Archive of BMW Motorrad Club Cape (2006 - 2019)

Keep the never ending story comming!!!!! i look forward to much more. Bring the never ending story on.................

Just seen Geoff in a picture and wondererd when last you saw a "Fetkoek"!!!!!!!!!! Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

BMW Motor Cycle Club Cape Road Tour (3 to 11 September 2011) led by Geoff Russell

This 8 night 9 day Tour meandered through the Western & Eastern Cape as well as the Free State and apart from being a Biking tour one could be forgiven for thinking that this was a Culinary tour      (the food was so fabulous) with wildlife , stunning scenery , dam expeditions and boat cruises thrown in. What a delicious way to savour the treasures of the Cape and Transkei.

Prior to the trip:

• Received numerous mails from Geoff giving us detailed information about the trip
• The itinerary
• What to pack ( also a checklist by Deon Sachs , thanks Captain)
• Weekly updates prior to departure
• Pre trip meeting (16 August 2011) at his house to introduce all the participants and agree last minute arrangements
• Planned shake down ride (21 August 2011) to check that bike and all trip luggage is up to speed  ( unfortunately rained out)
• Semi- final reminder mail with last minute information
• Final reminder on the day before departure.

Geoff, take a bow Sir, your planning and execution of this tour was meticulous and I now know first-hand how much time went into the planning and preparation of this tour from booking accommodation, taking care of routes, fuel stops and dietary requirements. We salute you !

Meeting point at the Engen

The Itinerary

Day 1

We met at 06H45 at the Engen 1 Stop on the N2 direction Somerset West. After a quick breakfast we planned to depart at 07H30 for our destination at Tsitsikamma Lodge in Tsitsikamma village a distance of approximately 620kms. Our route took us to Swellendam, Barrydale, Oudtshoorn, George, Knysna, Plett and finally Tsitsikamma arriving at 16.30. We commenced each day with a prayer , recited by Kobus , our resident “prayer reciter” and were blessed with no incidents on the entire trip.

 As Lyn indicated our departure was slightly delayed owing to a defective battery in Brian’s RT, sorted by Shane (thanks Shane Atlantic Motorrad) with Brian and Roz joining the tour later in the day, thanks also to Deon Sachs that remained behind with Brian and Roz so that he could accompany them back to the group.

sorting out Brian's battery

Arrival at Tsitsikamma was also delayed by Lyn going AWOL, missing a turn and going into a closed road, trying her off-road skills while Geoff set off in pursuit, thankfully it all ended well with the group all safely arriving at Tsitsikamma Lodge, naturally there was a straf dop (first of many administered by Frans Coetsee, who with his medical background was able to dispense the appropriate dosages) for Mike, who omitted to ensure that Lyn who was following him saw the turnoff and for Brian for daring to arrive at the start with a flat battery ( although he assures us that Atlantic Motorrad gave him the all clear a week ago).

Tsitsikamma Lodge

We had pre dinner drinks at the Hunters Pub followed by a fabulous buffet dinner. An omen setting the trend for the rest of the tour.

General information on the day’s ride (provided by Geoff Russell, an avid reader when he is not off-roading )

• We departed Cape Town via Sir Lowry's Pass. The pass as we know it commenced construction in 1828 and was opened in 1830. It was surfaced in 1930 and rebuilt in the 1950's.
• Bypassed Bot River which got its name from the fact that the Khoe farmers had cattle in abundance and they called the butter "Gouga" (much butter) hence the name "BOT" Rivier.
• On to Caledon which came about in 1709 with the discovery of Hot (and cold) springs. The town is named after the Earl of Caledon a former Cape Governor.
• We pass through "River without end" this little town Riviersonderend was established in 1925 to serve the local farming community.
• On to Swellendam we rode and bypassed the 3rd oldest town in SA after Cape Town and it was established in 1745 and named after Governor Hendrik Swellengrebel.
• Then up Tradouw Pass (Poort) to Barrydale. The area around here is known as Kannaland and the village was founded in 1689 when Simon van Stel sent one Isaac Schrijver and a group of people into the area. Tradouw is a Hottentot word meaning "the woman's poort or footpath" After 1700 farmers moved into the area. It is now well known for the popular but expensive range of Brandies that are produced at the local Cellar.
• We now move on through Ladismith at the foot of Towerkop Mountain (Bewitched peak) the Town was named after the wife of Sir Harry Smith, Lady Juana Smith. The spelling of its name from Ladysmith to Ladismith occurred in 1879 to avoid confusion with Ladysmith in Natal. It has been the home of Towerkop Cheese for many years and now is also home to the Ladismith Cheese Company.
• Then on to Calitzdorp originally called Buffelsvlei (1821) after the vegetation and animals found in the area. The name Calitzdorp derived from two Calitz brothers that farmed the area.
• Moving to Mossel bay (previously Koega) is South Africa's 7th largest Port. In 1488 Bartholomew Dias (who's GPS was not working to well came into the Bay and found fresh water to replenish his supplies. It was only permanently inhabited by white farmers in the late 18th century and proclaimed a township in 1848.
• Then on to the Outeniqua Pass as we now know it was built mainly by Italian prisoners of war but was finished off after the Second World War by local labour. Many of the Italians returned to SA after the war to marry ladies they had met while building the pass.
• Then to George initially a wood cutters post in 1776. The Town of George was proclaimed in April 1811 and named after King George III.
• Moving on to Sedgefield which got its name from the abundant Sedge or Imizi (Cyperus textilis) in the area.
• To Knysna where the first white settlers settled in the latter half of the 18th Century to Plettenburg Bay. We had a stunning surprise awaiting us at the Knysna waterfront with Oysters in Champagne, arranged by Geoff, a great start to the culinary part of the tour.
• Plett was the site of the first ever white Settlement in SA and was established 20 years before Jan van Riebeeck arrived in Table Bay. These settlers came from the wreck of the vessel Sao Goncalo which was wrecked in Plettenburg Bay in 1630. Out of the wreckage of their vessel they were able to build 2 smaller boats and quite a few of the survivors made it to safety
• Tsitsikamma: The National Park was proclaimed in 1964 and the Coastal section of the Park was the first Marine Reserve proclaimed in Africa.

