Three day Karoo and Wildlife Experience with Peter Giddy Guided Tours. December 2019

Three day Karoo and Wildlife Experience with Peter Giddy Guided Tours.  December 2019


Sunday 8th December 2019.
I pick up Maxime from Russel Guest house in Summerstrand.  He will be my only guest for the next three day Karoo and Wildlife Experience.
Maxime is 19 years old and just completed High School in Germany.  Previously he volunteered in Lagos. This year he volunteered in Sodwana north of Richards Bay.  He has Open water One and completed his advanced course this year.
The place he was volunteering was collecting information on the Sting Rays; sea turtles and Potato Bass.  He also say a Manta ray.  He tells me that the sea turned dark as the Manta passed above him.
Having completed his volunteering he traveled to Cape Town and then took the Bazbus up the Garden Route spending time at the Wilderness and Plettenberg Bay.
Day One of our three day Tour.
Port Elizabeth to Cradock..... About three hours.

The nearly 300km drive to Cradock takes us about 3 hours. Our first stop is to look at the Cradock Four Memorial. 

 The Cradock four were men actively fighting against apartheid.  Matthew Goniwe was the name most prominent.  He was a School teacher who was fired by the government and led various activities in Cradock to highlight injustices including a 15 month boycott by school children.  He and the other three were captured and then killed by security police.  Their bodies were burnt and later found near to Bluewater Bay in Port Elizabeth.

 Matthew Goniwe'  Fort Calata; Sparrow Mkhonto and Sicelo Mhlauli -- Killed June 1985.   Average age 30.
From 1930 the ANC in Cradock took center stage in the fight for freedom from Colonial Rule. Calata from Cradock was prominent in the ANC at the time. In 1960 the banning of the ANC led to the formation of underground structures.  Calata died on 16th June 1983.  Goniwe and three others were assassinated in 1985.  Finally in 1990 Mandela was released from Prison and in 1994 the ANC was elected as the ruling political party of South Africa.

 The Olive Schreiner house and bookshop was closed when we were there.  It was a Sunday. However the building looks pretty much run down.  It was disappointing to us to see the condition of some of the roads and buildings of this town.

 We left Cradock on the N10 and turned left to Graaff Reinet and the Mountain Zebra park on the R61.

 Mountain Zebra National Park .... Entrance is a few km from the R61.  Then there is a 6km corrugated gravel road followed by 6km tar road to the Reception.

 We see what appears to be loose stones marked as "The graves of 15 Soldiers who were killed during the Anglo Boer war. They died between the years of 1899 and 1902. Unfortunately there is no information about the identity of the people buried here; or if they were British or Boer Soldiers.

 On our Game Drive we find a number of Mountain Zebra.  They are so distinctly different from the Plains Zebra that we often find in Addo.  They are also a lot more timid and remain far from the vehicles.   Here we have a new born baby Zebra.

 Max and I at the top of a mountain. Looking across back to where we would have been hiking many years ago when hiking to the cabins was allowed.  Now with buffalo and Lions in the reserve hiking is not allowed.

We climb to the highest points of the reserve ...  Nearly 2km above sea level.   Later this afternoon we see the Compass Berg which is 2.5km high.

We find lone Springbok somehow finding something to eat in the desert areas.  Far in the background is a small herd of Black Wildebeest.

The route we take is very long and I am exhausted driving for so long.  We stop a the restaurant for a sandwich and coffee before continuing our last stage of the day.  But before leaving I ask a ranger if there have been sightings of Lions.  He tells me that there are lions not far from the main camp.  It is not more than 10 minutes later that we find these 6 lions.   One senior male; One junior male; One senior female and three young lions.  Sunning themselves on the top of the rocks.

Leaving the Mountain Zebra park we drive the R61 and across the N9.  We turn left onto a long gravel road.  At this time it is raining so we drive slowly the 25 km of Gravel Road towards Nieu Bethesda.  We are starting to worry that we may have missed the farm but . finally we see this huge wall and sign.

Ganora is owned and run by JP and Hester Steenberg

The signs read:  Ganora; Bushman Rock Art; Fossils; Accommodation.

