(first posted 11/22/2012. It’s quite similar to our EXBRO trips, which I would do in a 404 wagon if I had one) We’ve done the paved road to Grahamstown to death, so when we decided to attend the National Arts Festival this year, I grabbed my pink highlighter and drew a new route in my map book. It would indeed be possible to travel on gravel for most of the way. We’re ready to go just before eleven on a Friday – food, drinks, bedding, tools, reading matter, brake fluid, jumper leads and lots of guts – and we head out to Ceres from Stellenbosch, past the back of Paarl. The rain is falling steadily and you can’t help but marvel at how beautiful Bain’s Kloof Pass is.
(click on all photos for full size)
The vegetation is lush and the waterfalls and rivers babble. The 404 sings. We go through Ceres and follow the R46 to the Karoo Poort. The initial idea was to have lunch in Sutherland and spend the night in Merweville … The map book and the road have different ideas. We quickly realize a commercial map book doesn’t give you the full picture. The road numbers on the signs differ from those on the map, and we start driving on instinct.
By 1.30 pm we hit the gravel road, 143 km from home. It’s cold, sopping wet and the mountains are covered in snow. It’s a muddy road and I remember my father’s advice: “Keep it in second and don’t go too fast.” The mud splashes all over the car, windscreen included. I just keep the wheels straight, even if the rear end sways a bit at times. Meanwhile, the turnoffs we can’t find on the map require all our concentration. Some distance further we’re back on good gravel, but the flood damage to the road makes the driving tricky. I know you’re not allowed to brake or turn the steering wheel too much; there is only one direction and that’s straight.
After about 60 km of trouble-free gravel driving, we cross our first river on a causeway. The rain stops occasionally, the veld is beautiful and we stop whenever we want to. We make it through a mud bath, despite the car wiggling a bit. A muddy hill, however, is another story and I start worrying when we hit an incline. But we make it up unscathed and I am quietly grateful the 404 doesn’t really have enough power to spin the wheels.
Just before the turnoff to Sutherland we pass Zeekoegat, a waterfilled pan. The Karoo landscape remains beguiling and ever changing – mountains, koppies and valleys. This may be the biggest difference between the tar road and the gravel road through the Karoo. The tar road is flat, it becomes boring and you think the entire Karoo is flat. On gravel, it’s completely different, specially after good rains. And the Karoo isn’t flat. It has descents and ascents and causeways and rivers and erosion ditches. At 4.30 pm we reach the end of our first gravel road stretch at the R354 gravel road to Sutherland – 117 km of gravel in three hours. We feel as if we’ve been away for days.
Driving up the Verlatekloof Pass is wonderful, and we enter Sutherland just after five. Straight to the hotel, and yes, they have room, even if it is Friday. After Jeanine – dressed in a coat and beanie – serves our lamb curry at the bar and listens to our stories of the varying conditions of the region’s roads, we go to bed. Fortunately, the room has a heater on the wall and an electric blanket. After breakfast at a table flanked by two gas heaters, we’re back on the road.
We hit the R354 tar road to Matjiesfontein, and about 10 km outside town we turn left to Merweville. The gravel road looks good, the veld is beautiful and we give it gas. Soon we see giant pans of water and it starts drizzling. We stop to admire the pans flanking the road. Shortly after this, we see the first of two vehicles on the gravel road that day. The woman behind the steering wheel of the VW Touran stops and tells us excitedly that the road is terrible.
She had to wade through a river that came up to her knees to see if she could drive through. Her GPS said it was the only road from Merweville to angebaan. “It’s not a road for an ordinary car,” she says. I wait a second or two before answering: “Lady, this is no ordinary car,” and wonder if she really took off her shoes and rolled up her pants. It’s cold and wet, and here and there the water runoff has damaged the road badly.
About 18 km past Melkseplaas we reach Soutdrift. We stop. The tiny pillars of the causeway protrude above the river. Would this be the deep river? We slowly drive into the water, in second gear. It’s not deep at all and we easily go through. What is the problem? But wait, 2 km further we encounter a real river.
The Portugalsrivier is no joke. It’s not in flood, but it’s full and a good 100 m wide. And considerably fewer poles at the side of the causeway are exposed above the water than at Soutdrift. But I don’t feel like removing my shoes – and besides, we’re not driving an ordinary car. In second, not too quickly and not too slowly, we drive through. A tad on the deep side, water is all you see before you. We make good progress, but about three quarters of the way through, the 404 starts sobbing a bit and the revs drop.
