This area is the Free States largest nature reserve, a combination of 36,487 hectare Gariep Dam on the Orange River plus an 11,237 hectare game sanctuary on the northern shore. From the dam, 200,000 hectares of land is irrigated by means of a tunnel of 83.8 km, delivering water to the upper valleys of the Fish River and then from another 13.2 km tunnel to the Sundays River. The dam covers 374 square km and with a supply of 455 million litres of water to the dry Karoo region around it, the hydro electric scheme generates 600,000 kilowatts of power as well.
 |
| View of the Dam from our balcony |
 |
| Turn a little and we saw the marinas and multi-purpose waterways |
 |
| The marina directly below our hotel |
 |
| Another stunning hotel |
 |
| Approach to hotel |
 |
| The dam tour guide...hey, that's funny! |
 |
| Below the dam |
 |
| Loved this sign deep in the bowels of the dam |
 |
| A treat for the kids |
 |
| Our group emerges from 7 stories down and out into the sunlight |
 |
| Lezanne and Bob celebrate the release of water below the dam |
 |
| And off it goes, providing nourishment and power to thousands of homes and farms |
The town is filled with historical buildings, markets and low end shops. This is pretty much the only place where we were asked to hand out money or food to young men hanging around outside the grocery store. I asked a clerk if these people were starving and an elderly resident in line in front of me told me that she volunteers at a church that provides meals to everyone who needs them. The boys get you to buy them food and then they sell it to someone else. Security guards shoo them away, however they find a way to engage you before you get across the parking lot to the sidewalk.
Die Tuishuise in Cradock (our accommodation) is an elegant collection of beautifully restored Victorian era craftsmen's houses. This frontier town sits at the eastern edge of the Great Karoo. More than two dozen Tuishuise line Market Street up to the Victoria Manor, a grand old colonial hotel from the days of Cecil John Rhodes, Olive Schreiner and the droves of adventurers who passed her en route to the hinterland.
 |
| The little house we shared with Maureen and Jiri |
 |
| Pretty garden passage between the houses |
 |
| Our sweet bedroom had an ensuite bathroom that was twice the size of the bedroom. Fresh flowers in vases were placed around the rooms and we discovered fresh flower petals on the bed |
 |
| Isn't our living room gorgeous? We even spent some time sitting in it. |
 |
| The front of the hotel. You can see the first of our houses behind our truck |
 |
| The historic Dutch Reformed Church, overshadowed by my favourite tree |
