The map shows a couple of nature reserves on the border of Vrystaat en Ooskaap, close to our final destination(s), Smithfield, and maybe Jamestown. The first one we try is a bull’s eye: magnificent, and no other guests.
Once again we experience how incredible friendly and facilitating most people are when you travel around in South Africa. We ask directions to the campsites, and are told we should take a hunter’s shelter because the nights are cold. When we want to buy firewood, we’re told it’s not for sale and we’re not allowed to collect, but they’ll give us some. While we’re making our ‘four layers all around’ bed (the shelter has three whole and one half wall), a bakkie arrives with a huge pile of beautiful, rock-hard firewood.
In the morning the car windows are covered with silvery ice flowers. Until the sun is really out, the fire to cook water and our three layers Lesotho mountain clothing are most welcome! We sip our coffee while enjoying the magnificent view: the veld, the koppies, bokkies, ice-covered grasses, and the magic mists from the two rivers, the Caledon and Oranjerivier.
This place is so nice we decide to really explore it, instead of moving on to one of the other parks. We don’t find the buffalos and the one black rhino, but we do see a lot of Eland, Gemsbok and other antelopes, and we share the jagterskamp with a warthog family. Being spoiled with game in Botswana anyway, our main goals are the stunning views of die veld and autumn in the mountains. We love autumn colours in this climate, with cosy freezing nights and hot sunny days!
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