WHEN it comes to camping, weather-or-not, there are times when even the most gung-ho, well-equipped campers will wisely take the ‘or-not’ option.
Like the time we didn’t camp at Weenen Game Reserve.
It was the beginning of August, a very unpredictable season, weather-wise, and we were about to go on holiday. We were planning to spend the first night of our journey at Weenen, a delightful little KwaZulu-Natal reserve. Less than four hours away from our home on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, it would be an easy drive there if, as planned, we left at lunchtime.
Our ultimate destination was Kruger National Park where we would spend three and a half weeks doing a camping trip, starting at Punda Maria in the north and ending at Berg-en-Dal in the south. To get to the northern section of the park, we had decided to do a bit of a round-about route – a night at Weenen, two nights with friends and relations in Gauteng, a night at Borakalalo Game Reserve and two nights at Marakele, one of our very favourite national parks.
At least that was the idea. Two days before we were due to leave the weather threw us a curve ball, in the form of a massive cold front that left the whole country shivering. It was miserable on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast – very cold, windy and pouring with rain – but probably warmer than most other places in South Africa. At least we were spared the snow.
The next morning was even colder and reports of heavy snow falls were coming in from all over South Africa. By the third day, the day we were planning to start our holiday, KwaZulu-Natal was completely snowed in, with all roads out the province closed.
At work, my sympathetic colleagues were cracking jokes about Bill and I spending our holiday camping in our back yard. Weenen was out of the question. Clearly, this was a time to take the ‘or-not’ camping option. Fortunately Bill came up with a brainwave. He contacted Baynesfield Estate, and booked us into the comfy little cottage available there for hire.
So we left work at midday as planned and, instead of aiming for Weenen, we drove to Baynesfield, near Richmond and a gentle two-hour drive from our home.
It wasn’t as far as we’d hoped to get that night but it was rather nice not to have to camp in the snow. Instead, we spent the first evening of our journey ensconced in comfy armchairs in front of a roaring fire. What tomorrow would bring, we did not know, but the news that evening was fairly good. It seemed likely that the N3 would reopen some time next morning and we would be able to continue on our way. Little did we know that we would need our 4×4 vehicle’s offroad capabilities to get us to Johannesburg.
We left early next morning and were relieved to find the N3 open to traffic. The snow had turned the rolling midlands hills into a winter wonderland. Scooting along the freeway, enthralled by the snowy vistas, we made good progress until we reached the Balgowan offramp, where the traffic had ground to a halt. There was apparently ice on the next section of the N3 and it would be closed until conditions improved.
We had the choice of waiting for the thaw or taking the offramp diversion. Deciding to try out the detour we turned onto the offramp and proceeded along a mushy, slushy gravel road behind a line of slow-moving traffic. Soon, though, we began to meet vehicles coming back the other way. They had met up with an obstruction, a very muddy and slippery little uphill section that 2X4 vehicles were unable to negotiate.
Fortunately, our vehicle was able to crawl up the muddy incline in four wheel drive. Soon we were back on the freeway, having bypassed the icy section, which was still closed to traffic. On the opposite, south-bound side of the freeway, a line of trucks waiting for the ice to thaw on the N3, stretched back for an incredible 50km. Mother Nature can certainly cause havoc from time to time. It was amazing to think of the disruption to South Africa’s economy that little patch of ice was causing.
By Mooi River, the snow had almost disappeared and for a short while we drove through a tawny, winter landscape. Soon, though, we started coming across patchy snow again and ahead of us loomed the magnificent Drakensberg, completely covered in snow. It was an incredible sight.
By the time we reached Van Reenen’s Pass the world was a sparkling white as far as we could see, and the thick blanket of snow remained unbroken until the outskirts of the town of Harrismith.
Eventually, after a long but unforgettable day driving through the picture perfect snowy landscapes, we reached Gauteng safely but it had taken us about two hours longer than usual.
We spent two lovely days with family and friends but we were looking forward to our first night under canvas. Athough it was a mite chilly, we thoroughly enjoyed our sojourn at Borakalalo Nature Reserve. By the next morning, though, a second cold front had swept through South Africa and temperatures had plunged.
It was pretty cold as we set up camp at our next destination, Marakele National Park, and out came all our winter woollies. Although we had a lovely two-day stay there, we were wishing for a bit of warmer weather when we packed up camp and headed for Kruger’s Punda Maria rest camp.
This time, after our snowy start, capricious Mother Nature more than granted us our wish. For our entire 25-day stay in Kruger we were grateful for the kind of warm, dry weather that makes camping a pleasure.
