Addo to Karoo – a regional adventure begins

Posted by Colleen Blaine on 4 April 2014

In dire need of inspiration, Colleen Blaine packed her bags and set off for Addo Elephant Park on a week-long adventure from Addo to Karoo.

Elephant affection at Addo

The place in my mind where words once flourished and grew had become a landscape as barren as the Makgadigadi Pans in winter. Luckily, relief from this drought was on the horizon and came in the form of a small virtual envelop popping up on my screen titled “A Regional Adventure – You’re Invited!” In other words here come great big rain drops of inspiration. I packed my bags and set off for Addo Elephant National Park for a week-long Regional Adventure from Addo to Karoo.

Read about Addo’s amazing past: Addo Elephant Park, from hell to paradise

The Zuurberg Mountains and Addo arrival

Prehistoric images spring to mind as we wind our way up the dusty corrugated track into the Zuurberg. Horse rides and a sweltering hike remind us how much we need rain in the Eastern Cape. The Zuurberg section of the park is characterised by grasslands, fynbos and deep rugged kloofs; and is a less visited but magnificent section of the Greater Addo Elephant National Park. At every corner as far as the eye can see, this land looks untouched and wild.

February is the hottest month of the year, generally, and if you really want to experience true African summer here is a good place to come and watch as the Eastern Cape bush shimmers in front of you. Why now you ask? So you can sit all afternoon at the Hapoor Dam waterhole and watch hundreds (and I really mean hundreds) of wallowing elephants taking long slow drinks from the cool water. As they spray themselves intermittently you can’t help but wish you could run around under the shower of water as it splashes off their grey muddy shoulders.

After an afternoon game drive and a quick supply stop at Main Camp we trundle to the Spekboom Tented Camp with the thoughts of a cold beer and dinner by firelight in our minds. As we unwind deep in the maze of spekboom (Portulacaria afra) that makes this camp unique the heat of the day is already forgotten and we watch quietly as the fire tries to lick the sky. Tomorrow we will watch the sunrise and explore the rest of Addo before heading on to Mountain Zebra National Park. For now, I say bring on the stars and the night sounds of this glorious National Park.