Easy WP trip advice required please

[Rusti]

Hi guys. So its my first holiday with the big boy so we want to do a 4 day road trip from cape town. Would like to do more but the gf is only off for 10 days and theres family etc to visit.. anyway..

I desperateky want to hit some dirt roads but have no off road experience so it should be something easy but challenging. I wanted tp do a course first but would rather put that money into the petrol tank...

The big boy is also not fully kitted out(no snorkel,no winch and no freezer) so we need to be within reach of 'civilisation'. I know I need these things but ive put almost 20k into him(suspension,alarm, timing chain etc) since purchase a year ago and these other toys are expensive so ill get them over the next year or so.. Going to buy a Ryobi compressor and puncture kit for this trip though.. I found what i think is a good deal but ill make a post about that in general discussions for quality and price opinions.

So with all this said im thinking of hopping from nature reserve to nature reserve. This should give us a few hours on the road each day followed by an hour or 2 on gravel. What do you guys think? All suggestions welcome!

Weve been up the east and west coasts a few times so im thinking something inland, maybe through robertson. Im looking for adventure and want to connect with the history and wildlife of SA..

[Hoppy]

Go to citrusdal, through the cederberg, wuppertal, calvinIa, middelpos, southerland, merweville, anysberg, montagu and back to cape town, all 2wd gravel roads with excelent scenery, and you can do it the other way round

[Hilux 1]

That is an awesome 4 day trip. Plus you get to drink some quality wine from David I think Niewoudt. Alan help me right here please.

[ThysdJ]

You dont say when you want to do the trip? But as Hoppy suggested is a good way to go. You can leave the tar behind just after Ceres, and join it again round about Clanwilliam and easily spend 4 days on gravel. On your way to Sutherland thru the Tankwa, go up the Ouberg Pass. Visit Middelpos, and if possible, sleep over in the Middelpos Hotel. From there Williston is a hop, skip and a jump away with the best grilled lamb chops in the southern hemisphere at the Williston Hotel. Fraserburg and Merweville to the south are also good places to visit. From Fraserburg you van follow the "Ou Posroete" to Sutherland. Nothing serious, but a route not often travelled except by the locals...

Best is to pull a copy of a good map closer and sit and draw lines... that way you can work out a lekker route..

[Rusti]

Hey that sounds perfect! Thanks guys! Going from 01 Jan.. Not ideal but gf starts work on 5th.. im off for a month so i wanted to be on the road for 2 weeks but it is what it is..

Are there national parks or game reserves along the way? Would be nice to camp in one each night and do some basic 4x4 inside the parks look for game etc. Would like to stretch the big boys legs a little bit and get some beginers experience.

Im picking up a BFG AT spare tonight for R400 to replace the old yokahama spare.. Now spare will be same as the rest..

Really looking forward to the trip..

[ThysdJ]

Explore the Tankwa Karoo National Park... They seem to still have accommodation available in various camps in the park. This will allow you to base-camp in the park and do daytrips out. One day do Gannaga=pass, Middelpos, Sutherland and Ouberg Pass, another day explore the park, another day drive through the Biedouw Valley..


http://www.sanparks.org/parks/tankwa/to ... &year=2015" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

We are spending one night in Tankwa on 1 Jan.. but we are not camping, we are "luxury-ing" for a change..

[Rusti]

Thats a good plan. Thanks Thys! Going to get a map tonight and start planning but will check out website now. Not sure if we'll be at Tankwa on the 1st but if we are ill PM you and maybe we can have a beer together..

Is it safe to leave camping stuff there during the day while we go exploring or best to pack up and take it with us every time? When we rented a house in Gaans Baai in a 'security' complex next to the beach someone climbed through the bedroom window while 10 of us were braaing in the front and stole our phones so we are not at all trusting after that.

[ThysdJ]

Duane, Tankwa is vast boet... huge.. and desolated.. no people around for miles... we wont bump into each other unless we booked in the same "campsite" and even then it will be by chance...

Just bear in mind it will be hot as Hades.. so take lots of water and other refreshing drinks...

[Rusti]

Ja I read its something like 11 000Ha or something like that..

But it looks amazing. Were thinking of staying in Langkloof. Have you been at that site before?

Really looking forward to it and the pricing is really not bad..

[ThysdJ]

Driven around there yes, haven't camped there. Remember there are very little to no facilities.. so make sure you can survive that.. and it is going to be warram...

[Wurmscooby]

Hi.Rusty,myself and a fellow hiluxer(pung)on the forum will be leaving on xmas day for week trip along the gravel roads to tankwa karoo national park and spending a weekend in hammelhoek nature reserve.we will be heading towards montagu and taking the gravel roads up to Laingsburg and Sutherland.we also will visit middelpos ,Wuppertal and wil be heading back to cape town via the west coast dirt roads. we will be avoiding tar roads.so maybe we will bump into you.cheers

[GI Jane]

That is an awesome 4 day trip. Plus you get to drink some quality wine from David I think Niewoudt. Alan help me right here please.

Definitely recommend David's wine at the Cederberg cellar, but not sure you will get into the campsite at that time of the year. Was their last year December and I know you need to book almost a year in advance to get into the camp during silly season. There are a few alternative campsites in the area, but they also book up quickly, particularly those on or near the river. But a great suggestion for a trip.

[ThysdJ]

Is orals uitgeboek antie Jane.... Thats why we booked into the Tankwa park... It's just for one night and we're not camping, just passing thru..

[Rusti]

The more remote the better. I want it to feel like were in the middle of nowhere.. I am a bit concerned about the heat but we'll be out all day exploring and will get day passes for resorts on the river and find some wine farms for lunch etc..

I called them today and am surprised they dont have a dam or something that ppl can swim in but thats definitely not a problem. Managed to get a booking for Tankwa from 01 - 04 Jan.

What map books can I get that show all the gravel roads? Thanks for all the advice gents. Much appreciated. Hope to see you on the road.

Did you guys see that N2 accident clip on you tube yesterday? A convertible came flying between 2 cars and hits a concrete barrier. Looked like he was speeding and miss judged when he changed lanes in font of a kia.. Got to be so carefull on the roads..

[ThysdJ]

Get a Tracks4Africa paper map for the Western/Northern Cape. Very detailed with travel times and distances. You can get it from ODW or Cape Union Mart.

[Rusti]

Thanks Thys! Cant wait to hit the gravel!

[ThysdJ]

No worries mate... Come back safely and post lots of pictures...

[swartvark]

Go to citrusdal, through the cederberg, wuppertal, calvinIa, middelpos, southerland, merweville, anysberg, montagu and back to cape town, all 2wd gravel roads with excelent scenery, and you can do it the other way round

Now that sounds like a plan.
I'm itching to do a Cederberg road trip early next year and a Baviaan's Kloof trip later on.