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Date: 2025-04-12 & 13
Departure From: Mountain Zebra National Park (Cradock)
Departure Time: 07h45
Destination Name: Addo Elephant National Park
Arrival Time: 13h30
Total Travel time: 5.45 hours
Weather:
Overcast with patches of blue sky
Departure Temperature: 17C
Peak Temperature: 29C
Odometer Reading (km):
Start: 240 961
End: 241 387
Total Distance: 426
Includes 345km drive & 181km day drives
Passes:
Passes:
Maraiskloof / Swaerhoek Pass [Gravel]
Niekerks Pass [Gravel]
Zuurberg Pass [Gravel]
Doringnek Pass [Gravel]
Trip Summary:
Trip Summary:
The highlight today was doing the Zuurberg Pass. I last did this pass in 2012 on my motorbike.
I have been to the Addo Elephant National Park (AENP) many times in my youth as my parents farmed in the area. Since my last visit, the AENP had expanded in size along with more facilities and improvements.
From Cradock I took the gravel road to Somerset East through Maraiskloof and the Swaerhoek Pass. I stopped at De Bergschuur for breakfast at the Buck & Barrel restaurant before continuing along the R335 gravel road to the Zuurberg Pass. From the restaurant I could see through the glass doors and noticed they were making leather goods. I went inside and saw it was the Faber Leather factory.
De Bergschuur
Example of Products they make
The Faber Leather Factory
The Zuurberg pass is not for sedan motor vehicles. You need good ground clearance and a desire to test your vehicle and it's tyres. From Annie's House, at least 50% of the pass is very rocky with loose sharp gravel rocks. There were a number of large puddles that took up the whole road through which you had to wade. I stopped at the lovely Zuurberg Inn for a beer before heading back down the mountain to the Addo Elephant National Park (AENP). The Zuurberg Inn is looking great.
Zuurberg Inn Entrance
The Elliott family stayed in the Zuurberg Inn a couple of times over Christmas to enjoy there wonderful Christmas Lunch.
Zuurberg Pass - Northern starting point
Zuurberg Pass - The point where the pass descends towards Addo
Zuurberg Pass - View of one of many valleys
Zuurberg Pass - One of many water puddles
After checking in at the AENP Reception , I went directly to the camp sight and selected a camp site that had a "window" (gap) through the trees looking onto the game park. It was also located next to the Kitchen. I marked my spot and went for a Game Drive. I only saw four Elephant, one female Lion, one Spotted Hyena, one Puff Adder, one Porcupine, one Leopard Tortoise, and lots of Kudu, Dung Beetles, Warthog, Red Hartebeest, Ostriches, Buffalo, Common Duiker, & Burchell's Zebra (The common game). Considering there are hundreds of Elephant, one would think you would see them like one does in the Kruger National Park. You see a lot of evidence that herds of Elephant walked along or crossed the road. Since the park was expanded to Colchester, the Elephant also have more places to go that are not readily accessible to visitors.
Day 02:
Day 02:
I woke up at 06h30 and had my morning coffee and rusks before setting off at 07h45 for my 2nd Game Drive. I went to view the Colchester section that I have never seen before. This time I saw six Elephant and the common game. I stopped off to see the lovely Picnic site and the game hide at the Spekboom Tent Camp - You follow a path through the thick Addo bush. Luckily it is fenced off so there is no chance of meeting any animals. The bush is so dense that if any animal was behind "one-bush deep" from the path, you would not see it.
I returned to camp and settled down to work on my WEB pages. I heard an engine running thinking that the owner was probably charging the vehicle's battery to support their camping fridge. I introduced myself and asked if he needed help as I have a battery charger. He said that it is nearly finished so not to worry. We chatted about his Land Cruiser station wagon and how he set it up for camping - it was very well kitted and well thought out. This was the 3rd day since he bought it and he loves it. Marek, who is Polish, invited me to a braai at his campsite. He was travelling with his daughter (Carla). He lives 3 months at a time in South Africa and returns to Europe regularly.
AENP - Camp Site - Laundry Day
The AENP camp sites are close to the reception, shop and game hide. The camp sites were all fully booked and it appeared that there were many visitors staying in the chalets. There are not many camp sites and they are kitted with a bench table, electrical plug and a water tap that is shared with adjacent camp sites. The ablutions are looking old, but they were still functional. The ablutions were about to be fully refurbished in the comming weeks.
There was no laundry room with laundry machines. The previous day I had prepared my pending laundry by placing it in the red laundry bag with water and soap. By the time I arrived at the AENP, all I had to do was rinse the laundry and hang it up to dry.
The Route:
The Route:
Places Travelled:
Cradock
Somerset East
Stonefountain
Zuurberg Inn
Coerney
1st Game Drive on the first day (63.5km)
2nd Game Drive on the second day (91.1km)
3rd Game Drive on the second day (25.7km)
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