The Plan

This was a trip with a difference – we had no part in planning it whatsoever! Our daughter Geraldine had suggested earlier in the year that we join them on a winter trip in June/July 2024, which would include –

• A one night stopover in Matjiesfontein at the historic Lord Milner Hotel
• A couple of nights on a farm in Sutherland, the star-gazing capital of South Africa
• A week at The Baths resort near Citrusdal

Always up for some mild adventure, and to experience places we have not seen before – which included two of the three above – we agreed to join them and made the necessary bookings to match those that they had already made – the trip was on!

After our stays in Matjiesfontein and Sutherland, all that remained was to get ourselves to Citrusdal for a week at The Baths …

Sutherland to Citrusdal

Friday 28^th June

A long day’s drive from the farm near Sutherland to Citrusdal started with getting everything back into their various cases, crates and bags and packed in the car while we got ourselves ready. All went more or less according to schedule and we left the farm, only to find the warning light coming on for a faulty or under-inflated tire, so I stopped at the first garage to have it checked – fortunately no puncture was found.

The route we followed was the longer, less direct one, avoiding the notorious tire-shredding gravel roads that head west out of Sutherland. That meant we had to return to Matjiesfontein, where we joined up with the N1 and headed west to Touws River, where a roadside cafe enticed us to stop for a roosterkoek (large bun baked over coals with various tasty fillings) lunch.

Shortly after Touws River we turned northwards onto the R46 to Ceres, then via Tulbagh, Gouda and Porterville to the N7 which took us through the Piekenierskloof Pass – mostly behind slow-moving trucks – and Citrusdal came into sight as we descended into the valley.

The Baths

Just after turning off the N7, the signpost pointing the way to The Baths appeared and a short drive of 16kms along the narrow tar road took us to the main gate. From there we were directed along a 500m bumpy dirt road (made even bumpier with rough ‘speed humps’ at regular intervals) past camping sites to the reception where we obtained our keys for Apartment 31, our ‘home’ for the next week.

It turned out to be on the first floor of one of several small buildings with a comfortable living room, balcony in front and a private sitting area at the back, complete with braai and jacuzzi.

The family helped us to get our cases and crates up the steep stairs and we were soon settled in – only for a short while as the family were in a chalet on the extreme edge of the resort, so we had to drive back down the bumpy road to join them for dinner before heading back and calling it a day.

Saturday

We surfaced around 8–ish and made the first round of tea/coffee, which we enjoyed outside on the balcony, surrounded by trees and birdsong as well as the comings and goings of fellow visitors off to swim or just out for a walk.

That was pretty much the pattern for the day up to lunchtime and beyond and just what we needed after the busy drive yesterday. In fact this became our pattern for the rest of the week

It also meant I could get a pentad (3240_1900) list going with a few of the commoner birds of the spot as well as a couple of scarcer species, including –

• Cape White-eyes feeding in the trees

• House Sparrows joining us on the balcony, hoping for dropped crumbs
• Familiar Chat being – er – familiar with its wing flicks after every flight or even hop

• Sunbirds joining the White-eyes in the erythria tree – both Southern Double-collared and Malachite Sunbirds
• Olive Woodpecker paying a brief visit to the surrounding trees

Lunch was toast (home-made bread from the Lord Milner Hotel, organized by Gerda, persuasive as ever) with smoked chicken slices and tomato – restaurant quality food!

We took a short walk after lunch to scout around the nearby facilities, visiting the rock pools and hot and cold swimming pools which provide most of the enjoyment in the resort.

After a short rest we drove to the chalet where the family were relaxing, for coffee and later a braai – Woolies sosaties accompanied by potato bake, salad and copper penny carrot salad to end off the day on a high culinary note. Just a pity our national T20 cricket team fell short of their target but oh so close with the margin between a potentially match-winning six and batsman caught being less than a metre of flight of the ball.

Sunday

An unhurried start to the day once again – it’s hard to do it any other way in this super-relaxed place – we took it easy on the balcony and I added to my steadily growing pentad list with a few more species that came and went –

• African Olive Pigeon made a brief appearance in the trees

• A bold Fiscal Flycatcher flew in and perched on a branch metres away from the balcony

• Streaky-headed Seedeater visited the flame tree nearby

Mid-morning I pottered down the road to the nearby swimming pool, fed by the natural hot spring, where I found to my surprise that I had it to myself for a wonderfully relaxing swim. Actually, it was more like a float around as the warm water is not conducive to high activity.

