Baobab was a great campsite. I managed to charge some things having 240v power. It was about 90km to Nata. Along the road, maybe 10km out of Nata I got stopped at a road block. It was Dept of Wildlife who were checking for poachers and other illegal activities. They said it was a bit common in this northern more remote part of Botswana. Then into Nata where I drove first to the Choppies supermarket. There I was approached by a guy who wanted to regas my airconditioning. He was enterprising, didn’t believe I didn’t have airconditioning, and I had to lift the bonnet to prove I didn’t. He then wanted to sell me tinting, but I told him I wasn’t interested, I could only do the side windows and they spend most of their time part way down. I got supplies at Choppies, but there was still stuff I couldn’t get. I got some apples, they were good, also bananas, but they are just so ripe,it’s such a long journey from South Africa. I looked at the chocolate donuts, but I have had bad experiences with chocolate donuts before in Botswana. I then headed to a water supply place to top up my drinking water. It was $A0.10 per litre, so I filled up my 20 litre container.

Then it was a drive up to the northern part of Nata to Eselbe camp. It is a nice campsite, Rupert who runs it is a nice guy. It’s camping and backpackers, it’s a bit hippy. I did some repair stuff. I am trying to find ways to cool the camper at night. The camper gets to 39C and it retains its heat, so I have brought more fans this time to try to blow cool air into it after the sun goes down.

Next morning I paid Rupert and he gave me some good information on how to get to Kukonje Island, and that I should not deviate from the main track. The pans are notorious for bogging people in incredibly deep mud. I had much trouble starting again, and maybe I am narrowing down the problem, maybe it’s those pesky fusible links again. South through Nata, with another quick stop at Choppies. Then south on the A3 with lots of road works. This is the difference between Botswana and South Africa. Botswana might have bad roads in places, but they seem to be doing something about it when in South Africa, almost nothing ever gets done.

I got to the vet fence and then turned right. Rupert from Eselbe had warned me there might be some difficult creek crossing, but everything was dry. One was steep, but not hard to cross. It was about 50km along the vet fence. There are lots of vet fences in Botswana stopping cattle from some areas mixing with other areas and spreading disease.

Eventually I got to the end of the vet fence headed south. About 5km along I had to turn right onto the track towards the pan and Kukonje Island. There was an abandoned vet fence control area with abandoned buildings. Onto the pan. It looked OK. However you could see where people had left the main track, they had started to sink into the pan. The vet fence continued onto the pan, but was falling down for large pieces of it. It was a 10km drive to Kukonje Island.

When I got to the island I found it had been a park with rangers and designated campsites, but it had all been abandoned. I passed a camper at one campsite (I had not seen anyone else for an hour or so). I continued past and went to campsite 4 near a large Baobab. The flies are a bit thick around here, the only animals on the island I think are cows.

Heading across Sua Pan to Kukonje Island

Nxai Pans south Campsite to Planet Boabab

I got up early and got to the waterhole a bit after 7am. There were lots of ostriches, zebras, a few wildebeests and later an elephant wandered along. There also were lots and lots of birds. They were different birds from the waterholes in CKGR. I thought at first they were milling around but they were not. If I followed individual birds they were flying in getting a drink then flying back to a distant location where there were new birds coming from. They were ring neck doves. Also on the way to the waterhole I saw my second ever wild dog. I tried for a picture, but he was too far away. Then when I was at the waterhole, I was looking away from the waterhole looking at the ring neck doves and I saw another wild dog. I watched him/her for twenty minutes through binoculars. It looked young. It was interesting there were several 4wds looking at the waterhole, while in the opposite direction was one of Africa’s truly rare animals, and no-one noticed.

I went back to the campsite to top up with water. I was speaking to a South African and she said yesterday it got to 39C. I keep looking at Gaberone weather, but of course that’s way south from here. After loading up I tackled the approximately 40km drive down the sandy road back to the highway. Even though I had lowered my tyre pressures, I still had to engage 4wd a couple of times. It took me until about 1pm to get back to the highway. I pumped up my tyres and headed towards Gweta. I got fuel at a new service station out of Gweta. It had an attached supermarket, and would not have looked out of place in Australia. Its a sign of how Botswana is progressing. 5km past Greta I arrived at Planet Boabab. This is a large well run campsite (with rooms as well I believe). Cheap at 130 pula ($A15) . It had power! I have not had power since South Africa 3 weeks ago, its been all solar (especially since I don’t have a working alternator). Great hot showers, nice campsites, and good wifi.

Camelthorn to wild camp on Boteti River to Baines Boababs

Camelthorn was a great campsite. After trying to fix my intermittent starting problem, the engine would not start when I tried to leave. I try various things including hitting the starter motor with a hammer. Eventually it starts but I cannot figure out what the problem is. I suspect a solenoid problem in the starter motor, but I am not sure. I drove the six kilometers of sandy road out of Camelthorn. I stopped at the bitumen road, and pumped up my tyres a bit. I was headed to a wild camp on the Boteti River which looked pretty good on iOverlander. I eventually got there, but figured I had approached it by the wrong road. The Boteti River has been dry for a few years, so it didn’t look very inviting. I tried another iOverlander wild camp further on, and I did find that, but there was a guy with a truck digging up sand out of the river bed. I crossed over the dry river to the other side. I found a campsite, which wasn’t really very good. It was early to stop, but too late to head to Nxai Pans, so I stayed. It was a hot but uneventful night. I don’t think it dropped below 20C. The days are getting warmer 35C at least.

