The mere two and a half hours’ drive from Cape Town to the Tanqua Karoo leads you through everything from the majestic peaks of the Du Toit’s Kloof mountains (burrowed through by the 4-km Huguenot Tunnel) to the pleasingly geometric vineyard mosaic of the Hex River Valley. Fynbos grades into progressively drier scrub, and one ultimately emerges through a gap in the mountains onto the arid, scrubby plains of the Tanqua Karoo.

Before venturing into the Karoo, it is well worth stopping at Karoopoort, the gateway to the Karoo, for a number of dryland specials. To reach it, take the N1 from Cape Town and, 10 km before Touws River, turn left (north) onto the R46 (signposted ‘Ceres/Hottentotskloof’). At the T-junction 33 km further on (75 on map, opposite), turn right (east) onto the R355. Along the R46, and particularly in the vicinity of this T-junction, tense coveys of Grey-wing Francolin are regularly seen feeding on the roadside in the early morning. From here, the R355 follows a reed- and thicket-lined riverbed, which passes though a gap in the mountains before reaching the open Karoo.

The essential Karoopoort species for many visitors will be Namaqua Warbler, which is a common and noisy bird of the Phragmites reedbeds and adjacent acacia thicket (see p.85*). A good area to look for it is opposite the oak-shaded farmhouse (1 on map above). Though noisy, it sometimes requires a little effort to see.

Among other typically dry west-ern species of the acacia thicket are White-backed Mousebird, Titbabbler, Fairy Flycatcher and White-throated Canary. Mountain Chat occur on the rocky hillsides flanking the road and a pair resides along the first kilometre of gravel road. Flocks of Red-winged and, notably, Pale-winged Starlings fly purposefully overhead, balance on the cliff-faces, or feed on the fruiting fig trees next to the farmhouse. Cinnamon-breasted Warbler (p.85*) does occur here (especially at the picnic site at 2), but is more reliably found at Katbakkies, a little further north (p.79).