South Africa is undeniably a country for exploring, and one of the many things to explore is the Whale Route, stretching from coast to coast. MONIQUE VAN DER LINDEN took off in the plush and premium compact BMW X1 trying to spot these large, majestic creatures along the Western Cape’s South Coast.
I’ve only heard mediocre reviews, at best, about BMW’s first generation X1 model, and even though I’ve never tested the first model, I understandably had my reservations regarding the following generation. Nevertheless, I received the BMW X1 sDrive 20D to test for a week, and decided: what better way to do so than to do a full-on trip along the Cape’s coast, visiting some of its most popular spots on the Whale Route.
During the months of June right through until October, whale viewing is a major attraction along the South Coast of South Africa. Even though Hermanus might, to many, be synonymous with the whale-watching season in South Africa – seeing thousands of tourists flock to this vibrant seaside town each year – whales can be viewed all around South Africa’s ever-changing coast.
Climbing into the X1, I thought that this is about as classy as a small SUV’s interior gets. The X1’s interior reflects that solid build quality and premium feel that I hope for from a top-class German vehicle. The space within was also a surprise. There was plenty of space for four adults to get comfortable, plus our luggage for a weekend (which always proves to be a hassle) – camera equipment and all. As is the case in the X1’s main rivals, carrying three adults in the back of the X1 is will most probably be bit of a squeeze, yet it will be possible.
Now, comfy and settled in the X1, we (four hopeful whale watchers and avid road trippers) took off the Friday morning en-route to the adjacent towns of Struisbaai and L’Agulhas – a part of the country very familiar to me, as I have been holidaying there every December since I can remember.
Driving around the seemingly never-ending winding road just after the Caledon turn-off was a good way in which to test the waters with the X1 regarding handling and driving dynamics. Some versions of the BMW X1 come with four-wheel drive, however the model I drove is front-wheel driven. While this is more economic, occasionally I felt the steering wheel writhing upon quick acceleration. However, overall the steering is weighty, precise, and smooth, which makes it easy to place the X1 on the open road. Meanwhile, the stiff suspension ensures there’s little body roll, even when cornering.
Upon entering the town of Struisbaai, the first thing which caught our eyes were the old fisherman’s thatch houses set among the backdrop of the blue, blue sky – the very phenomenon from which the town supposedly hails. Before we knew it, we arrived in L’Agulhas. Not only is this a charming seaside town, but also home to the southern most tip of Africa, guarded by the merging of the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean.
After our exploration at the “tip of Africa” in the X1, we took on our second leg of the whale-chasing trip to the less well-known area of De Hoop. Made up of sea, sand dunes, vlei, rare fynbos plants, various antelope and the Potberg Mountains, this is one of Cape Nature’s flagship nature reserves, probably most commonly known for its Southern Right Whale migratory calving population.
Travelling to De Hoop Nature Reserve from L’Agulhas’ side consists of driving on mostly gravel road amid koppies and mountainous areas – areas this premium-looking compact SUV was certainly not specifically designed for. Unlike driving the X1 amid Cape Town’s narrow roads and skyscrapers, I felt somewhat out of place in this car seemingly in the “middle of nowhere”. And, even though the car’s performance was notably unsettled at times due to its stiffness, I thought the X1 performed well on the gravel road, allowing for a firm ride, and most importantly, we arrived at our final destination safe and sound (and thankfully without even a tiny scratch on the car).
Overall, our effort to spot the gentle giants of the ocean in the BMW X1 proved to be a success. The X1 proved itself as a spacious, practical and premium car that was fun as well as comfortable to drive on an extended road trip. It was easy enough to get comfortable (taking into account the adjustable lumbar support), and BMW’s popular and easy-to-use infotainment system came in handy, as well as the dashboard laid out in a logical manner. Even though this model might be considered a bit pricey, I could certainly understand why this car so successfully rivals the VW Tiguan and Mercedes GAL.
Our whale route trip ended at De Hoop, and we relied on the X1 to transport us safely back to Cape Town, which it comfortably did. However, any keen whale watcher and road trip enthusiast can easily extend their trip by either heading eastwards to the Wit sand’s area, or alternatively head back inland to reach Overberg’s Gansbaai, Hermanus, or Betty’s Bay to further seek out the largest, living mammals on earth that call the deep, blue ocean their home.
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The whale mostly spotted around this time is the Southern Right Whale, which migrates into the extreme coastal waters off the Western Cape each year to calve, nurse their young, and mate. The humpback whale is also seen as they migrate along SA’s coast en-route to their feeding and breeding grounds off Mozambique and Angola.
Famous for their majestic nature and gargantuan size, the Southern Right Whale has always been a fascination for many, so named because they were thought as the “right whales” to hunt in the past due to their slow movements and inability to dive for long periods. Because of this, their numbers have been depleted drastically, with only an estimated 4,000 left. However, since the international agreement to outlaw whaling came into effect in 1976, the Southern Right Whale population has been growing. Today still, people flock to the Overberg coast area to hunt these whales down and shoot them – with their eyes and cameras, of course.
