We seem to have done a load of road trips this year. I guess we have needed to escape the craziness of 2021 following the disastrous 2020. And now we are ringing in the New Year on yet another road trip.
It’s our first Summer off in 5 years because we usually run our cottage as an Airbnb over the Summer holidays, but this year we agreed that our winter tenants could stay on and give us a Summer off for a change.
We left Cape Town on Boxing Day, which is the 26th December for the rest of the world, and started the long drive. Our first destination of this mammoth road trip was Jeffreys Bay, roughly 8-9 hours drive from home. We said we would leave early, but in our world early is 8.30am after last minute packing and a cup of tea.
We stopped within half an hour to stock up on coffee and snacks for the road and then we just hit the road.
The first major milestone was reaching the Huguenot tunnel and the stunning Du Toits Kloof mountains that it passes through. There are so many amazing hikes that I am yet to try in the area, but for now we are just passing through.
We broke through the other side of the tunnel and the mountain range which lead to the wide open space of the Worcester valley. At Worcester we turned off the N1 and joined Route 62 which we would follow all the way to Jeffreys Bay.
The next landmark of note was the Ashton Bridge which interestingly was built alongside its current position and then shifted into place once it was completed and the necessary roadways built. This is wine country and you can smell it in the air.
Out came the Krispy Kreams just as we passed then iconic Ronnies Sex Shop in the small Karoo. The Klein (Small) Karoo is the desert like area between the mountain ranges closer to the coast. It’s the smaller version of the Great Karoo which is an actual desert further inland in the central Southern African region.
From this point on the landscape remained the same for a good few hours as route 62 lead the way. The clouds were the best part of the journey and the ground below was carpeted with dry scrubby bush, rugged, dry, rocky mountains and very little else.
We stopped in Oudtshoorn for a milkshake around 2pm. Oudtshoorn is home to Ostrich farms where you can actually pay to rise an ostrich, the Cango Caves for those who are not afraid of the dark or small enclosed spaces, and the Wild Life Animal ranch where you can stroke white tigers and see Crocs having their lunch.
We’ve seen most of the tourist spots before and we’re a little late for the Cango Caves so after our milkshake we got straight back on the road.
We knew that we had left the Western Cape Province and entered the Eastern Cape Province when the tar of the roads changed from a dark black to a dusty grey. It’s a marked changes and you can feel it in the comfort of the drive which also changes from smooth to potholed bumps.
The presence of livestock on the roads is the other indicator and this huge pig was in no hurry. We had already swerved for goats and then later slowed down for cows.
But the change in roads also indicates a change in climate as it turns from brown to green and the apple orchards come into view. I love the sight of all the apple trees draped in protective nets and the promise of a harvest for the local farmers.
Route 62 eventually comes to an end and we turn a sharp left onto the N2 highway. Not long to go now. The amount of cows in the fields along the highway boast of the dairy farms of this area that are a rich supply of our milk for South Africa.
And soon the towering Wind Turbines mark our destination. The Wind Turbines have been built on the hills surrounding Jeffreys Bay and their presence only means one thing - lots of wind! I am always in awe of them and their size and potential. If Cape Town was covered in wind turbines we wouldn’t need power stations - we get that much wind!!!!
Soon we pulled up to our BnB for the next 3 nights and popped out to dinner at our local called Nina’s. Andre is a part of the furniture at Nina’s and has worked there for years and years and just happens to be one of my many (second or maybe third) cousins. I can’t keep track.
Nina’s serves a wide range of really good food to suit almost any palette from seafood, steaks, curry’s and pizza to pasta and brilliant gelato, and pokie bowls and smoothies for the healthy foodies among us. They are always buzzing and always take a while to bring the food, so have a drink and enjoy some good conversation while your food is beautifully and heartily prepared.
The next morning we shot down to The Point, which is a surf spot along Jeffreys Bay beach, for a splash in the surf and some sunbathing on the sand. The weather was just perfect, not too hot, slight pretty cloud cover, very light sea breeze and the water was refreshing.
My husband surfed for a couple hours and I took a dip in the rock pools amongst splashing kids and parents. The book I was reading didn’t much further because I was so distracted. Next time we really need to pack the umbrella and a beach chair.
Lunch!!! We picked up my son Seth and headed to Gisters, a local tea room that serves old school lunch with meat, potatoes and veg and good old South African Rooster Brood. We all ordered different version of the Rooster Brood (rooster is an Afrikaans word that means oven/toaster) but they’re usually made in an old stone oven to be authentic. I had the bacon, feta and avocado option while my husband and some had the chicken, bacon and cheese fillings.
That afternoon it bucketed down with rain and a big thunderstorm. The rain had been forecast and arrived later than expected but made for an exciting afternoon of card games and series on Netflix.
That night we headed back out for ribs and gnocchi at Brewco in town. It’s another brilliant local spot that serves great ribs, but they’re well known for their burger and pizza specials.
The next morning the surf was FLAT (Not the best news for husband) but that wasn’t going to stop us enjoying the beach. We stood around in the rock pools with other disappointed surfers staring out to see in the hope of seeing a wave come through. Unfortunately all the staring didn’t help and we eventually packed up.
We spent the evening with old friends and then packed up ready for the next part of the road trip starting on Wednesday morning.
The famous Supertubes surf spot in Jeffreys Bay
Leg one was complete and the next stop on the road would be East London in the Easter Cape of South Africa.
Leg 1 of the roadtrip covered Kommetjie in Cape Town to Jeffreys Bay in the Eastern Cape
Follow the series of blogs to see the full adventure unfold and eventually the highlight of our hike from Port St John’s to Coffee Bay on the Wild Coast.