Portfolio Travel Blog editor Joy-Anne Goodenough shares a story of her own based on her New Year break in the beautiful Cederberg.
My family (my partner G and our children Raph (12) and Kaira (9) and I) spent a wonderful 3 days on a wine farm in the heart of the beautiful Cederberg mountain range.
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| Roadtripping up the N7 |
The journey from Cape Town along the N7 was a pleasant one and then after Citrusdal we hit a 47 km dirt road all the way through the majestic rocky mountain range that caused our valiant little Ford Fiesta to overheat twice. A number of friendly but slightly smug people driving 4x4s stopped to offer help but we just had to sit out the hot spots. With the temperature out of the car hovering just under 40 degrees Celsius this could have been a chore but the views in every direction were a wonderful distraction.
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| 47 km of dirt road - but what a view! |
On arrival at our self-catering cottage we unpacked and headed straight for the Dwarsrivier (which flows through the campsite) where we enjoyed a long, leisurely swim in the surprisingly warm, clear water flowing between the trees and rocky outcrops.
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| The Dwarsrivier |
Highlights of the next 3 days included stargazing, hiking, and swimming in the deep natural rock pools at Maalgat.
The night skies in the Cederberg are just incredible so we lay out on the grass on a large blanket watching shooting stars and satellites and making wishes every night. Unfortunately the small observatory which is usually open on Saturday nights (unless there is a full moon) was closed due to the public holiday but next time we definitely intend checking it out.
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| Maalgat Pools |
At Maalgat (a pleasant 30 minute hike from the campsite) some of us were brave enough to jump into the crystal clear, deep water from the high rocks surrounding the pool and one of us was not (that would be me). There were very young kids flinging themselves off the highest rocks which made me feel squeamish but it was such a lovely setting, and swimming under the waterfall was awesome! Another family was fishing off the one rock and caught (and released) some pretty large fish.
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| Maalgat Pools |
Our biggest adventure was the New Year’s Day hike to the Maltese Cross – a large rock formation in the central Cederberg. The hike is listed as ‘moderate’ but Kaira found the uphill climb quite a struggle in the sweltering heat of the day. I should just say that apart from taking water, hats and suncream we completely did not take the advice I myself posted on the Travel Blog recently about not hiking in the middle of the day (we headed off at 11h00) or about taking warm, dry clothes ‘just in case’. Bad move on both counts. G set off at a steady pace and was rather grumbly about those of us wanting to stop for leg breaks or to photograph the wonderful views that stretched behind us the higher we climbed. I was trying to keep the mood cheerful as both the kids took to grumbling about the heat and the steepness of the hike up but my own t-shirt was dripping sweat under my backpack.
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| G and I - half way up. I''m still smiling... |
And then finally we crested one more rise and there was the very impressive Maltese Cross. Kaira took one look and said “But it’s just the same as all the other rocks”. However as we drew closer we were all awed at its height – reportedly 5 stories – and then we noticed the weather was starting to change from hot & murky to ominous and stormy. A roll of thunder and a few large splashes of raindrops had us all relieved and wishing for more to cool us down after the 1.5 hour hike up, but even as we ate our snacks in the shadow of the monolith we could see a proper storm coming straight for us.
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| G, Raph and Kaira at the Maltese Cross |
We had barely time to take a few more photos and pack up our things (luckily I had the foresight to bring a waterproof bag which we used for the cameras) when the rains came down! Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled for some time as we dashed from rocky outcrop to rocky outcrop seeking a cave or some other shelter, all in vain! Within minutes we were all drenched to the skin and then the hail started and we were jumping about feeling as if a hundred wasps were stinging our bare arms and legs.
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| Storm clouds rolling in |
I have to say this was in fact the highlight of the day – all our moods were lifted by the sudden downpour, we were laughing as water streamed down our chins, Raph was catching hailstones on his tongue and it was an adventure for sure! But 15 minutes later as the storm eased up and we made our way down the muddy, partly flooded path, slipping on wet rocks and starting to shiver, the adventure wasn’t so much fun anymore. G, a seasoned hiker who was not affected by the climate in the least was very gallant and helped me down the steeper rocks as I suffer from vertigo at the best of times and the wet rocks didn’t help. Half way down the kids and I lost control of our fine motor skills in our fingers and hands from the cold and we were temporarily amused by trying to use our hands, but the novelty soon wore off.
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| Wild flowers |
Just as the whole escapade was beginning to wear me right down the sun peeked out, the heat returned as did the feeling in our fingers, and we were even able to take more photographs of some of the amazingly varied fynbos plants lining the path as we headed for the car.
By the time we got back to the cottage we were ready for another swim, and that night the skies were once again clear enough for more stargazing.
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| View from the cottage - Wolfberg Cracks |
It was certainly a different way to celebrate New Year’s Day and not one that any of us will forget any time soon!
West Coast Accommodation
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Portfolio Collection offers a selection of fine B&Bs and Guest Houses all along the West Coast from where one can explore the Cederberg and surrounds.
Contact us or visit www.portfoliocollection.com