Go! Drive & Camp – September 2019

(Chris Devlin) #1

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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