Baviaanskloof is really unspoiled. For once, not a tourist-sucking lie! With a, for us normal, car you can only enter it from the west - from there on to get to the eastern exit you need a 4x4 (which many Suid Afrikaners would consider 'normal' anyway). There are farms where they do take in lodgers; maybe there are even full-time facilities. All very subdued and certainly with no hi-rise apartments around.

From the west, then, you access the valley from the Nuwekloof (New Canyon), a pretty recently built pass. It can only be called spectacular, and you can't say I didn't try to do it justice. The order they're in is driving from west to east. Enjoy!

The Finchley farmhouse we stayed in (and very pleasant it was, too) had a water supply from deep inside what I'd call a real canyon. We went in there, accompanied by a friendly dog, and noticed how those water pipes had been rebuilt at least twice. Too bad it was so dark; with my rather primitive stereo camera I had little chance to come up with anything but mostly underexposed negatives. It reminded me most of the Swiss Aareschlucht but with much less water streaming through.