JOHAN DE SMIDT PHOTOGRAPHS Happy hunting grounds for ghost stories Once you’ve looked past the 1-Stops and the motels, the Great Karoo is more than a featureless highway between Joeys and Cape Town. Johan de Smidt found some great back roads and 4x4 tracks in the Nuweveld Mountains near Beaufort West. f you ask a Karoo sprawling sheep farms and beard Louis Alberts, over sheep farm 80 km west of farmer for a story, make the hunters have returned to nothing stronger than a cup Beaufort West. sure you don’t have far base camp, a ghost story is of coffee, mind you. We’re Flip has just unpacked to walk to your cottage probably what you’ll get. at Louis’ friends, Flip and his new jackal-foxing acqui- Iin the dark. Because once the Like the one we hear from Marge Vivier, on Rooiheuwel sition to show Louis. The winter sun has set over the the straight-shooting grey- Holiday Farm, a holiday and conflict between Karoo 28 DRIVE OUT NOVEMBER 2010 LONG WEEKEND GREAT KAROO The Karoo has mountains. A steep track at Badshoek leads to the base of Sneeukop, in the background. Afterwards, it’s straight down again. sheep farmer and jackal is “A group of hunters were previous Land Cruiser really An introduction at centuries old, with no end staying in the house some burnt out at the same house. Ko-Ka Tsara in sight. Out of the box time ago,” tells Louis. “One “It was about two or three Once you’ve realised how came a sound system featur- night, we were hunting on the in the morning; the same many diverse 4x4 trails and ing the latest in sound clips hills above the farm when we time a ghost would shake good gravel roads Beaufort to attract the sly sheep slay- saw the house burning. The people around in their beds, West offers, it’s tempting to ers to hunters. flames were so bright you smash window panes and run break up your journey along But the bearded one could see them from far away. around on the roof.” the N1 between Gauteng swears by his own unique ‘There goes your f*cking bak- We certainly wouldn’t have and Cape Town to explore solution, also known as the kies,’ I told the hunters. any unearthly encounters the sizeable mountains − disco solution. On his own “We f*cking jumped into during our visit to four 4x4 yes, mountains − around the farm near Leeu-Gamka, he my bakkie and raced down to trails near Beaufort West. The town. Even better, you can uses a network of power- the house. When we got there, only creatures we saw were see lots of game along the way ful speakers that continu- there was no fire. F*ck all. real earthbound four-legged and there is a range of holiday ously plays loud radio music “I had seen it burning or feathered specimens. cottages to choose from. (mostly radiosondergrense) with the same bright orange In fact, I had to go all the With that in mind, we across his farm − and at his glow before, but this was the way to the Karoo National plan to spend a whole five farmhouse. The farmhouse first time other people had Park to appreciate what days in the area around this he doesn’t sleep in. The seen it, too.” inquisitive, tame and pretty Great Karoo town, driving house with the coffin on the That time he was more birds male Cape sparrows are the Karoo National Park’s bed. The house that burns … fortunate than the night his with their little black aprons. two-day Nuweveld Eco-Trail www.driveout.co.za DRIVE OUT NOVEMBER 2010 29 and 4x4 trails at three game farms − Badshoek, The Vale and Ko-Ka Tsara. The short game drive to a viewpoint at Ko-Ka Tsara, a game farm 8 km north of Beaufort West, is a relaxed introduction to the variety of buck we would see on all the trails. We also want to drive some of the Karoo’s great gravel roads − and after taking the Merweville turnoff on the N1 at Prince Albert Road, we drive more than 100 km along a smooth gravel road to Rooiheuwel and, ultimately, Beaufort West. Mountaineering at Badshoek Badshoek, the game and 4x4 farm of Colin and Evelyn de Villiers about 33 km north- east of the town, offers short Nature’s theatre. Just after the start of the Modderfontein 4x4 trails through various 4x4 trail at Badshoek, the sections of the farm, which Nuweveld Mountains form an is situated right against the impressive amphitheatre. Nuweveld Mountains. We pick our guide, Frans, Wired for action. Steep slopes on the Modderfontein up at the farmhouse. It trail have