In about 350 miles (700 km) drive the scenery changes from rolling green hills to sandstone cliffs to semi-desert and wetlands through the diverse landscapes in South Africa.
Golden Gate Highlands National Park displays towering cliffs of multi-colored sandstone eroded over eons and reminds me of the walls of Grand Canyon except for all the lush vegetation and tiny streams.
Wild gladiola
More grasses than can be counted cover rolling hillsides with touches of colorful wildflowers.
The agricultural Free State fields of sunflowers grow as far as the eye can see.
Aloe
Further west the arid Karoo stretches on to infinity.
A side-trip to Nieu-Bethesda where a visit to the Owl House displays the macabre visions of an often tormented woman in the form of cement and glass sculptures.
The Karoo is famous for the many Therapsid fossils.
Candelabra
And this dry environment occasionally surprises with bursts of color.
Camdeboo National Park offers a view of the Valley of Desolation beyond dolomite spires.
Vervet monkey
And wildlife around the Vanryneveldspas Dam.
great images Gaelyn:)
I’m so glad you are sharing our magnificent country with all your fans!
Hope you are having a great trip.
Sue
I may have to retire here it’s so gorgeous.
Thanks Gaelyn I feel like I have done a tour with you, I type this with a happy smile on my face. 🙂 Diane
Happy to share with you this amazing country.
Great pics, what a treat to see a monkey in the wild.
Wait until you see the lions and cheetahs.
Love the post Gaelyn. It certainly does show some of the diversity here.
Thanks Joan. I might have to retire here to see it all.
Lovely. Especially like the stitch panorama of Camdeboo NP.
Nina
The geology there was almost as good as Golden Gate Highlands NP.
Gaelyn, you are in your element! Wild lands, wide open beauty all around you! So glad you are following your heart and living your dream! Beautiful photographs! Thank you for sharing!
All these NPs are so wonderful and different from each other. Loving it!
Diverse it certainly is, and your photos are splendid. That top one reminds me of a giant mushroom/fungus splayed out on the land! (I’ve seen too many sci fi films…)
It’s actually called mushroom rock.
Hi G,
The photos are wonderful it sounds like a terrific trip. Loving your posts. Have a fabulous rest of your trip.
Hugs,
Shirley and John
Thanks Shirley. I’m now at Hogsback where Tolkein got his ideas for Middle Earth.
I really live in such a beautiful country. I’m glad you did the Karoo detour via Graaff Reinet and Nieu Bethesda. Such interesting places and I am sure you will be posting more of them when you get back.
You sure do live in a beautiful country. I may have to retire here to see it all. I’ll probably be posting for the next year about SA.
As with your previous trip, you are showing us unexpected views and beauty in South Africa.
There is so much more to come.
Wow!! Thank you for taking the time to share this wonderful place!! 8*)
If only there were more hours in the day to post all I’ve seen so far.
Amazing pictures! Glad to know you arrived safely and that you’re seeing wonderful things (not that I really had any doubt about either). The vervet (sp) monkey perched on that tree is great!
I’ve seen so much will be posting for the next year. More exciting wildlife to come.
Fascinating. Love it all, except the monkey. Those things kinda creep me out. Goes back to weird monkey experiences I guess!
One really has to watch out for the pesky monkeys and baboons.
Fantastic to see the Karoo again!! Yes… it is some place… pity there are things to correct before all South Africans can again enjoy the beauty on their doorsteps!!
No country is perfect.
Yes, it is very diverse and beautiful. I love it all.