More bang for your buck at Bankfontein

At the first opportunity to escape with inter-provincial travel opening, I find a farm near Philippolis, a village near the border of the Northern Cape and the Free State. With 3500 hectors of Nama Karoo to explore on foot, cycle or 4x4, we excitedly head for the hills. Its an intoxicating feeling being back on the open road

The R717 between Trompsburg and Philippolis is an incredibly lovely drive

The S132 take you out of the village. John Varty's Tiger Canyon is close by. Did you know there are free ranging wild tigers in South Africa? Check out their website

We spot 3 lionesses near the road and manage to get a few shots

Gondwanaland first split 180 million years ago spewing lava and rocks and is how the unique landscape of the Karoo was formed. Bankfontein is a working sheep and cattle farm and has been in the family for 5 generations. The 5km drive to the farmstead is stunning and I cannot wait to start exploring

The Great Karoo lies on the largest plateau of its kind outside of Asia and straddles 4 provinces - Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, Western Cape and the Free State. It is the keeper of many secrets of evolution and is a natural wonder of endless plains, intriguing rock formations and layers more than 3 billion years old. The farm lies in the region of the Nama Karoo which is the 3rd largest Biome in South Africa, covering 20% of the country

Our home for the next 6 days does not disappoint. We are warmly welcomed, shown around camp and told we can walk, cycle or 4x4 anywhere. We have the camp to ourselves, no masks, no load shedding (solar power and gas)

luxury tent with super comfy mattress

Exclusive kitchen area and private bathroom. What more can you ask for? Glamping is the way to go

And what a breathtaking view from our deck!

After unpacking and a quick lunch, we walk down the dry riverbed towards the Vanderkloof dam

There is water in places, this river must be fed by a mountain spring

How many millions of years old are these rock formations?

Vanderfloof Dam is the second-largest dam in South African, is fed by the Orange River and has the highest dam wall in the country at 108m. Fishing is said to be very good

Through a peephole into the vastness

A well deserved sun-downer after a hot, windy hike and kick back to enjoy the pinking sky

This little fellow is perfectly camouflaged on his rock and the resident Cape Robin comes to visit and inquire about dinner

Our first morning is brought in with abundant birdsong. The area has 267 bird species

We hop onto our bikes and head off to explore further afield. Its a chilly morning but we warm up riding through rivers and up the mountain track

Hello Mr and Mrs Nguni and family, excuse us, we're just passing through...

And down the other side towards the dam...um you know we have to come back this way?

but the end of the track is a worthwhile trip

Back up and over the mountain after refueling on a banana and some water, we encounter a few nguni who turn tail, literally, and flee

A bit of fun at the river crossings

On the way home, we come across this sweet mom and baby

After a large brunch, a longer nap and bird watching, we set off to explore one of the dry river beds

I see you Mr Moon. The nights will be lit with the waxing moon

The summer rains with turn this stagnant pond into a full-blown waterfall

A super clear print. Checking the mammal book, it could be an Aardwolf

We head out of the river, over the koppie into a valley and our river bed. Land-marking is easy and there's no way of getting lost which makes hiking a pleasure

The plains are bursting with pre-spring flowers

An Acacia Pied Barbet comes closer for a look see

Day two is icy as a cold front moves in, but I manage to appreciate a glorious sunrise

Today we tackle the 4x4 route on bicycles. Ok, we didn't cycle all the way up this rocky mountain track, it's just not possible, passable? Both

It becomes more doable and we climb back onto the bikes and enjoy the grassland and views while trying to navigate the track

Delicate lilies are sprouting all around us

The Karoo is home to the largest variety of succulants on earth. These, I think, might be alien

Layers in a sun haze

We can't find a track to the Dam and find out much later we should have left the bikes and walked about 800m to find a spectacular view of the water. Next time

A pit stop to refuel and enjoy the scenery before we tackle that downhill

Seriously?

Righty then, here we go...

A treat for our efforts

A threebanded plover foraging at the waters edge

A yellow pansy butterfly, not easy to get a decent photo

I take a stroll along a different section of our dry river (while someone is napping) and find an array of flowing shrubs in the cracks and crevices

And find some bugs too

The basic art of grounding oneself to earth is pretty much a forgotten health technique these days (search for earthing on the net for more info). We walk barefoot along the camp road for a few km's to get our daily health boost. John is thrilled to find a Massey Ferguson engine that brings back great memories from his childhood. Its 67 years old and doesn't miss a beat. Much like himself I thought

The old and the new, side by side. The windmill is now powered by the sun with solar panels

A little promo on the facilities here. 4 Luxury tents and family tents are scattered under large shade trees and there are 6 camp sites for those who would prefer their own kit