Next day, Saturday, I got going early at 7:30am. Again I had starting problems, but I got it going. I crossed back over the riverbed and worked my way up the bank along a track until I rejoined the road that paralleled the B300. I could have taken the road back to the village,but the map showed it continued for a few km eventually meeting the B300. I decided to follow the road,I should have turned back to the village.The road got narrower and more overgrown as I went further along. About 40 minutes later after scrapping along lots of bushes, I rejoined the B300. Then it was about 4km to the A3 the main road from Maun to Nata.

50km along the A3 I got to the entrance gate for Nxai Pan. I talked to a very helpful lady at the Xomae office. Despite my complete lack of preparation, I managed to get two nights camping, one at Baines Boababs and the other at Nxai Pans south camp. It’s not cheap, with the park fees and campsite fees it’s about $A100 a night. However when I rode the Mawson trail, I avoided staying in the only caravan park in Clare. That was because that caravan park, the Big4 charged $A75 per night for a tent site (I have recently heard that now demand a two night minimum). So $A100 to stay at Baines Boababs seems cheap.

It was a sandy road in. I lowered my tyre pressures twice. I got to Baines Boababs rising out of the Nxai Pan. It’s a smaller version of Kubu island. The Boababs, which are more than 1,000 years old look magnificent. It was a 4km drive across the pan to campsite number 3 , my campsite with its own Boabab.

At Camelthorn they were growing prickly pear for their fruit

Camped in the dry riverbed of the Boteti

Camelthorn Farmstay

A day stationary. I fixed some things. I fixed the float in the right hand water storage tank. I had changed the float last year, but I installed it the wrong way, so I changed how it worked, and now I can fill that tank up. I cleaned up the connections to the starter motor to see if it fixes my mysterious not starting problems when it’s hot. I fibreglassed yet another mud flap mount, probably the third time I have done the right side. As well I did lots of clothes washing. I also visited the waterhole both at dawn and in the afternoon. The dawn visit was pretty calm, not much going on, other than the 10+ hippos wandering about. The afternoon was the normal zebra madness.100+ zebras, 4 elephants,hippos and more. Crazy.

The electric fence protecting the viewing platform

Changing how the float works on the water storage tank

Powerline wild camp to Camelthorn Farmstay

The wild camp next to the powerlines was good. Quiet, a few cow bells, no people. I got going and drove the 10km back to Rakops. I arrived at the ATM. Joy! There was a queue. So I joined the queue (I think I was person number 6). I got out the maximum I could withdraw twice. The max withdrawal was about $A300. So equipped with all this cash I headed to another of the supermarkets. The first one has almost nothing. The second one was better stocked, and I bought some apples (I had run out a while back). I wanted some potatoes,but they only sold them in 10kg bags, so it was too much for me. I tried the hardware for some disposable gloves (greasing and oil changes) but didn’t see any. I contacted Camelthorn to see if I could get a campsite, and they got back to me to confirm. It was about 90km to Camelthorn. The last 6km was a sandy track, and I had to stop and lower the tyre pressures a bit.

So I arrived at Camelthorn, great campsite.They have a viewing deck that looks over a waterhole in the river that I went down to look at. There was close to 100 zebras, more than I had ever seen in a group.Plus there were a couple of Elephants, a couple of Hippos, some wildebeests , and a lone antelope.

I went back in the evening. There was a floodlight, and I could dimly make out an elephant and some zebra, but not much else.

I did some washing.Its been two weeks since I have had enough water to do clothes washing. The best of all was the shower. I had spent two weeks using a solar shower bag with 4 litres of water in it, it was great to have unlimited water.

The zebra and more from the viewing platform

Letiahau 06 to Powerline wild camp

No lions overnight. I finally figured out how to film overnight with the GoPro outside the camper,but nothing turned up. I got going early, leaving at 7:15am, it was a fair drive to the gate.

I remembered from doing this drive years ago, that this bit of the CKGR is not difficult to drive. Its mostly through pans, and not very sandy. I made pretty good time, having a couple of people pass me coming towards me. I eventually met up with an enormous Isuzu camper.It was twice the height of Clancy. I thought it was a Unimog truck, but no. I stopped to talk to them, and told them where I had come from. They asked about the sandy tracks, but I told them there is no way they would fit in the narrow tracks to Khutse.

I made it to the CKGR gate at Matswere. I paid the bigfoot lady with my rapidly dwindling amount of cash for the two campsites (bigfoot only take cash, no credit card) The I went to pay my fees for the park. They at least take credit card. However multiple attempts with multiple cards, and the machine didn’t work. So in the end (because I didn’t have enough Pula) I paid him Rand, which I had plenty of.

