Roxanne Reid - Africa Addict
  • Home
  • Book author
    • Travels in the Kalahari >
      • Photo gallery: Travels in the Kalahari
      • Book reviews: Travels in the Kalahari
    • A Walk in the Park >
      • Photo gallery: A Walk in the Park
      • Book reviews: A Walk in the Park
    • The Essential Guide to Self-Editing >
      • Book reviews: Essential Guide to Self-Editing
    • Betrayed
    • Book reviews online
  • Editing & proofreading
  • In the media
    • Travel features
    • Health features
    • Online media
  • Blog
  • Testimonials
  • Links
  • Contact

Gamkaberg Nature Reserve's Kannaland 4x4 route

11/12/2013

0 Comments

 
Kannaland 4x4 route, Gamkaberg
By Roxanne Reid
While we were staying at the gorgeous Fossil Ridge eco-lodge in the Gamkaberg Nature Reserve Nature Reserve near Oudtshoorn recently we were lucky enough to get a sneak preview of the new Kannaland 4x4 route before it opened to the public at the beginning of November.

With us was reserve manager Tom Barry, who was seriously knowledgeable about all sorts of things, particularly plants. That’s useful when Gamkaberg’s vegetation spans four of the South African biomes: Fynbos, Succulent Karoo, Subtropical Thicket and Evergreen Forest.
 
The trail was 32km long and highly recommended for 4x4 drivers with a short attention span. Why? Because it chopped and changed from dry scrubland to lush thicket, from steep passes to layers of far-off mountains, never giving us a chance to be bored. Best of all, it passed through a huge wilderness area where signs of human habitation were almost non-existent.
Kannaland 4x4 route, Gamkaberg
Great views unfold all around you as you drive
Tom’s infatuation with plants was catchy. He told us about the Kanna plant the route is named after, and how the San and Khoi used to smoke, chew or sniff it because they liked its mind altering properties. He told us about bababoudtjies and perdetande and gansmis and boesmanskers – all names that describe the plants in question to a T, as Afrikaans names so often do.
Kannaland 4x4 route, Gamkaberg
The succulent 'bababoudjies' look just like babies' bottoms before they flower
He also pointed out that there are only big guarrie bushes in the area, no new ones germinating.

‘Researchers have discovered that these bushes need a minimum of 300ml of summer rain to germinate. This area only gets around 100ml, so they went to the Cango Caves and looked at the stalactites and stalagmites to determine when last the area got as much as 300ml,’ he said.

The answer was 12 000 years ago so the astonishing guarrie bushes here in the Klein Karoo are at least that old. Of course, the foliage we saw wasn’t that old, but the root system is – if you cut or break the branches off it just sprouts again.
Kannaland 4x4 trail, Gamkaberg
There are a couple of steep descents and you'll need low range for some sections
‘This is a botanist’s paradise,’ said Tom as he launched into a story of what happened on Madiba’s 95th birthday in July.

Tom was out walking in the reserve when he found a plant he hadn’t seen before. He checked with botanists who were very excited because they thought it was previously undocumented by science. He’s been going back every few weeks to check if the plants have flowered; that will be the acid test of whether or not it really is  a new species. If it is, wouldn't it be nice if it were named after Madiba?
Kannaland 4x4 route, Gamkaberg
A viewpoint near a camera trap that has captured photos of caracal, aardwolf and honey badger
The Kannaland 4x4 route has a grading of 3, which means that you need some off-road knowledge and a 4x4 with high clearance and low range (no soft off-roaders). It takes at least five hours and it’s open – at no extra charge – only to people who are overnighting at Gamkaberg.

There’s a shorter 20km version if you don’t have much time, or you can even do it on your mountain bike if you’re skilled in the saddle.

To book a stay at Gamkaberg, call Cape Nature on  0861-227362 or 021-4830190.

Like it? Pin this image!
4x4 trail at Gamkaberg Nature Reserve in the Karoo #SouthAfrica #travel #4x4
4x4 trail at Gamkaberg Nature Reserve in the Karoo #SouthAfrica #travel #4x4
You may also enjoy
​
Cape Nature reserves: from Cederberg to Kogelberg and more

Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without written permission from roxannereid.co.za
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Get email links to the latest posts

    Buy my books
    Travels in the Kalahari, amazon.com e-book
    E-book 2012​

    A Walk in the Park, amazon.com e-book
    2nd ed e-book 2015
    The Essential Guide to Self-Editing, amazon.com e-book
    E-book 2017

    About 

    I'm an independent travel writer and book editor with a passion for Africa - anything from African travel, people, safari and wildlife to adventure, heritage, road-tripping and slow travel.
    My travel buddy and husband Keith is the primary photographer for this blog.
    We're happiest in the middle of nowhere, meeting the locals, trying something new, or simply watching the grass grow.
    Use this website to discover new places to go, revisit places you've loved, or take a virtual tour of destinations you only dream about.

    Categories

    All
    Baviaanskloof
    Books
    Botswana
    Camping
    Cape Town
    Chobe
    Conservation
    Drc
    Eastern Cape
    Etosha Namibia
    Food
    Free State
    Garden Route
    Gauteng
    Issues
    Kalahari
    Karoo
    Kenya
    Kruger National Park
    Kwazulu Natal
    Lesotho
    Limpopo
    Linyanti
    Madagascar
    Malawi
    Mozambique
    Mpumalanga
    Namaqualand
    Namibia
    Nature Parks
    Northern Cape
    Okavango
    Overberg
    People
    Photography
    Richtersveld
    Tanzania
    West Coast
    Western Cape
    Wild Creatures
    Zambia
    Zimbabwe

    Archives

    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    January 2010
    November 2009


Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without written permission from roxannereid.co.za

Privacy Policy, GDPR and POPIA compliance
​* We promise that we take data safety seriously and use your private data only to offer a personalised experience
* If you subscribed to our newsletter, you will receive our newsletters. You can always unsubscribe by following the link in email or by emailing us
* If you gave us your name, it will only be used to personalise the newsletters
* We have never sold, we are not selling, and we will not sell any of your personal data provided to us
* The blog uses cookies to track activity. It is anonymous except for telling us your location and what you did on our blog
​
Photos from berniedup, Lucy_Hill