Soutpansberg - Makhado

Soutpansberg - Makhado - July 2017

So, it was winter and a little cool in Johannesburg. Elizabeth was down from Zambia for a knee operation, and during her recover period I though that it would be good to go camping somewhere where it would be a little warmer. 

I looked around and was looking for a place that would be quiet and peaceful without the noisy crowds. I was also interested in visiting the Soutpansberg, as we had not been to that part of the country previously. I searched the web and found a place which sounded good. It was near Makhado and at the start of the Soutpansberg mountains.

So I booked at Zvakanaka, which is a small camping/caravan park on a farm, just past Makhado.

We set off early on a Wednesday morning, from Johannesburg. We were in no rush and stopped off at one of the Sasol fuel stations on the way (near Mokopane) for a bite of lunch. The trip up went well and the Trailblazer and Jurgens Avion L had no problems at all.

The road from Johannesburg is dual carriageway most of the way. However, after Makhado it turns into a single carriageway road, with a few overtaking lanes every 10 to 15 Km's or so. 

The South African road users have absolutely no idea what any of the road signs or markings are for. They pass on solid white lines, blind rises and corners where they cannot see anything. They seem to have a belief that nothing will ever happen to them and on numerous locations they simply pushed oncoming traffic into the verge, else they would have caused an accident. I think that the SA roads department are wasting money and should do away with all road signs and markings - hardly anyone obeys then anyway. And speed limits mean absolutely nothing. Even had a Bakers truck try and push us off the road. I believe that South Africa has a obscenely high road death toll because the road users simply disobey the rules of the road. Its really nothing to do with speed, which of cause can also be a factor when a large number of vehicles are roadworthy.

But, if you just drive carefully, you will still have a great holiday !!

Anyway, we arrived safely at our camping destination and used a code (which we were given) to open the gate. The farm is very rustic and the campsites are far apart and you don't even see the other campers. We set up camp, in the shadow of the Soutpansberg mountains.

Each of the campsites has a boma, and that boma has a table as well as a gas stove and oven. It makes camping really nice and this was a really good idea. The boma also has a cement floor and its big enough for 4 or 5 chairs as well.

We had electricity and I think that 3 of the 4 sites have that. So I was able to plug the caravan in and use our fridge and freezer.

In addition, each site also has a nice brick built braai, as well as a separate fire pit. Some wood is provided for each evening, and more is available for purchase.

We had a very nice fire each evening. Some of the evenings were cold and the fire really made a nice difference.

Zvakanana, on their website, advises :

Zvakanaka farm is 74 hectares in area and the three main vegetation types are grassland, wetland and semi-deciduous scrub-forest. There are numerous trails cut on the farm and, depending on how much energy you want to exert, you can either take gentle strolls or more serious walks to the very top of the mountain where there are stunning views in all directions. The bird-life on the farm is plentiful and varied – the cliffs, grasslands, forest and the wetland ensure a wide range of species. Many of our guests express their delight in the chorus of bird calls during their time on the farm – particularly at dusk and dawn. Zvakanaka means “Everything’s OK!” or, if you like, “Lekker”, andthat’s the feel that we’d like to impart to our guests.Zvakanaka farm is perfectly situated, both for people wanting an easily accessible destination for a tranquil escape, or for those who need a base from which to explore the richly diverse surroundings. If you want to visit the fascinating and beautiful Mapungubwe, say, but would rather overnight on the cool slopes of the Soutpansberg, then you can easily take a day drive – the trip to the park takes approximately two hours via Musina. 

Most of the days that we were at Zvakanaka were cool and misty. The sun did break through mid morning, but the breez also made it cool when you were in it.

The ablution facilities at the campsite are very good. They are a little different, in that there are four toilets and two showers all in a row. They are shared by male and female, which is not a problem. The water was always boiling hot and the showers and toilets were always clean. Toilet paper is provided.

The facilities also have a washing machine as well as a large fridge and freezer, should you need these.

The farm has a number of walking trails, some of which take you to the top of the mountains. The trails are all clearly marked. We walked a few, but keeping near the bottom of the mountain.

All in all, we had a great relaxing quiet time. 

The travel takes you past the Tropic of Capricorn and on the way up "North" we passed a sign to a monument. So on the way back hole we decided to stop off the the Tropic Of Capricorn monument and see what it was all about. 

Well, whoever is responsible for this monument should be ashamed of themselves. The site was a disaster. the sign is full of bullet holes and some of the lettering on the monument has been stolen. There is also a cultural stall/center but this is derelict and deserted.  

Anyway, I suppose that is Africa !!

We had a safe trip back hone. We stopped off at The Ranch for lunch and found the Maxis there to be good (others have been diabolical).

Until next time.