Sometimes taking a detour along the way leads to special unplanned experiences like this side trip to Nieu-Bethesda.
After the worst night ever at a poor excuse for a Caravan Park in Bloomfontein we cut out at the break of dawn for the 265 mile (425 km) drive to Camdeboo National Park near Graaff-Rienet.
Traveling for seemingly endless miles on the N1 through the flat, rolling grassland and crop fields of the Free State brought us into the Great Karoo’s semi-desert. Summers can be a bit warm through these open landscapes offering very little shade.
When Joan saw a sign for fossils she knew I’d be interested. So we took a side trip on a gravel road 15 miles (23 km) towards Nieu-Bethesda. Turned out this also took us to Owl House which I had read about and wanted to see.
Joan got really excited about seeing the Blue Cranes, the national bird of South Africa. Usually found in dry grasslands the population is in decline due to poisoning, habitat alteration, and power line collisions. All cranes engage in dancing, which includes various behaviors such as bowing, jumping, running, stick or grass tossing, and wing flapping. These unfortunately seemed too busy eating to dance.
Plus HUGE grasshoppers, 3 inches (7 cm) mind you, stopped us to investigate what was crawling on the milkweed. Joan posted about these Green Milkweed Locust as part of her South African biological data base.
This semi-desert environment with very little running water still displays a scattering of brilliant flowers.
The Candelabra lily is appropriately named and stands out against the land growing 16-20 inches (40-50 cm) across. I actually recognized a couple plants like the wild Gazania and Morning Glories. And this Snake Aloe almost looks like a rising cobra. Thank goodness we didn’t see snakes.
The owners of Ganora fossil site were in town when we stopped but would be back in an hour so we continued on to the Owl House and then returned. While Joan went in search of bugs I toured JP’s collection of fossils in awe and totally forgot to take photos. The fossils are on average about 280 million years old, a time when mammal-like-reptiles roamed the earth, pre-dinosaur time.
JP brought out a longhorn beetle he’d caught in a jar the night before and Joan identified it for him. She really knows her bugs.
Ganora Guestfarm is a working sheep ranch offering a variety of overnight accommodations and soon a camp area. I really want to return, camp, visit Bushman rock art, and go fossil hunting with JP.
Nice way to spend an afternoon taking this side trip to Nieu-Bethesda. Have you taken a detour lately?
Nice side trip is right. Those are some BIG grasshoppers. It’s a wonder there is any vegetation left with that many on one plant. It’s hard to take detours in a 35′ motorhome since the best things are often down tiny little roads to out of the way places. I hope to take some detours in the car once we are somewhere for longer than 5 or 6 days. It takes me that long to see the things I came for. I need lengthy base camp time for detouring. :-))
Never would have made this detour with a big RV, but then that’s why you have a Toad.
Thanks for coming to visit Ganora. You always welcome to make another detour one day when you pass again to come and see more things we offer.
I enjoyed your side trip! I too like fossils, rock drawings and side trips, that is how Chuck and I ended up in Bluff Utah and at the Sand Island petroglyphs! We had heard about the petroglyphs from the RV park manager where we were camped with The MotherShip. It was only 4 miles or so from the campground so off we went. We have never been sorry, they are the best petroglyphs we have seen!
Enjoyed your sidetrip. Looking forward to more around the Grand Canyon.
The unplanned, the spontaneous, the spur-of-the-moment always lead to the most interesting experiences. Thanks for this interesting detour.
Here SA gazanias are a noxious weed, pretty but still a weed. A great trip and that is grassland all over the long flat plains, on and on and on . . .
Isn’t it amazing how flowers will bloom in the unlikeliest places.
Always amazing to me how much south Africa looks like Arizona…
Super shots. Insects fascinate me; the bigger, the better, though not indoors…
I took a walking detour the other day. Sometimes I let Bibi just guide me. Does that count as a detour? Yielded some good shots!
I agree, bugs are cool but not in my house.
Bibi leading you off on an adventure certainly counts for a detour.
Those grasshoppers are incredible, they look as thought they’ve been painted by hand!
Yup, like bright shiny paint.
The N1 running through the Free State is a bit of a tough challenge for people who enjoy beautiful (or any kind of) scenery. The Karoo on the other hand has its own kind of beauty. Some people find it boring as well, but I love the wide open spaces the Karoo offers. Nieu Bethesda is a very special town and I know Hester and JP although I’ve never been to Ganora. Its definitively something to put on my list.
Love the Karoo and JP and Hester are gems. Definitely plan to return.