Archive of BMW Motorrad Club Cape (2006 - 2019)

''Photos and story also available in '''Russell’s trip report''' '''[http://www.bmwmotorcycleclubcape.co.za/great-african-wild-coast-adventure-2008-5-must Great African Wild Coast Adventure 2008]''''' ===The Group=== Geoff Russell – our trip leader/organiser on 1200GSA Russell & Gis Rathbone 1200GSA Hilton & Heather Summers 1200GS Jaco Buys 1200GSA Tino Gabellone 1200GS Terrance Landwehr F650Dakar Phillipe Fatzer 650 X Challenge Dirk Hartford 650 X Country Anne Connell F650GS Andy Connell 1150GSA Jacques Lewis 1200GSA Gerry McCall 1200GS Glen Wakfer 1200GS Chris Boltman 1200GSA Chris Dunn 1200GS Abie Fourie Backup Bakkie (sponsored by CML RV Centre) The amazing fact about this group is that the youngest of us (being Jacques) is 36yrs, half of us in our 40s, the other half in our 50s and finally the fantastic Glen, small of stature, quiet of nature, a will of steel, a heart of gold – being 62yrs. The smallest people were outweighed by their bikes, while some of us probably outweighed our bikes. ===22 July - Pre-trip Briefing=== In the short time I’ve been riding a motorbike, I’ve found that Geoff always has a pre-trip briefing for his organised trips lasting longer than a day. At first I thought it was to scare me off, but subsequently found it was more to meet and greet our fellow riders and to prepare us for the type of trip, the terrain (and the skill level self-assessment), the distance and inform us what to wear, bring and how much cash to have on hand etc. Geoff stressed at least 2 months before that the bikes all be roadworthy, serviced and be able to last the distance. Sadly, a few of the group (because of distance) could not make it – Tino, Phillipe, Terrance and Dirk. A DVD of previous Wild Coast Trips (2) was playing in the background. I studied it – but not too hard, in case of nightmares and sleepless nights... The briefing also allowed those that didn’t think they could make it to withdraw on the quiet. Geoff pleaded with us to pack small togbags, stressing that laundry could be done at 99% of the hotels overnight. However, the list of extras to pack (like hairdryers for wet boots), might have given some different perceptions to what “small” is... After a while I realised that this trip was not for sissies and that Geoff had planned this down to the minutest detail for over 8 months. This included cancellations, organising extra fuel etc. ===31 July, Thurs – Departure Somerset West Engen N2 to Port Elizabeth - 700+ kms=== We awoke to a very dark, cold, wind and wet day and suited up in as many layers as possible, ending with rain gear. We met at the Somerset West N2 Engen at 06:45, had breakfast at the Wimpie, with a pre-trip briefing of how to ride, and then we departed. By Riviersonderend, we were clear of the rain and were able to strip a layer or two – it was still quite chilly. Our camera girl Gis: Did lots of running around, besides contorting herself into odd positions on on the bike The ride was uneventful and we pushed on, refuelling in Riversdale and taking a detour via Bloukrans Pass to miss the tollgates before Storms River. This pass, by the way, is actually closed because large sections of the tar have been washed away. Bloukrans Pass Apparently they will not repair the road, and a film crew is now busy there. Camera Crew: Rushing backwards and forwards to get a good angle In Knysna we stopped to “collect” Hilton at his Aroma liquor store, where we helped relieve his neatly stocked shelves of some of their weight. We had a late-ish lunch at the Storms River Steers, and I refuelled to allow me to reach PE along with the bigger bikes. The rest of the trip was uneventful and we all arrived in PE with stiff butts and bleary eyes just after 17.00. We refuelled at the Road Lodge where we were overnighting and parked the bikes for the night. We messed around till 7pm and all met up at Barneys for a very festive dinner. My bed was always covered with Andy's bits and pieces At this point, we were joined by Tino (who had driven his bike down from JHB on his bakkie) and Dirk, who had meandered up to PE (with many fuel stops) some days before. ===1 Aug, Fri – PE via Port Alfred, East London to Kei River Mouth – Bushpig Pub, overnight at Trenneries – 450+kms=== We repacked (this became normal) our bags bright and early and discovered Abie already waiting for us. Breakfast at the Wimpy, and we hit the road again, the two 650s tucked in behind Geoff so as not to get left behind. En route to Port Alfred, the next fuel stop for Dirk’s 650 X Country (9litres), Dirk got a puncture, and we ended up loading his bike on the trailer, which was already ferrying Phillipe’s 650 X Challenge. In East London we stopped to refuel and have a quick bite/snack. We zigzagged through the traffic and there was a bit of confusion as Russ and Gis turned off