Day 29 - 11 June 2016 Monteiro to Fiddlers Rest, Vioolsdrift

Day's trip schedule

Monteiro  -> Reheboth -> Mariental -> Keetmanshoop -> Grunau -> Vioolsdrift -> Fiddlers Creek

Distance & time taken

773 km
9 hrs

Accommodation

Fiddlers Creek Campsite, Vioolsdrift (www.bushwhacked.co.za/fiddlers-creek-campsite/)
+/- 8 kms from Vioolsdrif border post on the gravel road parallel with river

 Trip Notes

Monteiro Campsite before departure

B1 South

We decided not to set the alarm this morning but relied on the light of day to wake us.  As a result, we got going around 07h00 (NST).  Quick shower, had coffee & biscuits while we packed & were on the road by 08h00.  Prior to leaving, we had a chat with the other group of lodgers - a family (mother & 2 daughters) from Simonstown that were returning from a week in Swakopmund.  They were intending to get somewhere near Grunau today & then push on to Cape Town tomorrow.

The road to Reheboth was quite busy in both directions but more so heading towards Windhoek.  Once we were through Reheboth, everything quitened down but there was one exception - the wind from  the east started blowing & by the time we got to Mariental, was blowing consistently with a reasonably strong intensity.  This slowed us down somewhat as the Hilux is not the most aero-dynamic with all the kit packed onto the roofrack.  We stopped in Mariental to draw cash & try to buy meat from a butchery but couldn't find one so we then hit the road south again.

Vleisstal outside Grunau on the B1 - good offering
of biltong, lamb & gemsbok

The next stop was Keetmashoop where we again looked for a butchery but to no avail.  We left Keetmashoop just after 13h00 & decided to push on through & hopefully a farmstall would be equipped with a meat offering.  This we found just outside Grunau where we stocked up with biltong, frozen Gemsbok & some lamb for a braai when we got to our campsite.

We eventually reached the border town of Noordoewer & decided to fill the tanks with Diesel as it is about R2 cheaper per litre than in SA.  We went into the border office at 16h30 & were processed very quickly.  The same happened on the SA side & we were on our way to Fiddlers Creek before 17h00.  The weather was a lot cooler than what we had experienced during our trip & was probably a taste of what was to come when we get home.

The Fiddlers Creek campsite is part of the greater Bushwacked business of river rafting.  There were only 2 other sites occupied with 3 Cape Town guys en route to Angola on a church outreach mission & a couple from Port Nolloth.  The 3 sites we occupied all had good views of the river & Namibia.  There are also a number of overland truck sites set away from the river & these were used either by river rafting groups or overland trips.  As there was no other action, the pub & restaurant weren't operational & we had to make do with our own supplies - not that we minded.

The ablutions were very rustic but reasonable with the exception of the hot water which although it was hot, cam in stops-&-starts due to pressure issues.  We had a chat with the missionary fellows regarding there trip & gave them some water as they had not brought sufficient & it was a distance to Keetmanshoop where they would be able to restock.

Dusk at Fiddlers Creek

Costs for the day

Accommodation	Fiddlers Creek	R160,00
Diesel	Shell Noordoewer	NAD1310,20

Sunset over the Orange River - Namibia on the far bank