Champagne and Oysters

waiting for their drinks

knysna waterfront

Geoff watching the proceedings

Comment:

The Tsitsikamma lodge was an inviting and welcome sight after approximately 620kms on the road.  The cottages were stunning and very comfortable with the setting in ideal natural splendour. We were welcomed by the owner and his team, the food and hospitality was outstanding and certainly demands a return at some point. Upon arrival several of the team commenced washing their bikes to the sheer disbelief of the off roaders like Frans and Ian , who were astounded by this unusual sight and headed off immediately to the pub for a couple of cold ones to recover their composure.

Tsitsikamma lodge   

another view of the lodge

Ian polishing his helmet     

Day 2

• Our destination was Port Elizabeth and the brand new Town Lodge, White Elephant...........oh sorry I mean the Town Lodge built for the masses that did not come to PE to watch the soccer world cup.
• Not taking a direct route but detouring off the beaten track onto some not so well known roads.
• Arriving in PE late afternoon.
• Distance about 200kms.
• Barneys Pubs a landmark on the coast line of PE for pre drinks (some of the club members really let their hair down here after seeing some of the locals in action), in fact Frans, Chantal, Lyn and I had to be dragged away to dinner next door at the Blue Waters Café.
• At dinner Lyn and Chantal placed their orders and then went right back to Barneys to hear the last hour of the band.
• Incidentally Barneys was packed to the rafters on a Sunday afternoon and the band appeared to know most of the locals by name. Apart from the band some members of our party were taken in by a Heather Locklear “wannabe” (a spring chicken compared to her elder sibling) who sang, danced and fed one another.

Jeffreys Bay

the famous bridge

crowds waiting for people to jump off the bridge

Frans and Chantal discussing sport bikes

Chantal showing Frans how to ride a sport bike

Apparently the best pies in the country: no MJC stamp so I could not have

General Info on today’s ride (provided by Geoff Russell)

• Through Kareedow: Founded in 1905 as a Dutch reformed Parish. The name it is believed comes from a corruption of the Khoe word (! karegadaob) meaning a path (daob) with many (-ga) Karee Trees.
• Then through Humansdorp well known for its sheep farming. The village that was laid out in 1853 was named after Mathys Human who had donated a tract of land for the Dutch Reformed parish to build a Church.
• Then on past Jeffrey's and the world famous surfing spot called "Super Tubes”. Geoff spent most of his youth here.
• Then on to PE SA's 5th City and the third biggest Port (The new Koega could be bigger). PE was founded in 1820 and was named after "Elizabeth" the daughter of the then acting Governor of the Cape Sir Rufane Donkin.

Comment:

The entire trip was blessed with sunshine and good weather but for a smattering of rain on our way to P.E.  Naturally no trip to PE would be complete with a dash of wind to help us there.

Day 3

• Departed for Cintsa on the Northern side of East London and the delightful Crawford Cabins. Our route took us along the Coast road past Kenton on Sea and Port Alfred.
• We arrived in Cintsa in the early afternoon.  Rest of the day at leisure. Distance about 350kms.
• At 18H00 we met in the Bar for pre-dinner drinks. 19H00 dinner in the restaurant.

Crawford Cottages at Cintsa

another view of the cottages

sundowners on the porch

view from the porch , could we be in Mauritius ?

General info on the day’s ride (by Geoff Russell)

• Alexandria was founded as a Dutch reformed Parish around 1820. It finally became a municipality in 1940.
• Then on to Kenton on Sea about 30kms North of Alexandria. The origin of the name is a bit of a mystery but the guesses are it either came from the county of Kenton in the USA or the capital of Hardin County in the USA????????
• Port Alfred: The 1820 settlers saw the potential for a harbour on the Kowie River but it was not until 1841 that a harbour was built. The village was founded in 1825 but was then called Port Frances after the daughter in law of Governor Lord Charles Somerset. In 1860 the name was changed to Port Alfred to commemorate the visit by the second Son of Queen Victoria.
• Then to East London, not much to say about what this town has become however the City is at the mouth of the Buffalo River which is also the towns harbour. The first white folk here where shipwrecked in 1686 and a search party from the sea found many of them still alive in 1688. 