So onwards down the rough road to Rakops. I got to Rakops and the first thing I went to was the ATM – not working – dead. I had tried two ATMs in Letlhagkeng, both not working. I had paid so much Pula cash to people who wouldn’t take card I had used it almost all up. I was down to about $A20 in Pula. I tried a couple of places in town who said they did cash out, but they didn’t. I said about the non functioning ATM at one place and he said it was a power cut, but he didn’t know when the power would be back on.

So I decided I would spend my last Pula on a campsite about 6km out of town. I got through the first gate but was stopped at the second. 20 minutes of pressing the intercom and blowing my horn got me no response. So I gave up and tried the ATM again in Rakops – still not working. I decided I needed to hang around town, so I backtracked 10km towards the CKGR on the rough track to a wild camp on iOverlander next to some power lines. Seems OK, no lions only cows.

Oryx along the road, there were lots, multiple times.

Ostriches as well, try are so much taller than Emus

The massive Iveco, about twice the height of Clancy

Camped at the wild camp next to the powerlines

Xade 02 to Piper Pan 02

In the morning I got out of the camper tentatively. Got hold of my Bunnings long handled shovel and looked around carefully in case there was a lion anywhere around, the lion from the night before. No lion – all safe. It was very cold this morning 10C, the coldest morning I had since South Africa.

I packed up to go, it was only 10km to the Xade gate, and I wanted to explore options.

I got to the gate, and after discussions with the helpful guy manning the gate, he found out I could get two bigfoot campsites in northern CKGR, and exit out at Rakops. This is sort of what I wanted to do all along, but got scared off with alternator troubles. However I thought I had enough diesel to do it. Its 266km. I had to pay at the Rakops exit.

I loaded up with more water, and headed of towards Piper Pan 02. It was a late start, so it was going to be a hot drive. I crossed more pans than I was used to, with several bits of eroded road on pans that had got wet last rains. I arrived at Piper Pan 02 just after 3pm. This is my 12th day in the Kalahari.

UPDATE: Another Lion visit around midnight. He pushes a storage box over, and drags the mat in front of the camper about a metre. I just see him in the moonlight. Other than that he doesn’t make any noise.

Staying in the warm during the cold dawn

One of the many pan crossings on the way to Piper Pan

XaXa camp to Xade 02 camp

After dark I took out my spotlight and managed to get an overexposured picture of a couple of owls flying around. At 2am I heard a lion down towards the waterhole. The roaring continued for a few minutes then went silent, in the morning I saw no sign of the lion.

I had calculated 40km to Xade 02 camp, but I had miscalculated, and it was actually 60km. I was slow to get going and so I did a lot of the journey in heat. Firstly I went down to the waterhole to see. A few vultures, but nowhere a many as yesterday. No other wildlife. I drove 14km to rejoin the main track. I passed another burnt out rusted 4wd by the side of the track. The track was sandier than the previous day, and I spent more time in second gear doing 15kmh. I also saw three Kori Bustards on the track. Another elephant skull was also by the track.

I turned off the main track towards Xade 02, about 1km off the main track. It was cleared enough (there had been reports it wasn’t cleared). Its a little uphill out of the pan, that is covered with brushes with yellow flowers. The plants I think are ‘swarthaak‘ an Acacia like species. They are only growing in the flat part of the pan, that probably gets some water when there are rains. I need to add, because until you get to Africa, you might not realise, that almost every plant in Africa, at least eastern and southern Africa is spikey. They grow thorns, some big, some little, but there are always thorns. It makes it really hard to get through the scrub, because you constantly get caught by the thorns.

I set up for camp. I was here for two nights. It will be good to not be on the move for a day. It got cloudy later, a rare thing. I have had only one cloudy day in three weeks. It made for some good sunset pics. I haven’t seen another vehicle now for 5 days.

UPDATE: About 10pm on the second night, I got woken up by a roar outside. I opened the door and in the almost full moon I could see something walking through the grass about 20m away. I grabbed the spotlight and there was a male lion. He stopped, looked at me, and then continued walking away.

The waterhole in the morning at XaXa, with a few vultures

Swarthaak with yellow flowers growing on the pan

It got cloudy (rare at this time), so some nice sunset pictures at Xade 02 campsite

Moreswe Pan to Khankhwe Pan

Another cool morning, about 12C, but by the middle of the day it’s 32C. Real Desert weather. I saw some ostriches on the pan but not much else. I wonder if the diesel powered pump for the waterhole is too erratic for the animals to trust it.

I packed up and got going by 9:30am. It was a 60km drive to Khankhwe, at about 25kmh. I stopped at the Moreswe waterhole, but there was nothing there, not even birds. I headed north passing Elephant droppings on the track quite often, but didn’t see any elephants. I saw a few antelopes along the way, and stopped in a Molose waterhole to see a group of antelope and a sole Cape Buffalo. I saw some other campers at Molose, and stopped to talk to a ranger who was headed south. About 1pm I arrived at Khankhwe Pan. This is the last stop before crossing the CKGR. It is 72km to Bape campsite. Later in the afternoon I jacked up the rear wheel so I could rotate the tailshaft, and I greased the tailshaft.