We drove up to Springbok to joined a tour of the Richtersveld. On the way north we stopped at the shoe factory in Clanwilliam where the African Veldshoen is made, still mostly by hand.
Early the next morning we loaded up the Toyota Landcruiser and trailer and headed north towards the Orange River. Very quickly we got into the desert landscape. We travelled down the sandy river courses as these were considered to be ‘roads’ Camp for the first night was in one of the river beds. The weather had started to deteriorate and rain threatened.
The following day we travelled west and north. Stopped to look at the ‘Half mens’ a strange cactus that only grows in this area.T here were very few plants taller than a metre. We travelled over rocky ridges and navigated through narrow gaps.
Our next night’s camp was adjacent to the Orange River. The local people still keep their goats in the park. These locals had paddled their goats over to a grass covered island for the day, and here they are paddling them back in the evening. Although the sun was shining at our camp, the weather was bad in other places. This old goat knew that a few extra minutes of food every night before being kraaled was a good thing.
The aloes were the only plants taller than a metre and rather rare. These interesting formations where created from wind erosion in weaker layers of granite. The only buck we saw were these klipspringers.
Fantastic view from up high!
Interesting cacti shapes when one took the time to look.
Our third night was spent at Sendelingsdrif, here we were visited by this monkey.
For the final night we camped at Alexandria Bay. This is a coastal diamond mining district with many areas off-limits. Good to have warm showers.
From here back south to Cape Town
Next – Cape Point Nature Reserve