Go! Drive & Camp – September 2019

70 | September 2019 go! Drive & Camp

What’s a winter holiday without crossing a couple of passes and camping at

three national parks, wonders Chris and Alida Laing of Paarl.

W

inter is no one’s friend: it’s
a time when most people
will light a fire, get comfy
on the couch... and not
budge till spring.
But this is not what the Laings are
about. In May this year, they loaded all
their camping gear into their 2006 Jeep
Cherokee Sport 2.8 CRD and hit the road.
They aimed to visit three national parks

• the Karoo, Tankwa Karoo and Augrabies


• and to cross a series of beautiful passes.
  And, as happens on such adventures, they
  came across a pass they’ve never even
  heard of. Alida Laing tells us more...

We’re excited as we leave Paarl
and drive up to Wellington, from
where we drive over the Bainskloof
and Mitchell passes to Ceres. We’re not

towing a caravan on this trip, because we

intend to drive a number of gravel roads

we don’t know. So we load all our camping

equipment into the Jeep.

After Ceres, we jump onto the R46 in

the direction of Touwsrivier and cross the

short Theronsberg, Hottentotskloof and

Venster passes. There are no signboards

for the last two, but it’s a lovely route on

a good tar road. We stay on the R46 until

it joins the N1, turn left and drive to the

Karoo National Park – about 5 km before

Beaufort West – where we pitch our tent.

When it the time comes to make our

bed, we’re shocked to realise we haven’t

packed our sleeping bags. Fortunately, we

have a double bed sheet and a blanket for

the three nights we camp here.

While here, we check out the interesting

Interpretive Centre, drive up another pass

called Klipspringer, visit the bird shelter

and also visit the Bulshoek picnic spot

where we have a wonderful picnic.

On our second day we drive through

Beaufort West to explore the Molteno Pass

and see if we can see the Gamka Dam, but

it’s impossible from the road. On the way

back to the park, we stop in town to fill up

with diesel and buy another blanket as

a precaution against possible cold.

AFTER THREE NIGHTS, we pack up and

get back on the N1 to Prince Albert Road,

where we turn right onto a tar road to

Merweville, a small town with a pretty

church. We drive through the town and

turn off on Dominee Pienaar Street at

a sign pointing to Sutherland, a corrugated

dirt road that weaves between the farms

of this beautiful area. We drive through

Do the Cape three-step

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