We have been hibernating for most of the winter, so when the weather forecast was for hot, sunny weather for a couple of days, we decided to go camping!

Our choice of venue was a spot pretty close to home – Beaverlac – a campsite that offers scenic walks, rock pools and total relaxation off the grid.

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Getting there is half the fun with the ascent of the Dasklip Pass.  The road winds up the side of the mountain and offers spectacular views of the farmlands below!  Thankfully I am not the one driving as I would be distracted most of the way.  The road is tarred but rather narrow and passing is done rather gingerly.  The descent into BeaverLac is challenging but not difficult.

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On arrival at BeaverLac – you enter a gem hidden in the valley.    The campsites are not marked so you have the option of setting up camp wherever you wish in the designated area.  We have found that camping during the week is less busy and privacy is guaranteed, as it can be crowded at weekends and peak times.

We opted for a spot that offered plenty of shade and grass, with an ablution block close by.  Having recently upgraded our tent – we were rather chuffed that we managed to set up camp in record time with no major mishaps.  The parking of the vehicle with our camp boxes, however, was rather amusing.  A swarm of midges decided to pop in and this resulted in my hand signals being a series of flapping arms around my head.  My companion not understanding the “signals” even got out of the car at one stage to inquire what I was doing.  The campsite was finally set up and we settled into our chairs for much needed liquid refreshment.

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Unfortunately, the midge invasion lasted longer than anticipated and after much beating of the tent and more flapping of arms we opted for an early night. The next morning,  breakfast was consumed on the move as we tried to find a spot where midges were not congregating.  Thankfully, BeaverLac has a small shop that supplies most things campers might not remember to bring or just need to restock.  A decision was made to see what we could find in the shop to fight the midge invasion.  It was case of them against us and we were determined to win the battle. We exited the shop with a can of doom and citronella candles, rather smug with our purchases .

We made a choice to head out to Flat Rock – a good 45 minute from the campsite. The walk is along the road so there is no huffing and puffing over boulders. We took our time admiring the scenery of mountains and the local flora – Proteas and other indigenous plants.

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Arriving at Flat Rock we walked downriver to find a spot where we could have a fair amount of shade. The scenery here is amazing, with the  Ratel River cascading over the boulders, forming rockpools until it finally plummets into a deep pool before continuing its journey to the Olifants River.   A lazy day was spent reading and enjoying the scenery – with no midges we might add!

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Back at the campsite our citronella candle and doom were put to good use and we are happy to report that the majority of the midges stayed away.  BeaverLac is a working farm and we were entertained in the afternoon by a troop of baboons helping themselves to oranges growing in the orchard, which were opposite our campsite. One cheeky character lagged behind the troop and ate his stolen prize on his own.  I am not entirely sure he was not aware of us catching his activity on camera as he did seem to peer at us from time to time.

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We were also entertained by a bird enjoying his reflection in our side mirror. He provided much amusement for us as we enjoyed our sun downers. The evening was spent around the fire consuming liquid refreshments and much banter. We were treated to a spectacular night sky ablaze with stars and we made the most of this opportunity to be out in nature.

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Day two – We decided to spend at the main pool which is a short distance from the campsite and does not require too much effort to reach.  The main pool is popular in the summer months as it is deep enough for swimming and many folks enjoy jumping off the waterfall into the pool.  We, however, are not so adventurous and we went to the top pools where we settled ourselves for another lazy day.  I was brave enough to test the water and managed to have a dip or two and I have to admit it was literally a dip as the water was freezing.

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We headed back to camp in the early afternoon and began the task of packing up.  Once the tent and camping equipment were secure in the vehicle we enjoyed one last liquid refreshment before heading home.

We are convinced this chap was sorry to see us go as we drove past him on our way out of BeaverLac!

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Leaving Beaverlac is always done with much reluctance and as we head back down the pass we always make the promise to ourselves to return, and we do time and time again!