Archive of BMW Motorrad Club Cape (2006 - 2019)

Annie n I decided it was time again to do an "us only" trip. Something we have not done since my RT days in our 'life-before-GS'. Annie was so amazing, apart from being my best friend for 27 years, she has lapped up the love of adventure riding in a big way. She catered very well and packed a daily ration of nibbles for each day as well as many 175ml bottles of Bells whiskey, freeze dried meals, ag man I was spoilt for choice and volume. We delayed our departure to Sunday 28th April to attend a very special wedding I'm glad we never missed. I had planned an itinerary of daily kilos, where to stay, route-to-ride etc. All on a spread sheet, printed website pages of info of the places, downloaded geocaches along the way, planned fuel stops. The works. Then two things happened. First, Die Hel still fully booked and would not allow us to 'just-pitch' saying it will remain fully booked. Then sitting on the throne I opened a well-worn copy of LONG WAY ROUND and the page I started reading was Ewen's discourse of how it was the unexpected obstacles and events that made the trip, not the planning and following guides. How they loved chasing shadows each evening and how nothing going to plan was what made their experiences memorable. That did it. My trip plan went by the board. We'd find lodging when the suns said we should and not a moment before. I spent Saturday morning getting our gear ready, replacing my stanchions with two reconditioned ones, putting on knobblies- something I can now do in half an hour. We Left on Sunday morning 27th April and returned on Sunday afternoon, 4th May - 8 safe, blissful days chance meetings where we met GS friends on the road, groups of bikes, new friends and many new places. No flat tyres, no mechanical events, no injuries, no falls at all. Rain, mountain passes, river crossings, rides into the dark and unknown. My old Garmin V maps sorely lacking and ancient taking us into unknown many times. Times where even at the scale on 30kms, there was only our road on the screen snaking here and there to nowhere. Here is what happened over eight days...... '''Annie's report (I've run out of time):''' '''Day 1: Gordon's Bay to Laingsburg''' ''Bumped into Tom Mamic on a Suzuki V-strom at Gordon's Bay fuel station - came across from Canada the long way down - many months on the road'' '''Day 2: Anker Karoo Laingsburg - destress day in the bush under a windmill''' '''Day 3: Laingsburg via Seweweekspoortpass, via Calitzdorp via... via De Rust to 40kms into Baviaanskloof''' ''Bump into Geelkameel outside Calitzdorp!'' '''Day 4: Speekhout Baviaanskloof - explore the 40kms we missed in the dark the previous day, rest and lay a geocache''' '''Day 5: Speekhout to Patensie in the rain and sun''' '''Day 6: Patensie via Humansdorp to Avontuur, join up with JR's Knysna trip via many passes, ending in Glentana''' '''Day 7: Glentana to Bainskloof via Riversdale off-road back and beyond, with rain soak before lunch''' ''Bumped into Alan and Daniel Nelson at Heidelberg on their way to Plett'' '''Day 8: Bainskloof - home''' '''Day 1: Gordon's Bay to Laingsburg''' ''Bumped into Tom Mamic on a Suzuki V-strom at Gordon's Bay fuel station - came across from Canada the long way down - many months on the road'' Having had to attend a wedding the previous day, and seeing as it was our 1st holiday longer than 3 days in 2 years, we decided that we were not going to stress ourselves out with the packing operation. We packed our gear, food, tools, etc in quite a relaxed fashion, while our son who was babysitting the house started to get irritated that we didn't seem to be leaving! Finally, we were packed and ready to roll - in which direction we knew not. All we knew was that it was in the general direction of the Baviaanskloof. We fuelled up in Gordon's Bay and bumped into Tom Mamic, who was just ending his Africa trip - all the way from Cananda. Leaving Gordon's Bay We met Tom Mamic: on a Suzuki V-Strom We chatted quite a while, and some onlookers came to ask us where we'd all come from, as we were all quite heavily laden. Eventually we exchanged contact details and departed. I can't remember exactly which route we took (huh?), but we ended up via Mitchel's pass in