Conquering the Swartberg Pass

We started the day with a lovely breakfast, English, of course, before setting off at around 8.30am for our drive from Matjiesfontein to Oudtshoorn, stopping at the Cango Caves and the Cango Ostrich Farm along the way. The journey should have taken around three hours.

The drive started beautifully. We passed through stunning scenery, with very few cars on the road, and it genuinely felt like we were the only people out there. We travelled through Prince Albert, a lovely colonial town, before suddenly coming across the words every traveller dreads...

Road Closed.

With only about 30 minutes of our planned journey left, we had no choice but to turn right onto an unpaved road. It started off not too badly, but then it became something completely different.

We had unknowingly found ourselves on the famous Swartberg Pass,a route renowned for 4x4 adventures. The only problem? We were not in a 4x4. We were in our little hire car!

An hour and a half later, we had completed it.

I will admit it was nail-biting at times. The photos really do not show the sheer drops, the narrow road with very few passing places, or the steep route clinging to the side of the mountain. We encountered plenty of 4x4 vehicles, as well as cyclists, motorbikes and even a tour bus. We later discovered you can actually book excursions along the pass, including breakfast at the highest point!

It definitely wasn't a route we would have chosen, but having completed it, it was a magnificent achievement. Mark drove superbly, and we were both rather proud of ourselves when we reached the other side.

At one point, while descending, we had to pull over in a narrow section to allow a 4x4 to pass. We parked on a corner and were immediately surrounded by Chacma baboons. Thankfully, they left the hire car completely unscathed!

The funny thing was, we had absolutely no idea at the time that we had just driven one of South Africa's most famous mountain passes. It was only later, when we arrived at our accommodation, that we discovered an official guide to the Swartberg Pass and realised exactly what we had achieved.

After our unexpected adventure, we continued on to the Cango Caves. They were brilliant and honestly one of the best cave experiences we have visited. The photographs really don't do them justice,the scale and formations inside were incredible.

Next stop was the Cango Ostrich Farm, where we learnt about the history of ostrich farming in the area and how it has developed over the years. We saw the present-day farming practices, fed the ostriches and even had a rather unusual neck massage from one of the birds!

For dinner, we tried ostrich steak, and it was surprisingly delicious.

We are staying in a lovely, safe area and were able to walk to the restaurant. The cost of living here continues to surprise us. We are paying around £30 per night on average for accommodation, and sometimes that even includes breakfast.

The road adventures didn't quite end there. Between the Cango Caves and the ostrich farm, we had several cliff falls to negotiate. These were controlled with stop signs and a barrier that people slide out of the way when it is safe to pass. The first time we approached one, we drove around the barrier just as someone was moving it and received a very stern look!

Then, while trying to find our apartment for the night, we came across another road closure. This one had been caused by a storm and a burst river, which had damaged the road. Thankfully, we could still cross the bridge on foot to reach the town and restaurant.

A day that started as a straightforward drive turned into one of our biggest adventures so far. We may not have planned the Swartberg Pass, but it gave us a story we'll be telling for years.

A brilliant day.