When you’ve seen enough killer passes in the stadium, we have a few more to offer you off the pitch. The Swartberg Pass, one of the most spectacular in the world, yes, we mean the world, is a dramatic and challenging mountain pass that leads from Oudtshoorn, home of the Ostrich Farms to the charming hamlet of Prince Albert. Built by the famous Thomas Bain over a century ago, the 27km pass twists and turns like a snake, zig-zagging over the 1 583 metre summit, with breath-taking views at every turn.
Answer: The kick of course. But hey, it takes ninety minutes to watch a soccer game and the same amount of time to hard-boil an ostrich egg at sea-level! If you want a soft-boiled egg, the answer is 48 to 60 minutes.

Those are big eggs, mate, the average sized ostrich egg weighs about 1.5kg and sustains the weight of a 345-pound adult male ostrich. That's a whopping thick shell and the heat must penetrate it before it even starts cooking the egg. One ostrich egg equals 20 to 24 large chicken eggs, so with one of these in your shopping basket you can feed the entire squad.

Why Oudtshoorn? Well, the thirst for exotic ornament among fashionable women in the metropoles of Europe and America prompted a bustling global trade in ostrich feathers that flourished from the 1880’s until the First World War. Ostriches were reared and plucked, and their feathers sorted, exported, auctioned and finally manufactured for sale. Enterprising merchants soon discovered that Oudtshoorn in the Klein Karoo was the ideal environment for raising ostriches, and a very prosperous town developed, rich in grand, sandstone “feather palaces”. The ostrich farms and palaces still exist, though now mainly farming for meat and leather and for the enjoyment of visitors from all over the world. Stay the night in one of many guest houses in the town.

Heading north from Oudtshoorn along Baron van Reede Street you soon come to the Cango Caves. This is an enormous underground complex of caverns, the largest two or three of which are easily accesible and dramatically lit to make the most of the striking subterranean formations. Depending on how adventurous you are, tours vary from informative walks to wriggling on all fours through one tight squeeze after another – an experience as close as it comes to breaking through Germany’s back line of defenders!

Continuing on, the tarmac road gives way to a good quality gravel road that winds over the truly spectacular Swartberg Pass, cutting through eons-old strata of rock and affording striking views over the surrounding countryside. The dry-stone retaining walls are still in place and almost 120 years old. The pass then drops dramatically into the town of Prince Albert, our oasis in the Karoo - where sparkling water bubbles along the furrows, gardens bloom, fruit orchards flourish, hospitality is honest and quirky characters abound.

And if one killer pass is not enough to satisfy you, there’s plenty more nearby. For an awe-inspiring experience drive through the village of De Rust and Meiringspoort Pass, encountering soaring cliff walls with spectacular rock formations and crossing the Groot River 25 times. The road is a remarkable engineering feat, but the overwhelming features of Meiringspoort are the wonders of nature. The folds of the sandstone strata tower above the road, constantly changing colour as you move through sunlight and shade. Entry to the poort is via Klaarstroom, 55 kms east of Prince Albert en route to Oudtshoorn. The drinking water from De Rust’s mountain springs puts expensive bottled water to shame. Meiringspoort's picnic spots are clean and you can enjoy a picnic lunch at the Great Waterfall where you might catch a glimpse of the mystical and elusive Meiringspoort Mermaid.

And if these passes don’t give you a thrill, then closer to Cape Town, we have Tradouw’s Pass, Grey’s Pass, Hex River Pass, Sir Lowry’s Pass – this place is full of killer passes and obvious to any adventurous soccer fan that it’s a road trip heaven.




more:     who / do / eat / shop / relax / connect

• Score an adrenaline hat trick [outdoor/active]
• Cheer a killer pass on and off the field [natural beauty]
• When your craving demands more than a burger [gourmet]
• Take in a bit of Cape culture as your team goes for glory [culture and heritage]
• When the sound of the vuvuzela starts getting to you [body, mind and spirit]
• Living it up when the final whistle blows [cosmopolitan vibe]