2: Springbok - Montagu (South Africa)

South Africa Pitures Here:

Pass the Camembert Please…

Week 2 ended being quite interesting and slightly emotional… The rest of day 7 did not pan out as planned at all! The mechanic guy damaged the leaking bearing seal so it could not be used any more, then did not have a replacement part and could not find one in Springbok… So after we had a go at finding one, and failed miserably, we had to give up, book into the Springbok Lodge and try deal with problems the next day.

We paid a very reasonable R325 for the night and decided that, as everything we needed to make food and be comfortable was in the car (At this time on jacks with the diff taken apart and the half shafts out) we would spoil ourselves and eat at the lodge. We were both very pleasantly surprised by the price, and quality of the food! I had Snoek (Salty cold sea water fish) and a “Carafe” of the house wine for a total of R56!

Day 8:
We woke up early to phone a courier to pick up a part in Pretoria from N1 4x4. After a full day of trying to find this part in Springbok, I had made one phone call to N1 and they had plenty! The courier was recommended by the guys who had our car but he was completely uninterested in doing a pick up in Pretoria on a Friday morning. He told us that he would get it to us by Tuesday… I phoned XPS and finally DHL and no one could get it to us from Pretoria before Monday. I had a slight headache from the cheap wine and was not having a good day!!!

We ran around all the usual places in town to try and get something sorted out without any success! The closest we got was to buy a smaller seal from a bearing specialist with the idea of having an engineering company manufacture a sleeve to make it fit. We would then drive it to Cape Town and replace the thing again. We were just busy organising this when Trevor from CBS (Place who was working on the car) told us that a friend found the right part in a town about 100km away and he would have it there just after lunch.

We checked out of the lodge and set up camp behind the cruiser in the workshop. We had our table out and made a decent cup of coffee whilst eagerly awaiting the part. It arrived before 13:00, and it was the right thing!

We managed to leave Springbok by 15:00 after a lunch at the lodge. The joke was that this part cost R60 and after replacing the break shoes in the rear the total bill was less than R1000 for car things!

It was clear that our Verneukpan plan was not going happen and we managed to move our star gazing booking in Sutherland from that night to Monday night. We decided to head to the Cedarberg instead, go hiking and sweat out the frustration of the previous two days!

This is where we broke rule no 1 in Africa; I’m almost scared to admit. Our route took us down the N7 towards Cape Town. Within 20 minutes the Aircon stopped working, but Catt plainly and categorically told me that I was not allowed to open the bonnet before we got to Cape Town! So I left it. We stopped in at Clanwilliam for fuel and a few supplies, and found the turn off to the place we were heading for just after dark. We all know that driving after dark in Africa is a really bad idea, but we simply decided that we had to make a specific camp that day! And boy was it worth it!

We drove past Algeria camp site (R180 per night) and meandered through some mountain passes in mist so thick that I had to look out the side window to see the road surface. At some points we were driving no faster than 10km/h. We did however make Sandriff Campsite (R100 per night) by 19:30, exhausted, but content.

As we were way to tired for cooking or planning anything we decided on Tuna Salad sandwiches for dinner. A simple, fast and wholesome meal! A second before sinking my teeth into the sandwich Catt looked at me and said: Mmmm, I think some Camembert would be really nice with this! To which I replied: I agree darling! Where is it? At this exact moment I realized that we were not slumming it at all! The answer was of course: In the fridge, next to the Pâté, but you have to move the Merlot out of the way before opening the fridge.

Day 9:
It was freezing cold in the early hours and we absolutely refused to get out of bed before the sun was shining on us! By this time in our journey we had also learnt that time was unimportant and we had no idea what the actual time was when we opened the tent flaps for the first time!

First order of business was to go pay for the camping and check out the local wine cellar. We took a lazy stroll to reception admiring the view of the mountains around us discussing the kind of walks and climbs we wanted to do. The reception lady was super helpful in explaining the lay of the land, providing us with the necessary permits and supplying us with the finest bottles of red the Cedarberg had to offer.