to go and collect batteries for their video camera. There was some more confusion when they later rejoined us and there was a sudden turn-off to a KTM place which could fix Dirk’s puncture. It was about ¾ hour wait and we were on the road again, veering off to Kei Mouth and the winding tar roads. Finally we reach the Bushpig pub, where we quenched our thirst and were joined by Phillipe and Terrance, the last 2 of the bikers. (Heather would join Hilton a few days later). We deflated tyres and had another briefing from Geoff due to the newcomers. Somehow we all managed to get our bikes onto the ferry (bakkie had gone ahead). There were one or two falls on the ramp onto the ferry, but nothing serious. Jacques gave us a quick lesson on how to pick up a 1200GSA… And then we were off in a cloud of dust, quickly eating up the 20kms+ to Trennery's where we were overnighting. At Trennerey's we got a friendly welcome from the owners with an ice-cold glass of orange juice. By now Jacques was starting to mention that he actually needed something stronger... Our rooms were allocated, the bakkie off-loaded and we all mozied around fixing this and that and some of us wondering whether perhaps we hadn’t overpacked... Arrival at Trenneries Chris Dunn: thought he may have overpacked At 6.30pm a gong went off, announcing the start of Happy Hour – Oysters, Prawns, Calamari snacks were served on the house and everyone sat around sharing stories and getting to know one another. A fantastic supper followed and most of us were literally quite stuffed – enough to send us to bed quite early. ===2 Aug, Sat – Trennery's – “roundabout” – Trennery's – overnight (1st serious off-road) – 120+kms=== All of us awoke quite early due to a certain amount of nervous anticipation and our new resident official cock-crower – Andyman – his crows were quickly echoed by dog barks in the form of Jacques, also an early riser. This was to become the norm for the rest of the trip – a little on the far side and a little on the wild side. We had a lovely breakfast, which Geoff assured us would bark back at us in a short while. The briefing described the technical stuff being less than 500m from our doorstep. Gerry kept his helmet on and looked straight ahead... I decided I would worry about the technical stuff when I got to it. And Geoff was right – as we went down a very steep rocky downhill with an unbanked 90deg turn at the bottom, our breakfast went uphill. Some of the bikes tipped along with the breakfast. At a lovely river crossing, Geoff gave us a quick history lesson on the Xhosa Queen NonQwasa. History lesson Abie Fourie: our backup (what gets said in the bakkie, stays in the bakkie) And then suddenly we were faced with another steep rutted (with loose rock) uphill. We were rudely overtaken here by some speeding quad bikes. I was glad I wasn’t halfway up at that point. From there onwards we encountered sand, more sand, water, steep uphills and downhills. An especially steep uphill had a sandy run up and some didn’t make it up. I elected to take the less precarious route up.... Winding Cattle Tracks A deeper river crossing had Chris Dunn and Hilton flushing their engines out inadvertently. Andyman was all over the show on his 1150, helping everyone. The dual engine flush allowed a few of us to rest and calm down. Bike flushing below When the group suddenly stops ahead of you: you know there's some difficulty looming Again, the photos belie the steepness of the hills Then more sand and finally a snack break at the wreck of the Jacaranda. The Jacaranda Isn't it bad luck to rename a ship?: The Jacaranda used to be the Salman Malaga Rusty And then it was back to work again. Back to work again A steep grassy uphill had me flummoxed and Geoff took my bike up. Grassy uphill: rather slippery if you don't have enough momentum... A quick break: Dirk and myself After that it was more or less plain sailing for several kms back to the hotel. We all managed a difficult looking hill quite easily – I wonder why? Gerry often had a cramped look: on his face When you saw the bakkie, it was time: to put your helmet on or crowd around the cooler box Glen had a torrid time in the sand, and eventually Andy suggested that he and Dirk change bikes, which they did. Hilton Summers: His riding skills improved dramatically when Heather arrived Near the hotel, Glen elected to leave us, while we turned off to go and “explore” – for me it was all very scenic as I bounced from mole hill to mole hill. Glen on Dirk's bike Hilton Finally the group got to a point of “can’t cross here” and we bumped our way back to explore an airstrip and a film set nearby. Turn around at the bottom of the hill I was just getting to the end of my energy levels when we returned to the hotel, and refuelled our bikes for the next day. We all gratefully jumped into the shower or the pool... Relax