December 2023

Our summer holiday is finally here and our destination is the West Coast of South Africa. To get there, we decided to avoid the main highways due to heavy holiday traffic and rather travel on the back roads. We couldn’t think of any better road than the R62 (Route 62) – known as the longest wine route in the world.

You may remember that earlier this year we took you on a road trip from Langebaan to East London via the beautiful Garden Route (read here and here) – more than 1,100km (683 miles). So, we decided to split the drive again into two days and left East London at dawn.

Summer time and the sun is rising early in East London – just after 4am and it’s already getting light

After 236km (146 miles) on the coastal road (R72) we reached our favourite farm stall, Nanaga. They had just opened their doors for the day and we were happy to enjoy a delicious breakfast before we had to travel further.

Courtyard of Nanaga Farm Stall

Farm breakfast

The following can be found on the Route 62 website: ‘At 850km (528 miles), Route 62 in South Africa is considered the longest wine route in the world. It is the historic inland route between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha), which connects the east and west coast of the country.’

This is the scenic alternative to the busy N2 highway, however for the first part of this route we drove in rain and could not see much of the surroundings.

Heavy rain at the beginning of Route 62

After about an hour the rain stopped and we could see patches of blue sky in the distance.

Now it was just cloudy

The beautiful green fields and farm dams were a lovely sight, it was as if the world has been washed clean after the rain.

Green fields and full dams

We were heading for that lovely blue sky

At the small town of Joubertina it was time for a bathroom break and also a takeaway coffee. Here we saw the first real sign that we were travelling on Route 62.

Signage at a roadside restaurant on Route 62

We were very glad that we chose the more scenic road because there was almost no traffic.

Route 62

We always tell our friends in East London that the Western Cape roads are much better than the ones in the Eastern Cape. And we had a good laugh when we crossed the border from the Eastern Cape to the Western Cape – it was one of the best proofs that our statement is true!

Significant difference in the road surface between the two provinces

As we passed through the Langkloof (meaning ‘long valley’), we saw a dense bank of clouds on the peaks of the Tsitsikamma and the Kouga Mountains. In front of us, however, the sky was blue with only a few clouds remaining. It was also considerably warmer than earlier in the day.

To the left, mountains covered with clouds and in front of us blue sky

Around 2pm we drove into our overnight town, Oudtshoorn. This is the ostrich capital of the world and located in the Klein Karoo, as well as a popular rest stop along Route 62.

Before we checked in to our overnight accommodation, we first went to the popular Smitswinkel Restaurant for lunch.

Smitswinkel Restaurant in Oudtshoorn

It is a very interesting restaurant and offers a unique experience to bike and car lovers. There are also the most beautiful antiques and while Berto strolled between the many motorbikes, I came across lovely doorknobs and a rocking horse.

Restored bikes

A place where grown men become boys again

Word War II jeep

Lovely doorknobs

Rocking horse

We found a table outside under an umbrella where we could enjoy lunch. There are loads of fun for kids, like a mini golf course, colourful chess set and jungle gym.

The chess set looked beautiful in the bright sunlight

Colourful chess pieces

Berto ordered a jalapeño and cheese burger with chips while I was very happy to see my favourite dish, Bobotie, on the menu. We washed it down with cold fizzy drinks.

Lunch at Smitswinkel Restaurant

Cold drinks for a hot afternoon

The chickens and ducks that roam outside on the grass add to the wonderful farm feel that one gets at this restaurant. If you ever drive through Oudtshoorn and are looking for a restaurant with character and great food, drop in at Smitswinkel.

Farm animals at Smitswinkel Restaurant

It was now time to drive to Soetdoring where we would spend the night. It’s on the outskirts of Oudtshoorn on a working farm and offers rustic self-catering options in stone cottages and wooden chalets. We booked the night in one of their wooden chalets.

The road to Soetdoring

Inside our wooden chalet

Our deck overlooked a farm dam

After dropping off our luggage, we went for a stroll around the farm and relaxed on the deck of our wooden chalet. Later we lit a fire to prepare dinner. We sat under a grape arbor enjoying a glass of wine, very appropriate for the wine route we travelled on today.

Time to lit a fire and enjoying wine on the wine route

Grape arbor in front of our chalet

It was nice to drive the first half of the world’s longest wine route today. And after we started driving in pouring rain, it was lovely to end the day with a beautiful sunset on a farm.

Sunset on Soetdoring

In our next post, we will take you on the last part of this wine route.

You can read about our second day on Route 62 if you click here.