Kimberley is the Capital of the Northern Cape. After enduring the hustle and bustle of this City, we were just to glad to continue on our journey….

on route via the R357

We were on our way to Van Wyksvlei via the R357.

the long road ahead…

The first stop was at a little town called Douglas – 107km ahead. Once again, as so many times before, it seemed as if the road went on …and on….

the fuel station in Douglas

Once we filled up with fuel and bought a few snacks, we were almost ready to go but Bruno and Junior needed to stretch their legs and do what a pet traveler does best…
After a half an hour of exploring and marking their territory they were finally happy to go!

A few km out of town

The confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers is a very scenic spot – only a few km out of town. 

Karoo landscape

It was late afternoon and we continued towards Prieska.

The Karoo landscape is awesome! Big areas of flat land with Karoo bushes dotted everywhere…complimented by hills stretching as far as the eye can see…
It reminded me of a painting I saw before and I could imagine being the artist who gets inspired through this lovely picture…

a street view of Prieska

At the T-Junction we turned right into Prieska and drove through town to see what it had to offer, before heading towards Van Wyksvlei.

It was late afternoon and we had to find a place to spend the night…

straight ahead to Van Wyksvlei

We decided to attempt the last shift of the day and  traveled further, towards Van Wyksvlei.

Weavers’ nests

Almost every pole, along our way, was decorated with a weavers nest.

a nest for a few families

These birds are social weavers and build massive nests.

late afternoon…

 Us… a flat dry landscape, the sun setting behind the hills and an unknown destination awaiting…

sunset at Copperton

Somewhere in the shadow of this landscape lies Copperton.

Our Rig – at the overnight spot

It was time for a good nights rest!

The next morning we woke up to a chill in the air. While Bruno and Junior enjoyed the freedom and explored the area, I prepared pancakes for breakfast.

a power station close by

From our overnight spot, we could see Copperton in the distance. We also noticed this power station some distance from town.

dry earth – Karoo

A flaky crust on the ground showed signs of drought…

some serious rolling

This gentleman was hard at work – thanks to Bruno or Junior!

We took a few moments to enjoy the amazing scenery before we had to start up and go.

a low rainfall region

This confirms that water is scarce in this part of the country –  very low rainfall.

dirt road ahead…

Once again, a long and dusty road…all the way to Van Wyksvlei.

As we got closer to Van Wyksvlei and further away from Prieska, there was a drastic change
in landscape.

rocks, sand & a few bushes – karoo hallmark

A scenery of scattered rocks, red hot sand and bush.

one of few…

Now and then, the barren Karoo landscape showed signs of previous life – this abandoned home told a story of what was once!

suitable spot to overnight

After a long and hot journey we were tired at the end of the day and decided to enjoy another beautiful sunset, while preparing supper at this interesting spot in the middle of nowhere.

the T-junction at our overnight stop

Signboards pointing out different directions.   Prieska, where we came from, Van Wyksvlei, our destination, and another pointing towards Marydale, which is  included in our future travels.

The Rig needs a Wash!

Traveling along dirt roads can be quite an experience. On rainy days, muddy and slippery and dry and dusty during the hot summer days. No wonder the rig looks like this!