Camdeboo National Park

We had a pleasant last evening at Komdomo Campsite in the Baviaanskloof and were up early in order to have breakfast at the Tolbos Restaurant in Patensie. We specifically wanted to go and experience the place and compare it to the ‘award-winning’ Padlangs Restaurant. What a wonderful experience we had! The food was excellent. The service was outstanding and the owners’ involvement, interest and presence very evident. We ended up spending about two-and-a-half hours there and had to tear ourselves away in order to get to our next destination in time. They certainly get our vote!

We checked in at Camdeboo National Park in the mid-afternoon for one night only as they were fully booked for the Easter Weekend. The park surrounds the town of Graaff-Reinet in the Karoo, boasts World Heritage status and is also an IBA. While I was in the office Roger chatted to the park manager, Peter Burnett, who came to enquire about our ‘rig’. Peter then offered for us to stay at the camp site at ‘Driekoppe’ on Friday night, which we gladly accepted.

Before heading out to explore the park we walked around the Nqweba campsite for a bit of birding. Besides birds we spotted Bush Karoo Rats and spent a lot of time watching their antics. They are diurnal and kept us entertained for quite some time.

Large herd of eland next to the Nqweba Dam

One of the major attractions of the Camdeboo NP is the Valley of Desolation. This was our 3^rd visit and it still enthralled! The views of the Karoo plains, Graaff Reinet town and the Nqweba dam are just amazing. While chatting to a visitor from the UK a Verreaux’s Eagle swept past graciously at eye level!

Valley of Desolation, looking towards Spandaukop and southern part of Graaff Reinet

Short-winged Predatory Katydid seen on the Crag Lizard Trail around the lookout points

At about 16h30 we made our way across town to enter the eastern section of the park at the Kroonvale gate and made our way up towards the Waaihoek Mountain where the Driekoppe tended camp is still under construction. The 11Km off-road trip took us the best part of 1.5 hours to complete! En route we encountered a beautiful puff adder in the road which disappeared into the bush before I could get the camera out.