Against my dad’s advice, I switch to first and keep the revs high, but now we run the risk of even more water washing onto those deeply set spark plugs …We drive in silence. You can feel the tension. It feels like ages, but on we go. Finally, the bonnet lifts, but the 404 stalls right there. There is water to our right and both of us get out on the left. We walk around the car and, to our relief, we see we’re about a metre beyond the stream. Phew!
I get in on the right, but the car won’t start. I open the bonnet and remove the distributor cap. I dry everything, replace it and turn the key. And what do you know, we make deep tracks out of the Portugalsrivier. We have a good laugh, because things could have been different. If you know a 404, you’ll know we haven’t really left the river behind. The water down at the bottom of the spark plugs turns to steam, which rises up the bakelite housings of the plug springs and we lose spark again.
About 14 km further we dry those housings a last time. The front brake drums also lose their spunk, but recover once the spark plugs are firing again. There is still water damage on the road surface and we wince every time we bump into ditches and potholes. Everybody warned us about the steep Rooiberg Pass near Merweville. The road is indeed narrow and terribly steep, and I keep the car in first.
Then the Karoo unfolds before us among koppies that almost look like Golden Gate. You can see forever, but you have to keep your eye on the road because it’s not a short drop. And then you’re at the bottom. The sun starts shining and it almost looks like savannah with shrubs here and there, but there are almost no succulents. You occasionally see springbok and other game.
There are more farms with people on them here, the road is nice and even and we can press on at about 80 km/h. Shortly before three, we see Merweville’s high church tower. We’ve completed the second gravel road shift – 111 km, of which 101 km were on gravel. We’re not too bothered about the three and a half hours we drove today. Time isn’t in a hurry out here. Few people, many words.
We spend three days in Tries se Skuur, Merweville, and next time we’ll go for a week. There are just too many interesting people to chat to.
We get away on Tuesday afternoon. It’s about 45 km between Merweville and the N1 at Prince Albert Road, and parts of it are gravel and parts tar. They’re working on the road and there’s also a small stretch of gravel next to the new road. It’s lunchtime, and from Prince Albert Road we drive 30 km along the N1 to Kruidfontein. Here, with 496 on the odometer, we turn right and start our third gravel shift. The sign says Prince Albert and we pass farms watered by the Leeu River. It’s a beautiful road. After 10 km we turn left to Seekoegat. We encounter more farm gates and many causeways, and in places the road is a jeep track. It’s a hilly landscape with lots of thorn trees.
After 42 km from Kruidfontein on the N1, we encounter a big farmyard with numerous buildings. Klein Waterval perches atop a deep riverbed with rocky banks. The road is rimmed with tall wire fences – this is game country. Then you emerge from this uneven landscape onto flatlands again and the vegetation is sparser. In the distance the landscape is rimmed by the Swartberg. After Seekoegat, we cross the N12 between Beaufort West and Oudtshoorn.
We have to push on to Rietbron, with its springbok on the church tower. It’s just after 4.30 pm and we’ve driven 136 km since turning off the N1. Rietbron lies ahead of us, but we are unsure whether we should turn left or right. We turn right on the R306 to Willowmore, but after 10 km we realise we’re wrong. Back in Rietbron, we’re told we have to take the Groblersdal road. We drive further up the main road and turn right onto the Groblersdal road. And yes, here is a springbok on the church tower.
I’d like to hear that story one day … The road is good and we drive at 80-85 km/h. In the distance to the south we see the Baviaanskloof Mountains. And then … the car doesn’t feel right. The rear tyre is punctured, but it’s still intact. Twenty minutes later the spare wheel is on and we’re back on the road. About 184 km from Kruidfontein we reach the N9. We turn left to Aberdeen. The mountains are lovely shades of pink and purple. We drive around the empty Beervlei Dam next to the N9.
After about 15 km on good tar we turn right to Miller. I start worrying, because I don’t think I calculated my distances for today’s stretch very well. It turns into a sunset cruise. Later, the road deteriorates, with quite a few drifts. Weeds and bushes grow in the road here. At Miller, a tiny place, our sunset cruise turns into a starlight cruise and I start to wonder when we’ll reach Jansenville. The road to Klipplaat is in very good condition, though, and we see our first aloes in the dark. We drive into Klipplaat just before seven, 283 km from the N1. We drive up to the beautiful Victorian police station built of stone. The friendly policemen say we need to carry on straight to get to Jansenville.
