Across the Swartberg and through the brightly coloured Meiringspoort October 22, 2008
Posted by dodo in : Africa, Cape Town, Hotels, Map, Memorial, Money, Restaurant, South Africa, Sunblock, Travelling Bag , trackbackThe Grootrivier (great river) sculpted the colourful Meiringspoort gorge through the barrier of the Swartberg range, and our route follows the road that now winds along the river’s banks. First, however, we cross the mountains from south to north by rneans of the soaring Swartberg Pass. Four fifths of the route is tarred, the rest is gravel.
If you are considering this drive in winter, first check with the AA in George that the Swartberg Pass has not been blocked by snow.
Drive along Oudtshoorn’s Baron van Reede Street, following the signs towards the Kango Caves. A number of houses in this street, particularly on the left-hand side, are relics of the ostrich feather boom, and show ornate cast- ironwork, turrets and balconies.
The road out of town is lined by jacaranda and blue-gum trees, and on both sides there are tobacco-drying sheds, loosely built of poles to allow for ventilation. A little later the road winds alongside the Grobbelaars River through Schoemanspoort.
The Grobbelaars River bridge marks the end of Schoemanspoort. 3,4 km beyond the bridge, turn left onto the R328 for ‘Prince Alfred/ Swartberg Pass‘.
Soon the road passes the De Hoek caravan park and holiday resort, and after a further 9,5km the tarred road ends. The steep gradients and sharp turns of the pass dictate low speeds, but the gravel surface is almost always in excellent condition.
Swartberg Pass to Prince Albert
1,5 km after the start of the gravel you pass the barely visible ruins of two buildings on your right, and soon after this you reach the first picnic site on the pass, in a cluster of pine trees. About 1 km after the picnic site, the road approaches a left-hand bend beyond which you can see a steep ascent marked by a dry-stone wall. At the apex of the bend there is a built-up section to carry the road across a ravine. As you approach the bend you can see the date 1887 chiselled into a rock on the culvert. (The date 1886 may be seen about 3,7 km further on, where the road crosses another ravine — showing that the pass was built from north to south.) 2km later you come to picnic sites with magnificent views over the Kango valley.
As you reach the summit of the pass you will notice on the left side of the road a stone cairn surmounted by a bronze plaque. This records the story of the construction of the pass.
1 km beyond the summit you will see a clump of pine trees and the ruins of fairly large buildings. These served as a convict station, and later as the toll-house and the toll-keeper’s residence. There are also picnic sites here.
2,7km from the summit you pass the turnoff to Gamkaskloof, also known as ‘Die Hel’. (This is a daunting road of 57km and is not recommended unless you are determined to explore more deeply into the mountains.) There is a picnic spot on the right at Malvadraai, named for the Abutilon sonneratianurn (wildemalva; butter-and-cheese) which puts out its bright orange and yellow flowers in early spring.
The road passes stone quarries, then runs along the foot of towering cliffs, to reach a picnic site near the Tweededrif (second drift) causeway. After a further 600m you come to a second picnic site at Eerstedrif (first drift). If you study the rocks to the left of the road here you will see, just below the highest point, the feature known as ‘Die Horlosie’, or the clock-face.
At the T-junction with the tarred road, turn left for Prince Albert, a particularly attractive country village. The Hotel Swartberg and a restaurant, both in Church Street, offer lunch.
Prince Albert to Oudtshoorn
Retrace your route out of Prince Albert, but drive past the road from the Swartberg Pass on which you arrived. Follow the tarred road for ‘Klaarstroom/Beaufort West’. A little over 5 km from the junction you pass the farmhouse and cemetery of Baviaanskloof. . The date on the gable reads 1837, but the house is believed to be even older.
Be ready for a sharp left-hand bend — just before you reach a T-junction with the road from Beaufort West. At the T-junction turn right for ‘Klaarstroom’.
Just over 1 km after passing the village of Klaarstroom on the right, the road enters Meiringspoort, where there are frequent picnic sites (with toilets) on both sides. 8,2 km into the pass there is a parking area with shady picnic sites on your left, sign-posted as Waterfall’. The waterfall (with rock pools) is reached after an easy 300m walk from the parking area.
2,7km beyond this parking area, on the right side of the road, you can see the ‘Herrieklip’, on which CI Langenhoven chiselled the name of his famous elephant — joking at the time (1929) that this rock would be his memorial.
After leaving Meiringspoort the road passes through De Rust, and 34,5 km later you enter Oudtshoorn on Voortrekker Street
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