Archive of BMW Motorrad Club Cape (2006 - 2019)

So Henk and I were on a mission, to get from Cape Town to Nelspruit and back.

First priority was to get through Baviaanskloof, then we were to stop in Cradock to see my parents, head along the wild coast towards Swaziland and make our way to Nelspruit. Heading back we planned to ride towards Lesotho, see Katze dam and some other sights and get home. All in three weeks – this was more than enough time. 

Needless to say, not all the objectives were met but below is a little piece of where we did go and what we saw.

Day 1: 21 December 2012

We left on December 21^st definitely ready for this epic journey and planning to ride as far as Willowmore .

Filling up and ready to go

We made our way mostly by tar to Robertson where we had breakfast and then on to Barrydale. From Barrydale we hit the dirt roads (finally) towards VanWyks  dorp where we refilled our hydrationpacks with the temperature bordering on 40 degrees.

 

Vanwyksdorp - beautiful little place

Rooiberg Pass - surprised we didn't melt here

 We then headed over Rooiberg pass to Calitzdorp, where on arrival I was feeling pretty much like I was about to die and the temperature was soaring at 45 degrees. We again got some water but I poured more over myself than I actually drank. We then took the back way on the dirt towards Oudshoorn having to stop in some shade since I just could not go any further. We eventually got to Oudshoorn by which time I was feeling so bad I convinced myself I was having a heart attack. We decided to stay over in Oudshoorn as I was not sure how much further I could ride. We camped at Oppidam (14km outside Oudshoorn on the Cango Caves Road), it was really great and well worth the R200.

Oppidam - wonderful campsite

I realised I was suffering from heat exhaustion and made sure I was well hydrated that evening.

Day 2: 22 December 2012

After discovering this part of the world was experiencing a heat wave and I was a little afraid of a repeat of the previous Day, Henk agreed that we should give Baviaanskloof a skip (although I am sure this was a great sacrifice for himJ). We rode to De rust on the gravel road from Groot Kraal where we refuelled and then headed out through Meiringspoort towards Willowmore. This was my first time here and I thought it was simply breath-taking.

Meiringspoort - I loved this road - breath taking

Henk waiting whilst I took a photie break

We then took the Dirt road from Klaarstroom to Willowmore, which was a beautiful piece of road but we had an unfortunate event. 

On the road to Willowmore

Henk hit a duiker which was badly injured and so he had put it out of its misery…. I couldn’t believe this would happen to two fruit flies. We then loaded it on the bike and took it to the nearest farm where we gave it to the people.

Poor Duiker - luckily Henk was fine and the bike too

Taking it to the nearest farm

Giving the duiker to some farmers

We then moved onto Willowmore had some lunch and continued on to

Jansenville via Klipplaat.

.

first bit of mud - I chickened out

Henk somehow managed to bend the stabiliser arm against the rear wheel and had to strip everything down in order to get to it and try to straighten it.

The tools - all out and ready to work

The stabiliser -bent good and solid like only Henk can

Its off, now to straighten it

putting it back - but still smiling

My suggestion for some reinforcement - wheel spanner

After being stuck in the sun at 45 degrees for more than an hour we stopped at Klippplaat hotel to cool down and get some water. We then hit the road to Cradock via Jansenville and Pearston.

Some relief from the heat just before Cradock

We spent 4 days in Cradock and we were on the road on the 26^th again.

View from the top of the mountain on the farm in Cradock

 

Day 6: 26 December 2012

We left Cradock at around 13:00 towards Tarkastad. We ended up on the most beautiful farm roads which took us up to the Winterbeg Reserve.

Farm roads outside Tarkastad

More of the farm roads

Winterberg reserve - Amazing but not much of an actual road

Very disciplined gate man

The infamous road to Katberg Pass

The road ahead - or what was supposed to be a road

Nothing for miles and miles

Ummm, what happened to the road

We drove through this amazing reserve where I had my first fall after having a serious slide in a patch of mud.  We then got to the top of Katberg Pass and I realised I did not have much choice but to get down this pass ready or not.

Katberg Pass

It was a spectacular place to be but the road was practically non-existent; it was more like terraces of rock which you had to climb down in one way or another. 

Rock Terraces

Washed away roads

What happened here

Lets hope there is some more after this

At the bottom of Katberg Pass

We then rode through Seymour and on to Mitchells Pass which takes you up to Hogsback. This road was another unforgettable experience. The rain in this area had clearly taken its toll and it was practically impossible to find the road between the dongas.

How do I get up this pass?

Even Henk was having fun

We spent the evening at Maylodge where the owner was super accommodating and even volunteered to wash our clothes. We also had an absolutely divine dinner at a “hippy” restaurant called Butterflies.

 

Day 7:    27 December 2012

After having taken about 4 hours to do 200km we decided to keep on the tar road to make up some mileage. We missioned from Hogsback, through Cathcart, on to Stutterheim and into Kei Mouth.

Kei Mouth - River was in flood so th esea was also brown

We then took the Ferry over the Kei River. This was a great experience and everything was run very efficiently.

Ferry at Kei Mouth

Henk riding off the Ferry

We took the gravel road away from the river and from there it was a bit of a guessing game since the roads are badly indicated on the map and there are no signs at any junctions or turnoffs. This really is a beautiful area to see with lots of natural vegetation and very little development. We rode as far as Coffee Bay and decided to stay over at Sugarloaf backpackers after having a fantastic late lunch.

Coffee Bay from Sugar Loaf Backpackers

 

Day 8: 28 December 2012

We woke up nice and early in the morning and drove down to “Hole in the wall’. This was spectacular and although I had been here previously as a child I could not even begin to remember the beauty.

On the way to hole in the wall

Walking to the beach to see the hole in the wall

The beautiful hole in the wall

We then went back to the backpackers for breakfast and then headed out in the hope of going to Hluleka, which unfortunately proved very hard to find with the lack of road signs.

The beautiful views of the wild coast

Henk waiting for me...... again

Gorgeous Vegetation - felt like a different planet

Henk surrounded by wildlife

We did a good combination of tar and gravel and ended up in Port St Johns for lunch. This was a beautiful road into the town with the river on your left and the mountain on the right but the town itself was nothing to write home about and we left quickly after lunch.

River on the left, mountain on the right

The sea was not quite for swimming

We decided to head towards Kokstad since we did not want to be on the N2 going through KZN. We spent the evening in Kokstad at Rocky Ridge Lodge which was one of the places mentioned in the Bike South Africa Book. This turned out to be HORRIBLE and the place will definitely not see us again – Henk decided it should rather be named K@kstad.

 

Day 9: 29 December 2012

We took the road out of Kokstad towards Himeville and turned off to Franklin. We then took the dirt road towards Creighton which was a really beautiful road.

Simply beautiful

Stopping to check the map

We ended up on the Hele Hela pass which was breath-taking. This was a spot I never knew existed and will be one of my favourites next to Meiringspoort. Definitely a spot I recommend to be seen.

Hela Hela Pass

couldnt help but stop and admire the scenery

Henk on a mission

Following this we were pretty much in KZN and wanted to avoid the main roads as well as get to the “Valley of 1000 Hills” as soon as possible. I did not get many pictures of this section although it was stunning. Henk and I did a much prettier section last year by sheer luck but we could not find it again this year.

Not so happy on the tar

We ended up staying in Wartburg which was quite a quaint town but seriously humid. The Guest house floors remained wet all evening and all night and we eventually concluded that the humidity was condensing on the cool tiles. I don’t think I could live somewhere with 70% humidity.

 

Day 10: 30 December 2012

We left Wartburg at around 5am in the hope of making up some time before it became too hot. We wanted to spend the evening somewhere near Swaziland, around the Jozini Dam.

Morning mist

We spent quite a lot of time on Tar roads in order to gain some distance.

Nothing quite like a pitstop

On the one piece of gravel we did between Magudu and Candover Henk seemed to be slacking off and I assumed it was because of the dust. After doing quite a few kilometres I decided to wait for him only to discover that he had gotten a flat tyre and needed to repair it. He was not smiling by the time he got to me (oops).  We continued to Jozini dam and decided to find a lodge, it was only 14:00 but was bordering on 40 Degrees again. We eventually found a lodge with an available room which we decided to go and look at, it was beautiful but they wanted R1200 for the evening and were blasé about the Aircon being out of order. I would have been tempted by anything with an Aircon but this was not worth it. We eventually decided to cross the border into Swaziland at the Lavumisa Post which just about killed us. No aircons, long queue’s and 45 degrees. By the time we were on the other side I needed a tree, lots of water and a break.

The border recovery zone

We then continued until we found a fabulous lodge – literally in the bush surrounded by wildlife- with the most important item at that stage being an aircon. We had a lovely dinner on their deck, overlooking their dam and their one crocodile.

View from the deck - was so happy to be cooling down

 

Day 11: 31 December 2012

Started the day with the good breakfast at the lodge and hit the Tar road North, doing Swaziland “the long way round”.

Suiting up and ready to go

The roads were great and the riding mostly easy.  We entered the Hlane Game sanctuary which was simply a cattle grid. There was plenty of wildlife, Giraffe, zebra’s and Impala, but the best part was the “warning – Lions” signs whilst there was nothing separating us from them. We then took a dirt road towards pigs Peak which was beautiful. We rode in the Forestry plantations  just about all the way.

Dirt road to Piggs Peak

what the hell were you doing?

From Piggs Peak we headed to Bulembu  - we had ridden this January 2012 but nothing could prepare me for this. They must have had lots of rain because large sections of the road had been washed away which left deep trenches all over the place. I had quite a bad fall after trying to get up quite a technical piece, slipping a gear and stalling my bike. I fell into one of the washed away trenches and hurt my knee which was blue for the remainder of the holiday. There was no time to sulk about this because we needed to cross the border back into SA. No pictures could explain this section not to mention that there was not much opportunity to take picture when I was focusing on getting through it.

What an unforgettable road

It always looks easier on pictures

I wonder when when it will end

We crossed the border effortlessly and  finished our trip in Nelspruit-  where we were welcomed by a rain storm just as we were coming into it.

What a pleasure after getting through that nightmare

 

Day 13: 2 January 2013

Henk went on a day ride with some local in the area, where they ended up doing quite a bit of riding on the roads running through the forestry plantations. One of the tar road sections ran straight into a dam  - this turns out to be a deserted road which existed before they decided to build a dam over it.

I think this was road before ?

Guys only ride

They then headed onto to a dirt road which ran down in the valley of Gods Window.

It was clearly a picnic

Anyone who has seen this destination will know how amazingly spectacular it is. They can to a river which has beem a trickling stream for the m,any years the locals have riden there. Now there were faced with crossing the 80m strong flowing river.  Stripping down to undies only – strapping boots and riding pants onto theTopbox – the guys rode through the river with the other guys on each side of the bike supporting it so the river did not sweep them away.

Were you riding or skinny dipping?

Needless to say, Henk’s tyres were finished by the time he got back.

So SEXY!!!

The plan for road trip back was changed after  some damage to Henk’s bike and a decision to spend a little more time with family. We headed back via the secondary tar roads with the only section of gravel being between Burgersdorp and Hofmeyer where we rode the Groot Doringhoek Pass towards cradock. 

Still beautiful scenery

The only piece of gravel going home

Karoo beauty

Last sun rise on the farm - not happy to be going home