Monthly Archives: June 2015

Namibia

Vanrhynsdorp to Springbok

Lying in a tent in Springbok after a long but satisfying day. We left Vanrhynsdorp and took the road towards Nieuwoudtville in search of the waterfall and the quiver tree forest. The road is beautiful and stretches as far as the eye can see. In Afrikaans Hannes said ” so wyd soos die Here se genade”. I’m sure in the next days that thought will repeat itself.

Up and over the pass and there’s a different world but the same. Wide open expanses with “koppies” dotted along the way. We found the big and small waterfalls 7km from Nieuwoudtville. 

  After “losing” the two brothers between the small and big waterfalls as they were doing Boulder hopping and taking photos we headed another 15 min towards the quiver forest. I did not know what to expect but after turning off onto a gravel road for 3km we found this forest of quiver trees. Something I’ve never seen in my life. It is one of my favourite trees and to see them stretch as far as the eye can see is amazing. And a bonus is they are in bloom – nature’s gift. 
  I do not regret the round trip, but it was a four hour round trip and we had to make up time as we still had 475km to get to Vioolsdrift. After a late lunch stop at a ” pad kafee” we hit the road North again. It was already 15:00 and my GPS said we would get to the border at 18:30. We realised yesterday that as soon as the sun starts setting, so does the temperatures. One thing I don’t like is being cold.

Stoof had to be refuelled at Bitterfontein where I saw a message from their dad to say they were not going to make the border and we had to meet them at Springbok. Another 150km from Bitterfontein and probably a good idea as the border was another 110km from there and it would have meant riding in the dark.

Somewhere along the road we found a perfect spot to stop and make coffee. What amazes me is the silence. We so easily forget how much noise pollution we live with every day. 

   

Eventually we got to Springbok after dark where we met up with the rest of the group that will travel with us. They had already setup camp and all that was left for us was to setup our tents and grab a well deserved drink. After a great braai and a bit of banter round the camp fire we’ve all turned in. Tomorrow it’s up early to get to the border post and then into Namibia.

Bis Bald.

Namibia

van Rhynsdorp

Our first night on the road. Relatively uneventful day except Stoof ran out of gas 11km before Trawal. Luckily we have a 5L Jerry can so I did a run for gas whilst the brothers were getting coffee ready next to the road. 

   Today we are going to visit the Quiver tree forest in Nieuwoudtville. Mike who owns Namaqualand Country Lodge is a wealth of knowledge on local flora. Friendly service and to see his passion and excitement about the area is contagious. Even the room names have local flora names. 

 

Breakfast and then we’re hitting the road. 

Bis Bald!

Namibia

Namibia t -4 Days

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We’re leaving on Saturday 27 June for a two week trip through parts of Namibia. One Suziki V-Strom DL650 and one BMWF800GSA, two 4×4’s with one caravan. It’s been in the planning for a couple of months and the route was devised by Christoff’s dad as well as most of the other arrangements. We’re packing our bikes and leaving on Saturday to meet the rest at the Vioolsdrift border crossing on Sunday. After some discussion we decided to break the trip to the border into a leisurely two day back road trip. I didn’t feel like racing 680km up the N7 in one day. On Sunday we packed everything we think that need to go with on the living room floor and debated most items. Then packed everything to see if all will fit onto two bikes. What I have to mention is that Christoff’s brother is flying to Cape Town tomorrow to ride pillion up to the border with us. For the trip to the border we will use my bike as the mule. I probably packed too much clothes and will repack at least twice more before the final load. It reminds me of packing for the Camino; it took two sessions of repacking and then I still realised after two days I packed too much and had to send stuff back. At least this time I can leave things in the caravan during the day. I keep on making a list and checking things off and then adding again. Music for my iPhone, bike papers, cross border letters, medical insurance etc.; check, done, add. It’s my first extended trip on a motorbike which comes with a lot of anticipation and expectations but peppered with trepidation.  But I have grattitude that I am able to do this and visiting a neighbouring country that I’ve never been to.  Now we’re looking forward to the last couple of hectic days at work and doing the last planning.

