Safari Day 3 - on to Graskop

Highlight of the day: Blyde River Canyon

We packed up our tents early this morning (really early, at like 5:00 a.m.) and set out on a full day's drive north to Graskop. After driving through miles of pine and eucalyptus tree plantations, we stopped at Blyde River Canyon. This is a huge canyon, once carved out of the earth by the Blyde River that runs through it. We stopped for some spectacular views of the cliffs 600-800 metres above the river. There are three huge rounded rock columns called the Three Rondavels because they look like little African huts (called rondavels). Some of the rock is very colourful as it's covered with lichen in various shades. We also stopped at Bourke's Potholes. Where the Blyde River (River of Joy) and the Treur River (River of Sorrow) meet, the swirling water has carved huge potholes into the rocks, making perfectly circular holes in the rock. Just as the sun set, we qickly had a few different views further up the canyon, one aptly named 'God's Window.'

We arrived at our campsite, put up our tents in the dark and then hung out with beers and good company well into the night.