The road from Gecko Rock Private Game Reserve towards the R62 is not a difficult drive. Although untarred, it is wide and smooth with no corrugation. There is very little traffic. About halfway towards Barrydale, we reach the gates of the Sanbona Wildlife Reserve through which our route passes. Although a private reserve, we are using a public road and, after some paperwork, we are let through to drive towards the R62. Sanbona seems to be an interesting place with luxury rest camps placed at strategic locations across the reserve. Only some way into Sanbona we realise that they are diverting us on a road that is not taking us directly to Barrydale, as we have planned, but rather one that will join the R62 about 30 km north of Barrydale. Our travel mates want to visit Barrydale, so we decide to make the detour to Barrydale as we join the R62.
Barrydale is a beautiful, small town between the hills and many artists have moved there. Along the R62 you will find a number of restaurants and art shops. One of our favourite restaurants is Diesel and Crème (our 2019 tour also brought us here). After lunch we exit Barrydale again to the north via the R62. We drive via Ladismith, with its Towerkop peak overlooking the town, and the small town of Zoar, passing the R323 turn-off to the Seweweek’s Poort (which we visited in 2018 on our way home – a must see). After passing the scenic Huisrivier Pass, we drive through Calitzdorp, the home of port wine, and then we are about 11 km away from where we have to turn left on the Kruis River road to our destination. The Red Stone Hills Guest farm is about another 6 kilometres on the right side of this road. On this short stretch of gravel road you will find the most amazing hills – they look like lava has squirted from the earth and then solidified. It is like when you are building sand castles on the beach and you decorate them by dripping wet sand from your fist on to the outside of your castle. At sunrise and sunset these hills glow a bright red which further enhances the feeling that, maybe, the lava has not solidified yet!
As we arrive at the guest farm, we are met by Petro, our host, who hands us the keys to our cottage. They have a number of cottages on this working farm and ours is the Bushman Cottage which has a nice view of the nearby red hills. There is no cell phone reception but the internet is good enough to make Whatsapp calls over the wifi. There is ample space for all 6 of us in this classic old farm house with wooden floors and a long stoep for long chats, overlooking the Kruis River below. Petro claims there are in excess of 200 bird species on the farm which does not surprise me given the joyful chirping that goes on in the trees the whole day long. The evenings are cold and we braai inside in the hearth which is part of the dining room next to the kitchen. The wood, that Danny and his boys collected earlier down at the river, makes very pleasant and relaxing popping and crackling sounds. Combined with a tall glass of red wine (this we brought with us from Stellenbosch, the wine capital of South Africa), it makes for a long evening of laughter and stories.
The next morning Anette and I get up before sunrise to see if we can get some good pictures of the red hills as the sun rises. We are not disappointed and we drive the Kruis River road up and down from our cottage for about a kilometer or two to find the most beautiful scenes. At one point we enter a narrow farm road and almost get stuck in a trench that is hidden under the grass! But it all makes for good adventuring and after about 15 minutes we manage to escape.
After breakfast, we all drive up the Kruis River road until we reach a T-junction (there is a small art gallery, the Kruisrivier Gallery) where we turn right. This road takes us past the Swartberg Game Reserve to the R328. If you continue straight on, instead of turning right at the T, you can make a circle route back to Calitzdorp. All of these roads are gravel but in good condition.
The road towards the R328 is a beautiful drive with the majestic Swartberg mountains on the left. Right at the junction with the R328 we find Kobus se Gat, a restaurant with a beautiful view. It is also the departure point for tours up the Swartberg pass. The R328, from Oudshoorn to Prince Albert on the other side of the Swartberg pass, is tarred up to Kobus se Gat, but from there on it is all gravel and not for the faint of heart. Due to recent snow falls, the pass is closed and one cannot go beyond Kobus se Gat.
Entering Kobus se Gat, we have the privilege to meet the one and only Kobus Lategan, owner of the place (he is the jovial, bearded fellow appearing on many of the pictures on their web site). Kobus is famous – he has been running informal eating places under the same name in cultural hot spots during holidays and festivals. Due to Covid-19 there are no tourists and Kobus spend close to half an hour chatting with us at our table while we have coffee. He cannot serve lunch, because he gave all his staff special leave, but points us in the direction of another place close by that is open. Kobus’s place may be empty of any tourists but his personality fills the void!
Just down the R328 towards Oudshoorn, at the Cango Caves turn-off, we find the Wilgewandel Holiday Farm & Restaurant that Kobus pointed us to. Their restaurant is open and we have something to eat. The place is very entertaining for young families and Danny and Garitha’s boys do not take long before they go to explore everything. Later, Anette and I return to Red Hills via the same route we came while Danny and Garitha decide to return via Oudshoorn and the R62.
The evening at the Bushman Cottage, we have another indoors braai and a continuation of all the fun from the evening before. Tomorrow will be exciting because we will take a new road we have not travelled before.