Ceres, stopping at an ATM and then the Spur for lunch. Ohhhh yes, it's Formula1 time! We watched Heiki Kovaleinen have his terrible accident, which he miraculously survived and then saddled up and departed. Lunch stop at the Spur in Ceres: Ulterior motive to check up on the Formula1 progress Beyond Touwsriver - the scenery is as good in front as it is behind... The bikes are still very clean Now we'd sort of decided to go to Prince Albert via via, so we set off on the R46 (all tar), which eventually turns right at the "Bo-Swaarmoed" sign. We continued - I'm still wondering where Bo-Swaarmoed is, but I'm sure we passed through it without realising. Beautiful passes and open fields and valleys, ending up on the N1, taking a left just before Touws River. The usual truck traffic was just starting to dishearten me, when Andy took a sudden right onto a little dirt road. (My nerves were a bit shattered as we'd just passed a truck whose driver and nodded off and was swerving all over - Andy had hooted and gone crazy, eventually waking the driver up ??). Anyhow the little dirt road took us to a lovely Anglo-Boer War graveyard, where quite a few families are now resting. It's quite interesting to go through and read their little stories. The shadows of the afternoon were getting longer and a chill was setting in, and Andy wanted to still find a geocache hidden there. So off we tramped up the hill to find it. Stop at Matjiesfontein graveyard: ...another geocache is hidden there Take a little sip of medicinal stuff: while the shadows get longer The Arial view is magnificent Memorial of a chap who died in a rail accident: Most of the graves or memorials are from the Anglo-Boer war Andy in search of the hidden geocache The stash is found! Oops the sun is getting bright: Darkness looms. We'd better get moving. Heading back up the little gravel road, we could not really see as the setting sun was so bright. The N1 took us into Laingsburg - around 18:00 (near dark). We decided Prince Albert was a bit far, so we asked around for a campsite. The only caravan/camp site was a dreadful place overrun with hobos and shady characters, so we stopped at an inn nearby to ask for more info on the surrounding farms/guest places. A reluctant farmer (having heard we were "baaikers") said we could overnight in the chalet, but not camp! By now, it was almost dark, so we took the road (still tar) which turns right inside Laingsburg towards the Seweweekspoort Pass. I kept thinking: the directions were "½ hour to do 12kms on the tar; maar moenie worrie nie oom, julle het mos off-road baaiks!" After about 5 or 6kms we turned left onto the dirt at a sign saying "Dawie Geelbek" (this is the Dawie who was on one of the intro off-road courses). Several kms of heavy corrugation, we decided to deflate and turn off ABS. Now night time driving is quite scary on a winding corrugated road, which eventually became intermittent sand. Your lights only shine 50m ahead, so it's quite difficult. Just after I'd realised we were in sand, I came upon Andy waiting for me. He said: "Did you see that puffadder back there?" "Nooooooo!!!!!" Well I paddled as little as I could after that! 12kms took us half an hour to get to the farmer's house. Sweating, I took off my helmet, only to hear: "It's about another 10kms to the chalet." The farmer rode ahead in his bakkie, as the road becomes tweespoor and "'n bietjie meer veld." Lots more sand, rocks, gates,sweat and swearing - our progress was slow, but eventually we arrived at the Windpomphuisie. After an exhausting ride at night off-road, Annie still red in the face! We try and see our surroundings: Our chalet is a converted windmill reservoir. Well, to the sounds of the windmill pumping in the breeze and the millions of stars above, we decided we'd stay 2 nights. The farmer was about to talk us out of it, but we paid him then and there and he was silenced. Eventually he left (he was quite friendly after that) and we unpacked. We sat out under the stars, sipping a quiet whiskey and thinking: Man, what a ride! Exhausted, we piled into bed. '''Day 2: Anker Karoo Laingsburg - de-stress day in the bush under a windmill''' Next morning we awake to birds and a silent windmill. Then it dawns on us: No cellphone range....Yippeee now we're really on holiday! We sipped many coffees, had breakfast in a relaxed fashion. Then we "browsed" around outside our chalet. Next morning we awake to a beautiful sight on our doorstep Little dam from the overflow of the windmill Fresh morning view: in the middle of the Karoo Laingsburg in the distance Our Windpomp chalet: Anker Karoo 4x4 lapa a few 100m away from our chalet: The owner collects all their "lost" numberplates as trophies Bush loo with a fantastic view!: You can watch game View from inside The donkey at our chalet: If you want hot water, you stoke up a fire inside it Now just under the water cylinder, there is a proper bath with hot (if you stoke up the donkey) and cold running water. You can have a proper bath in the Karoo veld if you like. :) The chalet has a gas fridge and hot plate. Solar electricity gives you artificial light at night. We had a relaxing day You have to bring your own wood (obviously we hadn't), so we tramped down the dried up river and hauled out washed-up roots, branches and stokkies to light a fire. We hadn't eaten our braai meat from the night before, as we'd arrived too late. What a blast - we had a lovely braai followed by a siesta. I read the 2 "Weg" magazines from cover to cover, as well as the only book "Faith like potatoes". I'm much wiser about the Moordenaarskaroo now (a hilarious Afrikaans article June 2006 about Oom Fanie, die padskraper, tourguiding the journalist through this area). By now it was almost 4pm. So I found a piece of blank paper and a pen and settled myself in my chair. Annie's drawing: after running out of things to read Photographic view of what Annie drew We went off in search of more wood and stoked up our coals again. And soon we had our edition of a "Lang Vuur". Now what more can a humble person ask for out in the bush? African TV with any channel you want, all playing at the same time, Milky way above and cozy heat of the fire (and the whiskey). Andy looking for wood to burn in the evening We are treated to a spectacular sunset Andy mending his things in our lapa Our super-hot fire to relax around and put our feet up What would adventure tomorrow bring? Supposedly we would end up in the Baviaans... '''Day 3: Laingsburg via Seweweekspoortpass, via Calitzdorp via... via De Rust to 40kms into Baviaanskloof''' ''Bump into Geelkameel outside Calitzdorp!'' [http://www.bmwmotorcycleclubcape.co.za/calitzdorp-na-uniondale-matjiesrivier-de-rust-en-koutjie Geelkameel's Trip] We awoke bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. We were packed and ready to go and explore the countryside we missed in the dark the other night. A short way into the ride, we see it's not as bad as it appeared in the dark. Lots of runaways, washaways, corrugations and sand and windy-windy roads. The clouds look as though they threaten rain. I kept a beady eye out for that puffadder and its mates, as I didn't want to run into a whole nest of them... 10kms later we got to Christo's house, and he also managed to get a closer look at us - actually he's quite friendly now! We gave him the drawing as a gift and told him we'd be back with friends. He even offered to do a braai for us. After that we battled through a bit of sand, but nothing too serious. Packed and ready to go: Finally we get to see what we drove in the dark The corrugated Karoo path unfolds: and rattles our teeth Great when you can see where you're going! We inspected a ruin along the way, looking for old bits of trinkets and stuff. No, there was no geocache here, although it's a good site to hide one. We found an old ruin closer to the tar road We lay in ruins Entrance to the farm/s After we got back onto the tar, we headed back to Laingsburg - I was low on fuel and I reckon Andy was as well. I thought we could enjoy a Steers breakfast while we were there. I thought it was a good time to stock up on some fresh stuff, but Andy wasn't keen - De Rust was where we would shop (Yeah right :) ) We departed for Seweweekspoortpas and the red folded mountains, called Rooinek. Heading for the red mountains En route we got a call from Dave Higgs, who had just heard the news of the terrible accident at Fisantekraal involving a husband and wife on an 1150 and a 650. He was quite relieved. Our hearts went out to the