The road taken

Krista from The Daily Post said : For this week’s challenge, show us something that surprised you on “the road taken.” It could be a heritage building in your city or town as seen from a new-to-you angle, a yummy meal on a road trip detour, or the penny you found on a casual stroll. (I still love to find pennies — always a small thrill!) This challenge is wide open — show us the excitement, surprise, wonder, or amazement of your “road taken.”

On a recent road trip to Kagga Kamma Private Nature Reserve ,  my husband and I travelled on these unuaual roads to get there  : The R303,  a regional route in South Africa that connects Citrusdal with Ceres via the Koue Bokkeveld.

Its northern beginning is at the N7 outside Citrusdal. It initially runs east, and passes through the town, before climbing over the Middelberg Pass and the Buffelshoek Pass. The Middelberg Pass is a real classic offering exquisite views and rugged, mountainous terrain on a mix of gravel and tar with hairpin pins and some very steep drop-offs. On the flatter plateau areas there are farms peppered with citrus orchards and blue dams with crystal clear, high quality water. The pass has a stiff average gradient of 1:14 with some sections (which are tarred) as steep as 1:5. This is a fairly modern pass having been constructed some 50 years ago. The Reserve which is located in an untouched wilderness area of the peaceful Southern Cederberg Mountains, in the Western Cape. The Reserve is renowned for its scenic beauty and dramatic rock formations typical of the Cederberg. (More about it later)

photo-challenges the-road-taken