Archive of BMW Motorrad Club Cape (2006 - 2019)

What do you get when you combine 23 people, 16 bikes, 14 days and 5500km on a trip through our beautiful country?

Meet the team:

Geoff Russell (R1200GSA LC)

Francois & Eileen vd Westhuizen (R1200RT)

John & Des Gillespie (R1200RT)

Sarel & Theresa van Aardt (R1200RT)

Henri & Louise Basson (K1300GT)

Aubrey & Sorita Bothma (R1200GS LC)

Hennie & Mieki Botha (R1200GSA)

Kobus & Martha vd Westhuizen (R1200GS)

Garth Hewitt (R1200GS)

Yolandi Hewitt (R1200GS)

Tiaan Greyling (R1200GSA)

Nic Prinsloo (R1200GS LC)

Johannes Horn (F800GS)

Lyn Nicol (R1200RT)

Gerhardus Keuler (K1200RS)

Rick de Araujo (R1200GSA)

 

Day 1   

720km to Camdeboo Cottages, Graaff-Reinet, Eastern Cape

Route: Engen Winelands 1Stop, Worcester, Robertson, Montagu, Barrydale, Ladismith, Calitzdorp, Oudtshoorn, De Rust, Willowmore, Aberdeen, Graaff-Reinet

Our trip started at 6:00 on a cold and wet Saturday morning at the Engen Winelands One Stop. The group enjoyed a nice Wimpy breakfast to brace ourselves for the cold.

We left after a briefing by our ride captain, Geoff Russell at approx 7:15.

Our group was joined at Worcester (where the rain luckily stopped )by Kobus & Martha vd Westhuizen from Tulbach. Later on Aubrey & Sorita Bothma joined us at Oudsthoorn where we enjoyed lunch at the local Spur.

We all arrived in good spirit at Cambedoo Cottages in Graaff-Reinet after 720km in the saddle...anxious to meet Withond...

We were all quite tired after a long day's ride and looking forward to our dinner & drinks. We were treated to a local culinary feast prepared by the owners.

Geoff used the opportunity to hand us our tour t-shirts.

And finally...after dinner, we met Withond! Chantal entertained us with a bit of history about Graaff-Reinet and the story of Withond.

And all the tour members had to taste some of the Withond Witblits!

Dit het geloop soos stroop en die manne wou DORP toe!

Day 2   

685km to Protea Hotel,  Clarens, Free State

Route: Graaff-Reinet, Middelburg, Steynsburg, Burrgersdorp, Aliwal-North, Rouxville, Zastron, Hobhouse, Clocolan, Ficksburg, Fouriesburg, Clarens

We booked into the Protea Hotel Clarens on the Sunday afternoon and wanted to explore the Town only to find all the shops closed except for the China Store next to the Hotel.

 We decided to settle in the bar at the hotel where the group got to know each other.

Thereafter we enjoyed a nice buffet dinner...but some of the men decided that it was way to early to depart to bed. They found the only open bar in town and had to go and explore...or as whe referred to it on tour: ONS GAAN DORP TOE!!!! Geoff, Hennie, Sarel, Gerhardus en Tiaan getting to know each other...Ironically the sign in front of the bar reads: 'Die warmste plek in Clarens'

Day 3   

480km to Dullstroom Inn, Dullstroom, Mpumalanga

Route: Clarens, Bethlehem, Warden, Vrede, Standerton, Bethal, Hendrina, Carolina, Belfast, Dullstroom

The day started with a hearty continental breakfast and the plan was to leave early for Dullstroom. After the briefing by Geoff, Kobus realised that his GS wouldn't start...luckily one of the locals helped us and we departed half an hour later.

The late start made some of the riders so nervous that the group left Francois & Hennie behind just before Vrede. They later rejoined us at Standerton. The group purchased all the stock of buffs at the local coffee shop in Vrede seeing as it only cost a mere R20 each! What a bargain!

Thank the Lord that we stay in DA country! The roads and the potholes were some of the worst we have ever experienced...(and apparently, according to Geoff and Hennie it was worse the previous years). Belfast looked worst than our local squatter camps.

We arrived at the Dullstroom Inn. I think Noah was born here as the Hotel was built in 1912? I'm convinced the wallpaper in the rooms are still the original. 

Luckily the food and drinks made up for this...The service was superb and the fireplace created the perfect atmosphere.

 That was until the barman told Tiaan & Garth in his broken Afrikaans: "Môre is nog 'n dag!". It must have been the Long Island Ice Teas that Johannes bought the team...