We call the guesthouse to say we’re still coming. The police accompany us some distance past the town. We are quite surprised to find it’s a beautiful tar road. And for the first time since leaving Ceres another vehicle passes us. About 30 km further, we reach another set of road works and have to take a gravel detour.
It’s 7.30 pm when we reach Jansenville, about 390 km from Merweville. The other KFC Crowing cocks wake us. We eat and head off to Stokkies’s garage (Jansenville Motors) a short way down Hoofstraat. Stokkies’s real name is Timothy Yeyi. He speaks melodious Afrikaans and presides over one of the tidiest workshops I’ve ever seen. The floors are swept, the tools are neatly arranged in cupboards, the parts in rows on shelves, and one of the staff members is sweeping the forecourt outside.
In a jiffy the puncture is plugged and the wheel refitted. We use the opportunity to lubricate the front chassis and the steering mechanism, because we’ve put it through quite an ordeal in the past few days. All good, and we’re back on the road with a receipt for R30. We stop at the Koperketel with antiques from the Karoo and only get away after noon. From Jansenville we take the R75 tar road towards Port Elizabeth for about 28 km. Then you turn left on the R400 at the Waterford sign.
This long road runs east almost all the way to Grahamstown, largely along the northern border of the newly enlarged Addo Elephant National Park. Waterford is about 15 km further. The tiny community is situated around a huge Dutch Reformed church. The condition of the R400 varies, but you can usually drive at 80 km/h. Just after two, after our tummies have started rumbling, we find the KFC. No,not that one – this is an abbreviation for Karoo Farm Crafts, which is run from a converted water tank, about 67 km from Waterford. Greg and René Webster farm sheep, honey, olives, goats and cattle on their farm. She bakes rusks, serves light meals and sells her husband’s crafts, jam, honey and other products in the shop.
Before we know it, it’s 3 pm, and we’re back on the road. Now you start seeing angora goats. We cross the N10 between Cradock and Port Elizabeth and see Afrikaner cattle in the scrub.
The last town before Grahamstown is Riebeek East, about 135 km further on the R400. First you see RDP houses on the hill and then a tiny stone church surrounded by houses. And suddenly there are potholes everywhere – lots of them. A few kilometres further our adventure ends. It’s 4.30 pm and, with the trip meter on 1002.6 km, we’ve reached the end of the R400, here where it ends in the R350 between Bedford and Grahamstown.
Our fourth and final gravel shift was about 160 km of gravel road. We turn right. The R350 isn’t much to write home about. The sun is sinking as we drive into Grahamstown just before five, 1,024 km from home, most of which – about 680 km – was on gravel. We’d do it again tomorrow, but first there are a few other roads on which the 404 would like to kick up some dust …
Author’s PS: My first car was a 1969 Peugeot 404, which was a wedding gift (at half price) from my father. Since then I have never driven anything else than a Peugeot. I bought the wagon in 2007 and after some extensive renovations started using it for normal transport and for country trips. My wife uses our 1974 504GL and we also have a 1985 505 GTI, a 1959 403, which started me off as a collector in 1986 and brought me into contact with Peugeot clubs worldwide, and more recently I obtained a 1951 203 which was converted into a racing saloon in the 1960’s and used by its creator as a sprots saloon till last year, when I bought it from his widow. The 404 wagon is actually my work car, if I do not use my bicycle…
Editor’s PS: This article was first published in Drive Out. Now you know why I called the 404 Wagon “The World’s Greatest Wagon”. We’ll take a look at Dawid’s other Peugeots sometime, as well as a feature on their more recent rip across southern Namibia.
A very interesting write-up of a very interesting trip! Thank you for sharing your adventure and all of the great photography. Some of the photos resemble New Mexico. I’ve never really paid much attention to Peugeot but have certainly taken more notice now. I’m sure if you tried to ford the water in a modern car, the computer would fizzle and you’d be stranded.
Like dstanley, I am slowly becoming a fan of the Pug. Drip, drip, drip – PN keeps the Peugeot pieces coming at just the right rate, and soon, who knows, I may chuck my Stude fetish into the trash and start searching for Pugs in my local Craigslist. 🙂
Dawid, a very nice writeup of your travel adventure. My hat is off to you for your pioneer spirit. And I really like your wagon.
In March of 1983, my mother flew out to LA and we decided to take her on a grand tour of the deserts and mountains of California in our 1970 404 wagon. Our daughter was two, and Ted was three months old. Just as we left Santa Monica, one of the biggest winter storms ever hit CA.
