We came out here because our second-eldest daughter Katinka had wanted to get away for a weekend before the final exams of the school year. Then her brother Jean and Ella, who’s a student, decided to join us. If you’d been to Anysberg in the past, you will be sur­prised by the changes. The wind­breaks and umbrellas at the camp­site are brand-new. As are the wooden shed with the new kayaks for hire and the two-bed cottages and lapa at Tapfontein, about four hours on horse­back (or 13 km) from the central Vrede camp­site. And apparently the new facilities have paid off. “We get more and more visitors here, especially on the horse trail,” says Marius Brand, who has held the reins at this reserve for the past year. The great thing is that you don’t have to be an experienced rider to do the trail. The horses are well trained – they patiently allow themselves to be saddled, helpfully stand still so you can learn from which side to mount them and then obediently set off in single file. I’m sure they could walk the trail with eyes closed by now – you don’t have to do much more than hold the reins and hang on to the saddle if things get rough. 

A quick lesson
Before we start, William’s horse-riding lesson is short and sweet: “Hold the reins, tug on them in the direction you want to turn, and hold on to the saddle when I say, ‘Ready for a tro-o-ot?’” Fortunately I’m not the only novice rider. Only my partner Vanessa, on the mare Knight, and Ella, on the lively stallion Nazi, have ridden properly before. The rest of us have been on horseback twice at most (if you can count the pony at the school bazaar). The last time I got on a horse – without the aid of a saddle – I literally ate Highveld dust on a Honeydew plot. I was still at primary school, and a pair of evil twins still owe me for that day.

Spring time
But I needn’t have worried. We get going at the Vrede campsite and placidly ride past patches of purple vygies in the Vrede valley between the Anysberg in the south and Voorsteberg in the north. The reserve is a lush green after good rains – it was an excellent idea to come here in spring. To crown it all, an African fish-eagle welcomes us to the wilderness.

Tapfontein, oh Tapfontein
It’s a pleasure to arrive at the Tapfontein camp. It’s a secluded, well-equipped overnight place in the Matjiesgoed Mountains. The lovely new lapa is in the middle of the camp, and it’s surrounded by four new wooden bungalows (each with two single beds), a well-equipped kitchen (with a gas stove, potjies, braai grids, crockery and cutlery), a shed where the horse feed and gear are stored, stables, and a cement dam with freezing cold water – only Vanessa is brave enough for a quick dip. There’s even a flushing toilet a short distance from the bungalows. If horse riding is not your thing, you can also visit Tapfontein by 4x4, on foot or with your mountain bike, if the camp is vacant. While we settle into our bungalows, William feeds the horses and makes a fire in the lapa.

Sleep under the moon
The fresh air and exercise soon start to work their magic. We go to bed early and sleep like babies under a near-full moon. In the morning we take a short walk into the mountains along a jeep track. It’s with reluctance that we set off around noon. After only a short ride we stop near an overhang and tether the horses. William leads the way to rock paintings. There are about 50 other known rock art sites in the reserve.Crossing a river bed later, we encounter a herd of red hartebeest. “Ready for a tro-o-ot?” William asks one last time, and the horses’ hooves kick up sand between patches of brightly hued vygies and lush green grass. William told us at the campfire last night that he likes his job so much he’s been working here for more than 20 years. Talk about job satisfaction!