DO go chasing water falls EXPLORING THE FAR REACHES OF THE WILD COAST

The long haul

It’s a long drive from Cape Town to the north coast of the Eastern Cape. It’s more than 1 000km of Garden Route meandering that quickly deteriorates into pothole-ridden, fatigue-inducing trundling, and that’s exactly why it should never be done in one go, no matter which direction you’re coming from.

Our first Eastern Cape stopover was to be at Rooihoek campsite in the heart of the Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve, the province’s southernmost protected area. Ardent overlanders are well aware of the rewards that come from crashing through the ‘Kloof’s twisting, shale-laden mountain passes. A quick lunch stop at the BaviJAANS Padstal gave me the opportunity to see the preferred local means of transport first-hand, when a proud old gentleman pitched up in his Ferrari-red tractor.

We entered the UNESCO World Heritage Site just south of Willowmore, before passing through the ethereal village of Studtis, and then the reserve gate. Having been on the road all day, we were chasing the fading sunlight and the Isuzu’s 3-litre powerplant was putting in an almighty shift to get us to Rooihoek.

Travel, as we know, is just as much about the journey as it is about the destination. The Baviaanskloof is one of those wonderful 4x4 havens where the biggest highlight is the drive. Relatively tricky obstacles keep the pace slow, and virtually every single bend is accompanied by a mind-melting view of aloe- and kiepersolpeppered peaks and valleys, which many kudu, reedbuck, baboons and one very elusive herd of buffalo call home.

Despite the scenery, however, we were happy to encounter the entrance to Rooihoek, only to discover we had been given a dud key. Quite fortunately, the wooden boom blocking our path hadn’t been secured very well, so we managed to get in and set up camp just as the sun vanished. Rooihoek is particularly special because of the sheer