Jorge is the volunteer and he allows these three children to bottle feed the lambs.

Max also has a lamb to feed.
Later we have dinner in the pub and dining area together with the other guests.  On the menu is Ostrich Steak with vegetables.  And a cheesecake for pudding.

 Max and I are staying in rooms which look like converted from a barn.  Really nice rooms each with own bathroom and Wifi.
Day two of our three day Tour.
We wake up to the sounds of a working farm at Ganora.  Today we will visit Nieu Bethesda and Graaff Reinet -- Camdeboo National Park and the Valley of Desolation.

Lambs and a young calf at Ganora.

 Old Farm implements and wagons.

 After breakfast we walk around the farm and find these masked weavers busy with their nests.

 Punky takes us to see the Bushman Rock Art.  He is knowledgeable and points out each painting and gives us the history of the Bushmen of whom he is a descendant.  He explains that some of the art was done by the Khoi. They used Porcupine quills; hairs of animals and feathers of birds as their paintbrush.  For paint they would use anything from Ochre to bird droppings and Urine to create the etchings and colour. Later the Bushmen tried to restore the paintings using a finger as a paintbrush.

 Here Punky shows Max the art under the rock overhanging.  We see how the rocks have broken off the main overhang.

 After our lesson on Rock Art we drive the 8km of quite rough dirt road to Nieu Bethesda ...  A small town in the middle of nowhere.  Population of about 1500 people.  Almost every house in the village is also a BnB.  And there are all kinds of things to see and do.

 We find the Bushmen Heritage Museum with this tower doubling up as accommodation.

 The museum is full of information, tapestries and artwork.

 The Bushman Museum.

 The NG kerk.  We meet the lady caretaker who is delighted to have some interest and would have continued chatting all day if she could.  She points out the Gas Chandeliers which are only used once a year at the Christmas festival.

 Our next stop is the Helen Marins (Pienaar) House.  This is also known as the Owl House.  Helen created a vast collection of statues.  All kinds of animals and people.  Her home contained a number of images of Owls.  This gives the home the title of Owl House.  In fact this area is known as the Owl Route.  And Nieu Bethesda itself is a Tourist Town depending largely on the Owl House to bring visitors to the village.

 Owls seem to give this place an eerie feel.  Max leaves feeling a little disturbed and uneasy.

 Helen was born 1897 and lived to 1976 when she committed suicide.  It seems that she may have poured caustic soda over herself and taken two days of agony to die.

Helen must have taken years to create these images.

One wonders if the house would have been as neat as is depicted here?

 At this time there is Load Shedding and we decide to continue our tour to Graaff Reinet.  This sign shows 34 Miles to Graaff Reinet.  In Nieu Bethesda there are no tarred roads.  Fortunately our drive this morning is on just 3km of gravel road towards Graaff Reinet and then the rest is a good tarred road.

 As we leave town we find this Padstal ... Their speciality is Afal and Samp.  The lady in the shop is busy making this for the locals who will come during the day to buy their lunch. I buy two jars of Jam.  Green Fig and Strawberry jam.

 As we leave Graaff Reinet on the R10 to Murraysburg we see that the dam is now completely dried up.  Max goes down to investigate. Here all we see is the sold cracked mud that is left from when this was once a dam supplying the town.

 We enter the Camdeboo National park and drive the windy road up to a lookout point with the circle of Graaff Reinet below.

 This is the Spandau Kop with the Tandtjies Berg far in the distance.

 The Toposcope at the lookout point show the various points around Graaff Reinet including the Compas Berg.

 Spandaukop to the left.

 We stop at the Toposcop lookout point.

 It is a 200 meter rocky pathway to the lookout of the Valley of Desolation.  There is also a one hour circular route which is probably worthwhile on my next visit.

 Looking to the West of the Valley.

 Max looks to the East and towards Graaff Reinet.

 This sign protects the hikers in the valley below.

 On the road back to Ganora we go through the Rubidge Kloof.  We later learn that the professor in charge of the Peaentology research center in Pretoria is a Rubidge.

