The Great North Road cuts through Wyllie’s Poort immediately north of Louis Trichardt. This pass was built after the old road higher up the mountainside had been washed away several times. The new road includes two tunnels (450m and 27 4m) completed in 1961. Near the southern tunnel there is a parking area from where one can see the old road following the course of the stream. The poort was named for Lt. C H Wyllie who staked out the first pass in 1904.
Regular scheduled flights operate from Polokwane (Pietersburg) and Louis Trichardt airfields to Johannesburg International Airport. Scheduled bus services to and from Johannesburg and Pretoria are also maintained.
The crossing to Zimbabwe is at Beit Bridge, where the South African section of this important route north into Africa ends.
The railway to Zimbabwe makes a westward detour from Louis Trichardt to pass through Waterpoort where the Sand River penetrated the range thousands of years ago.
Zeederburg Coaches
When the region developed in the early years oxen were used for most of the transport and horses were used to draw the coaches. The line was run by Zeederberg, which brought in the supplies and the post. He tried to use Zebra but had little success, as zebra could not carry on for long, as they have little stamina.
