What you gain from the journal
Every route note, pass report and farm stall mention comes from an actual drive, not a brochure. Here is what that means when you plan your own trip.
I note where the potholes sit, how gravel feels after rain and which passes need high clearance. You will not discover a washed-out section the hard way.
Some farm stalls are worth the extra twenty minutes; others are not. I tell you which roosterkoek still earns a stop and which viewpoint you can skip.
Each trip report includes rough distances and where to fill up, so you can plan a day without guessing whether the next town has a working pump.
From bush camps to guesthouses, I list places that suit the drive itself. You will know if a spot needs a booking weeks ahead or accepts same-day arrivals.
Short escapes from Johannesburg and Durban are planned around realistic driving times. No packed schedules that leave you rushing past the scenery.
Interviews with guides and lodge owners add context you will not find in a guidebook. They point out the birding spots and quiet corners worth your time.
If you have a specific route in mind and want a second opinion before you leave, send your question through the contact page. I answer with the same detail I put into the posts.
Every route I share starts the same way: a question from a reader, a map spread on the kitchen table, and a full tank of diesel. Here is the sequence I follow, from the first idea to the finished journal entry.
Day one
It usually starts with an email or a comment on an older post. Someone wants to drive from Johannesburg to the Wild Coast in four days, or they are wondering whether the gravel detour to Sutherland is worth it in a sedan. I take the question as it is and start marking up a map.
Day two to five
I drive the route as it is, not as the brochures describe it. That means noting pothole clusters, checking which farm stalls are actually open on a Sunday, and timing the mountain passes so I can warn people about afternoon mist. I keep a notebook on the passenger seat and write down distances between fuel stops.
Day six to ten
Where I stay matters as much as the road itself. I visit bush camps, guesthouses, and the occasional farmstay to see whether the beds are decent and the owners actually know the area. A place gets mentioned in a post only if I would send a friend there.
Day eleven to fourteen
Back at the desk, I turn the notebook into a proper post. The writing is straightforward: what the road felt like, what the detours cost in time, and which stops are genuinely worth pulling over for. I keep the tone honest, because a reader relying on this for a family holiday deserves straight answers.
Final step
Once the post is live, I go back to the person who asked the original question and point them to it. Their follow-up questions often become the seed for the next drive. That is how the journal keeps growing, one real route at a time.