TRAIL GUIDE
Be sure to remove your running boards and towbar before visiting the 4x4 playground at Sandwani Game Lodge.
Former sand quarries have made way for a 4x4 enthusiast’s dream playground at Sandwani Game Lodge, and you’re bound to enjoy it so much more if you take a couple of mates with you. You’ll have to call ahead so the owners to arrange for someone to open the gate when the facility isn’t busy. There’s no buzzer or anything of the sort at the gate, but if Johannes Nduli (one of the caretakers) is expecting you, he’ll be monitoring the entrance, so you don’t wait for too long. He’ll direct you to the left after the main gate, to the first 4x4 obstacle course. Many of the obstacles have been fashioned out of concrete, so there’s plenty of grip. This is very reassuring for novice off-roaders. There are a couple of axle twisters and routes that lead you through tall grass, but experienced hands will no doubt relish the opportunity to tackle the side tilt slope and log bridge. The former starts off innocently enough, but that angle gets aggressive quickly, and you’ll be sliding out of your seat and onto the front passenger side if you’re not buckled up. The latter is a simple enough affair if you line up your vehicle properly with tyres in the centre of each side of the log bridge. The inclines and declines are also a treat to crawl on, but we suggest removing your towbar if your ride height is standard or if you’re using a drop plate – the departure angle is quite steep. We found out the hard way, and there’s plenty of evidence on the concrete that proves we were not the first to scrape concrete chips off the slopes. There’s also a skidpan here, which must be a hoot when there’s been some rain. During our visit, there was only a muddy puddle off to one side, which offered some spectacular splashes nonetheless. Drive back in the direction you came from and back out of the gate. Cross the
P207 to the gate on the other side of the road. You realise that you could easily have started at this section first, but be grateful for the gentle introduction you had at the concrete obstacles. ON THE OTHER side, Johannes opens the gate just wide enough for your rig to squeeze through, so it’s less of an invitation for the local herbivores to come stampeding if any of them are standing close by. Once through the gate, you’re met with three trails: left, straight ahead, and right. From what awaits, it’s clear the owners mean for you to enjoy your vehicle. The trail left, parallel to the P207, leads to another skidpan and a quarter-mile strip. Here, you’re welcome to put foot, but truth be told, we wished we were rather part of a group. There’s nothing like a good old drag race between buddies to settle disputes from the previous night’s braai. The entrance to the skidpan, a smaller one than the massive dirt patch on the other side of the P207, is about 50 m before the strip’s finish line – which is demarcated by two white poles on either side of the road. Whoever goes to play in the skidpan will have to be cognisant of a possible race happening when leaving. The strip really does measure 400 m, and while you’re not going to see drag race specials driving here because of the imperfect surface, it’s actually quite a lot of fun in a bakkie. There’s a couple hundred metres of braking room on the other side of the line, so you’ll have plenty of time to stop. At the end, you turn right into the bush, with the fence on your left. On the other side of the fence and across the road, there’s a cattle farm with domesticated bovine enjoying green grass. From here, it’s back to low-range and bringing the heart rate down. You don’t need to continue far before you start to make out blue wildebeest grazing in the distance. On this twin-track, you can make out the quarry almost in the centre of the facility, with inclines and declines varying in angles of attack. You turn off at the very first set of tracks leading to the right. While the obstacles themselves are not too difficult to conquer, the rollover angle after some might be too steep for your liking – even if you’re a proper off-roader. This is especially true if you’ve arrived in an SUV or bakkie with standard ride height and factory-fitted running boards – it might be a good idea to remove the latter, particularly if yours is the plastic kind. These are not suited to the kind of driving you’re to do here, and they will definitely buckle and bend under the weight of your vehicle on certain sections. In our case, the belly of our Hilux was resting on dirt, running boards bent, with the front wheels just a few centimetres from the ground. It required some significant pushing up front to get the tyres down for enough traction to reverse
down the obstacle. And if you didn’t go alone and have a helping hand to pull you out, that’s even better. If you can’t get out on your own, you’ll have to call one of the owners to recover you. This section has some serious climbs, and there’s a boma set out on top of the highest section that overlooks a farm dam. From here, you have a bird’s-eye view of all the obstacles in the centre. There’s a picnic bench, so a meal can be had while you and your buddies figure out how best to tackle the obstacles. The shade provided by the thatch-roofed boma offers some relief from the blaring sun for spectators. If you decide to continue along the fence and not turn right towards the tall obstacle quarry, you’re aiming for the really wild section of the facility. The trail heads slightly uphill towards a forest of thorn and mopani trees. Here, your vehicle will pick up a few scratches, no matter how hard you try to avoid them. (Also, no need to engage all four wheels here.) If you look closely through the dense brush, you can make out older trails. Don’t be tempted to swing your steering wheel in that direction, though, as these sections are most likely being rehabilitated. In some places, there are also items, like branches placed across the road for some reason, but there’s always a detour so as to make minimal impact on the sensitive ecosystem. Where not so obvious, take a detour that’ll cause the least amount of damage to the surroundings. This plateau also offers a commanding view of the farm and is where the most elusive of the buck species at Sandwani are hiding out. Follow the most obvious trail, which takes you on a wide loop of the terrace, and you’ll come nearly full circle again. On your left, there’s a clear dirt road that cuts through the longest grass on the facility. Look again and you might make out the heads of curious springbok peering at their visitor. This path takes you down towards the main obstacle quarry. At the end, there’s a T-junction, where you turn right to approach some of the obstacles from the rear. Turning left takes you to yet another quarry – the largest of the three. This is the most natural of the three quarries at Sandwani in that you tackle obstacles closer to how nature intended; it’s full of other geographical features that are irresistible to off-roaders. You can easily spend an hour or two at this section alone, especially if you’re inclined to take pictures of completed obstacles. When you’re ready to leave, simply keep following the path that runs parallel to the P207. At the gate, you see yourself out, but be sure to close it again.
WANT TO STAY OVER? At the time of our visit, the rondavels at the main entrance of the facility, where you tackle the first obstacle course, were being renovated. They should be open again to the public by the time you’re reading this. There are also a few caravan stands at Sandwani if you follow the driveway to the chapel and turn right halfway. This is ideal for a group wanting to tackle the quarries together with their families in tow. You pitch among some of the tamer buck species that roam around the campsite. Some of the stands have concrete slabs where you can park your caravan. These are close to an electricity (regular domestic sockets) and a water source. There are also built-up braais and a few loose drums standing around. There’s a playground, bar and beach volleyball court for even more entertainment after you’ve parked. For more information, visit sandwani.co.za