Priscilla in the rugged Richtersveld

5 December 2017

After our fantastic Java Camp (Motswari) game viewing experience, we decided in October to tick off another of those “bucket list” items … to explore the arid splendour of the Richtersveld. The Richtersveld National Park is situated in the top NW corner of Cape Province, where the Orange river forms the Border between RSA and Namibia. It requires 4x4 vehicles and a high degree of self -sufficiency, as well as an opportunity to test “Priscilla’s” capabilities, and refresh some of my own off road driving skills!
The park is about 1000km from Cape Town, and our  elderly  Discovery TD5 fully loaded with roof tent, deep freeze, water tank, solar panel and all the other camping kit, has the aerodynamics of a brick ! We therefor decided to take it easy, and do 2 overnight stops. With an average speed of 90kph, we didn't really have much choice !
On the tar roads , against strong head winds, it can be a bit tedious …. But once we got off road, and dropped the tyre pressure down to 1.2 bar, Priscilla was in her element!

Sights like this remind one not to take this forbidding terrain lightly!

 We checked in at Senderlingsdrift, where a pontoon ferry crosses the Orange River into Namibia, and where we camped for the night.

De Hoop on the banks of the Orange River

Malacite Kingfisher sitting in an acacia beside the river

Sundowner time

Sheltering from a dust storm at dinner time

The following day we moved on to De Hoop Camp, situated on the banks of the Orange River, about 60kms, (and 3 hours driving), via a couple of quite challenging passes! We spent 2 days there, with the first night being quite full of campers with kids. It is the most popular camp as there is a safe swimming hole in the river! Fortunately, they all left the next day , to get the kids back to school in time for the next term.

"The hand of God" is a sacred Nama  site

 We spent the next four days almost entirely without seeing a soul! After a relaxing day walking and bird watching at De Hoop, we moved on to the Richtersveld camp, which is also on the banks of the Orange, for one day.

Some of the rock formations, and vistas, are amazing!  It looks like a prospecting geologists playground! Thereafter, we headed into the mountains, where we camped at the unusual Kokerboomkloof campsite, which we again had to ourselves !

Kokerboomkloof camp......Kokerboom is a Quiver Tree

 For our return trip we decided to again break new ground, heading first to Alexander bay at the mouth of the Orange river, then on to Port Nolloth, before stopping for the night at Kleinsee, where we were able to have our first hot shower in over a week! We carried on down through Hondeklipbaai, and on into the recently opened Namaqua National Park (coastal section). The road is no more than a sand track, but some of the camp sites were really special. The camp sites comprise rock  wind shields , a fire hearth for the braai, and new age long drop toilets!
We spent the night at the one closest to the Southern entrance, Delwers, which we had all to ourselves, apart from a quizzical Red Duiker with a hole through one ear! This bit of our coast will definitely see us back! We left via Groenrivier, which had some wonderful birdlife, before heading for home.

Our isolated campsite overlooking the Atlantic Ocean

Sundowner time again!

Priscilla passed with flying colours, and we are looking forward to our next adventure in her, which will be to the Kgalagadi National Park , in March next year. (Mary also gave me a pass for the driving skills!)