We sat and chatted over drinks, then through Happy Hour and finally a FANTASTIC seafood buffet. I can’t even begin to describe it. Most of us were too exhausted to hang around after that and headed for an early night...but not before Jacques caught some of us with a Jägermeister. ===3 Aug, Sun – Trenneries – “roundabout” - Mezeppa Bay – short outride - overnight – 150+ kms=== Next morning, we all awoke, packed – ready for departure by 08.45 (as usual). We again ate a massive breakfast, some of us unaware that we were redoing the 1st section of the previous day’s ride (what goes down, usually comes up). At the day’s pre-trip briefing, Gerry again kept his helmet on and stared straight ahead. Some fell on the 1st section where they hadn’t fallen before, while others managed the tricky sections without falling. One of the many falls: Not sure who this is At least there were no quad bikes overtaking us again. We took a different route, meandering through cow pastures, bumping over overgrown mole heaps and trying to avoid or stay in the winding cow tracks (ruts). Arrival at the river crossing There was one heavy river crossing where all the bikes had to be pushed across. Geoff's bike went 1st - this took a while: We used Andy's strops after that and it was much easier going Andy conjured up 4 strops to help tow bikes across. This was quite an exhausting task – manhandling the “ysterperde” across a deep rocky river – some were not as fit as they thought they had been. Dirk thinks about taking his shoes off: Not in a huge rush, I gather Chris Boltman got a nasty scratch from my bike (she probably didn’t like being “man”handled...) and Andyman medic extracted the medical bag from beneath all the luggage in the bakkie and patched him up. The strops made the task much easier: They even managed to whip up a bow wave (Oh, by the way, this reminds me of one of the hard-learnt lessons/rules, especially on the bigger bikes - '''"Never overtake your wake"''') Our onlookers were very entertained Chris Boltman's leg needs repairing And then it was up down around molehills and rondawels... The trailer gave a few problems traversing a dry rocky river crossing and got a puncture. The front group was already ahead, but a few stayed behind to help fix. There was a large grassy hill to climb and I had 1 or 2 anxious moments (as did others) when I saw the reception committee at the top. Then I decided “bugger that” and sidled up to the top without falling. There we waited for the stricken bakkie. Grassy hill - quite steep A while (and several cigarettes and refreshers of sun block) later the bakkie and the rest of the group arrived. The route ahead immediately challenged us with a steep uphill , followed by some rocky steps (oh yes, I recognised these from the dvd). Geoff and co. very patiently helped many people up. Jacques mentioned that the route (so ver as wat hy kan onthou) was quite straightforward from that point onwards, and that Jagermeisters were definitely calling loudly... The bakkie tyre had to be repaired again and Andy hauled out many amazing tools, including a bottle of soapy water and a paintbrush. We stopped to view a beautiful waterfall sight (Takazi Waterfall) and continued mostly uneventfully Takazi Waterfall Hilton was ejected by an unexpected rut and lost and bent a few things on his bike; shortly after that the bakkie developed another puncture and McGuiver was summonsed to help with fantastic patch) to Mazeppa Bay Hotel. Our rooms were immediately allocated. Geoff, Andy and Abie removed the offending tyres from the trailer. The plan was for Hilton to take the bakkie the next day to East London instead of the bike, to collect Heather. He would then purchase proper off-road tyres for the trailer and a few other spares. Traditional road to Mezeppa Bay A few of us elected to go on the “interesting” out ride with Geoff. And off we went “exploring” this way and that, stopping to view some breathtaking sights like a river mouth (name?). “Ruts” became a serious 4-letter word for some. Chris Dunn was tipped quite badly by one of them, but carried on steadfastly. Mezeppa Bay On our final approach to the hotel, a sandy rut or sand followed by a rut, or vice versa, managed to spill Gerry. I tactfully took a different approach and arrived back at the hotel in 1 piece. We were all dusty and exhausted and grateful to have a nice shower. Cocktails were a relaxed affair on the deck overlooking the bay. We eventually sauntered into the dining room where a delicious 3 course meal was served. Many of us went straight to bed, and proceeded to dream those wild dreams everyone appeared to be suffering from... ===4 Aug, Mon – Mezeppa Bay – via via – Cobb Inn overnight - 90+ kms=== We packed as usual and were told to put our bags in one of the chalets so that Hilton could collect them on his return from East London