The long road south...

Unfortunately though, the N1 — cutting through the heart of Free State, the sparse Karoo wilderness and innumerable one-petrol-station-towns — remains the fastest route from Jozi to the Mother City.

However, instead of rushing through it as fast as possible as you've done every year, why not take some time and explore a bit along the way. From the big towns to the small 'dorpies' we've put together a few stop-overs to make your 'great trek' a bit more bearable...

Winburg

The historic Voortrekker town of Winburg is just 300 kilometres from Johannesburg, making it the perfect place to overnight if you're starting your drive late in the afternoon.

Winburg is one of those classic towns rich in Afrikaner history and culture. If you've got time to explore you’ll find the oldest Voortrekker cemetery in South Africa, a Voortrekker monument and a Garden of Remembrance amidst the historic buildings along the tree-lined roads.

Surrounded by low hills and grassland plains, the town is close to the Willem Pretorius Reserve, a small game park on the Allemanskraal dam, that’s home to rhino, buffalo and giraffe.

Bloemfontein

A further 110kms down the road you'll find Bloemfontein, the only proper city along the N1 between Johannesburg and Cape Town. Being a fair-sized city it's a good place to stop-over, but what it gains in facilities it loses in charm.

It does however have a great range of accommodation, ranging from anonymous hotel chains to cheap backpackers and quaint guesthouses. Best of all is the luxurious, antique-laden Hobbit House. It's often voted the country’s best guesthouse, but with only five rooms you'll need to book well in advance.

Bloemfontein City Hall

The city offers its fair share of historic architecture, with the tree-lined President Brand Street featuring a number of attractive, sandstone public buildings such as the City Hall, Supreme Court of Appeal and the Old Presidency.

The Oliewenhuis Art Gallery has a fine collection of sculpture and painting housed in the former residency of South African presidents and the beautiful gardens outside are ideal for getting rid of that road rage.

Book accommodation in Bloemfontein.

Philippolis

It's a slight detour off the N1 to reach Philippolis, 168kms from Bloemfontein, but is it worth the extra distance?

If you've got the time it certainly is. An assortment of simple, flat-roofed Karoo houses, gabled Cape Dutch homes and Victorian buildings, the town includes the family home of explorer-writer-soldier-philosopher, Sir Lourens van der Post.

Apart from that the spectacular views of the Orange River are reason enough to get off the N1 for a while at least.

Colesberg

Probably the most popular overnight stop along the way, Colesberg marks the beginning of the Karoo proper: barren plains surround by flat-topped mountains covered in a dry scrub.

Enjoy the clear air and wide open spaces of the Karoo

The historic town is filled with Anglo-Boer War relics, traditional reed ceiling, yellowwood-beamed Karoo homes, Victorian architecture, museums (the local museum offers war records and a 19th-century toy collection amongst other things) and laid-back charm.

If you need to stretch your legs, pay a visit to the nearby Doornkloof Nature Reserve with its range of buck, small carnivores and hiking trails.

Book accommodation in Colesberg.

Hanover

There's not a lot happening in Hanover, the town that lies almost exactly halfway between Johannesburg (697km) and Cape Town (704km).

It's a good place to get out and stretch your legs and appreciate the fact that you're halfway to your destination. If you fel the urge to explore, be sure to see the Olive Schreiner house.

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