Is this the most scenic spot for a cement picnic table in the land? I think so! Just imagine sitting here on a clear autumn morning, with the Eastern Cape below you in greens and hazy blues. Out comes the Stanley flask, full of piping-hot coffee that you made at your guesthouse this morning.
Maybe you stayed at Intaba Lodge at the foot of Barkly Pass, or at the Mountain Shadows Hotel at the summit of the pass. Both are about 30 km east of here as the Cape vulture flies.
Intaba Lodge and Mountain Shadows are both excellent bases to explore Otto du Plessis Pass. They're both next to the R58 tar road that connects Khowa (formerly Elliot) with Barkly East. Simply follow the R58 to Khowa, and then turn right (south-west) on the R56 towards Indwe.
After 36km, turn right onto the gravel road. There's no sign; look for a small silo on the right. (The sign that points left says Ida, which is what this particular settlement is called, but it's just the police station that's to the left.)
The road immediately goes past a large dairy farm, then a small Dutch Reformed church, and then Ida High School. It ducks and dives through farmland and slowly leads you towards the escarpment that looms ahead.
At about 12 km (measured from Ida) there's a sneaky split to the left, signposted Otto du Plessis Pass. Take this fork. Now the incline increases steadily and narrow, wattled-in twisties lead you into the heart of the pass.
Only at higher altitudes do the wattle trees fall away to reveal patches of indigenous forest and open grassland. It's best to drive this road in a bakkie or a 4x4, especially at the back end of the rainy season when there might have been localised flooding.
After about 17 km (measured from the above split) you reach the top of the pass at 2 115 m in altitude. But where's the picnic table? You get out of your vehicle and it's nowhere to be seen. Yup, that's because it's hidden behind a large boulder.
Find the table, sit down and pour that coffee. The morning is all yours!
