Yesterday was the perfect weather for a hike. The weather was dry, cool (about 20 degrees) and it was slightly cloudy. Bryan and I decided to try out one of the hikes in Highmoor Nature Reserve. We decided on Aasvoelkrans (Vulture's Cave) Hike. This is described as an easy hike of about 8kms.

The route is clearly marked and very easy to follow, (unlike the route we took to try and find The Roman Baths in Kamberg Nature Reserve). The scenery at first was rolling hills and we then came across a small river with a lovely waterfall. We have not received a huge amount of rainfall yet this year, so the river was quite low, but still extremely pretty.

So, after taking a couple of photos here (always a good excuse for a little break), we crossed the small river and continued along the narrow path with the river flowing on our right hand side.

We came across a couple of dung beetles (which we haven't seen around here before) and then as we came over the ridge, the view opened up and changed from rolling hills to a spectacular view of the Drakensberg across to Monks Cowl. Unfortunately with the overcast sky, it was't as clear as it could have been, but still looked fabulous!

After about 1 hour or so of walking, we came across the sign that pointed the route down to Vulture's Cave. There are two separate caves. One is the Upper Cave and the other is the Lower Cave. It is possible to stay overnight and camp in the caves, you just have to bring along everything with you. Firstly we decided to check out the Upper Cave.

The path down to the caves is pretty steep and a bit gravelly, so best to take it slow and easy.

Next we decided to head further down in to the valley to the Lower Cave. This path was extremely steep and narrow, so we carefully climbed down and are so glad we made the effort. From the lower cave we scrambled down to the crystal clear waterfall & pool. Bryan was brave enough to go for a swim, but after seeing his reaction, I decided it was way too cold for me, so I busied myself taking some more photos.

Once Bryan had dried off we decided to face the steep, narrow climb back up to the path and head to a little Kopje we had noticed before we took the path to the caves. The view across the valley was stunning and we also had a great view of the two caves.

Unfortunately the fish were playing hard to get and other than a couple of bites, Bryan didn't manage to catch, however, I was happy to capture a couple of shots of this beautiful dragonfly!

So, at the end of another fabulous day spent in Highmoor Nature Reserve we headed home for a cup of tea! (How very civilised)!

I would definitely recommend the hike to Aasvoelkrans to any guests visiting or staying at Kamberg Valley Hideaway. The majority of the walk is very easy and clearly signposted and the changing landscape is a pleasure to enjoy, however, the path down to the two caves is definitely a little tricky! Steep, narrow and in parts quite gravelly, so if you do decide to check out the caves, please do take care!

At the beginning of last week a late cold front hit most of South Africa.

On Monday 9th October, the Gauging province received hail stones the size of tennis balls and then on Tuesday 10th October, Durban was hit by a huge rain and wind storm, rendering the N2 flooded for much of the day and many people loosing trees and roofs. Very scary indeed!

Some of this rain ended up falling across The KZN Drakensberg as snow, so Bryan and I decided on Wednesday that we would head to Highmoor Nature Reserve for the afternoon, taking a picnic lunch with us, to see what Giants Castle was looking like (obviously Bryan wanted to spend a bit of time fishing too!)

Wow! it was really looking quite stunning. Although some of the snow had already melted, due to Wednesday being such a glorious day, it was still a beautiful view!

Bryan hooked up a fly and set to a spot of fly-fishing and I got my camera out and took a few pics of the stunning Highmoor Nature Reserve with Giants Castle Mountain Range in the background.

And whilst I was happily enjoying taking a few photos, Bryan hooked a really great sized rainbow trout, so we were both very chuffed and it really was a beautiful afternoon! We are so lucky to live close to such a beautiful, unspoilt and un-touristy part of The Drakensberg.

Now that all our building work is finished, Bryan and I decided to take off to Kamberg Nature Reserve on the 3rd October 2017 to hike to The Roman Baths that we have heard so much about.

We packed a picnic, put on our walking shoes, Bryan grabbed his fishing rod and me, my camera and we were ready to go. There was a big storm forecast for the following two days, so it was pretty warm and the skies were clear. A perfect day to explore one of the trails available at Kamberg Nature Reserve.

We had heard that is was an easy 4km walk to The Roman Baths and with slight trepidation (due to the lack of walking we have done), we set off!

We parked our car just past the Trout Dams at the "No Entry" sign and the first part of the walk was very easy. We followed the jeep track across a couple of dry stream and up a slight incline past an old farmhouse, where the only thing left is a toilet seat. Then things got a bit tricky! The jeep track ended and we had been told to take the left-hand trail from there. After following the trail a short way, it promptly ended, so whilst we contemplated our next move, I took some photos of some of the views and wild flowers growing in Kamberg Nature Reserve (oh and Bryan took a couple of photos of me, the intrepid hiker!)

We decided to continue walking a little higher to see if we could see any trail that might lead to what was becoming the elusive Roman Baths. After some bush-whacking and lots of puffing we stopped and searched the view. We could see a trail in the far distance but we had already walked about 4kms and there was no sign of The Roman Baths and if the trail we saw was the correct trail there, then we definitely had a lot further to go! So, we contemplated a bit more and i took a few more photos!

Once we had caught our breath, we made the decision to abandon our search for The Roman Baths and head to what looked like a lovely pool along the Mooi River for a spot of fishing, photography and a picnic. It was now almost mid-day and we were getting pretty hot, so the thought of a quick dip in the river and chilling beside it was very appealing. After a bit more bush-whacking we reached our chosen location and it was absolutely stunning!

What an idyllic spot! We saw a couple of fish cruising around, so Bryan was hopeful of a catch but after we jumped in to the water (which i hasten to add was freezing), I think the fish departed quite rapidly! So after drying off and having a divine picnic, with my favourite wine, we started the tough walk back to the car!

The Roman Baths alluded us this time on our hike in Kamberg Nature Reserve, but we will be back to search another time! This truly is a stunning part of The Drakensberg, and so peaceful and quiet. We didn't see another person all day!

I highly recommend visiting Kamberg Nature Reserve when staying at Kamberg Valley Hideaway. It is a short drive (12kms) away and a totally unspoilt part of the Drakensberg! The views are spectacular, and the bubbling, rushing river, just adds to the beauty!

We can't wait for our next foray!