Panorama Route – Circles in a (Sabie) Forest

24 – 28 OCTOBER 2020

After our second wonderful stint in the Kruger National Park (https://www.silversurfer-sws.com/?p=412 & https://www.silversurfer-sws.com/?p=439), we left the animal kingdom with sad hearts. But, we also looked forward to new adventures on the Panorama Route with a feeling of excitement and expectation.

HAZY VIEWS AND ROLLING VISTAS ON THE PANORAMA ROUTE

After a quick swing through Skukuza, we drove out of the Kruger National Park through the Phabeni Gate. We followed the R536 towards Hazyview. Unfortunately, this stretch of road is poorly maintained and Andre struggled to keep Miss Daisy (our fragile 1991 Sprite Swift-caravan) from breaking an axle in the giant potholes. This is such a pity, because some of the most beautiful views in the country surrounded us. Sadly, we could not really enjoy it.

After the Kiepersol turn-off, the condition of the road improved dramatically. We enjoyed the beautiful route driving up Bergvliet Pass as the views over the pine forestry plantations became even more spectacular. Apparently, this “Infamous 22”, the last 22km before you reach Sabie, is a popular drive amongst motorcycling enthusiasts.

SABIE – HEART OF THE PANORAMA ROUTE

Late afternoon we drove through the quaint little forestry village of Sabie. (https://www.sabie.co.za/) We were pleasantly surprised by what we saw. The streets were clean and the roads were in a good condition. It appeared as if Sabie was a well-run town with many interesting little shops and eateries for tourists to explore and enjoy. Sabie has an excellent Spar to restock your groceries and hawkers sell fresh produce in a well-ordered outdoor market. We were so disappointed that the Sabie Brewing Company was closed during our stay, but hey, something to look forward to for a next visit to the Panorama Route!

MERRY PEBBLES HOLIDAY RESORT

Our destination for the next few days – Merry Pebbles Holiday Resort and Caravan Park (https://merrypebbles.co.za/) – was just 1 km from the town centre. We immediately felt welcome after a warm reception by Walter Comley, one of the owners. Although the little shop is expensive, it is well-stocked. It was a relief to buy a few necessities there, especially some cold beers. We really did not want to go back into town after a long trip.

The setting is something to behold – chalets and large camping plots on the grass under huge nut trees next to the upper reaches of the Sabie River. The ablution blocks were pristine. Separate washing-up areas and coin-operated washing machines make camping here so comfortable. We were disappointed not to get a riverfront campsite. When you are retired, you forget that resorts could be full during the school holidays. In the end, we were glad that we had a bit of space around us to relax and recharge for a few days.

THE PRIME HOLIDAY DESTINATION ON THE PANORAMA ROUTE

With all the amenities on offer, Merry Pebbles truly is a holiday destination on its own. They have warm and cold swimming pools, kiddies pools, and waterslides. The kids cannot be bored in such a large play park with trampolines, a jungle-gym, outdoor chess and a putt-putt course, as well as a floodlit tennis court. And if the weather is bad, a recreation hall with table tennis, pool tables and video games will keep everyone busy.

For active nature lovers, this truly is paradise. Various mountain bike routes and the Loerie hiking trail start from the resort. The stream running through the resort is ideal for swimming, tubing, canoeing and trout fishing. Bird lovers can observe a large variety of birds in the lush vegetation around Sabie and on the Panorama Route.

We spent our first day in Sabie by just relaxing in the resort – a perfect, lazy Sunday. Andre rested his back while I enjoyed the warm swimming pool. Although the resort has free Wi-Fi, the signal is not good at the campsites. They were friendly enough to let me work inside the on-site restaurant before they opened for dinner. Andre joined me there after I caught up on some admin tasks. We had a wonderful dinner together – the whole, grilled Sabie trout was delicious. (And, of course, Andre had a hamburger.)

We decided to extend our booking for another two nights. Merry Pebbles is so centrally located to explore the popular tourist destinations on the southern part of the Panorama Route – and after a long day of sightseeing, the warm swimming pool is heaven on earth.

MAC-MAC POOLS AND FALLS

On the Monday morning, we drove north on the R532 towards Graskop. Our first stop was at the Mac-Mac Pools. Entry costs R30 per person to this beautiful spot where you can spend the day chilling in the many different rock pools. You can also hike the 3km Secretary Bird Walking Trail or have a picnic on the lawns or at the picnic tables under the trees.

With so many waterfalls on the Panorama Route, it is difficult to choose which ones to visit. We drove a little bit further north through the Mac-Mac Pass to view the beautiful twin Mac-Mac Falls. Because we visited at the end of the dry winter months, only the one waterfall was flowing strongly. It was still wonderful to experience the force of the water. Originally, this waterfall was a single stream. In the late 1800s, the gold diggers blasted it with dynamite to mine the gold-bearing reef over which it flows. The name Mac-Mac is a tongue-in-cheek tribute to all the Scottish miners whose surnames started with Mac-.