2 ablutions service the camp and there's a outdoor shower in the rocks which gives the camper a lovely view while washing away the day's activities

A communal kitchen with everything you might need and more. A large fridge and freezer are housed in the building just to the right of this pic. And then, of course, there's the exclusive camp that we are staying in. The rates are extremely competitive. Go onto their website www.bankfonteinfs.co.za for all the details

Stare at a fire and you'll think about nothing in particular while appreciating its warmth

We wake on day 3 to a flat tire on John's bike, not surprising. We cycle to the farmhouse after tying to fix the puncture ourselves and find very willing help in Philip and Joop who says, after we're sorted, he is going to take us to see rock paintings

We stop not far from the farmhouse and Joop takes us for a walk in the bush. He tells us the history of the area and shows us these tools made by early stone age Homo Erectus . We move on and we get a lovely lecture on the different "Bossie's" (shrubs) and what the bushmen used them for

The next stop is this waterfall in the riverbed...

Its molten lava, formed when Gondwanaland split 180 million years ago

There are fossilized segmented worms at the edge of the lava flow

Our last 'tour' stop is at a dry river bed and into the bush on the other side. This is what we find....AMAZING!!!

The elephant is a trek up the koppie with Joop directing us. What an incredible specimen. We climb around looking for more but are a little distracted by the views

We have had a fantastic cycling, walking, climbing tour. Joop leaves us to get back to his farm and we explore a bit before heading back to camp for breakfast

What treasures you will find exploring, I'm trying to stuff my eyes with wonder

I never imagined just how full a dry river bed could be

I'm looking very differently at rocks and boulders after Joop's introduction

The mind is like water. When it's turbulent, it's difficult to see. What it's calm, everything becomes clear (Prasad Mahes)

The edges of the days are blurring together. Our afternoon walks are becoming routine. Getting lost in the beauty, the stillness, easily forgetting the chaos of the world

As we walk, we are really observing our surroundings after our mind and eye opening lecture. This is a shrub not eaten by the wildlife as it's poisonous

Joop told us about rock ruins near the camp. Have we found them?

This does looks man made

Another cold front is moving in with a chilly wind

Early morning wake-up call (Acasia Pied Barbet and red-eyed Bulbul). The temperature has dropped below zero overnight. We huddle with coffee under multiple layers, thoughtfully provided in case of cold fronts, enjoying the birds. It is decided to do another 4x4 track and loaded with a map of the area, we set off to climb more mountains, explore more of the farm

A tricky stretch has us off the bikes and pushing

Everyone has 2 eyes but no one has the same view

Rocks and sand on downhills can prove challenging

The track brings us to a water hole in the high ground but we can't find a continuing path. After a scout around and reading the map, we decide to follow the river after a refreshing drink of spring water...

.... and some flora photography

What have we let ourselves in for? The question of turning back doesn't cross our minds though and we move onward pushing the bikes

The full extent of not turning back is now apparent, we are going down a waterfall!

Halfway down and a rest is needed

Contemplating the next section

Nearer the end, I look back and wonder just how crazy we've been. We make it out safely with bicycles intact and only some scratches and bruises but later in the day John discovers my bike has 5 punctures

Moving through camp to get out of the wind, I try an artistic approach by exploring abstract and impressionist photography, concentrating on color, form, texture and shape

Camp is full of shadows at midday, creating a lush, cool, sheltered haven

Fiscal Shrike investigating if there is any fat to eat...

and we've discovered the Crested Barbet will eat just about anything we leave out for him

Clouds make for lovely sunsets

Another very chilly morning and we linger in bed. The tire patches have held, we are able to take a last cycle and choose a 'hopefully' easy ride to end our exploration of this sublime region

We haven't see or even heard guinea fowl during our stay but today we run into a huge flock

Hitting thick sand unexpectedly before changing gears, puts a instant stop to your momentum

It's such a lovely, gentle cycle, we stop often and soak up the scenery

We've seen some wildlife, springbok and blesbok, wild donkeys, silly sheep and now the wild horses, what a lovely pair

Our last hike is a short cycle to a section of river not yet explored, where we leave them and amble up the river (this is the river we climbed down yesterday with our bikes)

The power of water is inconceivable

The sweet Olive Thrush has been another daily visitor

Some silliness in camp

2 pictures taken in exactly the same spot, different angles

Our last morning finds us at -5 degrees. Thankfully we packed up last night and only need to have a coffee, dress and hop into a warmer environment, the Ford Ranger

The river crossing is iced up

How often have we said we would like to 'stop the bus and get off'? Bankfontein is a remarkable location and the perfect place to do just that. We will definitely be back for the season of flowing rivers

Your feet should be dirty, your hair messy and your eyes sparking at the end of an adventurous day. Conquer more places, treasure the moment and take pictures!