No Fixed Abode: Vulture Restaurant

Sun 22 May 2016 - Golden Gate Park

The Golden Gate park is set in a sandstone canyon and has a lot on offer so we were in the car park at 0900 ready to make the most of a glorious sunny day. Although the road through the park is a public highway access to the nature loops and the hiking trails requires a permit (not that there is anyone to check) so Glenn shot inside the office to complete the formalities and grab a rubbishy A4 photocopied map, then we were off.

The hiking trail we’d chosen, Wodehouse Peak, was, naturally, the longest but encompassed two of the other sites at the park. After following the wardens verbal instructions to reach the start of the trails we soon came to a large signboard filled with trail names and direction arrows. Finding our trail name we followed the arrow and we were off.

The trail wound steadily up the hillside until it came to a large overhang some 100m long that resembled a huge breaking wave. A short traverse along its length and we rounded a corner to reach the chain that had been placed to help hikers ascend the steep, rocky path to reach the summit of Brandwag buttress, a large multicolured outcrop that stands like a sentinel over the road below. We stood on the summit a while enjoying the view and planning our next steps. The signposts indicated a turn west down a steep descent away from Wodehouse Peak but there were several well worn paths that seemed to go straight up. After a lengthy discussion we opted to follow the signs and lose most of the height we’d just grafted up knowing full well that we would have to regain it later.

The path headed west for a couple of km making a diagonal traverse up to the start of a long ridge where the going got tough. The initial climb was steep and with the sun now blasting down and the air noticeable thin from the altitude (over 2000m) we were soon panting and sweating. Glenn was an a mission to burn calories so powered up the hill until the first viewpoint while Yvonne changed down a gear to avoid excessive heart beats and steadily plodded up to join him. At the top we saw a small herd of Eland a few hundred metres away that were watching our progress with interest.

From the top of the initial climb the path rose steadily up a series of mini summits. The higher we got the more the distant Drakensberg escarpment became visible from behind the peaks on the other side of the valley and it was such a clear day that although the escarpment was many km away we could see it in great detail. As we continued up we saw some wildebeest and other antelope in the distance - it’s the first time we’ve hiked in a game reserve.

After several dummy summits we finally made one last climb up a rocky face to sit on top of the world, well, the park, and looked around for miles. This really is a massive empty country.

With half an eye on the clock - we had more to do in the park and we’d promised to take Sherrene and Roy, our AirBnB hosts, to the brewery, which shuts at 1800 on Sundays - we reluctantly left the top and made our way down a steep descent path. Losing height quickly we reached the top of Mushroom Rock, another aptly named feature with an overhanging cap, then wondered how we were going to get down. The path was signed over the edge so we boldly followed and with a series of steps, scrambles and a strange vertical section with steel bars set in the rock to hold onto we made it to the bottom. The path then traversed around the rounded base of the mushroom and we could look up under its rocky cap with an occasional drip of water falling from it.

We got back to the car at 1400 and stretched before setting off for the vulture restaurant. This is not some weird bistro serving carrion but a place in a remote part of the plains where park staff leave a carcass next to a viewing hide that is open to the public. The hide is a lovely brick built affair with glass windows and wooden benches, which is just as well because every hide we’ve visited so far has led to a long wait and this was no exception. We settled down, binoculars in hand, obeying the ‘silence’ signs and patiently waiting for one of the feathered scavengers to appear. Needless to say none did but it was, however, quite fascinating to see the inside of a dead cow.

With the afternoon slipping by we made a quick trip round the two viewing loop roads but only spotted an antelope with a long, shaggy, grey coat nibbling at the remains of a burned patch of grassland.

By 1600 we were back at the B&B and after a quick shower we walked into town with Sherrene and Roy to visit the brewery for our third and final time. Whilst we ordered our favourite ales they were brought one of the tasting boards to see which ones they liked. We were so engrossed in conversation that it was soon 1800 and the staff began to let us know it was time to leave.

Now hungry we called in at a pizza house and munched our way through a tasty dinner still discussing the untapped powers of the brain and its potential ability to improve our physiology as well as our mental wellbeing. We then walked home under a cloudless starry sky with a full moon so bright we cast well defined shadows on the road. It was then straight into bed for a another sound sleep.