couple. Our plan was to turn left at the top of Seweweekspoort and head for Prince Albert. The mountain folds are fascinating The valleys beckon Back onto the dirt up the Rooinek pass The roads are in good condition - photo taken at over 100km/h The sign at the Prince Albert said clearly "No Thoroughfare/Geen Deurgang" - but what does that mean to a GS? Maybe somewhat more technical riding perhaps? Fortunately, less than a km on that road, we were met by a resident farmer and his family who told us that there was definitely "geen deurgang", even with a GS, as a huge dam has blocked off this road. Oops! Oh well, so we took the Seweweekspoortpas onto Route 62 for the 3rd time in 6 months! With Andy slightly ahead, I turned onto the tar, a short while later spotting a single bright beam in my rearview mirror. It became yellow - and I thought - could this really be a Geelkameel escaping his Masters thesis? And so it was - we were all quite bowled over because we'd all been delayed in some or other way, and Andy & I were supposed to be on another road altogether.... I Calitzdorp over coffee (not at the Pink Rose), we discovered our route's crossed paths for about 120kms. Lekker! Now we could ride together. Danie was so excited, he didn't tie down his red jersey and scarf properly, and I stopped to pick them up. We turned off to Matjiesrivier, a beautiful and winding and very scenic pass. You simply can't travel at speed. The cameras were clicking. As I didn't have my own camera, I simply rode slowly, taking it all in. Rare photo - Geelkameel not taking photos Dam en route to Matjiesrivier The other side of the dam wall Lots of little crossings, some wet Danie crossing Danie just had to stop and take a photo of Andy taking a photo... Junction Sunshine, blue skies and BMWs Cool Forest glades More forest At the bottom of the Swartberg pass, I happened on Danie and Andy interviewing the drivers of a donkey cart. Well, it was quite an interview, because I waited for them for over 15 mins. We turned right and then a few kms later, took a left towards the Cango Caves. This dirt road winds along more beautiful valleys and farms. The weather was perfect, but already I could feel the late afternoon chill setting in. We arrived at a tar T-junction and said goodbye to Danie, who was heading in the direction of Uniondale, then Jeffreys Bay. In De Rust, I insisted on refueling. We topped up liquid and solid food supplies, and bumped into Danie again (he took a wrong turn and also realised he needed more fuel). In De Rust time stands still, and so do the locals to check you out. Fresh food takes on a new meaning - fresh means its over a week old. Really fresh means it's still running around... The only fuel station takes garage cards, but only the owner knows how to operate the card machine. Alcohol is up to 40% more expensive there, as is the fresh food. Another 140kms to go, we hit the road again as fast as the dorp would release us. We headed for Willomore and the Baviaanskloof on the tar. Here and there we stopped to check the GPS. I donned another scarf and jersey. Thank goodness for heated handgrips. After about 110kms or so we finally turned onto the gravel road taking us into the Baviaanskloof, just as the final suns rays disappeared behind the mountains. Oh no, more night riding on gravel. Andy was enjoying himself. The sun is setting fast into the Baviaanskloof A dusky road The Lone Ranger? Well, we descended into the spectacular - you could hear the echoes and feel its awesomeness - kloof, crossing many drifts and negotiating many bends. Finally we arrived 40kms later at Speekhout, our campsite for the next 2 days. (19:30) We stayed and chatted to the owners (we knew them) for awhile, and then went to set up camp in the dark. 15 mins and our chairs were out and we were nibbling on biltong and sipping whiskey... Our campsite ablution was an open toilet and showere (no roof) surrounded by latte under an oak tree. Hot and cold running water. The geezer was kind of suspended in the tree. The bathroom floor is cobbled and plants grow between the cobbles and under the sink. Lovely!!! It had been quite a long day in the saddle and we went to sleep quite quickly. Another day of rest tomorrow.... '''Day 4: Speekhout Baviaanskloof - explore the 40kms we missed in the dark the previous day, rest and lay a geocache''' [http://www.baviaans.co.za/speekhout/index.htm Speekhout] We awoke to the sounds of some campers and lodgers in the treehouse. We lay in, while we lit our gas cooker to boil water for coffee. A watched kettle never boils, so we ignored it for awhile. Not too long and we were enjoying our 1st coffee of the day. We crawled out and inspected our new home. Our campsite seen for the 1st time in daylight: Enjoying many cups of coffee Crocodile rock on our doorstep More Speekhout view on our doorstep Tree containing hidden Treehouse: Sleeps 6 people! It wasn't too long, and we had Nathan, our self-appointed 12 year old Baviaanskloof tourguide, on our doorstep, drinking his 1st cup of camping coffee. He chatted 19-to-the-dozen. Andy decided to occupy him with decoding the clues of several geocache sites in the area. We took him along (with permission) on our exploration of the Nuewkloof we'd missed the previous evening. He also wanted to drop of a large bag of Snickerdoodle biscuits he'd baked for Aunty Jean some 6kms up the road. Real 4x4: covered in the dust of speeding artificial 4x4s A beautiful sight in the Baviaanskloof We stopped at the Hanging Ladder which was built by honey gatherers to gain access to the bees nests beneath the overhang of the cliff. Only a couple of rungs still exist (S33 31.235 E23 39.037) Another well-known phenomenon in Nuwekloof,forms the western gateway of the Baviaanskloof is the Sleutel or Key, a massive rock formation which has split right through from top to bottom. It is so-called because if it ever topples over it will lock the Baviaanskloof shut from this end (S33 31.235 E23 39.037). Amazing stuff. Annie and Nathan, our tourguide After eating sour worms at the very entrance to Nuwekloof, we headed back to deliver the Snickerdoodles, as Aunty Jean hadn't been there earlier on. The delivery made, Nathan returned, bearing 2 large bags of sugar. It goes like that when you have these distances to travel... We headed back for our camp, and lit a fire to braai the 3 De Rust chops we'd not braaied the night before. After a siesta, Nathan returned and helped Andy lay a geocache somewhere on the farm in the mountainside coves. I continued reading and took a stroll every now and again. Meanwhile, the clouds were pulling in and it was getting quite chilly. The farmer had assured us that it never really rains on the farm. I'm sorry, but I smelt rain! We lit another fire that evening and enjoyed our supper around it. Splotches of rain made us quickly tidy our belongings into the tent. We sat out as long as we could, watching a 4x4 towing a huge noisy 4x4 trailer arrive at the campsite, spilling out 3 little fractious (more likely hungry and tired) children and tired parents. They noisily set up camp and 2 hours (yes around 10pm) they finally sat down for supper! The rain drove us into the tent for an early night. I lay there wondering about Belinda Dunn's warning of a difficult pass and tackling it in the wet .... What would tomorrow bring? '''Day 5: Speekhout to Patensie in the rain and sun''' We lay in with our usual coffee and packed up our wet tent and mostly dry belongings. To wear raingear or not? We were optimistic and decided not to, as it wasn't really raining yet. Nathan was busy with a friend and we said goodbyes to Peter and Michelle, who was already scurrying around the kitchen, preparing for her Tea Garden. Turning left onto the main road, Andy stopped to hide the last clue for his geocache laid the day before. Boy, the road was corrugated and my fillings were complaining. Eventually we were forced to stop and don raingear. My vision was blurred from vibrating eyeballs! Shortly after we hit the road again, the clouds cleared and the sun came out. Now how does that work? Humph, we decided to leave our gear on. Corrugated wet road and rain ahead Blast, the rain has caught up with us: We grin and bear it for awhile... Contortion act getting boots through pants leg: Birthday girl is feeling very unbirthdayish The dry drifts become wetter: But our raingear appears to have chased away the rain! Wow, check the folded mountains! Campbell Monument Campbell Monument Plaque: "In memory of those who died