Flying Adventure: Winelands Namaqua Karoo – Day 10 (FASX – FAMelton):
Our plan for today is to fly to Melton Wold, the Oasis of the Karoo, where we have booked to spend Christmas.
But as we get up in the morning, it is raining and the clouds are thick and low hanging.
We check the weather forecast whilst enjoying our breakfast, and are positive for some improvement by later this morning.
The rain stops by mid morning, but the clouds remain stubbornly low and thick.
After some shopping for essentials, we decide to head out to the airfield and see from there how the weather develops.
Swellendam to Melton Wold
Out at the airfield we start loading and preparing the aircraft for our flight.
As per the weather radar, it is perfectly clear skies beyond the Langeberg mountain. Just on this side of the mountain the cloud is sitting stubbornly low.
But as the temperatures are rising they do start to break up at spots and close again.
As we are getting ready, we observe an open spot in the cloud cover, and decide to climb through it above the cloud. If it’s clear on the other side of the mountain we can proceed, if not, we descent back through that same hole to Swellendam. It’s that old rule in bush flying; If you can see through, you can fly through.
The plan works out perfectly and awards us with stunning views as we climb through the clouds.
Past the Langeberg over the Little Karoo, the clouds clear up and we route straight to Melton Wold in the heart of the Great Karoo.
As we get closer and overhead the Melton Wold guest farm, it becomes obvious why it is also called the Oasis of the Karoo.
It is a lush green spot in the otherwise bare, arid landscape of the Karoo. As we learn later, there is a rich source of fresh ground water close to the surface at the location of the farm, which feeds the lush gardens and alleys.
The farm’s gravel airstrip is just 2km from the main premises, and we are picked up as we land and park.
Melton Wold
Melton Wold is the oldest guest farm in South Africa. It’s origins date back to 1838, and it hosts guest since 1935.
It is a fully productive sheep and game farm. There is also an old diamond mine and the fossil remains of a 250 million year old Brandysaurus.
It is needless to say, that the food is genuinely farm fresh, and it is beyond delicious.
Day 11 of our tour is Christmas day, which we also spend at Melton Wold. It is a great place to spend Christmas in a tranquil and peaceful environment and the famous Karoo hospitality.
The Karoo is a very special place, and it breeds special people too. They are down to earth, genuine people with a deep connection to their environment.
He finds a deep appreciation for this place and its people.
