Harare - Gonarezhou - Kruger - Ballito

**shanedrummond** · 2012/01/30, 10:39 AM

I am looking at going from Harare through Gonarezhou Transfrontier Park, through the Kruger from top to bottom ending in Ballito with my wife & 3 kids, 6, 4 & 2 years old, in April over the Easter break.

Will it be better to go through Beitbridge? Or across into Moz then over the Limpopo? What will the river be like at that time of year?

I have done the route previously from Durban through the Paul Kruger Gate and up to Pafuri and across the Limpopo to Vilankulos, that was a great experience, especially driving through Moz without a GPS and just a map to go on, but the Limpopo was only about 1 foot deep.

Then, about 8 years ago, I did it in a Hilux DC 4x4 with my girlfriend, now am planning on doing it in a cruiser with family, so I need to make sure it's a fun and fairly quick route to the seaside

So as we are on a budget, and would rather drive than fly, being 5 of us, I was wondering what my best options would be.

There is the straight Drive from Harare to Durban through Joburg, with an overnight stay there, Google Maps other options show an alternate route through Carolina, Piet Retief & Vryheid and onto Ballito

I am quite happy to take my Kids through Tshipise, Kruger & any other fun places on a 2 or even 3 day route down, but I don't want to kill their enthusiasm with too much car time and no Game/Humour enroute to make it worth while skipping the highway toll route

Also of paramount importance is safety, not keen to go where we can get hijacked, robbed etc, especially with 3 little kids, and although Zim has been through some rough times, it is still a safe place to live, relative to some parts of SA, so any and all helpfull information would be well appreciated!

**shanedrummond** · 2012/01/30, 10:48 AM

I have worked on a Fuel Budget of about R5k on Fuel & about R2.2k on tolls travelling the fastest route via Joburg, 1710km. Overnight in JHB is with friends, so no issues there, and fuel stops in Ultra-City's are fairly safe and one stop for food & pit stops, but definitely add seriouse time delay and increased costs to any trip IMO.

That's the main reason for looking at the alternative option through the Kruger, so that stops are for Fun, like game, or overnight camping etc, I just need to know of a budget and timing doing it this way, as I have done the Kruger at 40 to 60km/hour and I think I took 3 days on my last trip through it from the Paul Kruger Gate to Pafuri

**shanedrummond** · 2012/01/30, 10:51 AM

Fuel Budget is Harare - Durban - Harare, as with Toll Budget

**Mike N** · 2012/01/30, 01:48 PM

Shane, chances are slim to non-existent to get over Limpopo at Pafuri in April, perhaps on the pontoon lower down the river at Mapai.
Rather take your chances at Beit Bridge. Should not be to bad from Zim-SA, even for Zimbo's. The nightmare is going from SA - Zim, at the Zim border offices.

**shanedrummond** · 2012/01/30, 02:38 PM

Thanks Mike, now looking at going Beitbridge, Tshipise, Kruger, exiting right at the bottom on the R570, then instead of going around Swaziland, cutting across from the R570 to the R571, going through Swaziland down the right hand side, MR24, MR3, MR16, MR8 onto the N2.

Does anyone know if this route is ok to travel, would there be any issues regarding unpassable bridges etc that time of year, I know Swaziland had floods last year, distance is the same as doing the JHB route but the roads will be a far cry from the autobahn of the N3

**riccardobiasin** · 2012/03/16, 08:05 AM

Shane. My brother and I are also doing Bots, Zim, Moz from 02 April to 20 April. I've done Beit Bridge many times and it's a nightmare every time!! We are going thru Matsiloje into Zim via Bots. On our return trip going thru Sango via Gonarezhou into Moz then crossing the Limpopo at Manjangue, then back up to Giriyondo border into Kruger and back home to Jhb.Maybe we will cross paths on our journeys. Enjoy!