Wine in hand we walked back to the comforts of the shady camp site for some more camembert, pate and cold cuts before taking on the first hike of our stay. From the campsite we walked straight towards the closest high peak and an hour later, slightly sweaty and a little out of breath reached the start of the Wolfsburg Cracks. Reception lady explained the “adventurous” route to us and after a very narrow, very scary and slippery traverse for around 40 meters or so we found the opening we were searching for.

2 packets of peanuts later we started our adventure. We were surrounded by massive cliffs in a narrow opening in the mighty mountains. Our next land mark was a rock that was explained as “not negotiable without assistance”. After the 4th rock we needed to help each other over and the 10th time in which we impressed ourselves with our almost forgotten climbing skills, we were pretty convinced that we could move onto our next landmark… The birth Canal…

After the 7th or 8th place we were convinced was, or at least could be the “birth canal” we finally reached it. There was something that closely resembled a dead end. It looked like a round rock fell into the crack and blocked the way. You pretty much need to leopard crawl for a meter or two before doing a near perfect “Upward Dog”, bending 90 degrees at the hips and popping your head over the next rock. You then somehow slither upwards like a snake until you can stand and clamber onto the next rock… This brings you to the top of the Wolfsburg and an awe inspiring view over the tops of the highest peaks in the Cedarberg.

By this time the sun was low and the light was nice and we had an hour’s worth of downhill to look forward to. After searching for about half an hour we found the way down and through the bigger crack which is the less adventurous route. The start, or mouth of this crack formed the most incredible frame around a picture perfect view over the valley which forced us to linger around there and getting the camera and tripod out for some self timer silhouette shots.

The walk down was much less effort, but a lot harder on the muscles and joints. We made camp about half an hour before sunset and with tired, but happy bodies fell into a deep and well deserved sleep after feasting on Bobotie made in our Cobb.

Day 10:
Getting out of bed before the sun was hitting the tent was simply not on the cards! The night was bitterly cold, but armed with sleeping bags and duvet we were snugly warm in our penthouse apartment on the roof of the Cruiser.

When we did surface we decided to walk down stream to a natural pool in the river called “Maalgat” (Whirlpool) 20 minutes or so later the temperature had risen dramatically and we were staring at an invitingly clear and icy cold mountain stream and swimming pool. On one side of the pool are high vertical rocks and after investigating the depth of the pool I simply had to have a go at jumping off them! They were only about 3m high, but provided me with a nice bit of adrenalin to carry me through the icy, upstream swim to where Catt was sitting, filming me and laughing at me. I did have my revenge when she had a short swim and I had the cameras in hand.

The stroll back to camp in slightly damp pants was interesting and refreshing to say the least. By this time we were very accustomed to the decadence of our lunches but our weary bodies loved the subsistence of it none the less.

The afternoon plan was another 2 hikes. No one was around a rock formation called “Lot’s wife” She is an amazing 2 meter tall rock that very closely resembles the figure of a woman with her hands in a praying position. The trail takes you through a labyrinth of unbelievable rock formations of varying sizes and shapes without climbing any mountains and every which way you point a camera you can just press the button and produce another post card of the Cedarberg. We loved that hour and a half walk and can highly recommend it to anyone who is in the area!

Our last mission in the Cedarberg was to walk to the Maltese cross. Catt had a look at the map and deduced from it that it would be a fairly level walk with one steep bit. We guestimated about a two hour turn around and set of in good spirits. Our bodies were definitely taking a bit of strain by this time and the mountain climbing of the previous day was catching up fast. Within fifteen minutes of the start we were staring at a trail heading up… and up…. and up…. Giving up or turning around was not in our future and we slogged a very hard hour and a half to get to a plateau between two high peaks and found the cross minutes before the frustration got in the way of our good spirits. I guess the mood you get in is all about expectations.

I have to say that I was impressed! The cross is a single rock formation standing on a slight knoll. It towers about thirty meters or so high and dramatically cuts the horizon in half. For a few minutes we just sat in the shade without speaking, staring at this astonishing piece of nature!

