ROAD TRIPPING IN SOUTH AFRICA
Cape Town - Mossel Bay - Steytlerville - Addo - Hogsback - Storms River - Cape Town
The call of the road is never far from my mind - unfortunately, taking time off work is not so easy and has to be planned well in advance. So no spur of the moment trips occur, sadly!
This trip started off along the N1 and N2.
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| Mossel Bay |
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| Tidal Pool at Mossel Bay Point |
Mossel Bay is always a draw card even though we have been there so many times. With the most amazing beaches and wonderful sea swimming, it really cannot be missed. There is nothing to beat sitting on the deck of the old Pavilion (Jackals on the Beach) watching the waves at Santos beach and sipping an ice cold Craft beer. This beautiful old pavilion is one of only 2 remaining from Colonial times in the world - the other is in Brighton, UK.
The St Blaize Hiking Trail starts at the Cape St Blaize Lighthouse and ends at Dana Bay.
A must for keen walkers at around 13.5 km or 6 hours. Do stay on the path.
Bartolomeu Dias landed in Mossel Bay in 1488 - apart from water, it seemed there were only mussels to be found. Visit the Museum Complex for more information and to view the replica of the caravel used by Dias on his voyage of discovery.
From Mossel Bay we took the N2 towards George and then on and over the Outeniqua Pass. That was scary as the mist came down and was so thick that we had to drive with our hazards on. So the normally glorious views were shrouded in thick fog. Wonders will never cease as, low and behold, once we reached the top of the pass and started our descent, the vistas opened to incredible blue skies! With brilliant sunshine!
We turned right on the R62 towards Uniondale and Joubertina but did not stop in either of these tiny towns as we braved the R329 to Steytlerville. Such a weird road but it was great fun - a single lane of concrete with gravel on each side so one has to slow down to move onto the gravel if there is an oncoming car. Surprisingly enough, there were actually cars on this road and not "going nowhere slowly" either. This is the very last single lane concrete road in South Africa so we were thrilled to have found it without having any prior knowledge that this road even existed!
"Steytlerville is a settlement in Sarah Baartman District Municipality in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Town on the Groot River, 164km north-west of Port Elizabeth and 90km east of Willowmore. It was founded in 1876 on the farm Noorspoort and attained municipal status in 1891. Wikipedia"
We had no intention of stopping here but the colourful family crests lining the main street piqued our interest so we exited the car to intense Karroo heat. Apparently, this tradition started in 2005 and those without any family crests were encouraged to tell their stories and so crests were made showing sheep shears, soccer balls, grapes or shopping baskets. It is a fascinating display and well worth stopping for.The Edwardian Dutch Reformed Church was started in 1906, and consecrated in 1907 - the cost was a whopping 16,000.00 GBP. The Pipe Organ has 1046 pipes and the church holds 1200 people!
The Veranda Cafe looked welcoming and this was born out by the very enthusiastic owner who welcomed us with cold drinks and then proceeded to show us their private collection of immaculate cars. They also have a license to rehabilitate injured wild life. One often wonders what drives folk to re-locate from a city to a small town in the middle of nowhere but this happens! After listening to some of the stories about the many rescued animals, their passion for wildlife certainly shines through. After a tasty sandwich, we headed off thru the verdant Sundays River Valley to our stop for the night in Addo Village. Hellishly hot all day once we exited that horrid mist on the Outeniqua Mountains.
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| Veranda Cafe Museum Steytlerville |
Addo Elephant Park remains one of my favourite parks in South Africa. It is the 3rd largest of the 20 National Parks in South Africa and a must if you are an elephant lover. From big to small, there they are. We had 3 close encounters - - one enormous ellie walked right by my window - I looked the other way! Then at Hapoor Dam, another walked right past the driver's side - I still could not look! Later we encountered a small herd with 2 babies so we decided to give them their space in the road and we turned around. It is always best to give elephants their space - they are normally very peaceful in Addo but one never knows! As it was a cool day, there was no swimming at Hapoor - the ellies just came down for a quick drink and then left again. On a hot day, swimming happens here and it is delightful to watch.
