So much to write about, so little time!
* Wild Coast Tour (Overview)
* Trips & Tours
* Lesotho (Day 1)
* Die Hel/Gamkaskloof - Miracles do happen
* Mountain Kingdom Tour (Day 1)
* Kouga Baviaans Tour (Day 4)
* Featured Pass
* How to be mentally strong
Listen to an AI-generated discusion of this week's newsletter:
WILD COAST TOUR (OVERVIEW)
As usual the Wild Coast lived up to its reputation of a premier adventure destination. We had exceptional weather. Fabulous days of comfortable (shorts and T-shirt) blue sky days with minimal wind and believe it or not, no rain!
The downside of that little stroke of luck, was lots of dust, but it's the lesser of the two evils. We hiked, visited countless waterfalls, visited the Msikaba bridge, saw an extraordinary display of massed vultures flying at Msikaba Gorge, we swam in the ocean, revelled in the eye watering display of food wherever we went, (watched the scale climbing), did whale spotting, bought beads, drank coffee and too much wine, enjoyed the moonrise over a still ocean, spoke to the locals, made friends, challenged ourselves, conquered the Collywobbles, rode the Kei River Ferry and arrived at Crawfords Beach Lodge dusty and puncture free to celebrate the conclusion of a great tour. In short, it was lekker!
The Couple of the Tour Award went to two Australians, Louis and Greta Fortmann (ex South Africans) for their total attitude of kindness and positivity throughout the tour. It would seem word is getting around Down Under that South Africa is a great place to refill your emotional tank (and affordably too).
TRIPS & TOURS
- Great Karoo Tour (20th - 27th June). We have had 2 cancellations on this tour. We are closing bookings this Sunday 7th June. If you want to join this excellent experience across several tiers of the Karoo, sign up, fill up (diesel's going down) and enjoy the journey. We will be visiting 4 national parks (Addo, Mountain Zebra, Camdeboo and Karoo), excellent accommodation at Kronenhoff, Zuurberg Mountain Inn, Blomfontein (Cradock), Victoria Tuinhuise (Cradock), Nieu Bethesda, Drostdy Hotel and chalets at the KNP. This tour will put you in touch with your soul.
- Swartberg Classic Tour (24th - 30th July). We've just had a cancellation for this tour, so there's one spot open. Other than Meiringspoort, all the passes and roads on this tour have been reopened. Rooiberg Lodge, Boplaas Winery, Bosch Luys Kloof Lodge, Seweweekspoort, Swartberg Pass, Die Hel, Elands Pass, Gamkaskloof, Prince Albert, Swartberg Hotel, Swartberg Country Manor, Gamkaberg Nature Reserve. You only have one life > live it!
- Cederberg Spring Tour (13th-18th September - Fully Booked
- Mountain Kingdom Tour (28th Oct to 6th November) - Fully Booked
- Ben 10 Official (27th Nov to 3rd Dec) - Dramatic scenery, challenging driving, the ultimate offroad test with comfortable accommodation as a spoil. We have 4 spots left.
Mountain Kingdom Tour (Day 1)
Lamb shanks falling off the bone was just what the doctor ordered after guests had arrived at Resthaven Guest House in Matatiele after a long drive from Gauteng, Plettenberg Bay, Fish Hoek, Stellenbosch, KZN, Cape Town, Krugersdorp, Ramsgate and Pennington. For many this would be their first visit to Lesotho. The Q&A session at the drivers briefing was bubbling with nervous questions.
Day 1 saw the convoy rumbling down the wide main street of Matatiele (which means 'the ducks have flown'). This is the only tour we run with two guides and there's a good reason for that. Philip Rawlins is an acknowledged expert on all matters Lesotho. He knows the back roads, is well connected and generally makes things happen (like not being harrased at road blocks). We have worked hard over the years to temper the combination of two guides with different dispositions, but it works well with a dash of applied EQ.