Once the photos and video was done we started our journey down the mountain and very weary legs. None the less, we were in high spirits because of achieving all our goals in the hiking department and treated ourselves to a dinner of steak, veggies and a bottle of fine dry Rose from the Cedarberg cellar.

Day 11:
The very first day we set an alarm. We wanted to leave early as we were planning on driving through the back roads of the mountains, the Tankwa Karoo and on to Sutherland that day. Our estimation on driving time was about 8 hours.

We left an almost deserted campsite by 7:30 and headed for the settlement of Eselbank. Before long we found a sign that said 4x4 vehicles are recommended, which, although a little scary, was still exciting. We spotted some Reebok in a random valley and picturesque little farm cottages around every corner. Upon entering Eselbank we found the part where a 4x4 is only recommended, but I’d say almost essential! It was a little rocky river crossing right in the middle of town.

The next town on the route was Wuppertal. Known because of a church, a shoe factory and an orphanage, Wuppertal is nestled in a valley between massively high peaks. The road down into the valley required a lot of first gear breaking and slow going. Not recommended to anyone with vertigo or a fear of ledges.

We stopped in the middle of town to take some pictures of the church and to post some letters from their post office. The latter was open Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 9 and 12 and although we happen to be there at the right time, they did not have any stamps to sell us. The friendly lady suggested that we try Calvinia for stamps… a two hour drive away…

Still awe struck by the simplicity of the little village we followed the road to the Biedou valley and along the river. It is often not possible to cross the river between April and October, but the day we drove the road it was still bone dry and before the rains.

Catt offered to drive for a while and I am convinced it was because she knew about the amount of farm gates that needed opening in the next hour and a half! I lost count at some point, but I think I opened between twenty and thirty gates. The track was slow going and rough in places, but very scenic and enjoyable. Not the place you want to be when in a hurry though! After the hardest part was over I took the wheel again and sped up on a wide gravel road through the Tankwa Karoo.

I was very aware of the fact that this road was famous for eating rubber and causing punctures and just when I thought we were special, I heard the dreaded sound of a flat tyre on a bridge. So we were not so special and our first puncture happened on day 11 of our travels. I’m pretty sure it won’t be the last. We did manage to stop before causing permanent damage to the tyre, so a puncture repair was on the cards for later. It was very warm in the Karoo and I secretly started plotting about diagnosing the Aircon problem and finding a place to fix it ASAP! A little sweat and great teamwork got us back on the road within 15 minutes and the end of the dirt road was approaching fast.

Once we got onto tar we thought the rest of the way would be plain sailing only to spot a sign that read: “Pass unsafe. Drive it at own risk” This was the R354 some 30km’s south of Sutherland. It wasn’t that bad really. You could see the possibility of rock falls, which is why the sign is there we assumed. The road itself is very pretty and a 15km uphill brings you to the small town of Sutherland.

Our accommodation for the night was a camp site no more than 1km from town called Sterland (Star Land) This place was astonishing! Every site was fenced by wind breaking trees on three sides. The ablution facilities compared to a 5 start hotel’s with brilliant white tiles and surgically clean floors. The camp site itself offers star gazing every evening and lectures on constellations, which we did not do in favour of a star gazing tour at the South African Observatory about 15km away at half the price.

I had a go at my first puncture repair and snuck a peak under the bonnet to try and find the Aircon problem. It was pretty straight forward really…. The fan belt had come off and was damaged. No problem to fix ourselves, but that was the one belt we did not have two spares of! So it had to wait for Cape Town anyway.

The night tour started at 7pm and we arrived a few minutes before. I was very disappointed to learn that they don’t actually take you to the big telescopes and you don’t go anywhere near the SALT structure. (I think SALT is the largest telescope in the southern hemisphere) Instead you go into a small, walled room without a roof and use two small telescopes to look at ten pre chosen objects in the sky. Don’t get me wrong, it was a brilliant experience! The lady who led the tour had vast knowledge and wasn’t scared to share all of it in a way we could understand. She explained that Sutherland was chosen for the Observatory because the closest next town was just over 110km away and there is little to no air pollution there. The also explained that the reason we were not allowed to go to the big telescopes was because of light pollution and no one was allowed to enter or exit there between sunset and sunrise.

