Day Trip – Lydenburg over Long Tom Pass
There’s no arguing that a birds eye view gives one the best perspective on the amazingly dynamic landscape of the Lowveld, and with the numerous mountain passes, many beautiful sights can be appreciated from your car’s window.
By Benno Stander
Taking in some lovely scenery is quite a simple task if you live in Nelspruit. The toughest part of your day trip might be selecting the right music to suit the stunning views and enticing drive. One such trip is the road to Lydenburg over Long Tom Pass. Although there are many ways to get around, probably the most picturesque is the R37 that takes you past Rosehaugh and Hedriksdal. This first section of road is about 50kms long and starts off with gentle rolling hills and winding sections through pine plantations. But don’t get too relaxed as the corners become exceedingly tighter as you go past Hendriksdal. In the mountain pass area there are two view points, both on the opposite side of the road, so take it easy or you might pass before you get a chance to pull over. The last view point is quite close to the T-junction on the Sabie/Lydenburg road, and by far the best.
At the junction you can either go right and follow the 10kms downhill pass to Sabie, town of the year for 2012, or left to drive over the acclaimed Long Tom Pass that leads to Lydenburg. Long Tom is truly an amazing road which offers some of the best views and historical accounts in the area. Be sure to pull over at the Long Tom cannon memorial to see a scale model of the cannons, and to read up on some history of these larger than life war machines. There are also some public toilets and stalls selling local crafts on site.
As far as the road is concerned, just after the cannon is where the fun starts. So much so that hordes of motorcyclists flock to the Lowveld every year to come and ride this section of road. Also look out for Bussa Corner, a sharp right-hand hairpin that exits into a steep uphill and is banked slightly outward. Rumor has it that at speed the bend is simply to sharp for the over-sized Suzuki Hayabusa to get around. And after a few crashes, someone spray painted “Bussa Corner” in blue on the rock wall besides it.
As the pass eases you will see a sign indicating the highest point on the road which is a staggering 2150m above sea level. In winter this is not the best place to get out and stretch legs since it is usually also the coldest place. If you hang on just a kilometre or so, you will find Hops Hollow Brewery, the highest brewery in Africa. Here you’ll be able to enjoy some good company, a crackling fire and a good selection of home brewed beers. From here it is mostly easy driving into Lydenburg.
After being hard hit by the malaria mosquitoes of Andries-Ohrigstad, the Voortrekkers, under the leadership of Hendrik Potgieter, abandoned their settlement and moved to higher lying areas. And so the town of Lydenburg was founded in 1849.
Lydenburg is one of the larger towns in this area and sports all the modern convenience stores you might need. Apart from the many shops and restaurants the town has some fascinating historical sights like the beautiful churches and the Lydenburg Museum which has some of Dick Heysteck’s concrete sculptures. For more of Dick’s marvellous works, a collection of life sized animals can be found on the side of the road just 10kms outside of town on the R36 towards Origstad.
For More:
Hops Hollow: Cell: 073-456-2694, Tel: 013-235-8910
Lydenburg Museum: 013-235-2213