Cape to Richtersveld via Namakwaland (September 2009)
5 September 2009 – A very enthusiastic group of adventurers departed from Cape Town for a 10-day trip to the Namaqualand and Richtersveld regions. We headed up the West Coast and our first stop was scheduled for Klawer where we had a date for a Tri-Nations test between the Springboks and Australia – that we unfortunately lost.
At that point we decided to leave all of civilisation behind. We entered the Namaqua National Park at the Groenriviermond where we aimed for our first camp site, Koringkorrelbaai. The setting sun, sea mist and thick sand created confusion and needless to say after the Landy with a trailer full of educational books got stuck in the sand, we realised our campsite was to be right there in the road.
Kookfontein – We woke up to the sound of rolling waves accompanied by a fresh sea breeze and decided to take the jeep track to Sarrisam to ensure that we got through the sandy area with our heavy load of books. Our aim was to reach the small town of Soebatsfontein and to pitch camp in the Namaqua National Park at the Kookfontein oasis. The shaded palm trees with a bubbling fountain proved to be an absolute gem of an overnight stop.
Soebatsfontein – Excited about our first community engagement, we were welcomed at the Soebatsfontein primary school by the headmaster and two classrooms full of excited children. Our programme focused on bird identification and the special birds of the area and how our feathered friends function in the surrounding habitats.
The children were offered the opportunity to express what they had learned through colourful bird art. Each child received a T-shirt and the school received soccer balls, netballs and art material for the rest of the year. We also delivered the first mobile library sponsored by Boundless Africa. We grabbed the opportunity to engage with officials from the National Park, in order to assess their need for future educational projects. These officials were provided with bush gear from E Snell & Co to support them in their work.
On to the Richtersveld Community Conservancy (RCC) via Springbok where we loaded up with provisions. We then disappeared into a remote mountain desert just past Skeinkopf en route to Eksteensfontein. Dirt roads and ever-changing scenery led us to our host Dirkie Uys, who took us into the highlands to a new mountain camp 20 km out of town. Very unexpected rain welcomed us in this arid region along with some delicious traditional food of the area and folk music on a “blik viool” in a cosy tent.
Eksteensfontein - Everything was wet when we woke up the next morning but a break in the clouds gave us a brief moment to break up camp before the next downpour. We followed a winding jeep track back to town for our workshop with the children of the Eksteensfontein primary school. We focused our creative birding programme on the surrounding rugged environment. The T-shirts, balls and art material produced many smiles and thank-you's. Children ran next to the vehicles as we departed before eventually disappearing in the dust cloud left by the convoy.
The road to Khubus led us into a dry river bed through a gorge and eventually a steep mountain pass dropped us on to the Springbokvlakte. The golden grass and a multitude of raptors captured our attention on the undulating mountain track over the Hels Kloof pass into the Richtersveld National Park (RNP). After the endless passes without names the wide thick sands of the dry river beds took us to the De Hoop campsite, next to the Orange River.
De Hoop – Time for reflection under an acacia umbrella on the banks of the river was just what the soul needed. What had been experienced and achieved left an unmatched feeling of satisfaction in our hearts. Stargazing and chasing meteorites provided entertainment around the campfire that night.
Potjiespram – After our rest day we packed up camp and travelled to Potjiespram campsite in the RNP for an education session with children from the nearby Sanddrif primary school. Park officials assisted us with the art programme which was conducted in some traditional Nama huts. Children were offered the opportunity to use binoculars for bird watching. This experience literally opened some kids’ eyes to a new vision of the future. Due to the dry climate and lack of grassed pitches here, soccer is preferred to rugby, and as soon as the balls were handed over we engaged in a dribbling and ball skills exchange with the rangers. After the event, we camped on a river island for the night. Bathing in the river rapids while enjoying a Glendower on ice enabled us to end a fulfilling day in style.
Alexander Bay – We travelled along the river to Alexander Bay to visit the Ramsar Site at the Orange River mouth. The wetland systems and status of the Ramsar site are under threat due to mining activities and a lack of aggressive environmental management. It is sad to say but, without intervention and proper marketing and tourism awareness, the most north-western corner of South Africa could potentially lose its conservation status. We aimed for McDougall’s Bay south of Port Nolloth for a luxurious overnight in a beach house with hot water on tap! Here we watched the Bokke beat New Zealand to lift the Tri-Nations crown. Mooi!
Wallekraal – We all longed for the freedom of the open plains with no sign of human settlement and luxury. We unanimously decided to find a remote and deserted overnight spot. Our search started along the west coast past Kleinzee through the restricted De Beers area towards Hondeklipbaai. The small coastal town provided a welcome leg stretch with amazing photo opportunities where we had our first breakdown for the trip. The Landy’s back wheel came off with three nuts and bolts broken. The delay in schedule made our quest for solitude easy and the ghost town of Wallekraal was the spot. We camped on the banks of the Spoeg River, which forms the northern boundary of the Namaqua National Park. The ruins between the old school and what appears to be a grand old lodge provided excellent photo opportunities. Bathing in the shallow stream had me imagining how wonderful a simple life in Namaqualand might be.
The Last Day - We woke up among the magnificent fields of flowers that characterise Namaqualand. This and the entire experience of our trip reignited my passion for South Africa and its remote communities. This journey changed forever the mindsets of both the experienced and the first-time off-road traveller among us… and the course that our project will take in the future. We headed back to the fairest Cape with joy and gratitude in our hearts.