Well after all that heavy political stuff let’s have a breath of fresh air...quite literally.
South Africa isn’t all about the beaches - the interior has some of the most remarkable mountain scenery I’ve seen. Like anywhere that’s good it can be a challenge to get there - the tarmac soon runs out in rural SA and gravel roads are the norm - some good, some not so good..my poor little rental car took a bit of a beating but it got me up all the mountain passes and through the ruts and potholes!
After that I hit the open road and headed to the historical and quirky Karoo towns of Graaf Reinet and Nieu Bethesda. Nieu Bethesda was especially charming - a sleepy little town full of artists - it even had it’s own micro-brewery and you could walk down the middle of the road with absolutely no fear of being run over!
Can you believe that Shell want to frack in this beautiful area? Not surprisingly there is a lot of local protest!
Below are images of Nieu Bethesda - a small Karoo town where time pretty much stays still...
Terra Khaya backpackers - not exactly roughing it :-)
Below are pictures from my hike around Hogsback...
Beyond the pass was the cute little town of Rhodes - another sleepy little mountain town where you could stand in the middle of the road...
Not satisfied with getting up Naudes Nek I took my long suffering Toyota up Carlisleshoek Pass....
My mountain adventures ended in the Drakensberg - I had visited the North Drak on my last trip so this time it was Southern and Central that got my attention . The weather was a bit iffy for the first time in 4 weeks spoiling my views and getting me thoroughly soaked one day but it was still a beautiful place!
South Africa isn’t all about the beaches - the interior has some of the most remarkable mountain scenery I’ve seen. Like anywhere that’s good it can be a challenge to get there - the tarmac soon runs out in rural SA and gravel roads are the norm - some good, some not so good..my poor little rental car took a bit of a beating but it got me up all the mountain passes and through the ruts and potholes!
My first hilly area was Nature's Valley - probably better known for it's beaches but it has a beautiful Fynbos clad hinterland to explore too
 |
| The Fynbos Hills of Nature's Valley |
 |
| Wild Spirit Backpackers Nature's Valley |
I headed from the Garden Route coast through St Alfred’s Pass and into the Karoo - a wild endless landscape of mountains and semi desert. Hours of driving without seeing a single car…!
 |
| Heading up St Alfred's Pass |
 |
| Into the mountains.. |
 |
| My first overnight stop in the mountains...it was surprisingly easy to find..:-) |
My first stop after the pass was a beautiful valley called Bavianskloof - "Afrikaans for Valley" of the Baboons...I think you can see why! A wild landscape deserves wild accommodation - so I stayed in a cave! It of course had been adapted for human habitation! I also made a braai (barbeque - but don’t call it that here!!) under the stars -cooking the famous Karoo lamb washed down with Pinotage of course.
 |
| The Karoo - it's kinda quiet here.. |
 |
| The open road... |
 |
| The Bavianskloof hills made for great trekking - the hillsides were studded with beautiful plant life - incredible Protea bushes everywhere you looked. |
 |
| Even the view from the loo was great! |
 |
| Caveman accommodation. |
 |
| Typical Karoo scenery... |
 |
| Termites love it here.. |
  |
| Bavianskloof - valley of the baboons and huge tortoises! |
 |
| Europeans can braai!! |
 |
| Bavianskloof Mountains |
 |
| My rental car after a week in the mountains |
 |
| Iconic Karoo Windpumps |
 |
| Karoo Roadblock - the sunlight catches the fleeces of Angora goats... |
 |
| Dutch Reform Church |
 |
| Early evening in the heart of the Karoo |
 |
| Graaf Reinet from the mountains |
 |
| Camdeboo National Park |
 |
 |
 |
| Beware of the Cape Buffalo!! |
 |
Can you believe that Shell want to frack in this beautiful area? Not surprisingly there is a lot of local protest!
Below are images of Nieu Bethesda - a small Karoo town where time pretty much stays still...
 |
| CCTV at the Community Honour Shop |
 |
| Leaving Nieu Bethesda..back on the open road |
More mountains awaited me in Hogsback - it was a great place to walk and horse ride - although the cantering made me cling on for dear life - but worth it for the view as you can see!
 |
| Hogsback - in the Central Eastern Cape... |
 |
| Bridal Veil Falls Hogsback |
 |
| People work hard and play hard around here.. |
 |
| Sunset ride at Hogsback |
Terra Khaya backpackers - not exactly roughing it :-)
Below are pictures from my hike around Hogsback...
From there I headed up the hair raising and challenging (well for my car anyway) Naudes Nek Pass - at 2500m only the Sani Pass into Lesotho is higher..apparently there had been a snowfall a few days before I arrived but fortunately it melted to let me through! My room was freezing at night though - South Africans don’t do central heating even in the mountains!
 |
| First I had to get past these guys... |
 |
| The road is the faint line of the right of the picture...! |
Below are images of the spectacular scenery on the way up to Naudes Nek
 |
| Cold enough to freeze up here... |
 |
| Made it!! |
 |
| Old fashioned telephone boxes in Rhodes |
 |
| Rhodes road block - taken out the window of my car.. |
 |
| Rhodes from the top of Beacon Hill |
 |
| From this sign it would have been a steep 5km walk to the top to get a signal!! |
 |
| And we're at the top! |
 |
| Going down Naudes Nek a couple of days later...check out the hairpins! |
 |
| The rental car has taken a hell of a beating on the passes! |
 |
| Limited views on my hike up the mountain..! |
 |
The sun goes down over the Drakensberg and also on my mountain adventures in South Africa...
I think you'll agree it's not all about beaches...or maybe it is....that's the subject of my next post and if you thought this scenery was spectacular the coastal landscapes are arguably better!
