Quaint old roads through the land of the copper mountains October 7, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Cape Town, Hotels, Museum, Rail Pass, Tickets, Trails, Trip , trackbackThis drive is most rewarding in the spring when the display of wildflowers is at its best, but the panoramic views over Namaqual and and the mountain passes — Spektakel Pass and the Messelpad — are memorable at any time of year. Note that two-thirds of the ‘ route is on gravel roads, and that you must take food and drink with you.
Drive north-east alongSpringbok’s Voortrekker Street and turn right towards ‘Airport/Cape Town‘, noting your kms as you turn. After 1 km turn right at the T-junction, and after a further 4,3 km turn left, noting your kms again. You pass the airfield on your right soon afterwards, and after 6,2 km you reach the entrance to the Hester Malan Nature Reserve on your left. The reserve is home to a number of Hartmann’s mountain zebra, as well as many smaller mammals, and there is a shaded display of Namaqualand succulents alongside the administrative offices.
Retrace your route into the town and turn right into Voortrekker Street. Note your kms as you pass under the N7 road bridge about 200m after turning. The R64 on which you are now travelling leads through a harsh granite landscape, and after about 4km you will see on your right the Koperberg (copper mountain) with a number of old mines — including the fenced-in shaft dug in 1685 on instructions from Commander Simon van der Stel.
After roughly 6km you reach a crossroads. Turn right here, and after a further 500m turn right again onto gravel. Pass the small mining settlement of Carolusberg and then turn right (7,3 km from the N7 road bridge). Go left at the fork 200m later, to reach a parking area at the foot of the Koperberg after a further 800m. A steep path leads from the parking area up to the Van der Stel mine, from where there are wide views over the sun-baked flats and the massive granite outcrops that characterise this region. (Allow 30-40 minutes.)
Van der Stel’s mine to Nababeep
Return to the R64 and drive straight across it onto the private (mine-owned) road, noting your kms. After 9,8 km turn right at the T- junction to enter Okiep. On your left after slightly less than 1 km you will see the Okiep mine’s historic stone chimney stack, and behind it the stone building housing the ‘Cornish pump’. 100m after passing the chimney, turn left past the hotel. After a further 2,3 km you reach a T-junction with the N7. Turn left onto the N7, noting your kms.
After 2,3 km on the N7, exit left for ‘Okiep/Nababeep’, turn right at the crossroads, and cross the bridge over the N7. You pass a huge granite outcrop on your left after 2,5 km, and roughly 7km later you enter Nababeep, passing great slag heaps and mine workings on your right. After about 1 km you reach a fork with a large ‘go slow’ sign. Turn right here, then park on the right after 100m, outside the town’s museum. The museum building is almost completely hidden behind the old locomotive and coaches.
After visiting the museum, retrace your route out of town, noting your kms as you pass the ‘go slow’ sign. 3,7km later, turn right onto gravel for ‘Kleinsee via Spektakel’, and after a further 7,8km turn right at the T-junction onto the R355 — noting your kms.
You can now see the road rising ahead of you, as it climbs towards the summit of the Wildeperdehoek (wild horses corner) Pass. After 7,6 km you reach an inclined T-junction. Turn left here, and you begin the ascent of the pass 100m after this.
This road has a good surface, but is steep and narrow — extremely narrow in places. As you climb you have a succession of grand views on your right over the plains and low hills of Namaqualand far below. Once over the summit of the pass, the road winds among hills, following the courses of several rivers. As you round bends you can glimpse ahead of you the dry-stone support walls that gave this road the name ‘Messelpad’ (masonry road).
Just over 9 km after beginning the ascent of the pass you can see, down in the river bed, the extensive stone ruins of the old Koringhuis out- span.
The Messelpad eventually emerges from the hills and you find yourself in a gentler landscape with extensive cultivated fields. Continue on this road for some 25 km until you reach the tarred N7. Turn left onto the N7, and after 7,6km turn left again — to reach Springbok after a further 3 km.
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These passes also entitle you to benefit from numerous bonuses, varying from free or reduced transportation on the tracks of private railroad companies, on national ferry crossings, and on buses, as well as reductions on car rental, hotels, museums and bicycle rental. … Wax Museum
Can visit the Castle of Good Hope, the District Six Museum, Kiap Museum, the South African Museum, and the Company’s Gardens. … South Africa