In 1854, Bain’s Kloof Pass, an engineering masterpiece designed and constructed by Scotsman Andrew Geddes Bain that provided access to the hinterland beyond the mountains, became the official ‘Gateway to the North’, over which countless wagons creaked their way to the diamond and gold fields.

A National Monument, the magnificent Pass remains a well-travelled attraction and offers unsurpassed vistas, indigenous and unique flora and fauna, crystal-clear rock pools, camp sites and hiking trails.

Bainskloof Pass lies on the R301 regional road between Wellington. The 18 kilometres pass, opened in 1854, was constructed with the use of convict labour. Originally built for horse-drawn traffic, the pass was later tarred. The pass reaches 594 metres (1,949 feet) at its highest point. Here, the road joins the Witte River, which descends the northern side of the mountains through a precipitous cleft to a stretch of rapids, waterfalls, and natural pools.