TRAIL GUIDE
The Bonniedale Holiday Farm sits right next to the Outeniqua Nature Reserve in the Western Cape, on the banks of the Kamma River. This is where you’ll find one of South Africa’s oldest 4x4 routes.
Sign up at the Bonniedale Holiday Farm’s farmstead where the owners, Nico and Danette Hesterman, will give you a route map and explain what awaits you. Now retrace your tracks for 1,7 km, then turn left at the signpost for Goliatsberg.
You have arrived at the start of the Bonniedale 4x4 Trail.
A twin-track winds up a slope – you’ll need to engage low-range gears as well as traction control as there’s a mix of stone steps and loose gravel to navigate.
Up you go to Goliatsberg’s lookout point (S33.89218 E21.84895), about 700 m above sea level. In years gone by, you could choose whether you wanted to follow a tough obstacle route deeper into the gorge or take an easier way down the mountain to the next lookout point. But the tougher route is closed these days, although the easier route is still a challenge with the kind of downhill that has you reconsider whether you actually want to drive down there.
Our vehicle had electronic downhill control and cameras on the front bumper, but if yours don’t have the same, we suggest you engage low range and stay in first gear while a companion gets out to make sure you don’t damage your chassis against a large rock.
After this, it’s a much more sedate drive to the next lookout point, the Klipbokberg. From here, it’s downhill to Bonniedale’s homestead from where you can drive up a gorge in-between Goliatsberg and Klipbokberg to the Rotspoel swimming hole.
The second section of the 4x4 route starts in the Kamma River below Bonniedale’s main gate, next to the chalets. You start off with about 100 m through shallow water and over riverstones as big as watermelons.
From the river, the twin-track goes 2 km up the ancient Attequaskloof Pass to the ruins of an old toll house. This mountain pass was part of the historic Ox-wagon Trail route that started at Heidelberg in the Cape and brought colonial migrant farmers and transport riders to Oudtshoorn. You could call it the first N1 highway from the Cape Colony as it was used from 1689 to 1869 – a whole 180 years.
Bonniedale’s section of the Ox-wagon Trail ends at the Outeniqua Nature Reserve where CapeNature has erected a gate with a notice that only permit holders have access. The Attequaskloof Pass meanders through the reserve, past a British fort, and ends at the farm Saffraanrivier where the Ox-wagon Trail joins the R328 regional road.
At CapeNature’s gate, however, turn right and drive downhill to Bonniedale’s Footloose picnic spot next to the Kamma River. Here you can relax, but we suggest you drive a little along to a much nicer spot to pull over.
The trail takes you uphill to the Sunbird camp. Nico warns that the route is particularly tough – he says that a convoy of motoring journalists could not get a single one of a certain 4x4 SUV up the mountain to Sunbird at the vehicle’s launch.
We have to admit, we also struggled a bit to master the road, but – perhaps thanks to our off-roader’s smart electronics – we were able to make it to the top. The view from Sunbird is spectacular and you can definitely pat yourself on the back while lighting a braai for lunch. (Do first check with Nico whether making a fire is allowed.)
Now drive down the hill and turn right onto the Grootkloof and Honeybush trails. Nico says the Honeybush route scares even him and he sometimes advises guests to drive back along the Attequaskloof Pass instead.
The Honeybush route takes you through Bonniedale’s most beautiful bit, but near the end of the route you have to drive down a narrow twin-track on a steep mountain slope down to the Kamma River. This slope requires you to get the turns exactly right, otherwise you could easily lose the narrow track and tumble down the slopes… Don’t worry, Nico will explain exactly what you need to do if you are brave enough to tackle the Honeybush route. Because we’re nothing if not thorough, we did tackle the trail, and the Landie we were driving got scratch marks on its bumper and wheel rims. So be warned: your vehicle may be damaged on this route.
Now you cross the Kamma River one last time and then you are back at the start and end point. Well done!
The Bonniedale Holiday Farm has a swimming pool, campsite, selfcatering cottages and old caravans for overnighting. It’s a lovely farm for teambuilding weekends or family gatherings, and there’s even a hall for weddings.