Archive of BMW Motorrad Club Cape (2006 - 2019)

"Brekvis"

I'm not much of a fisherman, but my research tells me that the Heyshope Dam near Dirkiesdorp in Mpumalanga hosts some rather large fish. The dam and the village both feature in our pass of the week. Whilst the pass wont challenge an adventure bike much, it does offer lovely scenery and more importantly we unpack the fascinating history of this important watershed region of South Africa.

It is here where real earthy characters like Swart Dirk Uys, Koos Bybel, Piet Italeni, Jannie Gyselaar, Kruppel Koos, Piet Hlobane and Vaal Piet seem unlikely characters from some forgotten novel.

We unpack the story of Swart Dirk Uys, his lovely daughter Sannie and an unlikely suitor in the form of a young Imperial French prince, whose flourishing relationship was cut short by the Zulus. Swart Dirk Uys is considered to be the founding father of one of South Africa's most successful cattle breeds - the Drakensberger.

Take the link here and enjoy the story: https://bit.ly/2KWpZnD and cyber drive the Waterval Pass. The page will remain open for one week.