Day 63 - Gannabos/Hantam Karoo

Someone said before we left the 'Homelands' back in Mpumalanga, we needed to "Beware of the harsh winter Karoo nights"! Both evenings and early mornings here in the Hantam-Karoo, have been at least 20° and the day's north of 30!

Still my all time favourite... no people!

At slightly past 0800 this morning we drove three kilometers into the farm and left the car on the side of the riverbed. At first we proceeded on foot along a 'two-spoor' road and then connected with the riverbed, completely dry, sand and dust. The only indication of recent rains was the hard, dried and caked soil like a giant chocolate puzzle, as well as the high water mark of trees, branches and other natural debris, no litter! At least 1.5m above the riverbed and clearly pretty recent. Apart from October'21 for seven years before then, like no, zero, mahala, f○@#l, nothing, niks rain at all!

We continued all the way up the riverbed, as the walls started to converge into a proper gorge.

Cliff walls emerging from naught to over 100m high at the far end, and around 3km in length, 300meters and more apart from each other. Vertical stone, again with clefts, crags and cracks and the odd bush finding purchase in any of these, still green and alive. Along the way, any amount of animal tracks from small to large buck to sheep and baboons.

A few hundred meters from the end, we noticed we had been joined by the African Black Eagles we were searching for. One at first and then soon backup arrived, two flying large circles in the sky, way above the top of the gorge, like silent drones. Every so often one would glide deeper into the gorge and lower, right above us, just keeping us honest! Keeping an 'Eagle-eye on us' says Karen! FFS!!! Here we are observing the most dynamic and authentic aeronautical display live, and then that comment!😫

Where both walls finally met at the very end, was a dried waterfall face, all of 100m high. At the foot, a deep pool still full and every bit of 30m wide and 10 across, any ones guess, how deep! To the right of the waterfall face were the three Eagles nest's clinging how, I have no idea?

After an hour or so and no further action we started our retreat back and as we left, one of the two Eagles landed back on a nest. Clearly, I think they were unduly disturbed by our presence but really special to experience.

Back at the ranch we lunched and took time out.

Soon after and no rest, we drove 6km to the homestead for a WiFi signal. So poor was the connection, we could not send any more 'Find Penguins' 'documentaries'!
What was unreal, Merwe invited us to witness the 'shearing crew' at work. Shearing at least 14 Marino's per hour each and there were 4 sheares in a shift. They shear at least 900 sheep per day.😳 He couldn't (or wouldn't) tell us how many 1000's of sheep were on this 'Working Farm'

Back home, like anywhere else other than here, you all would be so jealous.

A few hours just after sunset, and the moon hadn't shown its face yet, the sky was pitch black, but only for an unbelievable show of star's, last seen in South West, so long ago! There is a Kickass party happening in Heaven tonight! Possibly the few cold beers and as many glasses if wine, may account for this? The 'Dark Side of the Moon' has nothing on this! The 'Dark Side of the Earth' was truly stunning.

As the warm wind blew off the Hantam and cooled the evening heat, and the Heavens sparkled, I'm so sure I saw Ted and June waltzing between Orion and the Southern Cross. They only disappeared as the Moon stuck out its ugly head and spoilt a party about to get going! I say ugly, only because it spoilt what was about to become an epic evening!

The Karoo is such a place to love, and more is just never enough!

Love, Peace and Light
M&K
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