BEHIND THE SCENES

Photojournalist Justus Visagie was packed and ready for a camping trip to Botswana when South Africa’s borders closed due to Covid-19. Not one to be thwarted, he and his rooftop tent travelled all the way back from Gauteng to his home in the Cape. (Read the story on p 38.)

What’s great about travelling on back roads? By avoiding crowds, I am able to relax. People are generally the source of all vexation so it’s good to escape them from time to time!

Instead of zoning out on a monotonous highway, you discover new places. I had never driven the Rooinek Pass before, just south of Laingsburg on the R323. It’s short, but it’s a scenic gateway to the Little Karoo – the landscape reminded me of Tunisia or Jordan. It felt like I’d gone through the looking glass.

Did you travel alone? Yes, I love travelling by myself. You can ponder things for hours. I was also able to listen to my favourite podcast – Making Sense by Sam Harris – in which the presenter dives deep into topics like existential risk, human nature, and meritocracy.

What stands out for you on your trip? I’m still surprised by the ability of rain to transform a landscape.

Vanderbijlpark and the N12 to the east aren’t generally thought of as “beautiful”, but after months of rain the trees and veld were unapologetically green.

As I was driving, the sky was filled with retreating banks of violet-grey clouds, leaving warm, golden sunshine in their wake. Even the rust-coloured mine structures and mine dumps were picturesque.

What do you always pack on a camping trip? My Victorinox Swiss Army knife, biodegradable wet wipes and a good book. I’m currently reading Tales of the Alhambra by Washington Irving. It’s a collection of essays inspired by his visit to the Alhambra Palace in Granada in 1829.

What is the difference between Capetonians and Gautengers? Now you’re just trying to get me in trouble! Gautengers believe winters in the Cape are unpleasant. Capetonians know this isn’t true, but let’s keep it on the down-low…