R339 Prince Alfred Pass

Have you ever driven the R339, through the Prince Alfred pass? I recently photographed a wedding in George and my two sons and I decided to travel back from Knysna, through Avontuur to Uniondale. It is a gravel road, but a very good one. We had a 4×4 but people with cars were driving past us.

We waited for the KFC to open in Knysna, got a 3 piece each for breakfast and started our adventure. This must be one of the nicest routes I have ever traveled  I am glad my wife didn’t come with because we must have stopped about 50 times to take photos. But I am so sorry she couldn’t share in this beauty. The road is very narrow and at some places there is no place for another car to pass you. When there was a car behind us we pulled off the road and waited for them to pass. We only started driving again when their dust disappeared in the distance. We didn’t want to be rushed, we wanted to experience it as if this was OUR pass only for the morning.

The distance from Avontuur in the Klein Karoo, over de Vlugt to Knysna is aboiut 88 km and winds through the Langkloof mountains.

In the 1800’s Thomas Bain was asked to build the pass which provided him with his biggest challenge to date. He began his work on the pass in 1860 and completed it in 1867 for a mere £11 000. The road crosses the river 7 times and it is also the home of the Middle Keurbooms Conservancy.

When were just about through the pass we stopped (yet again) and I broke a small twig with leaves off a “bossie” next to the road. It was best the best car freshener I’ve had. I could still smell the Prince Alfred Pass in my bakkie the next day… and it made me want to go back and re-live the experience. What a privilege to share something like this with your two sons, Bertie and Timothy, I will always have fond memories of this trip with you two and our experiences in this pass.

Click here to read more about this pass. If you are in this area again, make sure you travel this beautiful road.

 

 

“Chucky” ready to do what he does best.

 

 

My two sons and I. Bertie is on the left and Timothy is on the right. My Canon EOS5D MK3 on the bakkie.

 

 

Dalene Matthee’s Knysna bos. I’ve read all her books, and it felt magical to stand here where all her characters lived.

 

 

We waited here for a car to pass, and took some photos in the meantime.

 

 

An old “oom” came up the road with a TLB, he must know this road like the palm of his hand.

 

 

Water so clear you can bottle it…has anybody ever thought about it? Will the queen ask royalties if we name it Prince Alfred water?

 

 

Close to de Vlugt.

 

 

My car freshener “bossies”