Of Lions & Loincloths

A visit to Gamkaberg Nature Reserve in the Klein Karoo is a chance to immerse yourself in intense, introspective isolation…

- Micky Baker

How blessed we are to live in a place like South Africa! Our wild spaces are as diverse as they are plentiful, and are largely protected from the destructive forces of the modern world. Take the Karoo, for example. Nowhere else in the world will you find such immense biodiversity in such an arid place. It’s the Amazon Jungle of deserts – teeming with life and desperate to be explored.

It was with this in mind that I steered a brand-new Mercedes Benz X-Class 250d in the direction of the R62, in search of something new and something special. CapeNature does a superb job of managing the Cape’s natural spaces. Places like Algeria in the Cederberg and De Hoop on the Whale Coast are two popular examples, but its lesser-known commodities are the real gems.

Into the lion’s den

Gamkaberg Nature Reserve, named for the gami, or lions, that once roamed the mountain range, overlooks a vast area of the Klein Karoo’s lowlands around Calitzdorp. It’s been named CapeNature Reserve of the Year in the past, and it’s also on several must-see lists for travellers visiting our country. So sad, then, that we overlanders tend to prefer camping at the Calitzdorp Spa down the road!

Some of us, however, are familiar with the Zebra Crossing and Kannaland 4x4 routes that wind through the reserve. They’re the perfect excuse to pack up and belt along the R62 in our 4x4s, but there’s far more to Gamkaberg than that. It’s also a paradise for hikers and a birders, with superb accommodation of all types, and genuine Karoo hospitality courtesy of the passionate staff.