A favourite spot of ours is Spekboom Hide. Again, given the cool day, there was only one elephant playing with his trunk and blowing bubbles! In my attempt to get my camera closer I inadvertently touch the wire - OUCH! It was my first ever electrical shock and hopefully my last as well,. Totally dumb and a lesson learnt - the fence is electrified!!!
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| Hogsback Mountains |
Our next drive was to Hogsback in the Amatola Mountains of the Eastern Cape. If heading onto the N2 from Addo, rather drive thru the park and exit at the Southern Gate as the road from the north to the N2 is not very pleasant.
We then followed the N2 to Grahamstown. Whilst we did not stop in the city this time, we have previously visited and it is worth a day trip.
"Grahamstown, Afrikaans Grahamstad, city, Eastern Cape province, South Africa. The city lies on the wooded slopes of the Suur Mountains near the source of the Kowie River. It was founded (1812) by Colonel John Graham as a frontier garrison post near Xhosa territory, and British settlers arrived in 1820. The city contains many memorials to the Cape Frontier Wars, which were fought in the vicinity. Grahamstown is noted for its religious architecture, especially the Anglican Cathedral of St. Michael and St. George, which has a 150-foot (46-metre) spire and includes part of the original church (1824–30); St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church (1836); and the first Baptist and Methodist chapels in South Africa. Grahamstown is also the site of Rhodes University (1904), the 1820 Settlers Memorial Museum (1965)" Courtesy Britannica.com
We turned up the R67 towards Fort Beaufort - climbing all the way. The road was excellent, the landscape is empty, very lush and green. With very few passing places, getting stuck behind a truck is no fun but it was quiet and peaceful for most of the drive. There is a new road being built from Fort Beaufort to Alice and beyond which will make for much easier access between towns in this area.
The University of Fort Hare in Alice has beautiful buildings and offers agricultural degrees amongst others. Ex South African President, Nelson Mandela (1918 - 2013) studying there. After negotiating all the road works we climbed further and further uphill until we reached the tiny village of Hogsback. And it really is tiny! Homes are hidden behind lush, green gardens, this makes them feel so mysterious and fairylike! There are a few restaurants and a Grocery Store on the Main road and not much else. The appeal of the area remains based in nature - the 3 flat-topped Hogsback Mountains, the huge forests, hiking trails and waterfalls.
Being so high up in the mountains, the mist can come right down and shroud everything in ghostly whiteness. This also lowers the temperature drastically - on our first day, we lit the fire in our apartment (Cliffside) at "The Edge" and curled up with our books!
The Arbotetum is great for a short walk to the 39 Steps Waterfall . Very peaceful and with beautiful trees.
A short drive out of town took us to the chapel of St Patricks on the Hill
The road to Cathcart was further along this gravel road but we decided against driving in the heat . The road to Seymour is basically impassable and a huge sign states that towing and rescue charges apply! After the mist
The Labyrinth at "The Edge" is a "must do"
This eleven-circuit labyrinth, which was completed in 2002 and is inspired and modelled after a similar design to the Labyrinth in the Charters Cathedral in France. It is one of the world’s longest labyrinths with a circumference of 91 m, and total length to complete 1.4 km
The gardens at The Edge Resort are lovely and the hiking paths are easy and flat for most of the way. We even found some ripe blackberries!
Another interesting find was the Mirrors Gallery and Crystal Corner. Currently by Ken Harvey, the photographic display was stunning showing many birds of the Hogsback area as well as the mountain's and forests. Mrs Harvey gave us some seeds so we may have a little piece of Hogsback in our own garden soon. As this property is currently on sale (2022) the gallery may not be there in future.
Perhaps just not long enough to explore more of the hiking paths around Hogsback but time constraints always remains an issue.
A 5 hour drivc on quiet roads thru a very green Eastern Cape brought us to our overnight stop in Storms River Village. The wind was insane around the Port Elizabeth area - this city is fondly called "the windy city" and it certainly does live up to this reputation at times.
Sadly another Road Trip in South Africa ends with us winding our way back to Cape Town on the N2.
An amazing country, stunning scenery, so much to see and do!
Until next time,
For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa
