Kogelbaai
Kogelbaai
Kogelbaai
A NIGHT IN KOGELBAAI
Every time I ride past that pristine coastal camping site in Kogelbaai I'm obstructed and somewhat disturbed by the unwelcoming sign on the closed iron gate headed by a sign that threatens that no one is allowed inside without a prior reservation.
While checking camping sites on the internet last Monday afternoon I came across the instructions for booking at Kogelbaai. Within minutes I had the required forms faxed to me, obediently given the council their R70 at the Pick ‘n Pay checkout, stuffed the RT’s panniers, top box and tank bag with warm clobber, camping stove, some grub, sleeping bag and my tent, hopped onto my steed and gone was I.
My 4 pm departure from Milnerton was a race against traffic to get to Kogel with enough daylight to find my pad and pitch my tent. As blackness fell my tent was up and I was ready for dining by battery light.
There must be about 100 sites in this impeccably maintained grassed seaside camping site and I had all of them to myself as I lived there on Monday night without seeing a soul other than “Evidence”, the somewhat bewildered but ever-smiling Zimbabwean caretaker.
I spent the next relaxing hour dining while I unfolded myself alongside my Mickey Mouse fold-up gas stove, seated on my folding three legged stool. (I learned from “Die Malletjie” that every touring bike should carry a bit of furniture?) I then retired to my “home” five metres away and sunk into my welcoming sleeping bag laid out on my inflated blue mattress (already pumped on arrival via my bike’s lighter socket) and felt snugly sheltered from the cold night fog by the walls of my tent. What followed was a slightly extremely cold night with the crashing waves during the night which I found to be a bit very noisy. It took me back to my sailing days. It was amazing… Can’t wait to get back!
I enjoyed that bit of solitude and it seems like that’s the way it has to be... mainly because my wife (and many within earshot of her) thinks I'm nuts so she won’t come along and my buddies advise me that they did this sort of thing when they were children and have since grown up.
The morning after had me rewarded with a leisurely return trip on the bendy coastal road which I had all to myself. I stopped over in Gordon’s Bay harbour en route where I hungrily gobbled up a substantial breakfast. While concluding with my second cup of coffee I reflected on how many of us would have been sitting square-eyed in front of the TV the previous night and had found themselves locked into that morning’s traffic. .
It made me wonder if you really need to plan far ahead and travel a long distance to have a good break. Good for some… For me, I prefer to just GO…
So my friends, Uncle Alvin says… “Next time there’s nothing to watch on TV, grab your goodies, stuff your panniers, advise your office about your Uncle Jack’s funeral and vrroom vrroom into the sunset…”
Just do it!!!
- 3156 reads
Comments
Nice Alvin. That is the way to do it - as you say, we have paradise on our doorstep and should grab snatches of it whenever there is a spare moment.
For our anniversary, Julie and I have shelved plans of visiting Zanzibar and are grabbing a dirty weekend in the middle of the week just 10km from our home!
Respect Alvin & well done.......who says you need a GS to go camping with your bike, some open space, fresh air & a tent.
Great stuff Alvin! Thanks for sharing it with us. The comments by Geoff and Charles are spot-on.
We tend to go to far places, missing out on much that is close to home.
Lovely Alvin,
Makes me want to pack up and do it tomorrow. Got all the stuff I need and why not?
Grab it while you can.
Thanks for your positive responses, Charles, GeoffR, Geelkameel and Alex Bond-Smith
Since my last report I've done a night in my tent in Kleinmond in the brilliant Palmiet reserve camping site that many of you may know.
When I arrived on Thursday afternoon I was stopped at the gate by the guard who advised me that he had firm instructions not to allow motorcycles into the reserve.
I demanded to meet the park manager who arrived at the gate where I angrily waited on my bike (high horse) clutching my helmet under my arm. I was preparing to do some horribilising as I intended to take a stand for motorcyclists rights particularly as neither the website or the sign on the gate warned about the prohibition of motorcyclists in the park. He examined my furious 68 year old face from a safe distance and totally disarmed me as he broke into a big wide welcoming smile. I assume that he deduced that this old ballie was not going to play loud music on his gramophone that night.
It seems like the manager may have made his own no bikers rule and I assume that anyone who visits should be able to bypass the guard at the entrance provided he came during working hours so that he can negotiate with the manager.
Looking forward to the meeting on Tuesday. Maybe a few more potential tent dwellers can find themselves inspired.
Hi Alvin
Hi Jack on...........
In the past Hooligan 'Bikers" (Dronkies) trashed the place whist staging a "Rally" AND YOU CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT WENT DOWN !
Painting everyone with the same brush is the normal response by these places and one cant really blame them so the only solution is to convince these resort managers that not all motorcyclists behave in such a manner .....after all motorists behave the same if they are so inclined ....bike or no bike it just seems that certain types turn into monsters when they climb on their 'boney' and try and prove
that they are the main manne!...........................
Think Bike is also going a long way in convincing people that motorcyclists should not be judged by their "look" or sometime scruffy attire and events like the P+P Toy Run also help the image ...........
Blast these resort managers with kindness and respect as this goes a long way in cahnging their mind set.......
Highjack off........
Lekker ry!
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