SCHOEMANSKLOOF Land of lace and water
When you’re heading to the Lowveld from Gauteng, past Machadodorp you’re faced with a choice of two routes: either turn right onto the N4 to Emgwenya (better known as Waterval Boven), entering the Elands Valley through the tunnel built by the Nederlandsche Zuid-Afrikaansche Spoorwegmaatschappij, or keep left and take the R36 to Schoemanskloof.
“The Kloof”, the locals call it, and there is in fact an Upper Kloof and a Lower Kloof. The dividing line is Patatanek, 12 km beyond the Viva service station and about 2 km from the painted rock known as Old Joe. Patatanek also forms the border between the Mbombela and Emakhazeni municipalities.
From the Gauteng side, the Kloof officially starts at the De Beersnek Pass at Bambi Country Lodge, opposite the R36 turn-off to Lydenburg, and ends about 45 km farther at Martin’s Haven Guest Lodge. This is how you would meander from the Highveld to the Lowveld via the De Beersnek and Patatanek passes. (Patatanek earned its name back in the day when people travelling by ox-wagon would stop here to rest their oxen and cook sweet potatoes before tackling the steep, winding road to the