Day 4  

Rest day in Dullstroom, Mpumalanga

The Town was disrupted as the local municipality was striking...

Geoff, Henri and Gerhardus took an outride on their own, Hennie & Kobus went to Nelspruit to purchase a new battery and visit friends, but most of us took a well deserved rest day and explored the town.

The evening was enjoyed around the fireplace with a couple of drinks and a good laugh!

Day 5  

300km to The Woodsman, Sabie, Mpumalanga

Route: Dullstroom, Steenkampspas, Lydenburg, Sabie, Hazyview, Graskop, Sabie

We rode Steenkamps Pass which is the highest road in the old Transvaal province.

Francois & Eileen (Mnr Hoofseun)

The highlight of today was the Long Tom Pass! 56km of long sweeps and sharp twisties. Thereafter we stopped for lunch at Topolino's in Hazyview.

We checked into the Woodsman in Sabie later that day.

 We enjoyed a couple of drinks before we were treated to a nice buffet dinner...the pork was even served by Elvis!

Des enjoying her dinner!

Geoff & Sarel planning their

route for the following day

Nice memorabilia at the Woodsman Restaurant

Day 6  

Rest day in Sabie, Mpumalanga

Most of the group used the rest day to explore the scenic routes in and around Graskop, Blyde River, Pilgrims Rest and Sabie. We rode the panoramic route and visited God's Window, Bourkes Luck Potholes, Mac-Mac Falls and the historic town of Pilgrims Rest where we enjoyed lunch at the famous Royal Hotel.

Garth at God's Window

God's Window

Bourkes Luck Potholes

Royal Hotel

Day 7  

380km to Mbabane Mountain Inn, Swaziland

Route: Sabie, Nelspruit, Kaapsehoop, Barberton, Kaapmuiden,

Malelane, Jeppe’s Reef, Matsamo, Piggs Peak, Mbabane

Hennie Botha led the group into Swaziland on day 7. Geoff was without a passport on this trip due to the arrangements of the BMW Euro trip that takes place later this year. We enjoyed some nice pancakes at Kaapsehoop.

Just before Nelspruit Nic Prinsloo almost put his bike down after hitting a pothole!  Note to Nic: Try and use the steering for its intended purpose..hehehe

The group refilled at Malelane and waited for him and

Tiaan to go and check out his front rim at BMW in Nelspruit. Just before Malelane Lyn lost her licence and her credit card...for the remainder of the trip she used Sorita's licence!

Here we lost close to 2 hours.

We finally got to the border at Jeppe's Reef late afternoon.

We entered Swaziland at Matsamo.

We finally arrived at Mbabane Mountain Inn after sunset. Here we were joined by Rick who worked in Maputo

and was on his way back home to Cape Town.

We even had to ride a detour on gravel for approx 10km's!

It was all worth it!

 

Day 8  

380km to Inkungu Lodge, Drakensberg

Route: Mbabane, Mahamba, Piet Retief, Paulpietersburg, Dundee, Winterton

After a nice buffet breakfast we left Swaziland via Mahamba where we were joined by Geoff again.

In his absence the ride was led by Hennie Botha.

 

Enroute we encountered a road block...luckily for Lyn she could make use of Sorita's licence...

We arrived later afternoon at the majestic Inkungu Lodge in the Winterton area of the Drakensberg. This is a stone's throw from the place where the Drakensberg Boys Choir is based.

After freshening up we all joined in the lounge for a couple of drinks.

We had the whole lodge to ourselves! The boys gathered around the TV to watch the Stormers trash the Froce.

We were treated to a nice set menu for dinner and we all went to bed quite early after a long day's riding excited to explore the area on our rest day tomorrow.

 

Day 9  

Rest day at Inkungu Lodge, Drakensberg

We had the day to explore the Drakensberg area. Some of us visited Falcon's Crest and Champagne Castle and enjoyed lunch at Scrumpy Jacks. Sarel and Theresa had an outride on Geoff's liquid cooled Adventure.

Rick & Tiaan at Scrumpy Jacks

Garth gedra hom varkerig

Posing for Nic's photoshoot for the video

Gerhardus had an unfortunate incident when he dropped his K1200RS on the loose pebbles at the entrance to Inkungu Lodge. The men assessed the damage...luckily only cosmetic.

The evening Geoff decided to 'straf' some of the people with the official drink of the tour: 'Jagermeister!'.

