We had enjoyed the Potlekkertjie Circular Drive so much that we followed the route again the next day, but started earlier in the morning – just after 7.00am – and drove anti-clockwise. The Karoo National Park was looking wonderful after the stormy weather the previous evening.
We headed up the Klipspringer Pass this time, early in the morning. The pass is 5.8 kms in length and reaches a height of 1170 metres. It is tarred and a good drive.
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Once out of the pass we could see that it had rained on the plateau the previous evening, or perhaps even during the night. The air was clear, the views amazing, and we found our first red hartebeest of the day.
The Nuweveld Mountains tower over the valley below, a mini canyon known as Rooiwalle. The rocks belong to the Beaufort Group and are mainly shale and sandstone, and the layers are clear in the photo below.
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We didn’t see the lions, or the advertised black rhino, but we followed this red hartebeest and her calf along the road. She was quite thin, and quite jittery, which is perhaps understandable as the lions had been seen in this area the previous day. We also spotted a herd of springbuck – the days when thousands roamed in this area must have been a wonderful sight – how sad that they were hunted out.
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Once out of the valley, beyond Doornhoek, the view changed with the plains ahead of us, and a kudu enjoying the view. The odd buck was under a tree, and of course there were tortoises!
It had been a stunningly beautiful few hours and we just couldn’t bear to sit still, so after cups of tea and rusks we set out on the walks marked out inside the rest camp.
Further information Amazing bike ride in the Western Cape
Potlekkertjie Circular Drive in reverse! We had enjoyed the Potlekkertjie Circular Drive so much that we followed the route again the next day, but started earlier in the morning - just after 7.00am - and drove anti-clockwise.