with Heather. However, Heather called Hilton from East London and said that, due to some bungling idiots working for a certain airline, she’d managed to miss her flight. Hilton’s face became a black cloud and the plans changed. After breakfast, we re-loaded the bakkie, which now also had 3 tyres in it. He would travel in the bakkie while Abie would take his bike. We’d been warned about a rutty road ahead. The dust was horrendous and most of us had various shades of dirt and dust glued to our sun block. On some of the guys, the dust actually turned green. Hill at Mezeppa Bay tipped quite a few bikes: Some thought the view was better at the top... The bakkie and our group eventually parted ways, and we were faced with MORE RUTS! Jacques discovered a place to have a beer, and was only allowed to drink it on site along with others. Traditional local butchery en routé from Mezeppa Bay The start of the rutted road We could see it stretch ahead for miles... Rural villages and settlements dot the landscape: as far as the eye can see We were shown a fantastic viewing point above a river mouth (Shixini River) and we all sat and languished in the sun, taking photos and getting lazier by the minute. Shixini River Mouth upstream Another beautiful BMW view Shixini River Mouth: The cows come down to the beach and cross over to greener pastures Then Geoff showed us another river mouth which he thought may have been possible to cross. In this case it is better to get into a rut: ...and stay in it Geoff and Chris B. discussing the route Fortunately, it proved impossible and we bumped our way back to the main road and ruts, ending up at Cobb Inn. Ok, the helmet and jacket are finally off and we can relax a bit Jaco and Jacques parking off Andy managed to take a high-speed spill in a corner, narrowly missing a concrete culvert. (Oh yes, another of the hard-learnt lessons/rules - "Never let your slipstream overtake you") Sergeant Major Daan immediately ordered us to fill our bikes – a manual process and also pay immediately. Daan Refuelling Tino's bike: with Jaco and Geoff looking on We were all exhausted and feeling lazy. Dirk’s idea of lazy was to head straight for the pool and do a few yoga exercises. I showered and went for a sleep. My chain needed attention, but I was too tired to care.... I woke just before happy hour and meandered down to the bar, where some people were feeling very happy. The supper was ANOTHER fantastic 4-course meal. Having had a short sleep in the afternoon, some of us kuiered on in the bar. We all discussed the fact that we’d been having wild dreams. Tino said that in one of his dreams, he’d somehow managed to connect the front and the back brakes for maximum braking power on the foot. ===5 Aug, Tues – Cobb Inn – day of rest=== This was our allocated day of rest. However, some were anxious that they might get bored just hanging around. Andy found something to dismantle: In this case, it was his starter motor A few of us took the rest seriously. Geoff tried to palm an out ride off on Chris Boltman, who managed to ignore all requests successfully. So Geoff took the small eager group on an “interesting” ride, which proved that several bikes could do hand-stands and quite a few riders could do flick-flacks and cartwheels. A few returned early. Camera Girl Gis, always ready for action Gerry thought he might go for a walk: but it took him a few hours to get going... And then we all pottered around on our bikes. My chain needed servicing and Abie helped me to clean a regrease it. Abie took Dirk’s bike, an XCountry (with his permission) and Chris B. took Phillipe’s XChallenge for what Chris calls the “real off road”. They returned sheepishly without Dirk’s gearlever. Andy McGuivered another gearlever with the help of Daan’s workshop. MacGuiver Gear Lever Andy took me for a short walk (almost sunset) to a beautiful dam and via the wreck of a yacht. Hidden dam We returned to Jacques’ promised Long Island Tea – a brew of many alcoholic beverages, guaranteed to make you feel happy. Geoff promised us the following day would be very, very long = extremely long. A few of us, having rested, chatted over drinks after another delicious supper and eventually piled into bed. The wild dreams appeared to be calming down. ===6 Aug, Wed – Cobb Inn via via Ocean View – 200+kms – LONG day, very long!