We were headed up to Mammoth, but the CHP closed the highway at the little town of Mojave. Fortunately, we got the last room in the motel. It was pouring all night, but then I woke up at 3AM, and it had stopped. Fearing (falsely) that another wave of rain might soon come, I woke everyone up and said we had to hit the road.
So we crossed the Mojave in the dead of night, trusting ourselves to the old Peugeot. There wasn’t a soul out anywhere, and I could soon see why: the washes across the highway were quite deep, some several feet. I knew that the spark plugs in the Peugeot (as well as the old-school distributor) were at risk of getting flooded out.
Here I am in the middle of the Mojave at 4AM, fording washes that I didn’t really know how deep they were, with two women and two little kids. These desert washes can be quite dangerous during a storm.
I’ve rarely been quite so nervous in my life behind the wheel; I knew I had taken a big risk, just to get to our next destination. It was almost impossible to see much ahead in the dark of night; how deep the water was. But the Pug’s little motor never stopped purring, and we made it through the worst of it as the morning light appeared, and we were out of the lower flat land and heading up into the Owens Valley.
When we got to Mammoth, they place was engulfed in up to 15 feet of fresh snow. Everyone was on the roofs, shoveling it off to avoid roof collapses. In our top-floor condo rental, I woke up at night again, and heard cracking of wood. I was in a panic, and for the second night in a row, got my family up at 3AM, called the front desk, and insisted on moving to another unit; which we did.
Anyway, Dawid’s travels and the pictures of his 404 wagon has once again instilled memories of ours, and deep regret for ever letting it go. If I ever come across a decent one, I don’t think I could resist.
The question is, Paul, would you do such a thing again?
I know I wouldn’t!
Fantastic story and great pictures!! Question … with the ubiquity of SUV’s and Toyota pickups, are there still particular models of standard passenger car which are preferred for use in rough and remote parts of the world, like Peugeots and VW Beetles were used in the ’60’s, and later the RWD Nissans? I see lots of Corollas and Kias and Hyundais in the Middle East on TV, but that seems to be mostly in cities and on pavement. I still remember the success of the 404 in the Safari Rally, when they weren’t even used in European rallying.
I may not be the best one to take on that question, but the automotive world really has bifurcated into two: city cars and trucks (including SUVs, etc). We see that in the US too.
In the past, trucks really were mostly used for commercial purposes, especially so in Europe, and those countries influenced by it. Hence the popularity of rugged cars like the Peugeot, VW, and certain others.
But most of all, the small 4×4 Japanese trucks changed everything. That also explains why double cab versions of them, even with very small beds, are so common in those parts of the world. They are the perfect vehicle for challenging conditions.
I would say that folks will use Corollas and such wherever they can, because they’re cheaper to run than a truck, but the utility of a 4×4 double-cab truck is almost unbeatable, and explains their ubiquity outside of built-up ares. I’d also say that there’s a bit of a macho thing with them too, like in the US. Even if a Corolla would do, its image is a bit “womanly”, and we’re talking about parts of the world where men often still take their role quite seriously.
Great topic dman, this is a minor hobby horse of mine. It is ironic that Peugeot, the manufacturer of the 404 & 504 that are still highly used in Africa, also produced cars like the 407 with its enormous front overhang.
Most modern cars have tiny ground clearance and long crash-friendly front overhangs severely limiting their usefulness in rough conditions. Wheel travel is also much more limited with strut type suspensions. CUV’s are normally better as the off-road imagery results in more useful clearance angles plus some more fresh air underneath. Subaru has recently started selling a raised Outback-style Liberty sedan here, and promoting it in rural areas.
I think the only answer to dman’s question would be some of the models sold in India where they are designed for rougher roads, and the small size improves clearance angles. Otherwise CUV’s or better still SUV’s are the way to go.
I enjoy exploring the back roads of the western US where 4wd is occasionally needed, but low ground clearance, fragile suspension components and 50-series tires on alloy rims are not useful. I have owned 4wd pickups and for many years drove an FZJ80 Land Cruiser, but I wanted better fuel economy and switched to a Subaru. Aside from its AWD, the Subaru seems strong (runs straight with no wheel alignments and many miles of washboard in the past 8 years), but I’d like more choices, and the Toyota RAV4 or Honda CRV don’t have the rugged reputation of the Subaru, which may admittedly be more perception than reality. Also, I’m expecting/hoping availability of 4 cylinder AWD diesels here soon (BMW X3 and Mercedes GLK) which should have much better fuel economy than my turbo 2.5 Forester, but I don’t want to spend $50K on a car which can’t take a rough road. Anyway, sorry to get off-topic but it’s a pet peeve. BTW, the raised Liberty (or Legacy in the US), was sold briefly here as an Outback Sedan and marketed as an SUS – Sport Utility Sedan.
