In the 'hood, Champagne Valley as a destination

Lying in the central Drakensberg, the Champagne peak is one of the highest peaks in this mountain range, although the prominent peak from here is Cathkin. But it is the enchantedness of the Champagne Valley that draws visitors away from city stressors to escape to a place of rare beauty that manages to remain almost entirely unaffected by development. The town of Winterton marks the entrance ... cont.

D277, Central Drakensberg, Farm Cathkin 1285, Champagne Valley, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

Directions to River Crossing

FROM JOHANNESBURG:
Route A. (freeway route)
• From Johannesburg International Airport take the road to Johannesburg
• Take the left turn at the sign N3 South (Durban / Germiston)
• Follow the N3 towards Durban
• Go through the main Tugela Plaza – do not turn off at the Plaza. Take the first off-ramp after the Tugela Toll Plaza and then turn left towards Ladysmith. (Note currently roadworks with a delay of 20 minutes. Another option is to turn right to Bergville and at Bergville turn left to Winterton and continue as per instructions from *** below)
• After approx 4km take a right turn to Winterton on the R600
• ***In Winterton opposite the Engen garage, take the R600 Central Berg road – you will go over a railway line
• Approximately 13km you will pass through a crossroad junction and on your left is the Thokosiza curio / shopping / information centre / restaurant, well worth a pop-in for lunch
• Approximately 5km thereafter you will see signs for signs 'Cayley Lodge' and Bell Park Dam. Turn right here onto the D53
• Approximately 3km you cross a river and shortly thereafter again a Cayley Lodge sign to the right which take onto the D277
• Shortly after turning, cross over another river and approximately 200 yards on the left you will see a smallish white sign for River Crossing. Turn left onto the dirt road. Unless you have been given other arrival instructions, please continue to the 2nd villa at which please hoot or call Michelle Adams on 0824950912 or 0761805400 to escort you to your accommodation

Route B - Scenic route from Joburg (Not recommended at this time and certainly not in wet or freezing conditions and note that there are roadworks and delays of approximately half hour on this route for the foreseeable future)
• N3 Johannesburg towards Durban.
• At Harrismith take the N5 off-ramp then turn right towards Bethlehem / Bloemfontein.
• After approx 5km turn left onto the R712 Qwa-Qwa / Bergville road.
• After approx 10km turn left again onto R74 Bergville / Oliviershoek pass road. NB.Take care as there are pot holes.
• Pass by Sterkfontein Dam, Oliviershoek Pass, Bergville towards Winterton.
• In Winterton opposite the Engen garage, take the R600 Central Berg road – you will go over a railway line
• Approximately 13km you will pass through a crossroad junction on your left is the Thokosiza curio / shopping / information centre / restaurant well worth a pop-in or lunch
• Approximately 5km thereafter you will see signs for signs 'Cayley Lodge' and Bell Park Dam. Turn right here onto the D53
• Approximately 3km you cross a small bridge / river and shortly thereafter again a Cayley Lodge sign to the right which take onto the D277
• Shortly after turning, cross over another river and approximately 200 yards on the left you will see a smallish white sign for River Crossing. Turn left onto the dirt road. Unless you have been given other arrival instructions, please continue to the 2nd villa at which please hoot or call Michelle Adams on +27 (0)82 495-0912 or +27 (0)76 180-5400 to escort you to your accommodation

FROM DURBAN:
Route A. (Shorter but many speed bumps, goats / cattle / people along Loskop section)
• N3 to JHB. Take offramp at Estcourt North (no other). At intersection of offramp, take left hand turn to Loskop
• Approximately 26km onwards take a left hand turn onto the R600. Once you have turned, you will see the Thokosiza shopping centre / curio / restaurant/info office on your left.*
• Approximately 6km past Thokosiza you will see signs for 'Cayley Lodge' and Bell Park Dam. Turn right here onto the D53
• Approximately 3km along the D53 you cross a small bridge / river and shortly thereafter, again a sign Cayley Lodge. Turn right onto the D277
• Shortly after turning right, cross over another bridge / small river and approximately 200 yards on the left you will see a smallish green / white signboard for River Crossing. Turn left onto the dirt road. Unless you have been given other arrival instructions, please continue to the 2nd villa at which please hoot or call Michelle Adams on +27 (0)82 495-0912 or +27 (0)76 180-5400 to escort you to your accommodation

B. (Longer with few speedbumps)
• N3 pass by Shell Ultra City and take next EXIT 194 the Winterton / Bergville / Colenso (R74) off ramp and turn left to Winterton which is about 20km away
• In Winterton opposite the Engen garage, take the R600 Central Berg road – you will go over a railway line
• Approximately 13 km you will pass through a crossroad junction. On your left is the Thokosiza curio / shopping / information centre / restaurant, well worth a pop-in or lunch
• * Continue directions as for option A above

Amenities in the area

  • Bus Line (0 km)
  • Bars and/or Nightlife (5 km)
  • Bank and/or ATM (7 km)
  • Laundromat (7 km)
  • Restaurants / Eateries (7 km)
  • Grocery Store (8 km)
  • Airport (10 km)
  • Post Office (22 km)
  • Shopping Mall (22 km)

Activities

  • 4x4 trails
  • Abseiling
  • Bird watching
  • Canopy tours
  • Caving
  • Children's entertainment
  • Clay pidgeon shooting
  • Climbing (mountain / rock)
  • Cultural experiences
  • Cycling paths
  • Driving range
  • Farm activities
  • Fishing
  • Galleries / museums
  • Game viewing
  • Golf course(s)
  • Gym / fitness centre
  • Hang- / paragliding
  • Health spa / massage
  • Helicopter Flips
  • Hiking trails
  • Horse riding
  • Hot air ballooning
  • Kloofing
  • Microlight flights
  • Mountain bike trails
  • Quad biking
  • Rowing / canoeing
  • Sailing
  • Sand boarding
  • Swimming
  • Theatre (performing arts)

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