I only discovered the Dassiedeur Tunnel near Cradock because there is a Geocache hidden halfway through the tunnel. For some reason, only Geocachers know, all my focus was on the cache and I never took any pictures while I was there.
Fast-forward about a decade, and I’m on my way to Cradock, with the tunnel at the top of a long list of things to do on the trip. I was just hoping that the road to get to it would be kind to the Firefly Polo.
The turnoff on the N10 if you’re heading towards Cradock is on the left-hand side, not long after Daggaboersnek Farm Stall. Just look for the Dassiedeur sign. Follow this road until the fork where you will keep left. Here you’ll find the first of four closed gates before crossing the railway line. This gate is unlocked, but you need to open and close gates on both sides of the railway line. Stay on this gravel road for about 3km and it will fork. Keep right. You will pass another two gates before you’ll get to the tunnel entrance. Keep in mind that the road is closed on the other side of the tunnel, and that you will have to return the way you came.
The road was rough, but the Polo had seen worse. I had to remove a couple of big rocks from just in front of the tunnel, but I was like, “Good girl”.
The Dassiedeur Tunnel, built in 1879, is an old disused 271-meter railway tunnel between Cradock and Cookhouse. It was constructed as part of the railway line that was completed in 1880. The railway line used to run along what was a steep (40-1) track leading up to the tunnel, which made it necessary for an extra locomotive parked close to the tunnel to assist trains with power up the steep ascent and with braking down the descent on the other side. When the new line was built around the mountain, the old rails through the tunnel were removed. When the new line was built around the mountain, the old rails through the tunnel were removed.
You can drive right through the tunnel and the impressive stone-cut engineering can be seen all the way. The car does kick up a lot of very fine dust, so I had to wait a couple of minutes for it to settle before taking pictures.
The tunnel really is one of those attractions that very few people know about and even fewer will get to visit. If you can though, you have to go and see it for yourself.