in the flood of 1916. Erected by the Baviaanskloof Agricultural Association 1999." Beginning of next section Baviaanskloof Western Section - Geelhoutbos Hidden waterfall There are tracks of donkeys who come to drink here. 2 chaps on Dakar bikes from George stopped to greet us. After that, we passed them, then they passed us, then we passed them and so on. We had to keep stopping to take photos and just drink in the scenery. The Mountains beckon Baboons see us as tourist attractions Wet crossing - by now we're pretty glad we had rain pants on! The vegetation is changing More and more shady glens Ok, now we get to the more serious business This sign says "Dangerous Mountain Pass 7km" Is this Belinda's pass, I wondered? The top of the dangerous pass is spectacular The vegetation becomes even denser Biltong and water stop after the pass I hadn't really found the ride that technical, so I wondered if Belinda's pass was still to come. The water crossings get longer and deeper Just after our stop, we encountered a very long, deep and rocky crossing. I let Andy go 1st, watching him stand up and negotiate it. I wasn't confident enough to stand, and so I sat it out, keeping the motor going in 1st. My boots filled up from the bottom and the top. I made it to the other side and continued... One of the last photos we managed to take: Before we started negotiating a really tricky pass... REALLY TRICKY stuff! I found out halfway up this pass is called Holgat pass. I can only imagine why. Rocks, ruts, water, 4x4s to pass, bends, very UP ups, and very DOWN downs. We eventually evened out a bit and stopped to remove extra jackets and drain our Camelbaks. Phew, this was sweaty work. My arms were aching, our T-shirts were drenched. But what an amazing view. There were really many 4x4s passing in both directions. Well, we left it up to them to pass each other - there is only room for 1 4x4 at a time. Andy was bemoaning the fact that he'd missed 2 or 3 geocache sites because he'd been too busy negotiating the tricky pass. Ah, relief - we arrived at Bergplaas entrance, and Andy went off in search of another geocache site. Unfortunately, the geocache was not very well preserved and it had spoiled in the rainy weather. More 4x4s with large 4x4 trailers clanked past. I watched a granny forlornly looking out of the window, gripping the window ledges and practically biting them as well. Shame, she wasn't enjoying herself! 2 Huey helicopters clopped their way through the valley below, just ahead of a fast-approaching rainstorm. Top of the tricky pass: Entrance to Bergplaas and another geocache somewhere nearby Andy in search of the geocache: hidden in a ruin nearby The rain approaching in the distance The view on the other side 5 minutes later the rain is on top of us And then it was back to ruts, rocks, rattles and brakes as we descended the steep Combrink's Pass. No time for photos. There are apparently cycads growing here. I didn't see them. I also didn't see Tortoise Hill. We passed 2 women cycling (??) up! Levelling out, we were met by 3 very merry bikers, who offered us some sherry. They'd driven in the mud through Elandskloof from PE and were going to camp there overnight. Then they were going to bike their way through to the end and return again. We met 4 more of them further on. Another few hours later: We relax outside Patensie and Andy downloads emails and phone messages View from the Padlangs (really) restaurant/farmstall: having a birthday lunch/supper Trying to dry our very wet gear at Rooinek Boskamp '''Day 6: Patensie via Humansdorp to Avontuur, join up with JR's Knysna trip via many passes, ending in Glentana''' See ''[http://www.bmwmotorcycleclubcape.co.za/knysna-trip-1-3-may-0 Knysna Trip 1-3 May]'' What our campsite looked like the next morning: By now we were quite used to pitching a tent in the dark or near-dark [http://www.africandream.org/participant/30784?popup_win=Rooinek+Boskamp&ned_=825d280571b61a233f41e85fe041eeb0 Rooinek Boskamp info] Again, we awoke to a wonderful surprise of a camp. So much so, that we decided to have our 1st cup of coffee out in the open. Our riding gear was still very much soaked. And those items we'd managed to dry at the fireside the previous evening, were now smelling of fire. :) After