Ready to rumble at Resthaven / Photo: Elrita Rawlins
The R56 is being completely rebuilt between Kokstad and Matatiele leaving slow traffic in its wake with multiple speed bumps (or as the authorities euphemistically call them traffic calming devices). The frustration amongst those in a hurry (aka taxi drivers and courier vehicles) is evident as some very reckless behaviour is evident on this road, where no overtaking signs are completely ignored. Oh yes - the Lewis Stores delivery bakkies need a special mention too. You need to be wide awake!
Fortunately, we left that jamboree for the relative sanctity of the dodgy gravel road through the wetlands around the Swartberg farming area, which was infinitely more pleasant. There was plenty of birdlife to be seen for those with keen eyes and good binoculars.
Underberg and Himevile passed serenely by with good views of Giants Castle and the Berg waiting to welcome us into its brooding bosom.
The SAPS border post was friendly and efficient and within 10 minutes the entire convoy had been processed. Philip took our passports and went up Sani pass ahead of the group to facilitate our entry into Lesotho, whilst I took the group up at a much slower pace.
Sani Pass is on everyone's bucket list and with good reason too. It has a certain allure - a blend of raw gravel, multiple hairpins, steep gradients, unpredictable weather and an interesting history. Then there's that "I've been to the highest pub in Africa" mental sticker, but we'll dig into that little story in more detail.
The weather was kind, other than a strong and ice cold katabatic wind, hurtling down the Drakensberg, which had guests huddled in the pub for warm drinks and hot meals.
One week after our tour it snowed in Lesotho / Photo: Courtesy of Snow Report
Sani Top Chalets & Pub changed ownership not too long ago. The new owner is a Mosotho lady attorney that lives in Jhb. She has cracked the anti-tourism whip in a misguided attempt at controlling numbers of guests entering the pub. Clearly law and good business practice are not on the same page. She does not want any groups bigger than 12 at a time to be in the pub. Visitors have to do an online booking at R200 per person, which is then redeemable off your lunch/drinks bill.
The pub is akin to a Spur at an airport - a captive market of non-repeat clients.
Her decisions have not sat well with the biking, hiking and 4x4 communities and validly so, as hikers and cyclists don't have ready access to computers or even good wifi to do bookings. Will her business last? That is the question. To be or not to be.
Sani Top / Photo: MPSA
Sani Pass has history; lots of it:
The history of the pass is defined by a rapid evolution from an animal trail to an adventurous 4x4 route:
Early 1900s - A Brutal Pack-Animal Trail: Originally, the route was a treacherous footpath used by the San people and later by Basotho traders and herdsmen. Because it was almost vertical near the top, goods were transported by pack mules, making it a difficult and often deadly journey for the animals.
- 1948 - The First Jeep Ascent: The first motorized vehicle to ever conquer the pass was a Willys Jeep, manhandled over six hours by ex-RAF pilot Godfrey Edmonds, who was assisted by a team of locals using ropes and pulleys.
- 1950s - Commercial Pioneering: David Alexander established the Mokhotlong Mountain Transport Company, pioneering the first regular transport service using Jeeps and mules to carry supplies and courageous early tourists up the pass.
- 1958 - Official Upgrade: The bridle path was officially widened into an access track suitable for four-wheel-drive vehicles.
- Modern Era: The pass remains legally restricted to 4x4 vehicles due to its dangerous, boulder-strewn conditions. It serves as a UNESCO World Heritage Site gateway and a thrilling tourist destination.
In the next episode, we will take you with us from Sani Top to Oxbow Lodge over multiple massive passes, including the highest pass in Lesotho, the Mahlasela Pass as well as the crossing of the brand new Senqu Bridge.
KOUGA-BAVIAANS TOUR (DAY 3)
Well rested, the two groups arrived at Babes se Winkel where the plans for the day were discussed. The three tyre victims needed to drive through to Willowmore to get their rubber fitted, so we planned our day around that time schedule.
