Road trip: Cape Town to Sutherland
After being based abroad for the past 7 years and after a recent trip back to SA to visit my family in April, I picked up a copy of your go! magazine, 101 things to do in SA, at the airport on my way back. The article was very inspiring with many places mentioned that I have always wanted to visit on a trip back home but had never set out enough time to do so.
All enthused, my boyfriend and I started planning a road trip to some of the places we’d yet to discover interspersed with some family visits. Armed with various back issues of go! And WegRy 4x4 editions, we headed out from Cape Town, the main objective was to avoid as many of the main roads as possible, giving us an opportunity to explore new territory and get the 4x4 nice and dirty.
Our trip took us through Grabouw, Villiersdorp where we stayed on the Breede River for the night and via a few wine farms. Day two took us through Roberston, Montagu and onwards onto Ouberg Pass. Here we were pleasantly surprised as the road took us right through a game reserve! Onwards to Ladismith, Oudtshoorn, Langkloof, Joubertina, Kareedouw Pass, Plett and then we camped in Nature's Valley for two days of relaxation.
From there we were headed towards Baviaanskloof, so it was back through Joubertina and Uniondale. We spent the night in Baviaans, wishing we hadn’t so much distance to cover as hanging out in the area and driving the routes seemed like a perfect way to spend a few days. But alas, the road beckoned and off we drove through the rest of the Baviaanskloof, stopping to marvel at the brave cyclists who were riding these rough roads and adding to the amounting collection of photographs.
From there we took the backroad to Humansdorp then to Jeffrey’s, a pit stop for the night before heading up for the next long leg of the journey which would take us to family members on the KZN South Coast. From the South Coast we headed inland towards the KZN Midlands, Nottingham Road to savour the great tastes of the local biltong, Frankies Ginger beer and locally brewed ales.
Next stop was the Sani Pass Valley. What else can I say except: fabulous! Last minute cottage hunting was the order of the trip, with camping as a backup plan but there was no way we were camping in this valley with the temperatures dropping down to -8 degrees C some nights! Luckily we found a gorgeous cottage right on the lake before setting off early in the morning to tackle the infamous and beautiful Sani Pass. I had to chuckle when we spotted a local Toyota Taxi making its way down the pass right at the top of Sani Pass. Now that’s guts!
Through Lesotho’s steep and sheer passes, Thabang, Oxbow, Moteng Pass through the Caledonspoort border crossing and onwards to Clarens for a taste of the Free State. Being my first visit to Clarens, I will most definitely return to this part of the Free State again.
Off we set for the next family gathering in Bloemfontein, but chose the R26 road to Bloem via Fouriesberg, Ficksberg and Excelsior. The blue skies were endless. This is the Free State I have always heard about. After a short stopover in Bloem, the last two places on our list of places (for this trip) to go to were the Karoo National Park outside Beaufort West and Sutherland. We decided to slow things down and take it easy, hanging out in this region for a little longer than planned. Then onto to Sutherland through the ‘Moordenaars Karoo’. Everything about Sutherland draws you in: the stars, the perfectly cooked lamb shanks, and of course, the people. It was time to head back to Cape Town, via Ceres, Tulbagh, Riebeck Kasteel, Malmesbury and then back home! Spending time on the quieter and dustier roads took us through some spectacular landscapes in this awesome country of ours. I am already plotting the next road trip. Till next time.
Back to destinations | Back to top
Comments