The Journey to Prince Albert.

We left Kgaligadi and the travel plan changed as we went. We got to Vanwyksvlei earlier than expected and on the slow trip through the town we also realized that there was in fact nowhere to camp or overnight. Carnarvon was only about 60 km further and we decided to carry on and spend the night there. The book of the Road also indicated that there was a camping site, so we were more hopeful.

We arrived in Carnarvon at the Voortrekker camp site and were met by the caretaker, Mr Groenewald who informed us of the exorbitant camping fees. It was R 22.50 per night for the site and only that expensive because we were using power!!!!!If all fees were this low, we would have been away for 6 months. We were the only people in the camp, which also meant that we had the ablutions to ourselves and piping hot water from a shower that sprayed in 1000  different directions, other that where you were standing. The price did not, though, include toilet paper! Mr Groenewald came to chat and informed us that Carnarvon is famous for 2 things, the one being the Corbell houses built by the “trekboere” and the other the “Blikkies bar”, which is featured in the Guinness book of records as the biggest collection of beer cans in the world. Well we set up camp and then we were off to the Blikkies bar to go and see for ourselves and we were impressed. It is an amazing collection of beer cans from all over the world and it covers the pub and adjoining rooms. Quite impressive. The visit to the pub also revealed quite a lot about the goings on in the community. There were family frictions and disagreements and hunters on a package deal and a wedding and us. The hotel owner is a big hunting man and he brings in hunters who then stay in the hotel and he takes them hunting, etc, etc.

A little sample of the Blikkies.

After another morning of frozen pipes and no water we were of to first visit the museum in the town and to see a true Corbell house. George, from the municipality, who is a walking library on the local history took us through the museum and showed us the Corbell house. These houses were built of stone from top to bottom . They are round like a Rondawel and has a stone roof, which, in this particular one, weighs 4 tons. These engineering wonders were built by illiterate people who moved across the area  with their cattle. It took about 6 months to build and then they stayed until the food was depleted and moved on and left the houses. Such a shame, as the houses really took a lot of hard work.

The Corbell house at the museum in Carnarvon

From Carnarvon we were off to Fraserburg and Prince Albert through the Great Karoo with its ever changing scenery. It is flat for kilometers and then suddenly we were going through the Nuweveldberge and the Theekloof pass and al changed. Once we crossed the N1 at Leeu Gamka we were back on a gravel road from Kruidfontein to Prince Albert and again the most incredible scenery. We knew that we were nearing home as we were suddenly in mountain country again, with the Swartberge towering over Prince Albert. We booked in at the Olienhout Camp site, which is a 15 minute walk from the centre of town after a stop at the local PEP stores to buy another warm blanket for R80!!Lovely camp site with superb facilities. We parked right in front of the ablutions and we feel like we are having an en suite again.

The road from Carnarvon to Fraserburg.

The view from Theekloof pass

The Mighty Swartberg