The sweet taste of freedom

Posted on 19 September 2016

Organising a weekend away with friends nowadays isn’t easy. So when given a day to test drive the new Toyota Fortuner, I decided to test an escape plan that might make it a little easier.

I’ve grown tired of asking my friends when they’re free. Trying to coordinate calendars after your mates hit 30 is like trying to solve the Rubik’s cube of adult responsibility. Steve’s kids have soccer on Sunday… Glenn’s doing renovations, so he spends his Saturdays literally watching paint dry… Brian’s had another baby, so he’s out for the next eight years… And Jim. Poor Jim. He got hooked on that bloody Pokémon GO game and we haven’t seen him since July (someone should really try get hold of Jim, guys). And so it goes…

 

Toyota-Fortuner

After rain, there are puddles along the Honingklip 4×4 Trail ‒ always check first before driving through.

It got me thinking – what if it didn’t need to be a weekend? What if all it took was just one night away to claw back some much-needed freedom. I mean, it is a constitutional right after all (isn’t it?). A chance to test drive the new Toyota Fortuner 2.8 GD-6 4×4 Automatic presented the perfect opportunity to test this theory.

First, I needed to assemble a test crew. As it turns out, dangling a pair of Fortuner keys over your colleagues’ keyboards and suggesting they take Friday afternoon off, for very important research purposes, is all it takes. CAR magazine’s Wilhelm Lutjeharms and Kian Eriksen were in, and so was our new staffer Welcome Lishivha, who’d never driven a 4×4 before. Posse sorted.

At around 2pm, when the sun and the Capetonians beneath it lose interest in their jobs and autopilot their ways towards the evening, Welcome and I hit the road. We punched through the Somerset West traffic and whizzed up Sir Lowry’s Pass, both tasks made easy with the Fortuner’s fluid six-speed automatic transmission. A Bluetooth connection to my phone and steering-wheel audio and telephone controls allowed me to absolve Welcome of his shotgun duties as aural entertainment manager. Not that I don’t believe in sharing responsibilities on a road trip, it’s just that he’d mentioned something about the lyrical genius of Nicki Minaj as we were leaving Cape Town.

 

Toyota-Fortuner

From Clarence Drive you can see the whole of False Bay.

We met up with Kian and Wilhelm for lunch at The Shuntin’ Shed in Bot River. A train rumbled over the tracks, sending a small shiver through the woodwork while neon-yellow canola fields glowed in the distant Overberg. Bellies full, we jumped onto the R43 for Hermanus before peeling off onto the R44 and into Kleinmond. Thick chalk-dust clouds grew heavier as we rounded the Palmiet Estuary, crossed the eponymous river and turned right into the Kogelberg Nature Reserve. At the reception for Oudebosch Eco Cabins Stefanie informed us to be on the lookout for a male baboon who’d gone rogue, no doubt fed up with the restraints of day-to-day life in his troop. See? Freedom. Even the wildest men still need it, I thought.

Kogelberg's blooms are at their best in August and September; Oudebosch Eco Cabins are built with minimal impact.

Kogelberg’s blooms are at their best in August and September; Oudebosch Eco Cabins are built with minimal impact.

In a short time we had cold drinks in our hands and were seated on the wooden deck, angled towards Perdeberg Peak hulking over the northwestern valleys. Aside from a few Cape sparrows and doves pecking at the grass-bedecked roof of the cabin, there was just stillness and the sound of the river. And then laughter as darkness descended and the flames rose. Braai time. On the menu: wors, potatoes and beer. We chatted into the night, about everything from cars to cool destinations and eventually, as it so often happens, all agreed on how terrible a president Donald Trump would be and then went to bed.

The next morning, Welcome and I headed out for a hike. Thick clouds still hung low over the biosphere but at least the fynbos was showing off, proffering an assortment of interesting blooms that I’d love to know the names of. We followed the Palmiet River north towards Dwarsrivier Peak and higher into the clouds, keeping an eye out for any trees marked by scratching Cape mountain leopards in the night. Then it began to rain and we turned back.