 We in Nieu Bethesda for a coffee and lunch.  Here my coffee is served in an insulated cup.

James Kitching was one of the most successful finder of fossils.  He even went to the antarica where he found fossil remains similar to those discovered in South Africa. This was proof to sceptics that the Antarica was once joined to the continent of Africa.
 We visit the Fossil Centre where Andries shows us the video and historical part of fossil collection before taking us for a walk into the River Bed which is now mud rock.  Here he identifies the skeletal remains of ancient animals.

 Our last visit in Nieu Bethesda is to the Brewery.  We look around before asking if we may taste a sample of the beer.  Both Max and I find it insiped and nasty.

 Back at Ganora farm we find that there is a Decent Descent to the farm.

I am lucky enough to capture the sunset before going to dinner

Dinner this evening is in the main house as Max and I are the only guests.

Our last day of Wildlife Exploring is in Addo Elephant Park.  Here Maxime has a close up of a big bull elephant.

The Plains Zebra is so clearly different from the Mountain Zebra.  The backside stripes; The tummy stripes and here is Addo we are able to get up close to these beautiful animals.
Day Three of our Three day Tour.
I wake up to the sound of Owls hooting outside my window.
After breakfast we say good bye to our hosts:  Hester and JP Steenberg.  Jorge from Ustania and Gideon who lives in Dana bay.  He is a Prof of Paelentology at NMU and loves being here.  He works and does research.
We drive back through Nieu Bethesda; Graaff Reinet and down to Kirkwood.  And we arrive in Addo Elephant park at 12.00 noon.
Our afternoon Safari is reasonably successful with sightings of a variety of Animals including the Plains Zebra which allows us to clearly distinguish from the Mountain Zebra.  We return home at 4pm.  There is confusion with Maxime's accommodation reservation so he stays over with us.  There is Load Shedding so our supper is warmed up left overs and sausages on the braai.

Summary of our Tour
Day one is a drive on the N2 and N10 from PE to Cradock
Visit the monument of the Cradock Four and a drive through the town.
Visit the Mountain Zebra Park... About 3 to 4 hours of Game Drives.
Continue on the R61 to Ganora Farm. Dinner at Ganora

Day two starts with a walk to see the Rock Art (Bushman Paintings). They also have a Fossil Muesum.
Drive 8km to Nieu Bethesda where we explore the Owl House (Home of the late Helen Martins / Pienaar).
Visit the Bushman Heritage museum; Visit the NG Church and a variety of restaurants and shops.
Visit the Fossil research center of James Kitching.  Walk on the river bed -- Mud rock where you are able to see fossils still buried in the mud.
Look out for the local Craft Brewery.
Drive to Graaff Reinet where we visit the Camdeboo National Park.  It is possible to do a "Game Drive" but the main reason we are here is to see the Valley of Desolation.  There are various walks from just a few meters to an hour hike. Visit the Topograph and views of the various mountains and town below.
Historical interest -- Gideon Scheepers memorial; Pedlars plaque; Rebels of G Reinet Plaque; Museum and Church.
Return to Nieu Bethesda and Ganora for dinner.

Day three ... After breakfast we return to Nieu Bethesda and Graaff Reinet.  Kirkwood and Addo.  A four hour drive.
Explore Addo Elephant Park where we spend about 3 hours driving through the reserve looking for the Giants of Africa and a variety of other animals.  In particular we look for the Plains Zebra so that we can do the comparisons between this and the Mountain Zebra.
Return to Port Elizabeth mid afternoon.

Included in the tour

• Breakfast x 2
• Lunch x 3
• Two nights accommodation at Ganora Guest Farm or in the district of Nieu Bethesda.
• Entrance to Three National Parks
• Entrance to the Owl House and Fossil research Center.
• Rock Art walk at Ganora.

Excluded -- Evening meals, Items of a personal nature and Alcoholic beverages.

The price at December 2019 was as follows.
Minimum of three guests at R1950 per person per day =  R5850 for the three days fully inclusive.
This may change depending on when you read this blog.