another luxurious hot shower (we had the whole campsite to ourselves), we packed up quite rapidly and were soon ready to go. However, Andy's battery had gone flat overnight (his GPS and other gadgets seem to have drained it) and I had to tow-start him with my 650. Aikona, I towed him downhill and uphill for quite a way, and eventually the 1150GSA started! Ok, so now both of us were quite warm again. Finally we hit the road and travelled about 7kms of farm road back onto the R331 at Andrieskraal, which we followed on tar for a short while, turning right onto the R332, which is a dirt (shorter cut) road leading to Humansdorp. Although the road looks good, it is in fact very rocky and everything that can rattle loose, does so. En route to Humansdorp Road looks smooth, but your fillings rattle out! A small bottle of sealer inside my top box unscrewed itself and started to leak out, as did my small container of 1001 toothpicks! Rural scene In Humansdorp, we reinflated tyres and refuelled. We also decided to wash off our numberplates, which were completely caked with mud (fortunately, because a roadblock stopped all 3 of us just outside the town). We were met by Danie on Geelkameel again (he had come up from Jeffrey's Bay). Soon were embarked on the 180km beautiful tar road (R62) through the famous Langkloof, passing through towns like Joubertina, Louterwater, and Misgund. We even stopped for some coffee and chips at a roadside café to try and thaw out a little. Andy had had a spot of trouble while downloading email and riding, and his phone had gone overboard. We were 10kms away from where he'd dropped it, and by the time Danie found it, several trucks had flattened it. Miraculously the memory card and sim card were still intact (phew, all our photos were on the memory card). So emails would have to wait for home, where they belonged. In Avontuur, JR's group were waiting for us (having been delayed by the flattened phone). And it was literally meet, greet and deflate. After riding solo for over 5 days, it was quite a shock being swamped in several other bike's worth of dust and noise! We meet up with JR's group of Ysterperde: Prince Alfreds Pass Tanya, Ian, Arra & JR Our mud-caked bikes now gathered an extra few layers of dust. The passes are simply spectacular, and the pace was not too fast, so we could take in all the scenery. One of the many spectacular aerial views Thomas Bain memorial on Prince Alfred pass Ralph on his faithful Mildred The winding roads travelled JohanM, HD, Brendan & Andy More roads travelled We had our usual wors lunch stop on the elephant trail. Nico has built a fantastic trailer, which has a box containing and almost built-in gas braai kit. Everyone is standing up on these winding roads The sun is setting fast: We battle with the glare All of us battled with the sun's glare at sunset, and even expensive sunglasses didn't help. So most of us rode, one hand above, saluting the sun. We stopped to reinflate and some to refuel in Wildnerness. I dashed into the nearby store and bought some wine. On departing, I was bitten by a sneaky staffie, who'd been hiding somewhere in the shadows. Ow, cheeky staffie. JR & Tanya at 120km/h: We arrive at Glentana camping site in the dark Andy and I were by now, experienced enough to unpack and pitch our tent in 15 mins. It was quite chilly. Nico and JR and a fire going inside 15 mins as well. Everyone found their gear and tents and made themselves busy. We enjoyed a pleasant evening around a roaring fire, enjoying JR&Tanya's delicious food. One by one, people disappeared into their tents: "Magie vol, Oogies toe" Johan Burger and Ian entertained us with their antics. By the time they started telling jokes with a red headlight on, we knew it was time for bed.... '''Day 7: Glentana to Bainskloof via Riversdale off-road back and beyond, with rain soak before lunch''' ''Bumped into Alan and Daniel Nelson at Heidelberg on their way to Plett'' Some of us woke quite early and saw what our campsite looked like in daylight. There were campers in a caravan from Krugersdorp who had brought along 2 birdcages bearing 2 parrots??? Some style of camping :) Another couple had towed their 2 dakars behind their caravan. The little dog travels with them on the dakars in the tank