After a quick boiled-eggs-and-avocado breakfast we bundled into the Fortuner and headed for the Honingklip 4×4 Trail, about 15 minutes away. Welcome took the wheel and the Fortuner took the limelight. Beneath its bold design and plush interior is an off-road beast forged in the same fires as the tough-as-nails Hilux. With 4H (four-wheel drive, high range) engaged the Fortuner made light work of the easy gravel undulations before we pointed its nose at some of the tougher challenges. All it took was a quick lesson in 4×4 dynamics and a regular flow of in-car instructions for Welcome to feel comfortable navigating even the most challenging of obstacles – the combination of 4L (four-wheel drive, low range), rear-differential lock and DAC (downhill assist control) did the rest.

It was still morning by the time we were done and we opted to take the scenic R44 back to Cape Town, effectively completing a loop of the entire Kogelberg biosphere. Between Pringle Bay and Gordon’s Bay is where this road (Clarence Drive, as it’s known) really shows off. We wound our way north, over the Rooiels River, Kogel Bay shimmering on the left and the coast’s burnt-orange rock face, cleaved out for a drive with no fewer than 77 bends, glowing in the sunshine.

 

Toyota Fortuner interior

Large central-display and steering-wheel controls make it easier to focus on the road

For an off-road brute, the Fortuner has impeccable on-road manners. A new, wider stance, impressive steering calibration and a four-link rear suspension system and impressive consumption figures for its size puts the good-feels in all the right places.

Our last stop was Ooskus Fisheries – a Gordon’s Bay institution. We each grabbed a hake and chips parcel and sat outside watching the traffic go by. In under 24 hours we’d hiked, braaied, driven through rocks, sand, and mud, tested our 4×4 skills, taken in spectacular drives and scenic views and slept in absolute wilderness (with no cell reception). Freedom achieved? You bet. Finding friends to join me next time will be easy. Though I might not need to, because I guess I’ve just made some new ones.

TOYOTA FORTUNER 2.8 GD-6 4×4 AUTOMATIC
Engine: four-cylinder turbo diesel
Gearbox: six-speed automatic
Seats: seven
Fuel tank: 80 litres
Consumption: 7,8l/100km (claimed combined)
Price: R589 400 (includes three-year/ 100 000km warranty and five-year/90 000km service plan)

Travel planner

Need to know

In total, it’s about a 230-kilometre round trip from Cape Town, with all the points of interest dotted along the R43 or R44. Short distances between stops mean you can do it in whichever order you prefer and, in fact, I’d recommend taking Clarence Drive in the late afternoon if possible. The sunsets are incredible and there are plenty of spots to stop and take it all in.

 

What to do

Hike in Kogelberg Nature Reserve. There are five day hikes (ranging from six to 22 kilometres). If you’re staying at Oudebosch Eco Cabins, the hikes are included otherwise it’s R40 per person for day visitors.

Drive the Honingklip 4×4 Trail. The 12-kilometre course is set up for novices and experienced drivers alike, with red indicators for technical loops that can be included or skipped at your discretion. The full course takes about three hours and costs R150 per vehicle.

 

Where to stay

Oudebosch Eco Cabins (there are six) feels utterly private and secluded. Eco loos, planted roofs and recycled products (sandblasted wine bottles make great chandeliers) are just some of the minimal-impact features. Each cottage sleeps four in two rooms (two single beds in one and a double in the other) so bring an extra mattress if you don’t want to be your mate’s little spoon. From R1170 for two people and R192 per person thereafter (maximum four).

 

Where to eat

The Shuntin’ Shed in Bot River serves good food in a relaxed atmosphere and the old-station-style decor always interesting to browse. I think its DStv audio boquet is broken though – it’s been stuck on VH1 for the last 10 years. Burgers from R80.

Ooskus Fisheries is perfectly located for a lunch stop before or after winding your way along Clarence Drive. Hake and chips is a favourite and costs R69.






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