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18.02.2008 Karoo National Park
At noon we arrived at the gate of the Karoo National Park, our first time visit to this park.

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We got a very warm welcome. Never had such a friendly gate guard before. In no time we were on our way to the camp. Lovely mountains in front of us under a blue sky with little white clouds.

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We got #9 which is next to the restaurant and reception. It is a nice chalet with a great view from the patio.

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The camp looks great in the afternoon sun.

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Soon we were on our way at the Klipspringer Pass.

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At top of the mountain we enjoyed the panoramic views.

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Breathtaking landscape, I didn't expect it to be magnificent like this.
After 10 km we arrived at a fence with a no entry sign. It seems we have to do the remaining 2 km next time.
We visited the view points. 37 degrees centigrate and we had a short walk and sat down with a scenic view at the edge. I guess you can sit there for hours if it is not that hot.

Thank you Dreamer, bert, Dinky Bird and katydownunder.

Dreamer, June is certainly a great time to visit Karoo and it is really not that far away from Cape Town. Without the visit to Matjiesfontein we would have been an hour earlier at the park.

KDU here are more pictures of the accommodation. The living room and bedroom area of the chalet ... view from the kitchen.
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The parking of the chalet.
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I was impressed by the spotless clean swimming pool at the camp.
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A lovely pool area, isn't it?

This is the view from the pool area towards the reception.
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Thanks MN, Pumba, MM and C.O'Dee.

MN, yes Karoo is a very quiet and peaceful park.
I'm sure you are going to have a great time there in June.

Pumba, you are right, we travelled a lot in "the world in one country".
Finally it were 6300km.

MM, yes service and food in the restaurant were indeed very good.
We enjoyed our dinner and breakfast very much.

C.O'Dee, is this your first time visit to Karoo NP? I'm sure you will be impressed by the great landscape.


18.02.2008 Karoo National Park, late afternoon
We decided to do no more walks today and have a look at the game viewing area. Towards the Bukraal picnic site there were road works and only one way to drive, no loop any more.
Far away zebras walked up a hill and a chanting goshawk was watching the quiet scene. The birdlist we got at the reception says it is a Pale Chanting Goshawk.

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A kori bustard walked in the dense grass. Ostrichs crossed the road right in front of our car and started running as they detected us.
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It was now 38 degrees centigrade in the sun and we did the drive again an hour later.

During our second time at the game viewing area we came along zebras closer to the road,
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No mountain zebras, but a boss with a beard.

Big ears in the grass, a shy steenbok was hiding just right after I took this picture.
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Our first Karoo kudus arrived at the scene ...
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... and a lonely springbok was shining in the afternoon sun. The landscape again provided breathtaking views ... we had nearly full moon.
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18.02.2008 Karoo National Park, evening
Back at the patio of #9 we saw the residents of the chalet, swallows. As there were no remainings on the floor, we only recognized the nest on the upper left corner as the residents came back from their daily tour. Those swallows are perfect flying artists. Only this youngster needed a stop at the steps of our patio.
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- maybe someone can help with the ID.

In the evening a nice dinner at the Salt&Pepper Restaurant completed our day. There was as already mentioned an excellent service and we enjoyed our steaks very much.
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After dinner we sat at the patio of #9 and watched the landscape in the bright moon light.

19.02.2008 Karoo National Park
I was inside a fridge and only wore a T-Shirt and a short trouser. Where was my coat?
Why is it so terrible cold? I am back to Germany?
I woke up shortly after midnight with ice cold arms. SO had switched on the aircondition shorty after I fell asleep. Planned for a short cooling for only half an hour, but as this is a very quiet aircondition, he soon fell asleep as well. I had the bed close to the wall where the cold air fell to the floor. So I got icy dreams.
I switched off the aircondition and had a look to the landscape in the moon light. With this nice view on my mind I got back under a warm blanket and continued with better dreams.

We woke up by birds singing. When I sat at the patio I saw springboks and kudus very close to the camp.
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The morning light came to the top of the mountains around the camp.
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At 7 o'clock we took our breakfast. After a short stay at the restaurant's patio with a nice view to the mountains we had to leave.
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Reports 2008
West Coast National Park
Cape of Good Hope National Park and Boulders
Karoo National Park

We could not leave without a visit to the bird hide and a short glimpse at the game viewing area. Enclosed a view back to the camp from the parking near the bird hide.

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As we stopped at the bird hide a big tortoise was already waiting there for us. It hissed at us as we came closer. Better a leopard tortoise hisses a warning than a snake.

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At the bird hide it was very quiet, only a few far away birds, but again a great view.
When we came back to the parking the big tortoise had disappeared, nothing to see of it any more.

We drove a very quiet road, only a few springboks and red hartebeests in the Bukraal area this morning.

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Another red hartebeest was waving us good bye close to the gate.

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This park was a real vision and we definitely will visit it again. Next time we sure will stay longer to take a walk on the trails of this magnificent landscape.



Reports 2008
West Coast National Park
Cape of Good Hope National Park and Boulders
Karoo National Park