The republic of BABOONS

For as long as I can remember, Iʼve wanted to visit the vast river catchment area stretching from Willowmore to Patensie, sandwiched between the Baviaanskloof and Kouga mountains. Thereʼs only one road through it, built by master engineer Thomas Bain in the 1880s – the last and longest of his great passes, but there are plenty of byways, hidden gorges and cul-de-sacs to explore.

Before heading into the kloof, I met up with Kobus Kok, an old-timer who knows the Baviaans like the back of his hand, in a coffee shop in Humansdorp. Shifting the mugs aside, he rolled out a detailed map on the table.

ʻLook, Justin, you must take your time,ʼ said Kobus. ʻThereʼs so much to see. When you cross the Nuwekloof Pass, youʼre properly into the Baviaans, itʼs simply another world. As you descend,