bag :) ?? We all enjoyed coffee and chatting, and a while later Tanya & JRs fantastic scrambled eggs with a bully beef and bean stew on the fire. Meanwhile everyone was slowly packing up, trying to decide which routes to take. Most of us went in our own directions or in smaller groups. Lots of goodbyes and Andy and I were on the road again, dark clouds and chillier weather threatening. Everyone starts to pack and leave at their own pace Linda & Johan Burger Ian is always smiling Dirk, Ralph & Charles are still unsure of their plans for the day Andy & I head off towards Bonniedale side of the world: Dark clouds threaten rain any moment We travelled the N2 from Glentana for a short while and then turned off towards Oudsthoorn on the R328. About 14kms later, we turned left onto a dirt road near Ruitersbos. After deflating tyres again, we continued at a relaxed pace, passing the turnoff to Bonniedale farm (where we'd been with JR's trip before). We missed a turnoff later and found ourselves closer to the sea than we'd wanted to be... Turned around, and took the Herbetsdale turnoff (the sign is completely covered by a large bush). That road has been graded recently and so is quite pleasant to drive on, except for those little loose stones... After biltong stop on a pass overlooking Herbetsdale, we passed through this quaint little farming dorp, crossed the washed away bridge and headed for Albertinia, the road becoming dirt after awhile. Somewhere we took a right and then a left, and then ended up in Riversdale. The clouds were getting darker and a few splotches of rain caught us every now and again. So we got back onto the N2 and headed for Heidelberg to refuel. Just outside Heidelberg the rain came down. On refuelling we bumped into Alan and Daniel Nelson also refuelling. Alan was driving is brand new 1200GS and progress was very slow. They were en route to Plettenberg Bay. We all had lunch at the Wimpy there and several Mega cups of coffee to warm up again. I donned my rainsuit, while Andy did not. We departed for Barrydale on the tar, passing a sign saying "Road Closed". What does that mean to a GS? Nothing. The road became hard dirt (the vibrating eyeball kind). We negotiated the bridge that was being repaired (the reason for the road closure) - there is actually a service road at the side of it. The chap guarding the gate on the other side simply opened it up for us! And we passed through. At some point the rain became the soaking kind (I wondered how Andy was bearing up) and we travelled the beautiful Tradouws Pass, turning left at Barrydale. Now the rain really came down and it became difficult to see with a helmet that kept misting up. In Montague we stopped at the bottlestore (5 mins before closing time on a Saturday) and replenished our stocks. At the only foodstore we bought some horrible boerie and some other comforts. Andy still didn't put on his rainsuit, but felt his neck warmer was important. We headed for Bainskloof hut and a warm fire. We arrived sopping wet and cold to find my family there as well (also having arrived just then). We had a merry time with them and copious amounts of wine and stories around the fire. Amy, my niece helped me pull of my boots, which were stuck to my socks and feet!!! Anyway, the insides of the boots came out as well. We covered the place in wet clothing. After a very wet ride we meet our family at Chateau Lafite in Bainskloof A lovely end to another fantastic day. '''Day 8: Bainskloof - home''' We arrive home with 50% of our hard-earned mud washed off by rain Our last morning, we all shared whatever breakfast we had brought and lots of coffee of course (my brother even had his espresso pot with him). Everyone left by 9am and we took a slow, drizzly ride home. In some places it poured with rain. Ag man, the rain washed all our hard-earned mud off! :( We found William, the dogs and the house still all in one piece. (Phew, so was the computer). We chatted, downloaded photos, took hot showers, looked at photos, and cleaned and cleaned and cleaned the bikes... What a lovely trip - challenging and enjoyable all at the same time! And, Andy & I are still the best of friends, sharing wonderful memories of people and places. I could have done another 8 days. Maybe some day....