As luck would have it, while floating on my back in the pool, I spotted a raptor soaring high above near the ridge of the mountain – even without binos I could see it was a Verraux’s Eagle!

Later the family tried out the small pools near the source of the waters, set among the rocks up a steep set of steps – they ended up spending most of the afternoon there

Monday

After breakfast on the balcony, I went to the warm pool but was put off by the number of people already in so left it for later. When I tried again the maintenance was being done, so I went back to the apartment and filled the jacuzzi with water also piped from the hot spring – rather nice and relaxing with a water massage thrown in.

Feeling energetic, we joined the family on an outing to the De Tol Farm Deli on top of the Piekenierskloof Pass on the N7 for a bit of Carmien tea tasting (as one does)

This was something different, with a wide variety of flavoured rooibos teas brewed in cute glass teapots and kept warm with small burners – the interesting combinations kept us busy for a while, with the “Strawberries and Cream” flavoured tea proving to be a favourite.

The deli shop had some interesting items including bags of braaipap which had me chuckling….

The trip back was a chance to see what other bird species I could find in the pentad, but the habitat consisting mainly of citrus orchards offered few birds and I added just a couple of species.

Back at the chalet we had coffee and a slice of chocolate cake bought at the farm deli while watching the first day’s play at Wimbledon, before preparing dinner of braai-ed marinated ribs and Gerda’s chicken fillets done in a pan, along with a salad – a winning combination!

In between all this strenuous activity I added to my pentad list with a few birds seen near the chalet –

• White-throated Canary
• Karoo Prinia
• Olive Thrush

Tuesday

The weather had turned colder so our morning stoepsitting had to be curtailed – after breakfast I meandered down the hill along the road towards the camping sites, on the lookout for birds, which were plentiful in places but without adding any new species to my pentad list

After lunch we made our way slowly to Citrusdal for some provisions , followed by a drive around the side streets to get a feel for the town beyond the main street. We came away with a feeling that service delivery was lacking as all the roads were littered with potholes – much like too many of our small towns.

We came across the NG Kerk in another side street – 1960’s era church at a guess with a lovely stone church hall across the street dating from 1917 all set in neat grounds.

On the way back we took it very slow looking for birds and thanks to Gerda spotted a Black-winged Kite to take the pentad list to 38.

Back at the resort we went straight to the chalet for the evening which included more Wimbledon, braai hamburgers and a hilarious game of 30 Seconds.

Wednesday

A rainy day in the kloof!

It rained on and off for most of the day, at times coming down heavily, so we mostly stayed inside. The girls all went for spa treatments and I joined them later for a short swim in the warm pool.

The rain did not deter the birds and I added a few including –

• Cape Batis
• White-necked Raven

Thursday

More of the same – late lie in followed by a soothing after-breakfast swim, then chilling on the balcony until the family arrived mid afternoon for waffles in the restaurant. Talk about strenuous!

Later after doing some packing we trundled down the bumpy track once more to spend the last evening braai-ing and wimbledon-ing, the meal being lamb chops, crispy on the outside, wors and braaibroodjies with some salads

Friday

Time to head home!

We were packed and ready by 10am and proceeded along the route which took us back to Citrusdal then southwards and eastwards passing through 10 towns in all, which makes for an interesting trip broken up into ‘manageable’ chunks.

The road from Worcester was the busiest I have ever seen it with long streams of vehicles making it difficult to drive any faster than the slower vehicles on the road. Added to that we encountered three stop-go’s after Swellendam so only reached Mossel Bay around 6pm.

That brought our trip with the family to an end and a memory bank recharged with new experiences and moments.

On the atlasing side my list stood at 41 species in total – a modest total but pleasing for an area that I have never atlased before.

The Water

And finally, some interesting facts and statistics about the waters at The Baths (which only exists because of the natural hot springs of course) – how amazing that the water is forced under the Olifants River and up the other side!