Day 71: Royal Natal NP – Golden Gate NP

And again the clouds are hanging low, everything is grey. The political developments in America and Germany are not lifting our spirits either. Quite the opposite. And since we both have a bit of muscle pain, we will drive on again today.

The Golden Gate National Park is our last destination in this area. The drive there is unspectacular – visibility less than 100 m. The only view of the Sterkfontein Dam or the reservoir is obscured by the smoke from slash-and-burn agriculture.

A detour to Harrismith does not offer the nice place for lunch we had hoped for, so we have nothing more than a coffee to go from the supermarket and fresh bread. It is especially in these small towns that we stand out and are often greeted or spoken to. And it is interesting how many people do have some kind of connection to Germany.

The Golden Gate National Park is the first "SAN" park on our trip, so we buy the wild card here. The Wild Card gives you free access to over 80 parks for a year, and currently costs a one-off fee of 344 euros for 2 people. It's definitely worth it, as we'll be in Kruger NP for another 13 nights.

We look for a campsite and then drive two small loops.

What is there to see? Great mountains and rock formations. White-tailed wildebeest, which are clearly different from blue wildebeest. Blessed antelopes, which have a completely white face. And Cape vulture, which are also "fed" as part of a conservation project. The birds aren't pretty, but they're impressive. And we're lucky enough to see around 40 of them near two or three dead antelopes. It's amazing that two jackals are also filling their bellies at the kills without any conflict.

Unfortunately, the rain catches up with us again. But we can cook and sit under the awning and have a good evening. We hope, though, that it doesn't get too cold.