been secured used to be a jail for convicts with wire netting to prevent who built the nearby De wheel-spin. Jager’s Pass in 1878, under pass-builder extraordinaire Thomas Bain. Frans leads us to the Modderfontein Trail, a circu- Quick facts E a s y lar 4x4 trail of about 10 km in Best time: April to a game camp, into the moun- September, when it’s a tainous northern part of the bit cooler. farm. Soon we’re going down Stay at least: There’s Gravel road some seriously steep slopes. Tar road enough to do around But it’s a pleasure to drive Jeep track ±10 km Beaufort West to warrant a week-long stay. on Badshoek’s routes since Badshoek Embizweni Cottage Distance from: Cape Town all steep rocky ascents and R381 The Vale Karoo to Beaufort West: ± 485 km; descents have been secured National Park Ko-Ka Tsara Johannesburg to Beaufort with strips of wire mesh, R353 Rooiheuwel West: ± 950 km which means you won’t slide Beaufort West Sound like a boffin: The down a hill and your wheels Karoo is famous among Leeu won’t spin when you go up. R306 palaeontologists who study You’ll encounter just such the remains of ancient rep- N1 a 45º descent about 2 km tiles and amphibians that Merweville flourished in the wet forests from a hunter’s hut near the Leeu-Gamka of the Karoo despite large- start of the trail. At the bot- N12 scale volcanic activity. tom of the hill, the landscape Dwyka opens up for what seems like Not in park hundreds of kilometres to Prince Albert the south. Time to get out Road Accessible R407 N1 and smell the pelargoniums dotted all over the place. 30 DRIVE OUT NOVEMBER 2010 LONG WEEKEND GREAT KAROO Water in a dry land. Water birds and buck frequent this dam on the Nuweveld 4x4 Eco-Trail in the Karoo National Park. At a flat, scenic spot After a brief break to gawk Nuweveld Loop. From there, springbok meat, too − park about 3 km further, you can at the scenery, we head back you have about 21 km left to officials admitted jackals stop for coffee and enjoy the down the way we’ve come. the cottage. On the second could have contributed to a view. A last 500 m climb lets A short drive along game- day you complete the loop recent sharp drop in spring- you see even more of the viewing tracks later, we’re on the remaining 30 km of bok numbers.) far-off plains of the Great back at the farmhouse. gravel track. The biggest herd that is Karoo − what used to be a The jeep track requires spooked by our bakkie num- vast lake about 250 million Nuweveld Eco-Trail the ground clearance of a bers 35. While more seasoned years ago. (90 km) standard bakkie and very residents such as small bands Soon after, you’re back at The new Nuweveld 4x4 Eco- little else. You don’t even of gemsbok and red harte- the game camp gate, heading Trail in the Karoo National need diff lock under normal beest merely amble away, back to the farm. Park is in our sights the driving conditions. After the springbok hoof it as if Next, you could head next morning. The 90-km rains, though, sandy river- the lions that are due shortly for a steep 4 km mountain overnight trail leads to the beds could change that. have already arrived. ascent or tame game-view- Embizweni Cottage, a well- The highlight of the first If you’re not counting ing tracks, along which you appointed two-bedroomed stretch is the view over a springbok, you could always may spot giraffe, eland, red house in the remote north of large dam with some water count the number of dry hartebeest and black wilde- the park. birds about 13 km into the riverbeds that you cross, beest, to name but a few of At reception we’re handed trail with the Nuweveld which is where you’ll need the 40 wild animal species a full-colour map and the Mountains as the screen- the extra clearance, as some on the farm. keys to the cottage before saver backdrop. of them are quite rocky. Frans leads us to the track staff describe the route to us. From the dam, it’s only After 33 km, we hit a that seems to head straight From the reception build- an 8 km push to the cot- T-junction, from where the up into the heavens. As in ings, we follow the scenic tage, which is situated off rest camp is only 20 km away, about 50º straight up. tar road up the Klipspringer the loop, higher up in the after turning right onto a It’s low-range, first gear Pass, its sandstone-retaining foothills of the Nuweveld good gravel road.