Even Martha had to drink! And poor old Tiaan!

Day 10  

415km to Resthaven, Matatiele, Eastern Cape

Route: Winterton, Loskop, Fort Nottingham, Underberg, Cedarville, Matatiele

We had a late start after John's RT wouldn't start. It was later established that he had a faulty fuel pump sensor. They took the part off Hennie's bike to test on John's bike and voila! It worked! Captain, toerleier and klaskaptein Geofff came to the rescue after he discovered a wire in his pocket to bypass this problem...apparently he carried this in his pocket the past 9 years without knowing what to do with it.

We arrived later that day at the cosy Resthaven Guest House in Matatiele in the Eastern Cape. 

That evening Nic Prinsloo, Chairman of the Hout Bay Motorcycle Club and a hairdresser by trade decided that my hair needed a trim. There and then he tried to transform me into Jennifer Arniston...

That evening we had to supply our own booze as

Resthaven had no liquor licence. Between Pick 'n Pay and Tops

we managed to find a nice quota of strafdoppe in the form of Jagermeister, Old Brown and Bells Whiskey...

Dinner (regte Boerekos!) was enjoyed and after dinner some of the tour members decided to go for an ice-cream at the local KFC...the funniest of it all was that Matatiele had 2 KFC's! 

Day 11 

445km to Crawfords Beach Lodge, Cintsa, Eastern Cape

Route:  Matatiele, Mount Flechter, Maclear, Ugie, Sibuyele, Kei Bridge, Cintsa

We rode the most expensive road in SA today.

Apparently everything had to be flown in by helicopter after the local bunny huggers complained...

We arrived at the stunning small holiday town of Cintsa as we stayed at Crawfords Beach Lodge. This place truly is the Mauritius of South Africa!

Later that evening Henri Basson decided to treat the team to Pongracz to celebrate his 65th b-day the following day.

Tonight we had to say goodbye to Tiaan and Nic as Tiaan had to catch an

earlier flight to Windhoek to be in time for his mother's 70th birthday.

Geoff had a surprize up his sleeve and we all gathered upstairs in the lounge 

area...en hier het die pret begin! Tradisie op die toer is dat die toerleier 

pryse mag uitdeel aan sekere lede wat hulself...uhm...SKULDIG maak

aan wangedrag.

Die volgende mense was hard gestraf met Jagermeister (only to name a few):

Hennie Botha-loudest member on tour

Nic Prinsloo-worst rider on tour and biggest drama queen

Gerhardus Keuler-unluckiest rider on tour

Garth Hewitt-best and fastest one-liners on tour

Des Gillespie- person who looked the best

after the tour leader

Sorita Bothma- best dressed lady on tour

Francois & Henri-biggest stirrers and klikbekke on tour

Sarel van Aardt- most laid back member on tour

Louise Basson- most prim and proper lady on tour

Day 12  

Rest day at Crawfords Beach Lodge, Cintsa, Eastern Cape

Some of us took outrides to Kei Mouth and Morgans Bay whilst some of the members enjoyed the spa

The evening at dinner Mieki Botha handed over a gift to Geoff to thank him for his guidance on the tour!

Fun was had by all at the buffet dinner...

Day 13 

510km to Tsitsikamma Village Inn, Stormsrivier, Eastern Cape

Route: Cintsa, East London, Port Alfred, Colchester,

Jeffreys Bay, Humansdorp, Kareedouw, Stormsrivier

We were heading home now...

We stopped in Port Alfred for the world famous Beaver Pies!

We stopped close to the spectacular Van Stadens Bridge.

We arrived late afternoon at the Tsitsikamma Village Inn.

Hier hardloop die kat die show!

Gerhardus was punished with 5 Jagermeisters for revving his bike in Humansdorp...

Gerhardus

We had a lazy time next to the cosy fireplace in the bar and no one looked forward to going back home tomorrow...

Rick

Sarel &Theresa

Hennie & Mieki

Francois & Eileen

Henri & Louise

Garth & Yolandi

Day 14 

600km to the Western Cape! HOME!

Route: Stormsrivier, Plettenberg Bay, Knysna, George, Mossel Bay, Albertinia, Buffeljagsrivier, Swellendam, Ashton, Worcester

Today we departed home via the N2 after our last briefing.

With hearts filled with thankfulness for being able to ride and enjoy this trip and our beautiful country and for making new friends we said our final goodbye at Buffeljagsrivier.

Thanks for all the arrangements and your guidance Geoff!