A Quick Dash through Stormy Southern Gauteng

27 – 28 OCTOBER 2020

Apart from a lovely day spent in Hartebeespoort earlier on our trip (https://www.silversurfer-sws.com/?p=389), we did not plan a long stay in Gauteng this time. At this stage, Covid numbers were quite high in this part of the country. We did have family and friends that we wanted to see though. Our solution was to skip the busy hubs of Pretoria and Johannesburg and make a quick dash through stormy Southern Gauteng. We headed to Heidelberg and from there through Vanderbijlpark to the Freestate.

GETTING LOST ON THE R42

We only left Middelburg at about three o’clock. We headed west on the N12 and then turned southwest onto the R555 and then the R42. This route took us past Delmas and Nigel. Of course, with Sannie (our talking Google Maps) everything is not always plain sailing. At some stage, we came to a dead end in a dodgy area and had to turn around. The road was in a bad state and Andre had to drive slowly. We became increasingly nervous, because in the distance, a thunderstorm was brewing. Coming from the Western Cape, with a granny who covered all the mirrors in a rare thunderstorm, this was out of my comfort zone. Every few minutes, I jumped in my seat as one bright bolt of lightning after another struck.

SIONBERGH HOLIDAY RESORT

What a relief when we finally reached Heidelberg as dusk was setting in. We just drove through town to reach our campsite at Sionbergh Holiday Resort (http://www.sionbergh.co.za/) as quickly as possible. The first fat droplets started falling as we quickly set up camp. Our neighbours still offered to help, but we were already done!

It is a beautiful campsite that is maintained to a high standard. There are plenty of trees for shade and all the campsites are situated on lush green lawns, some overlooking the small lake. Andre just waited for the storm to pass before he had his rod out to make a few casts, but he did not have much luck.

The amenities are excellent. The entrance to the ablution block has funky red walls. The bathrooms are neat and clean – they even provide hairdryers. There is a separate washing up area and I could do our laundry for free in their large automatic washing machine. They also have a small little shop where you can shop for necessities – and, of course, ice cream!

The resort is ideal for a family break with facilities to keep everyone happy. They have a jungle gym for the little ones and an obstacle course for older kids. I thoroughly enjoyed the indoor heated swimming pool, but in warmer weather you can also swim in the big swimming pool or kiddies pool outside. The more adventurous campers can also do some hiking or mountain biking.

“WAAR HEIDELBERG HANG AAN DIE SUIKERBOSRAND”

I grew up with the sounds of Sias Reyneke singing a poem by A.G. Visser “Waar Heidelberg hang aan die Suikerbosrand” (Where Heidelberg nestles against the Sugarbush Ridge). Our initial drive through the town left me a bit disappointed – maybe I had a romanticised vision in my head because of the song. Coming from the Boland with its incredible mountain ranges, the Suikerbosrand was not quite what I expected. That said, the Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve (http://www.suikerbos.co.za/) is a popular destination for hikers because of the network of hiking trails that it offers. The highest point in Gauteng, Perdekop (1905m above sea level) actually lies within the Suikerbosrand!

After spending a day in Heidelberg, we discovered its charm though. A.G. Visser, the Afrikaans poet, is considered Heidelberg’s most famous son. You can visit the Victorian house in Van der Westhuizen Street where he lived and practised medicine as the local doctor. Other beautiful old buildings in town include the stunning sandstone Klipkerk (stone church) and the Old Jail.

We spent an enjoyable hour browsing through the interesting hidden gems in Ancient Days Antiques. (https://www.facebook.com/ancientdaysantiques/) It is situated in a beautiful old Victorian house. Thereafter, I enjoyed a delicious honey-mustard chicken wrap at Treestone Café (https://www.facebook.com/treestonecafe/), whilst Andre had his usual hamburger.

HEIDELBERG HERITAGE MUSEUM

Our last stop was the Heidelberg Heritage Museum (https://heidelbergheritage.co.za/), which is situated in the old railway station. They offer maps with the route for a self-drive tour, which include information about the historic buildings in town. Alternatively, you can join one of the Heritage Tours on a tuk-tuk. We explored the exhibitions inside the building and marvelled at the beautifully restored steam train on the railway tracks.

Then we visited the Heritage Brewhouse and did a beer tasting inside Adler’s Tap & Grill. We were really disappointed that we could not buy any of the beers, because some of them were excellent. Unfortunately, they had a shortage of glass bottles due to Covid-related production problems at Consol.

BENONI

Sionbergh Holiday Resort allowed us to store Miss Daisy there for the night while we went to visit our friends, Malcolm and Debbie, in Benoni. Even though Benoni is only a quick drive north from Heidelberg on the R23, these were still Covid-times with a 10pm curfew. A 45-minute drive back would not allow us much time to spend with such dear friends after work.

MALL @ CARNIVAL

On our way to visit them, we passed Carnival City, which was still closed due to Covid-regulations. We stopped at the bright and modern Mall @ Carnival for some shopping. I treated myself to a relaxing and invigorating pedicure. I only realised later what a brilliant idea this was, because my gel nails lasted nearly 6 weeks. This would be one of my top tips for making life easier on the road!

EBOTSE GOLF ESTATE

We spent a wonderful evening catching up with Malcolm and Debbie at Ebotse Golf Estate. I can really recommend the Doppio Zero Restaurant (http://ebotselinks.com/doppio-zero-ebotse/) on the estate. Our dinner was superb. Their menu is creative and something a little bit different!

Malcolm and Debbie prepared a scumptious breakfast for us the next morning, which we enjoyed on their large balcony overlooking the golf course. We were sad to say goodbye, but we still had a long road ahead of us.

STONEHAVEN-ON-VAAL, VANDERBIJLPARK

We travelled back to Heidelberg on the R23 again and hooked on Miss Daisy at Sionbergh Holiday Resort. From there we travelled on the R42 and onto the R551 through Meyerton and Henley-on-Klip – another place that had previously been only a name in an Afrikaans poem to me.

We veered onto the R59 for our last stop in Gauteng: Vanderbijlpark. We met Andre’s uncle and aunt, Kallie and Ansa, at the fabulous Stonehaven-on-Vaal. (https://stonehaven.co.za/) This is a large sprawling property with many different venues. It was Saturday and the place was bursting out of its seams with different functions – kitchen teas, stork teas, kiddie’s parties and even a graduation! Despite this, their service, as well as the food, was good.

After reminiscing with the family and sharing news about all the children and grandchildren, Ansa had a special treat for us. She had brought some old bread with to feed the carp. What an awesome experience watching these beautiful fish!

Next stop as we make our way home: Freestate!