Comment:

Unfortunately the tummy bug hit one of the team hence Mike had to be hospitalised in P.E. and could not continue the trip with us. We are still trying to establish whether it was the straf dop that did the trick or partying at Barneys till the late hours that caused this infliction, but are glad that Mike is fully recovered and we look forward to touching sides with him soon.

Crawford Cabins at Cintsa was absolutely stunning, the setting, scenery, accommodation and food was top class. Pity we could not stay longer.

Other members of the team also felt twinges of the tummy bug while here but were able to continue with medication. Man, these roadies are a tough lot.

Day 4

• Today we rode to Umngazi River Bungalows, yes THE Umngazi River Bungalows. The place that dreams are made of and a honeymooner’s paradise.
• A quick sprint after breakfast along the N2 to Umtata then down to Port St Johns for a very quick visit. Now voted on of the worst municipalities in South  Africa
• Then back to Umngazi.
• Distance about 300kms
• Pre book all your beauty treatment, massages and so forth as they had a full SPA on site.
•  "Sunset Boat Cruise" with snacks and refreshments.

boat cruise

General info on today’s ride (by Geoff Russell)

•  Our first town is Butterworth...the less said the better however it started out as a Wesleyan mission in 1827 and was named after Joseph Butterworth the treasurer of the Wesleyan Society. The missionary was destroyed during the 6th frontier war in 1834.
• The Town itself was laid out in 1880. The little town is now terribly run down.
• Further along the N2 we go through Idutywa this tiny little village was laid out in 1884 and its name is derived from Xhosa expression "ukudutywa" ("the disturbed" or "disordered one"). The district, the oldest in the Transkei, was declared a Reserve in 1857. The local population is mainly Mfengu.
• Qunu : The Village where Madiba was raised and schooled and where his retirement home, based on the layout of his house in the Victor Verster prison  compound, is situated.
• Umtata (Mtata): The less said about this place the better, it is shockingly run down. It is the principle Town of the Transkei region. It is the scene of years of strife between the Mpondo and Tembu groups along the Mtata River. It appears it started being settled by White farmers in around 1869. 
• Port St Johns: Recently voted one of the worst run municipalities in SA, need I say much more? Based at the mouth of the Mzinmvubu river it was for years used as a river harbour. In 1846 the vessel "Rosebud “crossed the sand Bar and entered the river. No one is sure where the name emanates from but the main theory is that it is derived from the name of a ship that was wrecked in the area called the "Sao Joao" (Saint John).

Comment:

Driving through Butterworth, Idutywa and Umtata proved to be quite taxing as the streets were utter chaos and all of us had to be on high alert through these areas. We were glad to reach Umngazi  however the 10km leading up to the Bungalows proved a bit challenging for of the road bikes in the group as this little stretch had a combination of gravel and tar and was full of twists , turns and potholes. The bungalows and hospitality there proved to be worth these challenges.

The sunset boat cruise was absolutely stunning  , on a river boat with snacks and sun downers with friends  basking in the sunshine , what more can we ask for … but wait we also saw a variety of bird and reptiles together with close up views of Kingfishers snatching fish thrown by our guide ( all pre-arranged by Geoff, I believe). All in all a very pleasant day.

The dreaded tummy bug attacked a few more innocent , but these roadies are a tough lot and they soldiered on.

Day 5

• A late breakfast at 09H00 and we departed at 10H00 for the Mountain Shadows Hotel outside Elliot.
• Today we rode the most expensive road built in RSA coming out at Ugie. Here we turn left trying to avoid the pot holes and head for Elliot.
• Turned right onto Barkley Pass.
• Distance today approx. 300kms
• Arrived at the Hotel in the mid afternoon and just chilled out.
• Met in the Bar for drinks at 8H00 and dinner at 19H00.

viewing point at the top of the most expensive road

General info on the days ride (by  G.R.)

• The most expensive road ever built in SA runs from just outside Umtata to Ugie. It was built a few years ago for the PG Bison Group who have huge forestry plantations in the area and their mill is (was) situated at the bottom of a mountain. The government built this beautiful road to make it easier for the huge heavy logging trucks to move from the forests to the mill. However I am reliably informed the PG Bison has now moved their mill to the top of the escarpment rendering the road useless....but for us bikers.
• We now enter The Land of The Dragon, the Drakensberg"!!!!
• Ugie itself is a tiny little town that was originally a mission station overseen by one William Murray who was from Scotland. The Ugie River reminded him so much of his native Aberdeenshire in Scotland that he called his Mission station Ugie! White farmers settled in the area in the 1870's.
• Keith, one of the team on tour got married in the church at Ugie 35 odd years ago, we stopped at the church to give Keith a chance to track down the priest and rekindle memories.
• Then on to Elliot that was founded in 1885 on the Slang River and named after Major Sir Henry Elliot. He eventually settled in the region and was Chief Magistrate from 1891 to 1902 for the Transkei territories.

