As we get older it seems that we are starting to wake before sunrise – which was the case today. The gates only open at 7am in the park and we planned to leave as they opened. Waking up early gave us an opportunity to have some coffee and breakfast for me (too early for H) before we packed up the car and headed out. We decided to do the slightly slower option and to drive through the park heading north before exiting at the north (Lilydale) gate. We stopped at the bird hide (Stofdam Bird Hide) which if you can translate Afrikaans doesn’t seem promising as the literal translation is Dust Dam. However, while there was only a little water in the dam, it was right in front of the hide and the bird life was prolific. In addition, we saw jackal, warthog, springbok and wildebeest come to drink in the two occasions we visited it. No lifers this am, but a reasonable number of new birds for the trip.

We had a 6-hour drive once we exited the park as we continue to head north. The route took us through Kimberley, Warrenton, Christana, Bloemhof and Wolmaranstad. Probably not places many people have been to. This is diamond mining territory and all of these towns were either founded or exist because of diamond mining or the diamond trade. We had a bit of irony today because as we entered Kimberley the song ‘Del a Rey‘ which is about a Boer who helped defend and free Kimberley when it was under siege from the British. And then one of the next songs was ‘Diamonds as your skin‘. As you can see, the irony was not lost on us. Warrenton also has significance for the family as my Dad lived there as a child and (if my memory serves me correctly, he started school there). Finally, Bloemhof won ‘Dorp of the Year 2025’ (for foreign readers that means ‘Town of the year’. Why was hard to tell when we drove through it though H said ‘You can see they’re trying’. The fact that they had a 6-lane main road (not kidding) was what I couldn’t get over.

After Wolmaranstad the roads became a little bit sketchy. The R30, R507 and then N14. The R30 and R507 had potholes galore. Waze had the occasional warning but in reality it could have done it the reverse way around and just warned you when there weren’t potholes. Then the N14 was like riding a roller coaster except I was at the steering wheel. I didn’t know that tar roads could be corrugated but clearly they can. We crossed from N Cape into North West province and then into Gauteng and then back into NW again and then back into Gauteng again. The N14 in Gauteng was decidedly better than the portion in NW province. Not sure either provincial government is very organised but seemingly Gauteng is doing better simply by looking at the state of the roads.

We arrived at Mount Grace Hotel & Spa around 3pm which turned out to be perfect timing because just before 4pm a thunderstorm rolled through. It was a pretty impressive display of thunder and lightening. I love thunderstorms on a hot summers day. It brought back childhood memories for me. H & I stood outside on our stoep (another one of those unique SA words) and watched and listened. At one point the thunder was so loud we both jumped. As fast as it arrives, it also goes and within an hour it had cleared and H and I could do a walk around the whole country estate and adding to the bird list (which now stands at 83).

Dinner in the restaurant along with some very jovial and loud conference attendees. It wasn’t disturbing or distracting – it was just lively!

Until tomorrow … P & H