For a small R15 entry fee, you can walk on a cement pathway, past the curio stalls, up and down some steep steps to the viewing platform enclosed with palisade fencing. The fencing feels so intrusive, but I suppose it is a necessity. With his acrophobia, Andre felt a bit anxious on the over-hanging platform. He retired to solid ground after a quick glance down at the impressive waterfall that plummets nearly 70m into the large pool below. He preferred to rather take photographs of me on the platform while I admired the waterfall.

PILGRIM’S REST – UPTOWN

East of Graskop, we turned left onto the R533. Andre expertly navigated the sharp bends, corners and curves of the steep, tricky Bonnet Pass as it winds its way down the escarpment to Pilgrim’s Rest. (https://www.pilgrims-rest.co.za/) As we entered Pilgrim’s Rest, we turned left towards Uptown. We parked in front of the Royal Hotel. We leisurely strolled past the cream buildings with their red tin roofs in this historic gold-rush mining town, which was declared a National Monument in 1986. You could almost feel the hands of time turning backwards. Sadly, because of the impact of Covid-19 on tourism, most of the Arts & Craft-stalls as well as some of the other businesses were closed. The little tourist town seemed even more sleepy than usual.

One of the locals offered to wash Marius, our Isuzu-bakkie, whilst we went searching for lunch after such a physical morning. Pilgrim’s Rest has a few good restaurant or pub options to suit any taste or budget. We sat down for scrumptious pancakes outside Pancakes @The Stables. (https://www.facebook.com/Pancakes-at-The-Stables-605267646272825/) This small café/deli operates in the original stables of the Royal Hotel, which is just across the street. The blue cheese and fig preserve is a mouth-watering combination, and their milkshakes are to die for.

PILGRIM’S REST – DOWNTOWN

After lunch, we drove Downtown. I browsed through the small shops and bought homemade cookies at Clewer General Dealers. After a quick stop at the Highwayman’s Garage, we drove towards Mashishing (Lydenburg) over the historic Joubert bridge. With its four stone arches, this bridge was built in 1896 by Italian contractors from local dolerite.

ROBBER’S PASS

Next we tackled the hairpin-bends and diverse scenery of Robber’s Pass. Where there is gold, there will of course also be thieves. Robber’s Pass is named after two incidents, in 1899 and 1912, when armed highwaymen held up and robbed the stage-coach. Although the perpetrators of the first robbery were never caught, a guy named Tommy Dennison spent five years in jail for the second robbery. He actually used silver coins from the robbery to pay his debts. After his incarceration, he returned to Pilgrim’s Rest and started the Highwayman’s Garage. I wonder if he still had some of his loot stashed away to use as start-up capital?

LONG TOM PASS

Mashishing (Lydenburg) did not impress us. The town looked dirty and neglected and the roads were riddled with potholes. After a quick stop at Clicks where we hoped to collect Andre’s chronic medication from the pharmacy – which did not exist, despite being indicated as such on Google Maps – we returned to Sabie on the R37 via the misty Long Tom Pass.

Originally, this road formed the treacherous and dangerous wagon route to Lorenço Marques (Maputo) in Mozambique. Today a good, tarred road winds up and down the mountain in slow and elegant twists and turns. Even though it was slightly misty, we soaked up the incredible, almost eerie, views over the landscapes below. The more adventurous traveller might enjoy the 1,6km toboggan ride at Misty Mountain Lodge. At the top of the mountain, a monument with a replica of the French-made Long Tom cannon pays tribute to this weapon which the Boer soldiers used so skilfully in the Anglo-Boer War.

WHY DO I STILL TRUST SANNIE?

As we were slowly winding down Long Tom Pass towards Sabie, we realised that it was only mid-afternoon. We could fit in a visit to another waterfall. We decided to visit Lone Creek Falls because it was close to our campsite at Merry Pebbles. Once again, Sannie, our talking Google Maps-assistant, nearly created havoc. Instead of driving into Sabie on the R37 and then out again on the Old Lydenburg Road past Merry Pebbles, Sannie enticed us onto a shortcut. She led us through a pine forestry plantation on a steep downhill road that felt almost vertical in certain sections. At one stage, we were driving with the wheels of our bakkie on opposite sides of a small, deep ravine. Luckily, Andre managed to get us safely through this ordeal.

LONE CREEK FALLS

The rest of the road towards Lone Creek Falls was wrought with hazardous potholes, but experiencing this exceptional waterfall made it all worthwhile. The short walk through the indigenous forest calms your nerves after the bad roads, preparing you for the serene beauty of the waterfall. As you step into a small clearing in the forest, you can feel the spray of the waterfall on your skin as the water comes rushing down towards you from a height of nearly 70m. The geology of the cliff face consists of interesting rock layers covered with moss and ferns which grow in the cool mist of the falls. We spent quite a bit of time here, taking photos and revelling in the beauty of this incredible surprise to end off a lovely day on the Panorama Route!