GAUTENG TRAILS

WITH KIDS IN SCHOOL OR A BOSS WATCHING YOUR LEAVE DAYS LIKE A HAWK, A TOUR ACROSS THE BORDER JUST ISN’T POSSIBLE EVERY SINGLE WEEK. BUT HERE ARE FIVE SOLUTIONS, ALL A STONE’S THROW FROM GAUTENG.

You won’t believe the 4x4 driving you can do within an hour from Jo’burg and Pretoria.

Few things can compare to a long 4x4 expedition a few days’ drive from home. But a tour like that requires planning, a good relationship with your bank manager and, above all, plenty of time. That’s why we took some time this month to drive a few great 4x4 trails that are really close to home if you live in Gauteng. Here, you don’t have to drive thousands of kilometres before you can give your low-range gearbox a bit of exercise. The trails are all within about an hour’s reach from the city. But when you’re crawling over their rocks, storming a staunch hill or wiping the mud from your forehead after a challenging water crossing, you’ll quickly remember that you’re actually in the heart of Africa already, with a bit of bush right on your doorstep.