Western Cape

Around a mountain

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We have a motorbike group at work and on Saturday 07 June 2015 it was the second run of the group and our first attendance. We left home just before 08:00 to meet the rest of the group at the Winelands Engen on the N1 outgoing. It was a beautiful, cloudless, brisk autumn morning which can be so typical of Cape Town this time of the year. Little did we suspect how the temperatures would drop in the shadow of the mountains.

We were nine riders with seven bikes; Stoof was still in for a services, so Christoff and I swopped being pillion the whole day. The planned route was over Du Toitskloof Pass, through the Slanghoek valley with breakfast at the The Winterberg Mountain Inn. We started with coffee and left just after 08:30. The Winelands Engen is a popular meeting place for bike breakfast runs doing routes all over the area. It was already quite busy when we got there and even busier by the time we left. Everyone was eager to “Carpe Diem” and after a few words from Riel the leader of the group about group riding and safety, we got on our way.

We left the N1 and took the R304 and then the R312 the R44 and back onto the N1. We took the alternative route over the Du Toitskloof Pass and as we decended on the other side of the pas, the temperatures dropped to about 4˚C. I was riding pillion at the point and was trying to keep my hands warm by hiding them away from the wind behind Christoff’s back. How I missed my heated handle grips at that point. The sun was just starting to creep into the valleys and the surrounding mountains had a pink glow to them. What a great start to the day. As we rode through the Slanghoek valley, the temperatures did not increase, but the beauty of the area did.

Bikes at the Winterberg Mountain Inn
Bikes at the Winterberg Mountain Inn

When we arrived at The Winterberg Mountain Inn, Karien was waiting with her welcoming smile and a warm fire in the dining room. Everyone gathered round the fireplace with coffee mugs warming our hands. We spent some time getting to know each other and trading stories whilst waiting for our breakfasts. After a hearty breakfast and great hospitality, it was time to hit the road again. This time we would head back towards Cape Town over Bain’s kloof pass. We’ve done this pass a couple of times during different times of the year from both directions and it still is one of my favourite passes close to Cape Town.

Admiring the view
Admiring the view

We stopped at the summit to admire the view and this was where we said our goodbyes to the rest of the group as Christoff, Wikus and I decided to go on to Franschhoek and over the Franschhoek pass. We rode through Wellington, cut past the outskirts of Paarl on the R301 towards Franschhoek. We stopped in Franschhoek in order for Wikus to fill up the Ducati and as things happen in life, there was a whole group of Ducati riders at the petrol station and immediately Wikus got all the attention and an invite to join their Ducati riding club.

I knew having a Ducati rider and a friend who likes to enjoy the curves of the Franschhoek pass, the next half an hour would be an interesting ride. I was not wrong at all. The Ducati Hyper motard was built for this and Wikus was in the mood to have fun. Christoff was not to be left behind and took the Beamer through it’s pases. Although not exactly built for the same riding style as the Ducati, it definitely held its own on the road. I think here and there Christoff probably felt a poke in his ribs, but he smiled and had fun. All I could do was sat back and enjoy the ride.

We stopped on the bridge of the Theewaterskloof dam on the way to Grabouw to admire the view and give our butts a break. The dam level is quite low for this time of the year and one can only hope that we will have a wet winter to cope with the water demands of the summer months. It was here that Wikus offered that Christoff take the Ducati for a spin to Grabouw. Christoff must have thought is was Christmas in June as he was eyeing the Ducati for a while. The next 20 odd kilometres we saw him have fun on the road with that bike.

Christoff after his Ducati ride
Christoff after his Ducati ride

When we stopped at the Orchard’s for a well deserved drink we were not able to wipe the smile off his face for the first couple of minutes. The next stop was Cape Town and the boring Sunday afternoon ride on the N2. This route is generally busy and passing the town ships you have to keep an eye out for pedestrians crossing the busy highway.

Again we are grateful for being able to do this and having these great roads in the Western Cape.