Mountain Shadows

Rhodes Hotel

Day 6

• A rest day. Did nothing. Played darts, pool, walk, sleep, hand in your washing, read in the lounge by the fire, had drinks in the bar in front of a different fire, play cards, check the bikes.
• Some of us took a leisurely drive to Rhodes, for lunch, with a local resident called Ben (an entrepreneur of note, he runs a shuttle service for tourists from the airport to Tiffindale, Ski resort, close to Rhodes, he also runs B&B , corner café and car wash). Frans and Ian also came along but did the route to Rhodes, but doing the off road thing on their bikes, no rest for off-roaders. Frans also got a puncture on the rough terrain that they navigated but had this fixed in a jiffy in true off road style.
• Ben also knew pretty much everyone in Barkly East and in Rhodes, and told us stories about each farm we passed, about the owners and their history.
• Brian and Roz celebrated their 22^nd wedding anniversary today.
• Keith also handed each member of the team a badge reflecting “BMW Cape 2011 , Eastern Cape Tour”.

lunch at Rhodes

Leaving Mountain Shadows , The thinking Man - Brian

Day 7

• With our batteries recharged and with clean clothes we headed our trusty steeds toward Lake Gariep in chilly conditions.
• Today takes us all the way around the Lake and over the Dam wall on our way to Orange Valley.
• Distance about 350kms.
• However before we could start the trip Hannes suddenly discovered that not only was his back tyre flat , but also relatively smooth , quick repair got us going to our next destination.

General info on the days ride (by G.R.)

• Barkly East - Founded on the Kraai River this area is deeply in the areas Snow Belt and it can get bitterly cold here. The town was laid out on a portion of land purchased in 1874 by the Dutch Reformed Church and is named after Sir Henry Barkly Governor of the Cape Colony. The area is very well known for its fantastic Trout fishing.
• On to Lady Grey and we are still in the "trout" belt, it was founded in 1857 and in 1858 the Dutch Reformed Church sold land off to white farmers. The village is named after the wife of Sir George Grey governor of the Cape Colony.
• On to the city of Aliwal North that was founded in 1849 after Sir Harry Smith had proclaimed the Orange River the northern boundary of the colony. The name Aliwal commemorates Sir Harry's victory over the Sikhs in India in 1846 and "North" was added later as Mossel Bay on the south coast was due to be renamed Aliwal South.
• Now to Burgersdorp : This town can claim a place of honour in the history of the Afrikaans language as well as the development of the Gereformeerde  Kerk (Reformed Church), one of the three Dutch reformed "sister churches" of South Africa. The history of this town dates back to before 1840. The recognition of "Dutch" (in reality Afrikaans) as an official language of the Cape parliament in 1882 was in no small measure due to the efforts of the people of Burgersdorp.
• Venterstad was founded as a new Gereformeerde parish in February 1875. It got its name from a Mr. JJT Venter who gave the land to the parish. When it was granted municipal status in 1895 the Gereformeerde Kerk was still the sole registered owner of the village.

Comment:

Splendid views of the dam as seen by most tourists but wait …. We got to go inside the Dam wall and see in detail the machinery/ technology involved in managing this dam. We went right down to the River Bed within the wall (Bed-Rock level, unfortunately Fred Flintstone was not in). Seriously though, an intriguing and claustrophobic experience approximately 85 meters below road level. Our guide Murphy (not the guy making the laws, but his cousin, yeah right) was most informative and humorous.     

Vetkoek lunch en route

Inside the Gariep Dam Wall

Orange Valley Resort, our accommodation for the night was most pleasant and relaxing, set in idyllic surroundings. It is a working farm with horses and sheep. Bruce the owner was most hospitable and arranged the dam trip for us.  Most of our team were taken in by the many young lamb (silence) on the farm however no one has committed to becoming vegan just yet.

Day 8

• Depart from Die Groot Dam for Graaf Reinet
• "Wit hond op hitte" awaits us and so does Chantelle our delightful hostess.
•  Arrive mid-afternoon in time to visit the "Valley of Desolation” just outside the Town. What a spectacular place .
• Enjoy a real Karoo Braai. Between main course and desert
• Distance today about 350kms

General info on todays ride ( by G.R.)          

• Colesberg: The town’s origins are traced back to a London Missionary Society that was founded in 1814 near Cole's Kop, to bring some order to the extremely fractious northern frontier region of the Cape Colony. In 1830 the first residential stands were surveyed and the new village of Colesberg was named after Sir Lowry Cole the Governor of the Cape Colony. We had to give this a miss because the dam expedition took longer than expected.
• Middleburg: Like so many of the other towns it was started as a new Dutch Reformed Parish in 1852 exactly 200 years after Jan van Riebeeck landed in the Cape. This town is probably best known for the Grootfontein College of Agriculture which teaches students all the intricacies of sheep farming.
• Graaff Reinet and the Camdeboo: Camdeboo in a Khoe expression about whose meaning there is some controversy. It is either "green heights or more probably “green hollow". In about 1769 there was a hollow in the mountain that that included a "green Hippo pool" which the Khoe called Camdeboo.
• Graaff Reinet is the 4th oldest Town in SA after Cape Town, Stellenbosch and Swellendam. By the middle of the 18th century enough migrating farmers had moved to the area to warrant a new Dutch Reformed Parish and magistracy (drostdy). The new settlement was named after Cornelias Van de Graaff the Dutch Governor at the Cape and his wife Cornelia Reynet.

