DIRT-ROAD DIARIES
Avid off-road motorbiker and last year’s Toyota Fortuner 4x4 Challenge winner, Byron Coetsee, shares some of his favourite travel destinations in Southern Africa
KLEIN-KAROO I have fond memories of a trip that I did with my father via the Seweweekspoort Pass, a rugged and scenic route through the Swartberg to the disused Calitzdorp railway station. The pass is beautiful – as much of Thomas Bain’s work tends to be – and being someone who appreciates history and has an affinity for the old-fashioned, I found the station, which now offers accommodation, an agreeable place to spend the night (081-473-3232).
CEDERBERG I’ve driven my old Toyota Hilux from Cederberg Oasis to Rocklands and also done this trip many times on my motorbike. I recommend spending a night at Sanddrif (027-482-2825), so that you can see the Wolfberg Cracks and Arch, two of the most beautiful rock formations in the Cederberg. The route to Wuppertal is just as spectacular. It’s about an hour’s drive, with a waterfall, the quaint village of Eselbank, beautiful rocks (very appealing to me as a rock climber) and amazing scenery.
LÜDERITZ Another favourite was a spontaneous trip to Lüderitz in Namibia. It was the first time that I’d been that far north on a jaunt that I’d had a hand in organising. Granted, it was one night’s worth of planning (the night before!), but isn’t that what makes it an adventure? Lüderitz is picturesque, with its historical German buildings, and a visit to the eerie ‘ghost town’ of Kolmanskop, about 13 kilometres away, is worth it.
THE WEST COAST It was the route that we took back to Cape Town from Namibia that made our trip the most adventurous. Our goal was to stick as close to the shoreline as possible, sometimes taking chances that would cause even the most accommodating GPS to raise a figurative eyebrow. It was an incredible journey and we found ourselves having to do roadside repairs with limited tools, running out of fuel (we had to use our spare 10-litre fuel can that we bought the day before ‘just in case’). We ended one section with only 500 millilitres of fuel left. We also made
friends with locals in Hondeklip Bay, who invited us to spend the night in their home (instead of pitching a tent in a government-owned gravel parking lot marked as a ‘campsite’). Other highlights included our run-in with De Beers Mining, which I’d best leave at that, and allegedly spending the night in a tent in a hyena rehabilitation area! But traversing the 1 500-kilometre stretch between Lüderitz and Cape Town was the most memorable.
LESOTHO (pictured above) Another beautiful place, where I’ve mostly ridden my motorbike but also driven parts of it and stayed at the lodges at Malealea, Semonkong and Ribaneng. At Ramabanta Lodge, it was freezing cold but the number of toasted sandwiches they made for us made up for it! The locals, the landscapes and remoteness are special.
ATLANTIS You may be surprised at the idea that a favourite escape can be 30 minutes from your home. Well, mine certainly is – the Atlantis dunes, just outside Cape Town. I come from a motorcycling and extreme-sports background, and consequently I’m drawn to dirt roads and sandy tracks. There’s nothing quite as relaxing as meeting up with my mates, loading up our motorbikes and enjoying the day 4x4ing in the endless dunes. (Permit office 021-573-7131.)