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Hi everyone

Wanted to ask if anyone can suggest a good route from Golden Gate to Nelspruit. We are driving from Cradock to KNP and staying at Golden Gate en route - we do not want to take big freeways just so thinking up via Hendrina Carolina Badplas we want to do one night in vicinity of Nelspruit to shop before heading into park via Croc Bridge.
Also if anyone knows of a reasonable place to overnight in Cosmos country.

Hi Baconkips

Welcome to the forum.

We just recently travelled that route end of September and those roads are not in good shape. The one section has long stop/go's.

We came back via the N4/N12/N3 to Harrismith and althoug it is about 80km longer it's a much better option and quicker....

Hope this helps...

Bacon kips,

I stay in Trichardt and have no other choice to drive to KNP via Bethal, Hendrina, Carolina, Badplaas Barberton to Malelane. The toll at Kaapmuiden/Malelane is quite expensive but this is the quickets route.

Currently there is road works on the road between Secunda and Bethal and Bethal is a disaster to travel through with all the coal truck moving between mines and power stations. The road from the Freestate via Warden - Vrede - Standerton is more potholes than road.

I agree with Bartman that the best choice is to stay on the freeways.

To save some tolroad cost after Middelburg you can take the Dullstroom turn-off at Belfast and enter KNP at Hazyview. Don't take the Machododorp - Lydenburg road - a good example of why our car registrations end with MP (moerse potholes)

Thanks for the advice!! Its not the tolls more wanting less traffic and off the beaten track but think best to go the freeway route based on what you saying.

@ Baconkips,

Hope you did not already leave for your trip to KNP. If you want to avoid all the Jo'burg traffic, roadworks and Gillooleys intersection you can take the following route from the N3:

Turn off at Heidelberg at the Nigel R42 off-ramp and follow the R42 to Nigel. At Nigel you can either continue through to Springs and connect to the N12 via R51 . An alternative country road, without city traffic is to continue through Nigel on the R42 to Delmas.
From Delmas you can continue on the R42 to Bronhorstspruit or take the R50 to Pretoria. Either way you will get to the N12 within 8 km and can then take the off-ramp to Witbank (now eMalahleni) where after you connect to the N4 to Nelspruit.

Places you can visit on this route is Suikerbosrand near Heidelberg and Marievale near Nigel. There is a caravanpark at Kareekloof in Suikerbosrand.
Marievale is a small nature reserve with about 5 birdhides. It is not the same nature reserve atmosphere you will get in the Kruger, but if you keen in bird photography or birdwatching it is very nice place to stop for a few hours. The reserve is hidden between mines and when approaching the area looks a neglect and you will feel a bit lost. If you want to visit Marievale let me know and I can give you better directions.

Just another word of advice do not take the short cut through Balfour past Grootvlei dam. When we wanted to miss the Vrede road to travel to Harrismith, we took this road and past two accidents of vehicle that overtuned due to ditches and potholes. One was a truck carrying cars that overtuned.