Camdeboo Cottages, our abode for the night was warm and inviting, dinner was superb with our hostess, Chantelle, conducting proceedings and telling us “stoep stories” about Wit Hond and other local folklore.

Most of us got an early night in anticipation of the great trek back to Cape Town tomorrow.

Day 9

• Up early, breakfast at 06h45 and depart for home at 07h15 via Willowmore, Derust, Oudtshoorn, and Montagu. ( Brian & Roz left earlier than the group at approx 6.30 and took the direct route back)
• We arrived home at about 14H30.
• Distance today about 770kms. Boy did we motor, GR , was proud of us.

General info on today’s ride (by G.R.)

• Aberdeen was founded in 1855 to serve the ever growing congregants of the Dutch Reformed Church in the Graaf Reinet area.
• Water is a huge problem and it is derived by the use of numerous boreholes. The building of the local church started in 1855 and finally finished in 1907. It seats over 2000 people and the steeple is arguably the tallest in SA. The town is also known for it beautiful architecture.
• Willowmore - I enjoy this one : It probably owes it's name from a tennis court built on a portion of the farm "The Willows" which belonged to one William Moore. In the 1860's the court began to attract Saturday afternoon social players and the name is probably a composite of farm and owner!!!!!
• On to De Rust that was established in 1900 on the farm of the same name first owned by PJ Meiring after whom Meiringspoort was named.
• Finally Oudtshoorn and the Capital of the little Karoo and the Ostrich capital of the world. It was founded around 1847. The new village was proclaimed  in 1863 and named after Baron Pieter van Reede van Oudtshoorn who died at sea in 1773 en route to the Cape.

Comment:

We commenced the tour with 16 bikes and 22 people and ended it with 15 bikes and 21 pax , with Mike leaving us in PE owing to ill health. The weather was perfect during the tour ( thanks Geoff for arranging this).

We all had a splendidly good time and will book again for next year as soon as bookings open.

Geoff , thank you for all your efforts , it is indeed most appreciated and we all had a tremendous time . All your meticulous planning came to fruition. Very Well done.

Till the next trip , cheers Hamid

Roadies Never ending story  , Lyn thanks for posting the hors dóuvres ( starters for those not on this culinary tour) on this trip yesterday . I have just added the main course. With the entire group taking thousands of photos I am sure we will see these on the dessert buffet.

Cheers

Hamid

Regarding the 2 stroke that Lyn mentioned in yesterday post , my on board computer indicated that the bike required some oil , so off I went to the nearest garage to purchase some oil just telling the attendant that I needed some oil for my bike and collecting same. When I got back Ian noticed that it was two stoke oil and not the regular 20w to 40w and mentioned this to Lyn , a seasoned off roader ( has an imaginary 2 stroke KTM) having recently completely waxed the Biedouw Valley Ride and taking the closed road near the Tsitsikamma forest . Needless to say I changed the oil for the correct one .

Cheers Hamid

This was sent to the group..............

Morning all,

Firstly thanks for all the call's, sms's and e mails thanking me for this Tour. Each one is sincerely appreciated.

As I said on our last night it is ALL OF YOU that made the Tour what it was, I was just fortunate enough to lead along the way.

What a Tour it was.......I see that Lyn has already made a posting on the Forum
http://bmwmotorcycleclubcape.co.za/roadies-work-progress-eastern-cape-3-...

Feel free to go and make your comments and post your pictures.

From Cold to hot, rain to shine, tar to dirt we had it all. I wanted to leave out from sickness to health but did not as we had this as well.

Who would have dreamed that we would have been deep inside the bowels of the Gariep Dam Wall.........an experience I will never forget.

Then our accommodation, just when I thought we could not better the previous night, low and behold the next place amazed us. From the sea to the river mouth to the mountains and then the Gariep dam....we had it all. From sweeping country roads to tight mountain passes, from badly pot holed country roads to the most expensive strip of road in RSA, we had that all to. All this bonded together by our mutual love of biking adventure.

Who said only the "dirties" can have fun. Here we proved that the main ingredient needed to have a fantastic time on your bike is a good stretch of road and a great bunch of people. Man (Lady) we had it all...................Reminds me of the old "Queen" song : "I want it all and I want it now"!!!!!!!!

Thanks to each and every one of you that came along for the "ride". Especially to Lyn Nicol being the only Rose amongst the thorns riding her bike. To all the wives it was fantastic having you along and joining in in the fun with us.

To Frans for entertaining us most evenings and "straffing" those that misbehaved and to him and Ian for riding back up and "middle" man being able to keep me updated at all times as to the situation in the convoy via our 2 way radios. Then to Cobus for his spiritual guidance on the trip, much appreciated. To Lyn with her antics on her bike (she could hear all of our radio communications but could not reply back to us) whenever she enjoyed some of the banter that took place between Ian, Frans and I, especially if it had anything to do with "refreshments"!!!!!!!!!

My compliments to Hamid, Hannes and Lyn for the huge strides you made in improving your riding abilities. There are few alternatives to "hours in the saddle" if you want to improve your confidence. We are also never to old to learn and it is always a good idea if you are not up to scratch regarding controlling your bike at speed that going back to basics and attending some rider training course/s are highly recommended.

