Five 4x4 Adventures An Hour From Home!

With kids in school or a boss watching your leave days like a hawk, a tour across the border just isn’t possible every single week. But here are five solutions, all a stone’s throw from gauteng.

- Charles Thompson

Few things can compare to a long 4x4 expedition a few days’ drive from home. But a tour like that requires planning, a good relationship with your bank manager and, above all, plenty of time. That’s why we took some time this month to drive a few great 4x4 trails that are really close to home if you live in Gauteng.

Here, you don’t have to drive thousands of kilometres before you can give your low-range gearbox a bit of exercise. The trails are all within about an hour’s reach from the city. But when you’re crawling over their rocks, storming a staunch hill or wiping the mud from your forehead after a challenging water crossing, you’ll quickly remember that you’re actually in the heart of Africa already, with a bit of bush right on your doorstep.

Heidelberg 4x4 isn’t a trail you’ll come across very easily if you’re making weekend plans with Google. Even though the trail’s been open for years, the owners have never felt the need for a website. “We just want to be the kind of place where outdoor enthusiasts can escape the city and relax,” says Henry Dewitt, “so people hear about us from other outdoor lovers and driving enthusiasts.”

Heidelberg 4x4 is situated only a few kilometres outside this Gauteng town, between the rocky hills typical of the Suikerbosrand area. After good rains, the veld is lush and green, with streams of water oozing out between the sandstone rocks and wild fruit everywhere you drive.