Hot springs | Diary of an Adventurous Retiree

It was chilly in Struisbaai on Monday and we knew our friends Tom and Meg were at The Warmwaterberg Hot Springs enjoying the warmth of the sunny Karoo days. They were due to stop over and visit us on Wednesday. “Let’s drive up there and surprise them,” suggested The Earl. “My bones could do with some warming up.”

This is the beauty of retirement. You can just decide spur of the moment to do something and work just doesn’t get in the way. We’ve caravanned at Warmwaterberg before but this time we decided to take a luxury bath house.

The two hour drive is super picturesque especially over the Tradouw Pass.

We stopped in Barrydale for a bite to eat. Diesel and Creme were closed for renovations so we tried the Country Pumpkin instead. It was a quaint place and it was pleasant sitting in the sunshine but service was slow. A tourist bus arrived at the same time as we did so the staff were extra busy. I didn’t think I’d get lucky requesting making a Banting issue so we just ordered toasted egg and bacon. The waitress thought I was a bit odd leaving the bread on the plate!

The Pale Chanting Goshawk is a common bird in the area and one obligingly posed for us as we approached Warmwaterberg.

Check in went efficiently and we were assigned Bath House 3. Tom and Meg were in Number 4.

The enormous bath in the room is the main feature of this accommodation.

The accommodation is on two levels – The Earl is standing in front of the bath above.

The public pool area had three pools – two hot and one cold. They are fed with untreated water from the artesian spring where it is 44ºC at the source. The water is rich in iron and pleasant to drink too.

We made friends with another couple in the pool and after a relaxing afternoon of languishing in the warm water we went to have a cup of coffee with Sandy and Shirley at their caravan.

Bonding with new friends

Our accommodation overlooked a beautiful valley and the mountains were beautiful in the setting sun.

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We no longer have furbabies so the feral cats that roam the estate found themselves welcome at our cottage. They are all really pretty and healthy; clearly because the visitors feed them well.

On of the friendly feral cats or rule the slaves that visit the spa

Peacocks also graced the grounds and came scrounging for scraps. There are lots of shady trees and we enjoyed watching the Cape Weavers and Cape Sparrows were busy building a nest in our eaves.

Mr Peacock trying to woo Ms Peahen

Mrs Cape Sparrow inspecting a new nest

I’m sure this is good for lining, my love, said Mr Cape Sparrow

Meggy enjoying a rest in the shade of an acacia tree

We enjoyed the outdoor pools but having our own bath to luxuriate in, in the privacy of our own room was also fun

The water is hot, soothing, relaxing and drains your energy – so is perfect just before bedtime

The two nights spent at Warmwaterberg were perfect. We had fantastic weather and even the evenings were warm. If ever you pass this way, do not give Warmwaterberg and Barrydale a miss.

More on Barrydale and Struisbaai to follow.

A year ago our Australian friends, Erich and Wendy asked my advice on what to do and where to go in Namibia, a place they have wanted to visit for many years. Earl and I decided that we wouldn’t mind another trip to this amazing country so we decided to go ourselves and asked them to tag along. Our itinerary of 26 days included Ai Ais, Africa Safari Lodge near Mariental, Sossusvlei, Windhoek, The Waterberg Plateau, Etosha National Park and then on our way home we spent 9 days in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

We are now back and what an adventure it has been. I am in the process of sorting out the hundreds of photographs and will try to publish one episode per day but forgive me if I fall behind 🙂 Some of the trivia and information mentioned in my posts are taken from park pamphlets, brochures, books on the area and Wikipedia.

2 June 2015 – Cape Town to Ai Ai

Finally this day has arrived. I love the excitement of the pre-dawn start to a long journey. I settle down in my seat – pushed far forward so Erich has space for his long legs behind me. I scribble down our departure time on my pre-prepared chart – 4:30 am – The kilometerage registers 119632. What will it be when we return? I know my neat chart with its recordings of costs and stops will look the worse for wear when we return too! Cape Town is cold and rainy and we look forward to warm, dry weather and the healing waters of the Ai Ais hot springs. Perish the thought – the cold and rain continues. Our first stop is a freezing Klawer and our hot Wimpy breakfast and coffee is sooo welcome. It is strange to see pelting rain soaking into the dry Karoo earth. The weather only improved around Springbok.

Earl is not at his best at border crossing so I make sure that all the documentation is ready and hand my list of items to be taken across the border to the grim-faced officer at Vioelsdrift. Within minutes he has dismissed most of them as unnecessary and pins my list to the form he has filled in – no problem! The whole procedure is over in 40 minutes and by 2 pm we are in Namibia!

It is interesting to see wine farming taking place on the banks of the Orange River. Aussenkehr is such a farm. It is planned to develop Aussenkehr into a town. 6,000 erven have been surveyed and water and sewerage systems have been built.There is less than 50 millimetres average annual rainfall but the farm includes 15 kilometres of riverfront and has a government-approved quota to draw water for irrigation from the Orange River.

Vineyards of Aussenkehr

Straw houses we passed – Aussenkehr

We bought wine and beers from the Aussenkehr Spar – which is in the middle of nowhere and serves the farming community and straw house dwellers.

The road we travel

Moonscape

We arrive at Ai Ais at 3 pm Namibian time, taking the new dirt road which is a tad quicker. The weather is overcast and there are a few drops of rain and it is really cold.

The local Nama people call the springs Ai-Ais which means ‘burning water’. This lovely natural hot-spring is situated at the southern end of The Fish River Canyon, in the Karas Region of southern Namibia. It is part of the Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park.

We have room A3 and A4 which lead onto the indoor pool area. We have a swim and then a rest before going for drinks and then to supper at the restaurant. We all have eland steaks which are rather nice. They are served with rosti, butternut and green beans. Then its off to our comfortable beds decked with down duvets – so welcome after a hard day’s travelling.