=== Sunrise at Cobb Inn: At brilliant start to a long day After breakfast, settling our bills, loading the bakkie, Geoff gave us a serious pre-trip briefing. He stressed that we really needed to move on the open road sections (+80kms/hour). The technical and interesting sections would sap our full attention and time. This had some of us a bit worried, but we followed instructions and managed to stick to the pace. Arrival at Dwesa Nature Reserve: after a dusty ride After 5 hours, we’d had little or no breaks and were covered in dust, burning eyes. Geoff had a special ceremony, handing over some official shirts and trousers to the guide: see Russel's report '''[http://www.bmwmotorcycleclubcape.co.za/out-reach-wild-coast-2008 Outreach Wild Coast 2008]''' The Alien has Landed! They only seem to sell this green paint on the Wild Coast: Most huts and houses were this colour Jacques in disguise: wearing a special dust pack Gis gives Phillipe a rundown of certain angles of her documentary Riding through the forests and glades of Dwesa Nature Reserve Hilton & Heather We then came down a very long steep road, followed by a river crossing and more uphills. 4x4 with 4x4 trailer I lost focus (I’d gone into a trance following Glen’s back wheel) and I tumbled into a large donga with my bike, cracking my screen and snapping my right mirror (my 1st fall in 6 days). Andy and Abie removed my screen and I had to pose for the dreaded photos. We also had an ice cold cold drink. Oops!: Abie thought we could just cover the whole incident up by shovelling some sand over my bike Glen came off on a loose downhill, and he was motionless next to his bike for a minute or two. Several of us were “perched” on a difficult outcrop and it wasn’t easy to park our bikes and run to assist him. Fortunately he came round and decided to call it a day due to exhaustion – nobody begrudged him. We were all exhausted. His bike was loaded onto the trailer. Rusty and Abie help load up Glen's bike Terrance, Jacques and Dirk look on: General Exhaustion the order of the day A more difficult river crossing spilled Terrance from his Dakar and he twisted his knee, bashed his calf muscle and probably cracked some ribs. Andy attended to him, while his bike was loaded onto the trailer. Terrance's River Crossing Bakkie now has 2 bikes loaded: The difficult sections are still ahead The uphills became really up and the downhills really down and rocky, sometimes with loose rock. However, we were still on a road of sorts. The “sorts” part ended (by now the shadows were very long and chill had set in). Sort of road becomes sort of spoor Gerry making his way along the spoor At this point, several chaps – Andy, Russell, Tino helped others take their bikes up difficult parts – where they summonsed the energy from, I don’t know – thanks a stack. The bakkie, laden with our luggage, 2 bikes, 2 more passengers, just cruised in low-range through all the obstacles. Well done Izuzu (and Abie)! Another amazing fact was that the 2 pillions – Heather and Gisela, made it all look so smooth and easy. Well done pillions! A loose downhill: Try not to lose it. Don't look down even though you're going down... Exhausted Camera Crew: Put their heads together Can they be resuscitated? By now we were losing light rapidly and Geoff decided to cut out the last section of the “interesting” route. This meant that we had another 49kms to go to Coffee Bay still. You guessed it – we did most of it in the dark! But The helmet stays on...: GR Plan no. 14F goes into action At Ocean View, we were welcomed with and ice cold orange juice. Our hostess and manager decided to take photos as we looked completely alien. We immediately showered and were ready for FOOOD – we’d barely had time to eat along the way. After supper, my head almost immediately wanted to hit the table in the pub – I was so tired. I had a deep, almost dreamless sleep, as did many others. What would tomorrow bring? We already had a few walking wounded casualties: Glen had several knocks and bruises, including some possibly cracked ribs; Terrance was hobbling around on 1 leg; Hilton had a groin injury. Some were simply exhausted ===7 Aug, Thurs – Ocean View – rest or ride (very long out ride) – 120+kms=== We had a leisurely breakfast as departure time for the intended ride was only 09.15. I think there were 9 bikes – let me think: Geoff, Russell & Gis, Tino, Phillipe, Andyman, Jaco, Chris D and Chris B and myself. Gerry and Jacques were making photographic documentary of us in the backup bakkie (beer truck) along with Abie. We re-did some of the previous day’s sections. Action replay: Loose downhill I managed some (after a night of rest) I had not managed the previous day. I fell (most of us did) in some other places. Jaco did 2 amazing cartwheels with his bike down one grassy section after a side-stand incident, and managed to break his gear and clutch levers. This was followed by a tricky river crossing and a few hectic obstacles. Finally we got to the river crossing of all river crossings. Now the bikes made it across easily enough, having had an easier approach to the river. The exit was tricky, but not unmanageable. But the BAKKIE and TRAILER took some maneuvering and 4x4 skill. With Geoff directing, Jacques driving and Abie helping make steps and extra clearances, they got the bakkie down and across the river (see photos – these