Looking up at the sky an hour or so after dark was breathtaking to say the least! We have done some pretty incredible start gazing before on the Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana and at Spitzkoppe in Namibia, but I can confidently say that I had never seen that many stars, that clear anywhere in my 35 years of existence! The 158 x telescope was pointed at Mars, the Jewel box (Inside the Southern Cross) some clouds of dying stars, some star nurseries where new stars get born, nebulas and finally to Saturn. I was speechless!

I did manage to sneak out and set up a camera to do a long exposure and some start trails with SALT in the foreground.

Day 12:
The second day we set an alarm! We had a plan to get to Cape Town early, pick up a water purification system we paid for months ago, do some shopping, have lunch with a friend of Catt’s and take the obvious and obligatory photo at Cape Point, the most South Western point of Africa…

The drive to Cape Town was easy and pleasant. Instead of taking the normal N1 toll route we used the R101 through DeToit’s Kloof and past Paarl. It was a first for me and I have to say, I don’t think I’ll ever use the toll road again!

After concluding business we met up with Antoinette at the V&A Waterfront for lunch. Parking was interesting as Magurudumu is a mighty 2.3m high and no underground parking places are built that high. The other shocking thing was the R15 parking bill for a mere 2 hours of outside parking! In my next life I am going to build and own parking-lots. That must be the greatest rental income per square meter in the world ever!

We decided on the scenic route along the coast to Cape Point. This route takes you through the resort like towns of Muizenberg, Fish Hook and Simon’s Town and it is one of those roads where the speed limit is simply too fast! You want to drive slower and take in the view and have the time to look around. We both commented that it felt very English High Street like. By the time we reached Cape Point the sun was low and the light perfect! The only slight obstacle was the amount of other people who had the same idea as us. We hung around for about 45 minutes before we could position the car on some rocks, set up the tripod and take the picture. It was soooo worth it.

We had arranged to meet up and stay with Tony Weaver and his family that evening. Tony is the deputy editor of the Cape Times. His wife, Liz is a documentary film maker and they have two children: Zac is 14 and Shannon is 11. The GPS lead us straight to their historic farm house in the suburbs and with one look at the place we both said: “Yeh, we can live here…”

We had never actually met Tony before and he and I have been corresponding about all things overland for about a year now. His kind offer to give us a place to stay in Cape Town was re-enforced by the warm welcome he and his family gave us on arrival. He even offered to park his vehicle on the street so Magurudumu with all the kit could be safely locked up in a garage, designed to have a 4x4 with roof top tent parked in. We immediately felt like we had known them for years and the conversations developed into a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere around friends.

Tony decided to treat us to their local pizza restaurant for dinner. I forget the name, but MAN those pizzas were awesome! When we arrived back home however we found that between the lot of us we had neglected to take a key for the house. Someone had simply pulled the door closed when we left and the Yale lock did not need a key to lock… OOPS!

I have to at this point promise that this is not a tall tale or exaggerated in any way.

Zac, being the kind of adventurous teenager you can imagine an overlanding father would have, spotted his set of keys on his desk. This was about 4 meters away from a window he managed to open wide enough to get an arm through the burglar bars. His immediate suggestion was to employ the power of a fly fishing rod and the precision casting skill of his father. Tony’s reply was: “Please can you get the 4 weight from the garage son…” as if it was the most normal thing in the world! With four speechless onlookers and an excited Zac, Tony proceeded in assembling the rod and reel and attaching a number 4 fly to the leader. The specific fly I don’t recall, but I’m sure Tony will let me know if I ask him.