We also learnt that checking your bike regularly for roadworthiness while on a Tour is very important.

I look forward to seeing lots of posts on the Forum.

Now to next year.........yes there will definitely be another Roadies Tour possibly even two if the interest is there. My mind is already abuzz with ideas of routes, accommodation, activities, etc.

Tell your "Roadie" mates about this Tour and that this sector of the Club is fit and well and having lots of fun. We need to try to get more of them active with us.

Thanks again for a memorable Tour.

You Guys and Gals rock!!

Geoff.

Thanks Lyn for the "antipasta" and Hamid for the "primo" - can't wait for the "secondo", "contorni" and "dolce".

Excellent report! Note to self, must get job with 26 weeks leave per annum so I can go on all the brilliant tours the club offers.

Thanks Geoff, appreciated.

However as I Indicated in my post earlier, you are to be commended for putting this together so meticulously. Only when you go into a tour of this nature does one realise the amount of preparation and work that is necessary for everything to work out so smoothly and smoothly it did go.

So well done once again for leading us on this Adventure, at least it gives the bikes ( and us) the opportunity to be used for what they are designed for - Touring! 

Cheers

Hamid

What a fabulous report.  Another trip on my bucket list.

Lyn,

Are you going to post more pics for us?

Great report!!! Many thanks to Lyn and specially Hamid (and co-authors) for the interesting detail on places visited. It must have taken many many hours of research to collate all that information.
Besides that, it is clear that it was a most enjoyable trip, well planned and well organised [yet again hats off to Geoff ]

Riding and feeling the freedom of the wind and open road is wonderfull, but the experience is so much more complete when you get to know more about the places you see and visit.
The Eastern Cape has so much to offer...pity it is far from the Cape.

Come on roady folks, I was waiting to hear all your folk tales from the trip.   I am getting flack from Geoff to complete this story.

to continue:    Hamid serious about calling Atlantic Motorrad to trade his two-stroke for an Adventure  hmmmmmm............  and then blamed it on the shop assistant!!!!, great defense mechanism Hamid.

  Two-stroke trading

another item on our list of items to bring was MR MIN.  on the second morning and many mornings thereafter you would see bikers feverishly polishing their screens,  not sure if it was for the miggies to slip slide off or for sparkling bikes.  There were 2 dirties on this trip who just could not believe what they were seeing,  regularly we would hear folk tales how  dirties fall off their bikes and into the bar, once kicked out the bar into the sleeping bag boots and all.

Mr Min: a dirty   

learning to be a roadie

                           Mr Min too

 In Knysna Geoff bought a round of drinks, take a closer look, it looked like something out of FEAR FACTOR.

             Fear Factor

As a rider with Geoff, the only view you see are the ones coming out of a pass when the land opens up in front of you, spectacular countryside.  any other time all you see is TAR.  almost cross-eye focusing    We went by so fast we burnt the grass on verges of the road, as you can see there are no trees between Cape Town and Tsitsikamma, well we never saw any!!                                                          At some point in time, cannot tell you where or when as we were going to fast, we heard about the beautiful Barkley pass, I was so happy to hear that we would be seeing some trees and I do not think there are any trees between Cape Town and Tsitsikamma

On day 2 Geoff found he had arrived far earlier than planned and unbeknown to the group "TOOK THEM FOR A RIDE" around the ocean outskirts of PE.  No not looking for SKIRTS!!!!  luckily I was one of the four riders WIRED FOR SOUND with a two-way radio tucked in my jacket, I could hear the chirps from Frans and Ian to Geoff as to WHERE THE HELL ARE WE GOING??? thus the extended slow detour.     we were almost convinced we were filming THE AMAZING RACE.  This is where we left Mike behind and an honorable Keith offered to stay with Mike.  None the less, Mike was abandoned and left to the Medical staff, and Keith continued with us

Theresa and Mike during healthier times

Cinsta!    phew!  to the newby riders who  have not been there, besides the beauty of the place,  coming down the non-stop driveway into the complex, boy was I in for a surprise,  off the gravel, round the corner onto the driveway paving and looking up the hill to the top were 2 bikers stopped,  I thought that was the end of the entrance and merrily saw a little space for me between the bikes and the wall.  Well to my surprise when I arrive at the top, found I was not able to stop as the area I was in/on, was similar to the head of A VERY VERY LARGE EGG, to the right on the other side was steeeeeeep down, so I thought phew! here goes and down down down and then a sharp turn to the left.  PHEW! made it.  So beware of that entrance.   Upon leaving the next day, most of the pillions chose to walk up the hill and out the other side.  Me had to ride my bike up down and out. 2&*%&^?/"}$@#%..................

                                    Too steep for comfort

Straf doppe at Cinsta

By this time Geoff too had taken ill, top and bottom and just managed to hang in there to the next destination,  obviously by sitting all the way which was the only way he could keep everything in, he revealed.  I did offer to nurse him as I always take my nurses outfit in case of emergencies.   He was too ill to be amused at that stage, took him a few days to find his  humour again    poor chap!!