belie the steepness of the hill). More like creeping down a rockface Creeping out We stopped for a nibble and drink, and meandered on through the forest, which got really narrow and rutted at times. The bakkie team had to saw down a branch or two just to work their way through. Rough going Another tricky river crossing We had a look at a few more view points, traveling along goat tracks and sailing down deep dongas to see them and FINALLY at sunset ended up at the Hole in the Wall – a moment to remember. Tino and Phillipe Jaco at the Hole in the Wall We then headed for a little pub nearby, where I was assured that I’d CONQUERED the difficult day – had it been difficult? I couldn’t remember anymore, I was too tired. A celebratory Jägermeister was followed by 3 glasses of wine - an attempt to help me celebrate by my co-riders. Then I got back on my bike and followed someone back to Ocean View Hotel. Only, after a while I found there was no-one in front of me and it was getting very dark... After 25kms of tar road, I decided to turn around. Boy, the bike was really cornering very well. An hour later, I arrived at the hotel, with a very worried Andy waiting for me. I tried to explain, but couldn’t. So Geoff treated me to a HUGE glass of wine to help me celebrate my return. After which, the supper was delicious and the conversation very pleasant. ===8 Aug, Fri – Ocean View via via – Anchorage Backpackers – short ride, full of view points and not too technical – 90+kms=== After another healthy breakfast (and by golly, we were all starting to look VERY healthy), we loaded the bakkie for departure at 10.00 – later than usual as the day was quite short. We bade Terrance good bye as he had decided to return home because of his gamy leg. Geoff briefed us again and we left, turning off onto the dirt a few kms away from Coffee bay. Then we followed him in a relaxed fashion to Anchorage, stopping at many viewpoints along the way. Viewpoint There were the usual falls and side stand incidents as some of the approaches and exits to viewpoints got a little bit more interesting. (need names of rivers, river mouths and harbour mouths here). Trailer developed an axle problem Stunning viewpoint Dirk remains chilled while Geoff plots his next course Hilton and Heather: making it all look so easy The Fantastic Mr Glen: Never failed to produce a smile Glen Jaco: The quiet man Andyman: What, not busy? We arrived at Anchorage backpackers at lunchtime. They were without power as an electric cable had snapped outside along the road somewhere. The opening of the Olympic Games 2008 and no TV!! Andy somehow McGuivered their generator to work again and suddenly we had power – and lunch and Olympic Games! We were shown where the MTN and Vodacom trees were. I had a short sleep and awoke to find Andy polishing his exhausts (my goodness, doesn’t he ever stop?) Geoff treated us to a strafdop, which turned out to be a Transkei Longdrop, as this was officially the last night for some. We’d all been expecting to hear something about ourselves – something stupid we’d done etc, but instead we all got a very nice tribute. Russell straffed Geoff with a Stroh Rum – euch! Then people started talking about the highlights of the trip. Gerry had us in stitches, when he called Geoff’s pre-trip briefings – laxatives. We had a hilarious supper, exchanging crayfish tails and chicken, washing it down with healthy amounts of wine. ===9 Aug, Sat – Anchorage to Port St Johns – 250kms+ - hit the tar – pump up tyres=== We were all ready by 8.00 somehow – I think because we knew it would be the last day on the dirt. We all tried Gerry’s trick of putting on our helmets and singing “lalala” inside them for the pre-trip briefing but somehow this fell a little flat... Geoff showed us some MORE stunning spots and view points, but the roads were mostly flat and the ride uneventful in terms of incidents. However, Jacques managed to come off his bike in a corner at a speed, equalising Andy’s incident (Jacques had teased Andy mercilessly). Andy got a puncture. I think, by now, we were all weary – not sure about Geoff, as he always looks ready for another 25 hours a day, 7 days a week.... We reached Port St Johns and some of the smaller bikes refuelled for another 50kms – we were (some of the group stayed behind) taken to a viewing spot at the end of the world – being the official end of the tour. It was quite a sad moment, realising it. Official End Point Port St Johns Dirk and Phillipe: We all had mixed feelings at this point Jaco remained on his bike Andy found something else to inspect on his bike and immediately proceeded to fix whatever... We all re-inflated at the only pump in town, and re-fuelled. Port St Johns fuel stop On a tired arrival at the backpackers, we found that the couples had not been booked into another guest house, as had been promised. The