Subaru have a boxer diesel in most markets
I think one of the main plus points for the Subaru is the permanent AWD compared to the sometimes slow-acting fwd-awd setups on some of the others. I don’t know about general reliability etc, but any CUV or similar subject to a lot of unsealed road & worse use could probably do with a bit of aftermarket setup, eg stronger tires (on the smallest diameter wheels available), heavy duty shocks, sump guard (important with cast-alloy oil pans and transmission cases) and perhaps a slight lift. The Suzuki Grand Vitara or Jeep Liberty (sold as the Cherokee here) are worth considering as ‘proper’ SUV’s with a low-range transfer case etc
What a fantastic write up. One day I need to an epic journey in a classic car but perhaps somewhat less epic than this one.
Un jour Peugeot, Toujours Peugeot, One day in a Peugeot, Always in a Peugeot!
It is greast fun to go into places where the Range Rover crowd is scared to scratch the metallic paint!
This trip makes our trip up the pole line road from Tonopah to Gabbs, Nevada, seem like a 500-foot driveway by comparison. Well written…and driven.
Disassembling the distributor after going through water reminds me of my Fiat 124 days- you can look funny at them and get enough water under the cap to kill the spark. Oddly enough, even though the plugs are on top, set deep in between the cam towers, they didn’t usually conk out when wet- I can recall them sparking merrily along while sitting in 3/4 of an inch of boiling water. Maybe because they had rubber shrouds rather than bakelite?
We’ll take a look at Dwid’s other Peugeots sometime, as well as a feature on their more recent rip across southern Namibia.
!!! Psyched, way psyched… I loved this. These are the things I dream about all day. If I won the lottery, I’d spend the rest of my days driving all the remote corners of the earth, likely in an old Peugeot. This also reminds me I have a great video to post when we get to the 1960 CCOTY…
Very good road trip journal. 🙂
I spotted some interesting pictures of Chevrolet models from South Africa, until 1968 it was Impalas and Chevelles assembled from CKD kits but then it switched to Holden models rebadged as Chevys like this South African El Camino http://www.flickr.com/photos/holden_brochures/2722077536/in/set-72157606556772009/
1966 was when Holdens began being fitted with Chevrolet engines and sold as Chevys, some models like Statesmans were actually assembled in Australia and exported to South Africa and New Zealand, but are unknown in Aussie.
Great story, I occasionally take a shortcut or detour on gravel or unformed roads and have done some big trips on dirt, eg through the Flinders Ranges in South Australia and up around Lake Eyre. That is where the photo in the top half of my profile shot was taken
Wonderful story Dawid, thoroughly enjoyable reading. Looking forward to hearing more sometime. 🙂
Great story. Looking forward to the next one.
I thoroughly enjoyed the read!
Great pictures great story. Make me wish I took pictures of all the places I went with my old Peugeot 504. Ps. if you want to realy go where few has ever been, get hold of a Peugeot 504 Dangel (its a 4×4 wagon). They will go through and over everything. As far as the wet plugs and distributor. Just put some masking tape around the inserts till they fit snugly and take a kitchen glove cut the finger tips off and put it over the distributor and tape it up. Just a bit of advise if you stopped in deep water (higher than the center of the wheel) always have your wheel bearings repacked and check gearbox and diff oil for water. (I learned a lesson in that the hard way)
Hanging a sheet of canvas or plastic over the front of the car while fording deep water keeps the engine dry and dont stop.
What an adventure. This is no ordinary road, no ordinary land and no ordinary car!
Nice trip, Ive done thousands of kilometers on dirt roads in outback Aussie very few of them in 4x4s if its wet you cant move on some roads and 4×4 wont really help it will get you really well bogged but thats about all, black cracking clay is very interesting stuff as a road in the dry its nicer than tar when its raining its lethally slippery and when it starts to dry it sticks to tyres so eventually they jam in the wheelarches and have to be dug free, and yes I’d do it again.
Great story, so well-written. It makes me wonder if the author is still out there, in his Peugeot, making epic journeys.
All of this Peugeot attention this week! I know we just finished celebrating Bastille Day, but I also think that Paul needs to go get himself another. They don’t take up that much room…