Road tripping to a Star Party

I love a road trip. This weekend I set off for Bonnievale (cheese and wine country) in the foothills of the Cape fold mountains to attend the Southern Star Party, a gathering of astronomy experts and amateurs alike for a few nights of looking up in a dark sky area. I haven't done a long trip in my half-a-loaf-of-bread and this was going to test its mettle.
I soon found myself enjoying (much like Toad of Toad Hall) a life on the open road. I paid no heed as faster, powerful cars zoomed into view in the rearview mirror. I prudently pulled over (I am aware how irritating it is to be held up by slower cars) to let them disappear into the distance while I chugged uphill and down in a pattern which soon became familiar. Turn off aircon to get uphill at 80, then turn it back on for the downward side at a respectable 100kph.
A shiny blue Megane swooped down on me and I obliged, but the Mean Little White Car in front of me, a self-appointed traffic cop, was having none of this politeness and stubbornly chugged along at 100 instead of 120. I could almost see the steam coming out of the windows of Midnight Blue Megane, until a T-junction hove into view and it took the gap, overtaking in a dangerous manoeuvre on the left-hand side. I didn't see it again.
The uphill/downhill, aircon off/aircon on rhythm continued awhile, when suddenly my foot gained some weight and we sped past Mean Little White Car and maintained a good 110 after that. There are some things that no self-respecting wannabe rally driver can tolerate. I reminisced fondly on the days of my 7-series Beemer that used to take us to Knysna many years ago on cruise control at a steady 130-140, gathering fistfuls of speeding fines along the way. No fear of that now. Although I have to say that the cop setting up his camera on the main drag through the little town of Riviersonderend did come as quite a surprise!
Almost as much of a surprise as the turnoff from the N2 to Bonnievale, which appeared with only 100m warning, totally insufficient distance to decelerate to a manageable turning speed and especially a 110 degree corner. It was a close thing as the not inconsiderable contents of my handbag were strewn all over the car and under my feet.
Despite Google maps, I didn't take the turnoff onto the gravel road as it just didn't look like the kind of road I wanted to go on and so ended up in Bonnievale, adding 30km to the trip. This is why I allow four hours to travels 200km.