While my stay in Rhodes and the hamlet itself was delightful, getting there was not fun. Not fun at all.
It started with the shockingly bad roads of the eastern Free State after I left Golden Gate. The Eastern Free State is really scenic, but I could not appreciate it as I had to give the roads, or rather the millions of potholes my full attention. At one stage it just got too much (I had a vision of the multiple damaged tires in my future) and I detoured to Bloemfontein. The upside of that decision was that I had the unexpected sighting of a Martial Eagle on the N8 somewhere east of Thaba Nchu. And of course I was able to see my son and my mom for a couple of minutes – something that brightened my day tremendously.
The road from Bloemfontein to Aliwal North is an absolute pleasure to drive. Between Aliwal North and Barkley East there were lots of road works and stop and go sections. My timing was good, so I never waited long, but even if I had to, I would not have complained – at least the roads were being maintained!
When I planned this trip, I googled Rhodes. I read about the legend that the hamlet was first named Rossville and then re-named Rhodes in the hope that Cecil John would visit. He didn’t, and as I drove the road from Barkley East to Rhodes I had a feeling I knew why he did not visit Rhodes – it is a mission to get there.
I missed a critical piece of information on the website –
It is 60 km or 60-plus minutes drive from Barkly East, which is the closest town, on a poorly maintained gravel road which is narrow, winding and must be driven with care.
If I had noticed that sentence, and understood what it meant, I may not have visited Rhodes.
It was not a great road. But again the scenery was incredible. Mountains and Valleys as far as the eye could see. I did spot a raptor soaring above the mountains – a quick stop and scan with my binoculars confirmed a juvenile Verreaux’s Eagle. I also saw a little bird disappear into a nest. I had to stop for this architectural marvel (just note the stunning little awning above the entrance) and to see who was the owner. A handsome Cape Sparrow male popped out.
Further on I had to stop for this little Karoo Prinia.
After what felt like forever, I reached Rhodes. 10 hours after leaving Golden Gate. One look at this enchanting hamlet, and everything about the trip to get there was forgotten. A Black Sparrowhawk disappeared towards the mountains. Cows and sheep roamed the roads as they were herded by their keepers. A Red-chested Cuckoo called loudly.
I checked into the Walkerbouts Inn – a lovely old home with very friendly owners and staff
The garden from the patio is really lovely . I was the only occupant that night, and there was a slightly ghostly feel to the house when I returned from my walk later that night. Dinner and breakfast were exceptional. And the view was not bad either!
I still had a couple of hours left before sunset, so I headed into “town” on foot. Rhodes has no shops and no filling stations. Apparently there are about 24 or 25 permanent residents.
The little hamlet has 10 streets. TEN.
Six that run east to west, and four that run north to south. This is an example of one of the streets. This is the last street on the northern end of town. 
If you throw a stone with all your might, you will throw it into Lesotho, Well, maybe not, but it is only 16km to the Lesotho border.
Most of the houses can only be described as cottages, and the majority of them seem to be for holiday purposes. The town does have a cute little church (I was there on 23 January and the next service was advertised for 5 February as the minister is not permanent).
There is also a lovely Post Office building.
But it was the gardens that I enjoyed the most. The owners of the properties really looked after their little gardens and they were very well maintained. And there were also a few communal gardens. The Rhodes Garden was a lovely rose garden. And there was also a herb garden around the corner. I also really liked the chess board nestled next to the stream that runs through the hamlet.
The scenery around the hamlet was stunning.
This view stopped me in my tracks. Can any view be more beautiful than a yellow field with a winding path, a cow and a mountain?
The scenery continued to WOW when I went for my run the next morning.
For someone like me the garden of Walkerbouts Inn was irresistible, and I absolutely had to go for a night walk to look for small things. And did I find a lot! I found two new frog species to add to my life list, and a handful of new spider species. The moment of the night happened right at the start when I found the most beautiful spider – a massive Horned Bark Spider. There were two, and the one was very busy building its web. I went back the next morning and found one again. You can see where it get its name from.
The birding highlight happened when I went for my run the next morning. I scanned the fields hoping I would see very specific birds. Then I saw them. I quickly showered and returned with my camera. The two Grey-crowned Cranes were still there. As I watched them, I noticed two small shapes move in the grass – they had babies! It was such a wonderful sight!! I sat there watching them for about 10 minutes. Seeing the baby Cranes was so special and a first for me.
During breakfast I spotted a butterfly in the garden – a Table Mountain Beauty, and another lifer.
I left for Barkley East just after breakfast. The road was still as long as the day before, but it was not as bad as the previous day. Maybe because I knew what to expect, and also because it was at the start of my day and not after I had already been on the road for more than 8 hours.
Rhodes is not an easy place to get to. But now that I know what to expect, I can honestly say I would love to go back for a longer stay. It is such a peaceful little hamlet. And there are more birding opportunities into the mountains that I would love to explore.
I am really glad I missed the part about getting there when I did my reading about the hamlet, because it is really worth a visit.