While the rest of the company flew from Cape Town to Nairobi, our little group drove to Johannesburg, returned the rental car, and caught a flight that reunited us with everyone late at night. We could have gotten there much earlier, but we still had large chunks of the Drakensberg Escarpment to explore.
Our route from Johannesburg to Hazyview was northeast to Lydenburg, east along the Panorama Route, a little back and forth around the waterfalls at Sabie, and then due east to Hazyview. Our route from Hazyview to Johanesburg was a little different.
The 45 minute drive to Graskop was mostly one long country road with a lot of trees that gradually went uphill. When we turned from R535 to R533, it became a winding uphill road. There were fewer trees, but the occasional glimpse of how much elevation we were getting. Graskop was an easy enough town to drive through without worrying about missing anything. I think the only reason anyone goes there is for the nearby scenery.
Just north of town is God's Window, a cliff with views of the valley almost one kilometer down. There is no indication that anything like this exists on the drive to Graskop. We obviously went uphill, but the road was never at the side of any hills. It is a simple country drive to a small country town, and then suddenly, you are looking out over the edge of the Drakensberg Escarpment.
Just north of God's Window is the Pinnacle, a tall rock formation you can only see by standing on the edge of a steep cliff and looking down. It is a nice looking rock, as far as rocks go, but not the kind of place you can spend all day.
North of the Pinnacle is Wonder View, another cliffside perch. The name is not too clever, but you get incredible views of the seemingly endless rainforest below. Though facing the same direction, it looks different from God's Window.
Just west of Wonder View are Berlin Falls and Lisbon Falls. Like Mac Mac Falls, Lisbon Falls are just off the road. You park at a large parking lot, walk a few meters, and look down at the waterfalls below. Berlin Falls is a little farther from the road, but the parking lot looks exactly the same. And it is only a single stream of water, at least when we went. Mac Mac and Lisbon had more water rushing over their cliffs.
All of these spots are at the southern tip of the enormous Blyde River Canyon, the second longest canyon in Africa. The first is Fish River Canyon in Namibia. Fish River Canyon, like the Grand Canyon in Arizona, is dirt and rock. Blyde River Canyon is green as far as the eye can see. Except for all the blue in the river.
Photograph by Daniele Codegoni
About 30km north of Berlin Falls are Bourke's Luck Potholes, large erosions in the rock that have created small pools more or less separated from the river. Driving to the potholes is not an option, but there is a visitor's center with minimal parking. The hike is relatively level on a clearly marked trail with three separate foot bridges that span across the Blyde River. The potholes are easily seen just past the east bridge.
Less than 20km north of the potholes are the Three Rondavels, a series of mountain peaks on the Drakensberg Mountains. Rather than look down the canyon, as with the potholes, the Three Rondavels are viewed from a few different vantage points on the other side of the river. The point we went to had no parking lot. Everyone simply parked on the side of the road. That was easy enough since that particular road went nowhere else. Touching the Three Rondevels requires a long hike through the canyon. We did not have nearly enough time for that. Most people just look at them and take pictures.
Though most of the Blyde River Canyon lay before us, we had a car to return and a flight to catch. We had been driving north most of the day. Johannesburg was 430km to the southwest. We had less time to stop and appreciate the scenery, but I thought the drive out of the canyon was more beautiful than the drive in. At least until we turned onto R36. That was just another country road, and the same road we took to Lydenburg, though headed south this time.
After a brief stop in Lydenburg, we were back on the same route that got us there in the first place. The only difference was that I liked driving out of the big city and into the wide open country a lot better than the other way around. At Lanseria International Airport, we returned the car and boarded a plane for Nairobi.
I have to say, South Africa was the easiest country in the world when it came to renting cars. There were never any problems or delays and they always had the kind of car I reserved. As long as there were no additional drivers, they were more than happy to take my money and give me the keys. I have no idea if I will ever go back to South Africa, though I certainly hope so. If I do, I will not hesitate to rent a car or two. The countryside is beautiful and easy to drive around. Cape Town has some parking issues in the City Centre, but is otherwise a great driving city.
Even without driving, Cape Town was my favorite city in South Africa. We met friendly people everywhere we went, especially Betty in Durban. But as an international city, Cape Town has more diversity than Durban, which really helps when it comes to all that racial tension just barely hiding under the surface. As a beach city, Cape Town is more laid back than Johannesburg. There was still more of Africa to see, but I had a feeling South Africa was always going to be my favorite.
Just a reminder, I did not take any of these photographs. These are placeholders until I can replace them with my own. I am attempting to give credit to the photographers when I know who they are.
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