Cape Town to Prince Albert
Tar to Laingsburg, then over the Swartberg if the pass is open. Check before you leave: it closes after heavy rain.
Four days on Karoo gravel
Tar to Laingsburg, then over the Swartberg if the pass is open. Check before you leave: it closes after heavy rain.
Long gravel stretches with almost no traffic. Fill up in Prince Albert and carry water.
A short day, which is the point. Book a night sky tour if the moon is small.
Down through the Tankwa if your tyres are good, or back via Matjiesfontein if they are not.
Before you go
The short list we wish someone had given us.
Fill up at every town with a pump. Some stretches run 200 km without one.
Rarely between towns. Download offline maps before you leave.
Autumn and spring. Summer days are very hot and winter nights drop below freezing.
Carry two if you can. A puncture on gravel is normal, not bad luck.