Drive Jhb to Cpt

LetsDance

LetsDance

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Last drove down there and back about 2008. Is it still safe to drive? I ask considering the coal truck mayhem on the N3 in Natal.
 
Make a road trip out of it and stop off at the interesting towns en-route, that breaks the trip up very nicely

I usually stop for the night at the Karoo national park on the way down, Colesburg on the way up
 
I have to drive it quite regularly. I go via Kimberley, Britstown and then off to Calvinia. Take the dirt road to Clanwilliam (R364) and then down to Cape Town. About 80km longer, but definitely faster. Takes me about 12.5 - 13 hours, depending on stops.

Beautiful scenery and great butcheries. Take a cool box. If you don't want to miss the Biltong Bar at Trawal (and you don't), it's an extra 50kms, but you skip the piece of dirt road.
 
s0lar said:
That is a weird travel metric.

Definitely not the first thing I think of when planning a trip. hmm, which route has the best butchery?
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With the amount of road kms I've had to travel I've learnt a few tricks. I used to travel via Wolmaransstad to be able to stop at the Biltong Den. Still a great spot, but impossible to travel via Klerksdorp now. Adds two hours to the trip. Should've mentioned I go to Kimberley via Kroonstad/Welkom.
 
s0lar said:
That is a weird travel metric.

Definitely not the first thing I think of when planning a trip. hmm, which route has the best butchery?
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Nene Leakes GIF - Nene Leakes GIFs
 
epah said:
i hear you. That is a hell of a lot of meat, might as well buy a trailer and pickup a cow along the way. It will work out cheaper than saving R20/kg.
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Got my beef sorted in Cape Town. It's the fantastic Karoo lamb you want to get, and not that lean A-grade rubbish. AB2 or 3. But back to the OP's initial question. Trucks have become a huge issue on the N1, so I just try not to drive it anymore.
 
LetsDance said:
Last drove down there and back about 2008. Is it still safe to drive? I ask considering the coal truck mayhem on the N3 in Natal.
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It is as safe as in 2008.

Try not to drive more than 800 to 900 km in a day.
 
LetsDance said:
Last drove down there and back about 2008. Is it still safe to drive? I ask considering the coal truck mayhem on the N3 in Natal.
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Sweet Jesus :oops:
Via Natal on N3?

Rather swing left departing Johannesburg in the Transvaal and take the route passing South West Africa down the N7 hugging the coast to Cape Town.
Very safe route.
No dangerous natives anywhere
 
LetsDance said:
Last drove down there and back about 2008. Is it still safe to drive? I ask considering the coal truck mayhem on the N3 in Natal.
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It's not that bad, I went through jo'burg on the way to cape town in December, did around 1900km in two days. Just take it easy, should be easier now than in December as the roads should be relatively quiet. Or at least better than it was in December.
 
Craig_ said:
It's not that bad, I went through jo'burg on the way to cape town in December, did around 1900km in two days. Just take it easy, should be easier now than in December as the roads should be relatively quiet. Or at least better than it was in December.
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Yeah but you took the N1 there and back.
@LetsDance is going via Natal on N3
 
I mean I will travel from Joburg to Cape Town directly. I just mentioned Natal because of the coal truck fiasco I have read about and was wondering if the route from jhb to cpt had the same problem with coal trucks.

Okay, so it still seems to be alright then? Not potholed to death and no coal truck convoys?
 
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