 Umgazi River Lodge

The turnoff to Umgazi river was a 14km potholed road,  rather interesting and probably did not impress the RT riders. For this "dirty" girl to be, it was an opportunity to stand and weave between the potholes,  being able to see, before dipping into them was great, and keeping an eye out for donkeys and chickens etc.  A most enjoyable ride at a relaxed pace.

Geoff arranged a river boat excursion which included the boat guide calling fish eagles for its dinner.

    The lake

                                Fish eagle in flight

             Fish Eagle catching prey

                               Reptiles too

                Views down the river

    Mountain goat too

 That night I too took ill which had us all concerned as to where it would stop.  but tough as we are, we pushed on.  

OOOOO!   while passing through one of the towns which was congested with traffic, we were directed across an intersection by a traffic officer, I tried to pull into an open lane and in so doing forgot I had paniers on,    oops!  left my mark, a black stripe across Sarel's paniers to show I had been there.     humble apologies and near to tears, Sarel was very nice to me.

I think the next day we went via Ugie and as a thank you for stopping at the Church, Keith did some shopping for all of us, a great badge to commemorate our trip which he handed over at Mountain Shadows accommodation. 

                Our Ugie Badge

                          Ugie and Keith

Then before reaching our next destination, Geoff was feasting his eyes on some dirt roads.

 Great Dirt Roads 

This was our off day, does this not remind you of some deserted town waiting for the gunslinger to arrive.

           in the middle of nowhere

 and half the group spent it washing bikes, standing in line for the bucket only to make space for tomorrow insects.   Believe it or not.

 Some animals we saw

                        Hog

                         Leopard

The next morning upon leaving, Hannes had forgotten to lock his top box , needless to say his items were popping out at all angles, visualise him running round in circles picking up these items with the wind howling, out popped his jacket like a prachute.  Frans commended it was Hannes's emergency braking mechanism for his RT1200.

There are some stunning passes with wide open roads, two lanes to take a corner at whatever speed you could muster,  thrilling thrilling thrilling.

Over to Garieb where the orange river and dam meet, encircling the damOrange river into Garieb

stopping for Pizza in Craddock and boasting our logo on the restaurant walls, I dare you to find it.

BMW Roadies Logo

Orange Valley Guest Farm being our next stopover,

     Entrance to the guest farm

where the lambs do nothing but multiply. 

                Silence of the lambs

Frans found a great place for beginner Dirties.   

                For beginner offroadies

There were 5 permanent tents on the banks of the river which were too risky to sleep in as the banks had been partially washed away.  The owner is moving the tents soon and then it would be a great place for fire, romance and offroad.

             Taking the bull by the horns on a romantic evening

Did you know there are ghosts in the dam wall? they tend to attack elderly ladies with full bladders.

       Dam Ghosts Down Under

Down under the dam wall

Yet another excursion treat was a trip to the Valley of Desolation,

            Parks Board

 Ian had been a gentleman to this point by turning my bike around whenever I needed it, this time he turned it around and faced it downhill in the opposite direction. 

      Valley

    and more

    and more desolation

                 and more

With the end in site and Graaf Reinet around the corner, riders started booking their places on next year trip.   

       lining up for the next trip

Little converted cottages and churches awaited and welcomed us as we arrived for our final feast. 

                       Church

We gate crashed breakfast the next morning earlier than the staff could handle and set out in true Geoff Russell style,  Petrol and pies,

                   Petrol and Pies

               Not even when the bell tolls, 30 seconds to go

destination home.     wot a great trip.

                                      all goods things come to an end

PILLION PERSPECTIVE          

I have asked Louise to post her version of the "pillion perspective". It will be forthcoming.  As a "first-timer", I think she did rather well (brownie points for me!)

BTW Lyn, I will have my photos on a memory stick for you to copy at tomorrow's club meeting.

Wow!  I finally got up early enough to be able to browse through some trip reports.  What a fantastic trip you all had.  And what a fantastic trip report - all of you!

I'm envious.  Looks as though if one could do all trips on offer, a whole year of back-to-back trips and tours would leave no time for working and almost no time to service the bike! 

So I've resorted to pacing myself and my bank balance.... 

This is hopefully an annual trip...

Man I'm peeved I missed this! Even being in Seychelles for a month on a private island* doesn't make up for missing this...

* http://www.fregate.com/

Hey, I got make myself feel better somehow!

Thanks for this great report Lynn.

Sorry about you missing all the scenery but for the final day I was in fact able to count the trees and signposts along the way.

As you know I am already working on next years Tour and I will route this Tour passed bigger trees for you to see.

You are a "tonic" on these trips with us and we love your chirps along the way.

For those afflicted on this trip

oops!  not sure what happened there, erroneously deleted my paragraph.

Please let it be known that I am a chirper of note and tend to take it to the extreme.  As everyone is always chipping at Geoff about speed I layed it on even thicker, know I irritated Hamid with the two stroke so thats over too now.

I would like to add that its absolutely thrilling to ride with Geoff.  His planning is a fantastic  mixture of adrenalin and social.  After all what is biking all about, those thrilling curvacous roads around mountains and a bit of speed to kick start a day.  phew!  

