Diary of a Roadtripper, Howzit South Africa – #GraaffReinet

Why not hit the road and try and get lost,  thumb suck a few routes and really just explore the possibility of taking the road that might not take you where you want to go, but the one that leaves you in awe of discovering a different landscape,  a lost little town or other people with stories of their own,  everyone seems to have a forgotten past and a dreamy future.  If you approach life at a different angle,  especially when travelling,  with no expectations, it is amazing what you can find. 

One of the reasons I love travelling by road in South Africa is the vast spaces in between cities,  because once you leave them you realise that we have a huge diversity in this country.  On this particular trip it went something like this :

Leaving Jhb – Gold,  mielie fields,  mining,  more mielies,  sunflowers,  soft golden grass on rolling hills, windmills,  Karoo,  sheep,  more sheep,  hills,  passes…. Destination
Graaff Reinet.
What do I think about Graaff Reinet ;
I think park your car,  stay if you have to,  no actually stay… Get out there and start walking and if you are done in 3 days I will be surprised.  Boasting with so much history, culture, food, biodiversity and you keep discovering more behind every corner. It is literally hard to capture Graaff Reinet in one visit, let alone in one day. I think I could spend a week in this town and I still won’t be able to tell you what it’s all about.
A little insight:
Lagerst cactus nursery
Cultural walks
Historical buildings
Karoo slow food

Take your time here,  the pace is of another era and if you are really an explorer you might discover more than you were looking for, a little something that might link you to this place’s past.

Back in the car,  out of town,  along a dam,  through a gate,  up a hill, destination:
Cambedoo National Park,  also known as the Valley of Desolation!
I think I am in love
I stand on top of the world looking down over the spaces,  peaks,  rock formations. Nature has a way of capturing your imagination, and all I can think of is;  I want to come back here,  and I have not even left yet!
My first experience was late afternoon to sunset,  when the earth cools down,  the colours turn warm until it surrenders itself to darkness.  Breathtakingly beautiful…..

Back in the car,  down the hill,  through a gate….
Just to return the next morning, and if you think sunset here is beautiful, try Sunrise! The first sight of soft clouds blanketing the town of Graaff Reinet and rocky peaks trying to push their way through the cloudbase is quite phenomenal,  but when the sun breaks through to cast its rays over it all, be ready to be left in awe,  no where in all my travels have I experienced a sight like this!

We left Graaff Reinet in a daze… And I sat thinking about the morning and taking it all in,  trying to store every corner of my memory bank with these images.  I’ll never forget..
So,  up a pass, down a pass, around a corner,  karoo bushes,  sheep,  view point on to our next stop…..

For more information follow the link below.
www.graaffreinet.co.za
#meetsouthafrica roadtrip sponsored by SA Tourism