Close to the well-known trading store, is a turnoff marked "Sewefontein". A short drive of about 1.5 km gets one to a large parking area, where we met our local guide - the well known and popular Patrick Ruiters.
Patrick Ruiters - An unmistakable voice / Photo: MPSA
Patrick is a small man, but high in enthusiasm for his comminity and the environment.
"It's not a borehole, ladies and gennelmen" he exhorts: "It's a fountain!"
He is neatly dressed in a clean uniform and soon has his audience warming to his peculiar style of humour, his high pitched voice piercing the still air of the Baviaanskloof.
The fig tree forest is next where the very old ficus trees form a shady canopy of the seven fountains that run through the area.
Hunger calls as we head west to another of our favourite earthy Baviaans experiences - Vero's Restaurant. Vero is a hard working young lady, who together with her family, live in a small home right next to the main gravel road. A few benches and tables have been placed under the trees, decorated with succulents, which are always for sale. The real deal here is ordering fresh 'roosterkoek'. Traffic passes close by, the dust settles and life goes back to farm mode.
Vero's Restaurant - a true blue Baviaans experience / Photo: MPSA
In the east dark thunderheads are forming, the tang of the air changing with the imminent arrival of a thunderstorm and when the rain hits the dusty earth, that heady aroma called petrichor releases all sorts of feel good sensations - the kind that make you want to stand in the rain and sing.
Our goal for the afternoon was two fold. Get our tyre group to Willowmore safely and allow the rest of the group to drive the Nuwekloof Pass; the key to the Baviaanskloof.
It is extraordinary how quickly the weather can change. We drove up the pass in bright, sunny weather and 15 minutes later the rain came bucketing down.
The "terrible tyre trio" (as we later called them) made it to Willowmore without any further mishap, had their tyres fitted and balanced and returned to Sederkloof that night arriving after 20.00 in full darkness.
The rest of the B-Group, who had arranged to have the dinner postponed till the tyre trio returned, had imbibed a considerable amount of alcohol (on empty stomachs) by that time, so when the TTT finally drove up the mountain, the rest of the group all went outside with their phone torches waving in the darkness as a sort of airport ground controlller and apparently there was some song and dance as well. Festive!!!
All these things bond people together. It's good for 'gees' building.
Next Episode: Zandvlakte to Cape St Francis
GAMKASKLOOF - ON THE MEND with TLC and TBL (Tractor, Bucket, Loader)
Piet and Marinette Joubert were marooned at their farm for several days, before a small group of 4x4 enthusiasts in Land Cruisers managed to reach them with supplies. The usual 2 hour drive took the whole day. The road has taken a pounding from that storm in May.
Piet Joubert (obscured, left), his son (right) and three farm workers hard at work getting the road cleared / Photo: Gamkaskloof - Die Hel
In our previous newsletter we published the story and appealed to our followers to assist via their Backabuddy link, but more importantly, Piet needed a TBL machine to fix the road. Well, miracles do happen. The TBL arrived on the back of a truck, offloaded and is currently doing the hard yards, getting the road back into a driveable state.
We will be driving the road in 8 weeks time and will report back.
Our hearts go out the Jouberts. The last 10 years have been especially tough for them. Fires, floods and Covid. It's enough to make a grown man cry. These folk need our collective support.
FEATURED PASS
During our Wild Coast Tours, we always head up to the old WW2 airport via the PSJ Airport Road. Guests really enjoy the informal drag racing on the airstrip where everyone's a winner.
We filmed this pass way back in 2020, but the video is still relevant
PORT ST JOHNS AIRPORT ROAD
Written with passion and a genuine love of all things South African.
How to be mentally strong
Stop explaining yourself to everyone
Accept that which you can't control
Dont chase validation
Master your emotions, don't suppress them
Stay steady when things get uncertain
Detach from unnecessary drama
Choose peace over proving a point
Focus on growth, not perfection
Trust your decisions
Learn from pain, don't live in it
Be comfortable standing alone
Respond with clarity, not with impulse
