The pictures in this article were shot during the February Carbs and Coffee Breakfast run.
The Aston Martin DB9 I was driving for this run, was on loan from Gilmour Collection and is currently for sale at R 674,990
If you watch any locally produced car content, chances are you have seen Clarence Drive. Even if you didn’t know it at the time! Clarence is a local hot-spot for sportscar and motorbike enthusiasts from all over. Draped on a mountain-side, Clarence twists and turns around the coast of the bay from Gordon’s bay to Rooiels and beyond. It showcases some amazing scenery too. There’s also a number of look-out points where whales can often be spotted at certain times of the year.
So could Clarence be one of the greatest driving roads in the Cape? Well I’ve decided! In a series I’m naming ‘The Road is Calling’, I’m making it my mission to check out and review the best driving roads in our area.
What makes a great driving Road?
Clarence Drive is not really suited for heavy goods vehicles or busses. Which is a good thing. It means the surface doesn’t get hammered with the kind of road-bashing loads that some larger roads suffer. This means that it has a really good surface. The road is in superb condition and provides lots of grip. Corners are also cambered in the right direction. Most can be easily judged in advance so you don’t end up in a corner with too much speed.
Visibility is a mixed bag. Being on a cliff-face/ mountain-side, if you are turning towards the mountain, you can’t see anything. But turning away from the mountain side, visibility forward is excellent. There are overtaking opportunities should you need to get past slower traffic. However, they are few and need to be very carefully considered before committing. At night, oncoming headlights can help you ‘see around corners’, but don’t expect much help from street lights. There aren’t any. The cats-eyes in the road help a little, but the road markings are not particularly reflective either. With the only barriers being a small rock wall without any reflectors either. Ultimately, night driving on Clarence should be approached with caution.
Whether you are coming from the Rooiels side or the Gordon’s bay side, both end points of the road offer some great restaurants and places to visit. The road hugs the coast for several kilometres before turning inland towards Hangklip. Meaning that for the majority of the run you have ocean views on one side and rock-face on the other. It’s a beautiful place to just cruise along and enjoy the scenery.
But what if you want to press on a bit?
Should the mood to extend your right foot a little take you, Clarence can be serious fun. With a great combination of tight turns and longer sweeping bends, you are constantly driving the car. Brake, gear down, turn in, feed in the power, straighten out, foot flat, gear change, another gear change. Back on the brakes, down-shift, next corner. There’s never a dull moment. It’s even better if your car makes a good noise. It will constantly echo off that cliff face next to you.
Clarence Sounds Perfect! What’s the Catch?
Drainage on Clarence is not great in some sections. If you come around a corner in the rain, there is always a possibility of being met by a large puddle of standing water. With sections of the rock-face a little unstable, strong winds and rain can also cause rock falls into the road. Some of these can take authorities several days, or even longer to clear up. Generally speaking though, the road is very well maintained. As long as you are going in a relatively good weather window, it should be clear.
The other annoyance you might encounter on a Clarence run, is traffic. You need to get up early to catch this road clear – especially on a weekend. Because of its scenic beauty, the road is a popular spot for Sunday drivers to take their SUV’s and clog up the road. You want to get off Clarence before the muggles descend. Failure to do so will mean you rarely exceed 40kph.
Finally there is, as is always the case, the risk of running into (quite literally) morons who think they are James Hunt. A stark reminder that just because you THINK you can drive, doesn’t mean you can.
Overall, Clarence scores very highly. It’s a great bit of road, which if you catch it on a clear day, is simply magic. The twists and turns will have you holding your breath and the scenery will take it away. If you haven’t yet, you should take your car, or bike, and check it out this weekend.
