Adventuring in the Valley of Desolation

The Albatross

Saturday 12 August 2023

Having survived the mist of doom and the rodents of unusual size on Table Mountain, today we quested in the Valley of Desolation. It is desolate, but it’s also amazingly beautiful.

We’re in Graaff-Reinet, which is surrounded by Camdeboo National Park. Our experience is enhanced by staying in one of the most beautiful old homes I have ever visited.

The highlight of the park is the look out over the valley and surrounding plains, however the park also contains a lot of animals. There are no major predators, so life is pretty cruisy if you happen to be a tasty but pretty springbok. Zebras, Cape Buffalo, Meerkats, a Tortoise, Red Hartebeest and Gemsbok were also spotted. We just cruised around the park, had a picnic lunch and then a lazy afternoon with some fine South African bubbles and cheesy snacks. Life is good.

Unfortunately, our camera battery died as it is old as we hadn’t used it in 3 years, so most our photos were taken on our phones. A bit of a lack of planning there.