When Getaway asked someone from the team to hit up the Merrel Eden Duo in George, Christie (@christiefynn) and I (@_Sarah_Isaacs_) were quick to raise our hands. It meant getting out of the office for a couple of days with a kick-ass Landy as our getaway car (to stand a chance to win it, subscribe to Getaway before the end of December). What we anticipated as being a leisurely five hour drive to George, ended up as a nine hour adventure-schlep animated by incessant giggling, the odd profanity and plenty of appreciative ooh-ing and aah-ing.
Highlights of the drive – the butternut, mushroom and sweet potato quiche we bought at the Blue Crane Farmshop just outside Swellendam; the breathtaking Robinson Pass between Mossel Bay and Oudtshoorn and above all the soft-spoken woman residing in our GPS, without whom we would have been lost – many a time! On the downside we were stopped four times for roadwork closures, had to change our route due to an unfortunate accident along the N2 and idled nervously in pitch dark through George Industria (not the most charming part of town as I am sure you can imagine) searching for 300 Getaway mags from our distributor.
With stiff backs and tired eyes, we eventually arrived at Malvern Manor, a beautiful Cape Dutch manor nestled in the foothills of the Outeniqua Mountains on a flourishing dairy farm. With sympathy-etched faces, our hosts Sandra and Michael showed us to our detached living quarters where we collapsed into soft down duvets that smelt of freshly picked jasmine. We slept deeply, grateful for some much-needed shut-eye before race registration and set-up early the next day.
5 things I learned enroute to George
1) Check for roadwork closures before taking the N2. We took the R62 on the way back – it was a magnificently beautiful drive, the road was in good condition and above all it only took us five hours to get home.
2) Opt for a farm stall lunch. I know the promise of a Wimpy double-cheese burger is hard to resist but you’ll do yourself a disfavour bypassing the dozens of farm stalls the Karoo has to offer. The owners are generally as sweet as their wares and there are few things as comforting as shelves laden with homemade jam.
3) Pack more than one CD. We didn’t and quickly regretted it. Radio reception is awfully dodgy on the way to George so if you’re a fan of melodious road tripping, don’t forget your music collection.
4) Be sure to have sufficient petrol before tackling the reception-less Outeniqua Pass leading into George. It was a nail-biting affair, creeping our way up the pass as our petrol gauge bleeped and shone a hungry red.
5) Beware the speed traps between Wilderness and George! I was snapped – not once but twice – along this windy stretch of road. There’s a 60km/h limit and the cameras are impossible to spot in advance. There’s one at the start of the descent into Wilderness and a second one at the base. Both are exceptionally sneaky so don’t try to outsmart them.
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