Limpopo SA's Most Underrated And Affordable Off Road Destination

Lazy & and crazy in Limpopo !
You don’t need to travel beyond our country’s borders to have a great 4WD adventure; in fact, if you live in Gauteng, off-road fun is only a province away. Our bush editor reports on an underrated and often overlooked 4x4ing destination.... The Limpopo Province.

If you haven’t yet taken a 4x4 holiday to Limpopo, you’ve been missing out – big time. Waterfalls, wild animals, wave after wave of dry heat...and watermelons. Yes, you read right, watermelons. By the boot load. So go north and head towards the Limpopo River, for much affordable adventure awaits.

The white people, they love this camp, because you can hear the sounds of the bush and see the stars at night. But the black people, they rather stay in the nearby resort. They don’t like the tents. That’s funny because the blacks used to live in the bush and now it’s the other way around,” laughs our guide, Nebaimoro Khathutsheb, as he gives us his thoughts on the lovely Eclipse Safari Lodge.

Nebaimoro has been working at the Nwanedi Game Reserve since’05 and has decided to take some time off from his reception duties to guide us along some of the many 4x4 tracks found in the lesser-known reserve.
The 9 300-hectare Nwanedi Game Reserve has 2 major attractions: a large family of white rhino and the much-visited Tshiovhovhovho Falls.

We take a walk to the falls; you can drive to within about one kilometre and then you have to hoof it 2x2. Its only 09h30 but the sun has been up for ages already. Some time ago a thick black pipe was laid to draw water from the falls to one of the nearby villages.

Today this system no longer works yet the pipe remains ruining our hopes of a decent photo. The pipe looks like a giant anaconda, and I tell Nebaimoro they should remove it.

To overcome this we climb to a higher level, finding the top half of the falls where we decide to take a refreshing swim in one of the many rock pools. “When groups come in their 4x4s they bring a braai and cooler box and spend the whole day here,” explains Nebaimoro.

We can see why - you can get some nice shade underneath the rocks and after the long climb and swim who wants to go home anyway? It’s exactly the kind of the place where you’d want to spend a day just hanging out with your mates.

To get to the falls we have to drive along some of the 4x4-only tracks found in the reserve. At one stage we stop at a river crossing; in front of us is a cruiser, whose driver is too scared to venture across to the other side. I walk the river first; it seems too dramatic and so we go for it.

The locals (and Cruiser driver) are surprised at the ease with which our Patrol makes the crossing. To be honest with you it’s nothing more than a flowing puddle and any decent 4x4 would’ve been able to do the same.

Nwanedi is a picturesque, animal – filled 4x4 playground, nestled in the middle of the Venda Mountains. This is about as far north as one can go without crossing the Limpopo. The Nwanedi and Luphephe Dams are perfect spots for fishing, paddling or just enjoying a few sundowners.

During our last visit the Eclipse Safari Lodge – one of the reserves accommodation options – was still under construction, so this time we made a point of staying over. You’ll struggle to find accommodation of this quality at the price they charge. There’s a fully-kitted communal kitchen and a lovely braai and entertainment area, all beneath some cooling quiver trees.

I’d suggest staying a minimum of 2 nights or else it might just be a tad too rushed to drive the 4x4 trail, go fishing, see all the animals, go for a hike and see the waterfall. One should rather take some time and see the place properly.

To get to Nwanedi from Johannesburg we took the fast northbound N1, which is probably a little pricier then the back roads, due to all the tollgates. Time is money so the choice is yours. This route did give us the opportunity to stop off at the needle shaped Tropic of Capricorn monument, just north of Polokwane.

I’ve driven past this monument dozens of times, but as all this was new to my girlfriend, I decided to stop and stretch my legs...
 

Article Source: Extracted from the May 2010 issue of SA 4x4 Off-road adventure magazine (by Patrick Cruywagen)