Tony managed to get his rod and arm through the window, but still could not quite reach the table at full extension. So the man had to cast! With a simple flick of the wrist he landed the fly on the table and hooked Zac’s home work. The theory was that he needed to clean up the mess before hooking the keys. On cast number three he hooked the keys! Unbelievably pulling the line tight he carefully and skilfully retrieved his catch back through the window to the absolute amazement and delight of the rest of us mere mortals!

We celebrated by drinking more wine!

Day 13:

No Alarms! We did wake up fairly early and started planning our day. There was some missioning to be done and we wasted no time in the mission to get it done!

First we went to Mountain Mail Order to replace our useless Optimus stove. One of the guys in the shop is an experienced high altitude mountaineering guide and he recommended the MSR Dragonfly to us. I have to say that in my research that was one of the top contenders, so we invested immediately.

We had some bank stuff to sort out and while Catt was inside the bank I got hold of the aircon fan belt and replaced it in a parking lot. Catt also gave up on the idea of using a fancy high absorption towel for a year, so a trip to Macro bought her a proper towel, us a table cloth and some other bits.

My famous first tyre puncture repair was leaking and I suspected it was time for new break pads on the front wheels, so a visit to a tyre and break shop was planned imminently. A good thing too! The puncture repair was quick and easy and on inspection the break pads had less than 1mm left on them! I also found a busted shock absorber bush, a hole in the exhaust and a broken exhaust bracket. The Richtersveld roads really did take their toll! Some coffee and chocolate cake and some R950 later we had everything sorted and were on our way back to Tony’s.

Liz cooked us a fabulous pasta and salmon dish and Tony applied us with wine. After dinner we got treated to a slide show of Tony’s photos of the travels he and Liz has done. He is an old school photographer who still had most of his images on slide film, but with the help of the trusty Leica projector we were soon mesmerized by wall sized pictures of a very old and rusty Land Rover and stunning landscapes of East Africa. We were both wildly impressed by his photography and immensely excited about the prospect of going to the places we were seeing in his images.


Tony has mastered the skill of topping glasses up in a way that you totally loose count of how much you have had to drink and before you can help yourself, you know that you have had far too much! It was after eleven by the time we dragged our slightly inebriated bodies off to bed.

Day 14:
Still avoiding the alarms of the world we woke up early and slightly fragile from the previous evening’s festivities. We had some coffee with the family, said goodbye to the children and started to pack our stuff up to move on.

We left Cape Town mid morning and reached the Afrikaans Language monument in Paarl by mid day. As we were both a little unenergetic we decided to dip into our seemingly endless supply of camembert, pate and cold cuts before doing anything else. The nice lady in the restaurant provided us with a thermos full of boiling water so we could even make our own tea!

The monument itself is an impressive series of concrete spikes representing the different languages that Afrikaans was developed from. As a language it has been described as the bridge between Europe and Africa by N.P. Van Wyk Louw, a famous Afrikaans author from half a century or so ago.

Our overnight stop was planned in the sleepy town of Montagu. We reached the pleasant, cheap and lawned Montagu camp ground by late afternoon and immediately boiled some water for tea on our new MSR multifuel stove. So far so good!

If I had to do it all again:

There is very little that I would change about the last week. We seemed to have found a comfortable pace of travelling now and a comfortable balance between driving and hiking. Even the driving in the dark was well worth it and the Sandrif camp site had an aura of friendliness and happiness about it. I can highly recommend that to anyone wishing to visit the Cedarberg.

In Sutherland I’d recommend doing a day tour of the Observatory as they actually take you up to the big telescopes then. Then I’d do the star gazing at Sterland. They have similar telescopes, but start the evening off with a lecture and then the practical side. It’s only R100 per person, so won’t break the bank. We also really enjoyed the camp site despite the geese in the field next to us.

Tony Weaver and his family are absolutely brilliant people! The kids are super intelligent and more mature than their years. They know the bush and the world of travelling and actually have as much passion and appreciation for it as we have. I could live a happy life if my kids grow up to be like them one day.

I’d seriously consider adding a couple of shock absorber bushes to the spares list.

Tomorrow morning we will see what the town of Montagu has to offer and what the 14 national monuments in one street looks like.