As you can see by the large vetkoek Geoff was eating we stopped for at least an hour and another in Craddock munching his pizza with enough time for Frans to clean his helmit with Mr Min.

Unfortunately there is also traffic on the road which often seperates groups and then its full throttle to catch up,  lets face it there is nothing wrong with a bit of catch up speed from time to time.

Overall it might be a worthy thought for ride leaders to take the traffic into account when they realise half their group is missing in action and just slow by 5km's p/h,  and to mentioned 10 or 15 or 20 minute stops and 5 minutes to go before gear up.  

Geoff you are an excellent rider and I have learnt so much from your cornering just on that last day when I was right up front.  wow!  can already feel my adrenalin starting up for the next trip.

love you and the club stukkend, don't change much.

Here follows a short trip report from the perspective of the wife.

Hi Everyone

Geoff has been asking nicely for a trip report from one of the pillions, so I have decided to give my two cents worth.

I was considering making it short and sweet: we went forth; we saw, we hurt, we conquered, we had fun and we returned. But then I thought for a while and decided that somehow, that just won’t cover it. So I decided to add a little bit more in order for you to fully understand what I experienced on this trip.

We went forth:

I was a bit peeved that we had to wake up so early that first morning. You must understand that I am definitely not a morning person. It did not help that my hubby bought me a dagwood for breakfast!!! All of that food so early in the morning... Anyhow we set off to the most amazing sunrise.

We saw:

Yes, we started that morning with the most amazing sunrise and it only got better during the course of the day. We enjoyed the most beautiful scenery on our way to Tsitsikamma. I must admit that during a ride like this I am so glad that I am a pillion and not in the rider seat, as it enables me to enjoy the landscape around us. During this trip we had such a variety to see from canvasses of flowers, stunning rocks formations, famous bridges , wild life and even the inside of a dam wall. Who would have thought!

We hurt:

O, yes, we did that as well. Wasn’t so much fun, but the fact that we did not ride so far the second day definitely helped the aching behind. By day three we were not really feeling it anymore. The accommodation on day three did aid the healing. Mauritius can’t hold a candle to the Crawford Cabins at Cintsa.

We conquered:

Yes, we conquered the hurt, the fear of heights and some of us even the terrifying speeds.  O, and not to forget the dreaded tummy bug. We did conquer that too. Unfortunately one of us had to miss the most part of the tour due to the bug. Sorry Mike, but we are glad you got home safely and are feeling well again. I hope your deposit has already been paid for next year!!!

We had fun:

Yip, loads of fun, starting with dead bike batteries to bikes diving into lawns.  Good company, good food and a joker or two, made it a trip never to be forgotten. We all enjoyed the amazing accommodation, friendly staff and the delicious food. It was wonderful to arrive at our destination with the keys to our rooms carefully laid out. It was really a joy to unload the bike and chill with a cold drink and good company.

We returned:

Yip, that we finally had to do as well. It was quite a drive the last day and it seemed like Geoff missed his wife so bad that we all were punished in order for his to get home sooner. We all understand Geoff. And so with our last stop at Montague we all had to say goodbye to new found friends.

Thanks to all of you that went along and made this one unforgettable trip. I know it was my saying that became the motto of the trip: "We are staying at such nice places, but ai, the ride there every day!" But despite that, I really enjoyed it very much and believe it or not, I am considering to do it again, next year. 

Hi , great feedback and really nice to get a different perspective on the trip that we all enjoyed so much. Looking forward to the trip next year as you so rightly say it was the company of good friends that made the journey even better , cheers

most enjoyable reading Turtle.   I relived the trip by reading your report

My pic and name may be alongside, but this post was submitted by Louise!

Pillions just wanna have fun!

It was with great trepidation that I rode out on the back of Henri's bike in the freezing cold on 3 September. In a moment of madness I had agreed to go on this trip probably wooed by all the fabulous stopovers. After a few practice runs and getting bike fit I was still very intimidated by the long day 1 and the last day, nevermind, day after day on the back of a bike.

Day one, despite banter amongst the pillions at the Engen beforehand was manageable, and after that I felt more confident and relaxed. By day 4 even more so, but sometimes the speeds we had to ride to catch up with the group after inevitable delays especially in the old Transkei, were worrying. The hotels, lodges and guest farms we stayed at were great and the food delicious - so much for losing a bit of weight on this trip! We saw the country from a different perspective. No riding up the N2 and back down the N1 for these roadies - it was all the byways and passes galore! The scenery was beautiful as the photos testify. The beach at Cintsa, the sundowner trip at Umngazi (Henri said it gave him gooseflesh when he saw the grace with which the fish eagle took the bait),

Target in sight

Gotcha! (Fish Eagle Pics by Sarel, cropped by Henri)

the visit inside the Gariep Dam wall and the Valley of Desolation were highlights.
I did not know a soul before the trip but everyone was so friendly that we were soon a tightknit group. The evenings were great fun - thanks to Frans and his strafdoppe.

Thanks Geoff  for your formidable arrangements - as Riette mentioned - keys ready and allocated at the end of the day and for accommodating the ladies with frequent, clean loo stops.

Hope to see you all again soon on a breakfast run.

Happy biking
Louise.