It feels like it has been a long time since our last road trip but the time has finally arrived for this years’ one. It is different in many ways from what we expected. Firstly, we planned to go to Botswana but it seems the whole of Europe travels to Botswana in August and so we couldn’t get accommodation at all the places we were hoping to stay so we had to re-jig and stay in SA instead. Secondly, our trusted 4×4, aka The Beast, has after 13 years of service been retired. Finally, our good friends who have done every road trip until now with the group R&J are not with us this time.

We left this morning just before 9am – hitting the road North heading for Karoo National Park. If you have followed previous trips you would know we have been to Karoo National Park a few times previously. It is around a 4.5 hour drive from Cape Town. We are down to 3 couples for this trip – B&S, A&O and ourselves. A&O planned to leave around midday so it was just B&S and ourselves heading out together.

It was overcast and chilly when we hit the road (my car said 10 degrees C). The car was fully laden. Fortunately it was only two of us in the car because we had to flap down the back seats to ensure we could get in all our luggage, food, wine, birding scope etc! Three stops – coffee, bio, lunch and we arrived at Karoo National Park just after 2pm. On route from the gate to reception, H added a lifer to her list (which is now at 435).

After checking in, we visited the bird hide in the camp and then went on a short evening drive. We added a few birds to the trip list and saw black backed jackal, hartebees, baboons, vervet monkey, gemsbok (oryx for anyone outside South Africa reading this) and some of the smaller buck (steenbok & duiker).

We started the mandatory fire for the braai for dinner and shortly after that A&O arrived. It always seem much later than it is on these road trips. Maybe it is the fresh air. Maybe its because the sun seems to set earlier. Maybe it is the driving. It is 9:30pm and we are all in our rooms and ready to go to sleep.

This trip will be 2 weeks and 1 day long and we hope you enjoy following along with us as we travel. I am yet to name my new vehicle. It is a Landrover Defender. Your suggestions are welcome. If your suggestion becomes the new ‘Beast’ then I’ll ensure you enjoy drinking a bottle of wine from my collection. What bottle of wine will depend on how good your suggestion is!

Until tomorrow … P, H, B (he started the fire; he also spotted his own lifer today), A (he took over the braaiing at some point), S & O