others had their rooms allocated, while the 3 couples went off for a spot of tea and a bit of a late lunch. Geoff eventually found us and gave us the happy news that we had accommodation. He sent us off in that direction. Supper was to be at 7pm. We showered and washed our bikes down, just generally fiddling about till it was dark. Hilton patches my screen Then all headed for the supper. We spent a very pleasant and tired evening at the Outspan restaurant and retired to bed. ===10 Aug, Sun – Port St Johns – Plettenberg Bay – 800+kms – no time to waste=== Abie arrived bright and early at 7am and tried to wake the couples by stealing Andy’s cock crow and Jacques following on with his customary dog bark – unfortunately we were already having breakfast. Russell and Gis had already left for East London at 6am. We loaded the bakkie again, and Andy tried to sort out his puncture, while Hilton taped my windscreen together. Fantastically, they patched it onto my bike with a few more McGuiver tricks. Then we headed to join the others. Andy put sludge in his tyre in an effort to fix the puncture. The pre-trip briefing informed us that 800kms of tar loomed, and that we had to MOVE it. All eyes on my 650. The other 2 650s were loaded on the trailer already. Dirk was staying on in Port St Johns, while Phillipe was traveling with Abie as far as East London airport. We whipped (I could only manage 100 – 120kms/hour) through the winding passes, where I got left behind horribly. Andy’s puncture finally said – tot hier toe en nie verder, and he had to wait for the backup bakkie. Geoff returned to help. The rest of us carried on – I drove with Jaco at a relaxed 120km/hour and then we rejoined the 1st group on the other side of the Kei Cutting pass. Geoff, Andy, Abie and Phillipe arrived shortly after that. We refuelled – at those speeds some most of us were burning a lot more fuel. I was battling to keep up at the rear end. Miraculously at the fuel stop in PE, Russell & Gis and Chris D, sailed in at the same time. I then decided I’d had enough of being at the rear end and forced my way in behind Geoff, after which I had no problem keeping up. Back to civilisation We arrived at Keurbooms in Plettenberg bay with no further incidents in the dark. We were all tired and FREEZING! Abie was quite away away, having 1st dropped Phillipe off at East London or PE airport. Our rooms were allocated, but we were a bit stuck and dirty without our clothes. So we all headed straight for the supper table and the fire, the usual Jägermeister and relaxed after a long day. In the meantime, Geoff had organised 4 strafdoppe for each of us – apparently 1 for each missing person. 3 apple sours and 1 Jägermeister – and soon we were well on our way to having a brilliant evening of hilarity. Hilton and Heather, who had intended to push on to Knysna, wisely elected to book in at Keurbooms, and, like us, we were treated to white linen and 5 star accommodation and company. What a brilliant way to spend our last night. ===11 Aug, Mon – Plettenberg Bay – Home – 650+kms=== Departure was the usual 8.45, and we were warned by Geoff to be careful, as we were tired and this was our last day. We delivered Hilton and Heather to their bottle store in Knysna and said some sad goodbyes. Back on the road again the icy 3 degrees kept us awake. Towards Mossel Bay, Russell & Gis developed a puncture and raced on ahead to try and sort it out. Just outside Albertinia, Geoff stopped and made a call. We all turned around to wait for Russell and Gis in Albertinia. 10kms outside Mossel Bay, their plug blew again and Abie, Andy and Geoff sped off with the trailer to go and assist. By Albertinia the problem seemed to have sorted itself out. My chain was extremely stretched and Andy tightened it one more time. Just outside Riversdale, the chain started eating sprocket teeth, and Russell and Gis’ plug blew one last time. My bike was loaded onto the trailer and I took Dirk’s X Country. The tyre was replaced and we were on our way again. Fortunately there were no further incidents, other than my back foot peg deciding to vibrate off and almost kill Andy (luckily his helmet was closed). We passed a bad accident at the bottom of Sir Lowry’s Pass. Andy & I turned off with Abie to Gordon’s Bay and bade everyone else a tired farewell. WHAT a fantastic trip, and one that has had all of us reliving it this whole week. It’s been seriously difficult to settle in behind our desks again without drifting off into Wild Coast daydreams. If I’d had a choice, I would have happily fixed my bike and repacked my bags the next day – ready to leave on another ADVENTURE! A huge thanks to Geoff for your fantastic organisation and patience and leadership. It was a real privilege to have travelled with you and an even more fantastic privilege to have met and traveled with so many special people!