Be a cowboy at Anysberg
When you leave Anysberg
Nature Reserve you take nothing with you. Nothing except the overwhelming
impression of abundance, plentitude and vast riches; of wide open planes,
never-ending mountains and night skies heavy with stars.
It's a
three-hour drive on the N1 till Laingsburg from Cape Town before the dirt
road to the reserve starts. But soon the sight of the beautiful Paarl
valley gets you into an appropriately rustic mood, and you put the hustle
and bustle of the city firmly behind you. On arrival at Anysberg you
tumble out of the car and into your bed, looking forward to breakfast
under the acacia tree in front of your white-washed self-catering cottage.
After
breakfast, time for action - you're going on a 2-day pony trek. Colette
van Deventer, the reserve manager, and Willem Fullard, her field ranger,
show you the basics of preparing your trusted steed for the ride. You set
out, holding your reigns firmly, and get your first impression of the
vastness that is Anysberg. Your guides point out various fynbos wonders,
and darting klipspringers. We also pass a troop of elegant gemsbok who
gaze at us quietly. The reserve's 60 000 hectares spread out around us.
We're alone. We see no other signs of human habitation or activity, just
seemingly endless mountains and fields of fynbos.
Night time.
Around a crackling fire at our bush camp we wait expectantly for Willem's
wife's roosterkoek to bake (you can order it beforehand). The smell of the
potjie promising wonderful gastromic pleasures. We sip port - it's not
that cold, but it feels like just the thing to be doing on this night out
in the open.
Then it's
time to go to bed, under the stars. The milky-way is double thick cream
tonight, and you're amazed that it's the same sky you see from your window
in the city.
The next
morning, the smell of coffee gets you out of the sleeping bag.
We stop by
a rock art site. The drawings make compelling viewing. For a second you're
transported 10, 20 000 years back and the finely etched drawings recall
the artists and their world. It's like coming upon treasure. It is
treasure, and the reserve only allows guided viewings.
Back at the
cottages there's a cement dam to wash the Karoo dust off. Then it's time
to say our good-byes, knowing that we've left behind something that's
being taken care of. So we can come back.
The reserve welcomes day visitors, but to
book this piece of the Karoo for a holiday, you have to contact the Cape
Nature Conservation Reservation Office in George at 044 874 2130 or e-mail
george@cnc.org.za. For more
information, visit their website on
www.capenature.org.za.
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