johangt
Biker
Impossible is just a word used by people who need excuses
Posts: 54
|
Post by johangt on Dec 23, 2007 15:43:30 GMT 2
We are on our way! Here the bike is packed. By the way, the white plastic bag on the top box is empty - or it was empty when the trip started. It is big enough to take our Boulder jackets, City Trousers and boots! This is when we stop half-way and just to get out of all our riding gear and relax our feet. Here we are ready for the ride! Our son-in-law came to say goodbye (or made sure we leave) and took this foto: Our first stop was at the Engen garage on the N3 10km from our home for breakfast. The second one was at Villiers PetroPort. The road was great as it was freeway with not too much traffic. At the PetroPort we met with Carol from Midrand who was busy dishing out a Christian magazine. She has done a lot of missionary work throughout the world and it was wonderful and refreshing chatting with her. The rode from Villiers to Frankfort was great but with some potholes. As a matter of fact, apart from the N# no other road was without potholes somewhere after the rains. But the fields were green and the mielies was growing strong. From Fankfort we left for Bethlehem. Here we had some fun! As we rode into Bethlehem, we saw a sign showing Ocean Basket in Kerk Street. The only problem is that when you turn off the N5, the road is actually called Eeufees Road! By the way, if you like strong coffee, you will not find that at this Ocean Basket. Anyway, we stopped to have lunch. The platter for 1 which Ina and I always share was great. We could even see the bike from our table - notice the motorcycle cover we also managed to fit in: We then left for Clarens. What a beautiful town! As we rode into town, the GPS wanted us to turn left onto a gravel road. I could not believe it and rode on. Then it wanted me to turn left into a second, even worse gravel toad and I ignored that as well. Eventually it wanted me to turn RIGHT. Following the road, we arrived at Eddie's Self Catering without having to use any gravel roads. I am sure the person who programs these GPS's must have a GS. The next morning we travelled to Golden Gate R712. This is a trip well worth while! Beautiful mountains and then 8km of nice winding road - no potholes. But there are really buck so we could not travel too fast. At the R74 we turned right on a beautiful, sometimes winding road right next to the Sterkfontein Dam. Then we arrived at Little Switzerland for breakfast: What a stunning place with great coffee! Here we heard the great news: The N3 to Durban was blocked due to an accident! When we reached the N3 it was blocked as far as the eye could see! We were now forced to stay on the side roads and was this great! Apart from the constant look-out for potholes, the road was winding through green hills. I must say I have never seen such a run-down place as Colenso! Anyway, we stayed on the R74. What a contrast we found in Weenen. We travelled through to Pietermaritzburg and then down the N3 to Cato Ridge where we filled up nad took the road to the Valley of 1000 hills. Now it was getting really hot! We arrived in Durban and booked into the Holiday Inn South Beach.
|
|
johangt
Biker
Impossible is just a word used by people who need excuses
Posts: 54
|
Post by johangt on Dec 25, 2007 19:05:06 GMT 2
DAY IN DURBAN On 23 December 2007 we have been married for 34 glorious years. This is the view from the breakfast table: We showered and washed our clothes. It was hot and sticky in Durban. Then we walked to Ushaka for a bite to eat. One nice thing about the South Beach Garden Court is that there is a SPAR quite close for some bottled water etc. We spent the day in Durban. First we saw this incredible show at Ushaka: Then we went to the SPUR where we got the telephone number to book our Christmas dinner at King Williamstown knowing that restaurants could be fully booked. But more about this story later. Like our plan, we had dinner next to the shark tank. I set up the camera and Ina and I said cheers for the practice run photo. We never saw the shark creeping up on us and when the photo went off, we got this great shot!: After the dinner we were given tickets to the aquarium. It was quite late by now so the pictures were a little more tricky than normal What a night!
|
|
johangt
Biker
Impossible is just a word used by people who need excuses
Posts: 54
|
Post by johangt on Dec 25, 2007 19:26:21 GMT 2
DURBAN TO MATATIELE TO KOKSTAD We left Durban after purchasing a bayttery charger for our video camera that the brilliant yours-truly forgot in Johannesburg. Here we are packing the bike: Due to the incredible humidity we travelled via the N3 to Pietrmaritzburg, Then left the N3 via the R623 to Richmond. There we joined the R56 for Kokstad. Nowadays you miss Richmond so we did not see to much of it. Next was Ixopo. Not much changed here and we traveled on to Umzimkulu. A constant look-out for potholes made that I could not pay too much attention to the surroundings. We had to be in Matatiele at 2pm for lunch with my aunt Bets. This meant that we travelled at more than 150 plus. This made Ina hide behind me from the wind with the result that she ended up with a sore shoulder that night and we decided to stick to 140 max. In reality we stayed around 120 in order to make enough time available for goats, sheep and potholes. At Umzimkulu we stopped for a wee break and some water. The road at Weza is really fantastic! Nice turns, beautiful road and green scenery! We stopped at Kokstad to unpack our stuff and left for lunch in Matatiele immediately. This is one of the most beautiful places we have stayed during our trip - Manora Guest House If you want to do yourself a favour, try the currie mince vetkoeke at the Engen garage in Matatiele at R7.50!
|
|
johangt
Biker
Impossible is just a word used by people who need excuses
Posts: 54
|
Post by johangt on Dec 25, 2007 19:40:07 GMT 2
KOKSTAD TO KING WILLIAMSTOWN This was the biggest disappointment of our trip - Christmas lunch directly from the local Cafe (Russian and Chips) - thanks to SPUR!Because we wanted to make sure that we have a place to eat in King Williamstown on Christmas day, we booked in advance. First we asked the SPUR in King Williamstown at what time they closed. They said 5pm. In order to play it safe, we booked for 3pm. As we left Umtata, they phoned to make sure that we were still coming. We confirmed. Due to the rain we only made it to the Spur at 3.21pm where we were notified that the Spur closed at 3pm! Surprise - we could find no other restaurants in King Williamstown open at that time! If this is how they treat their customers, can you imagine how they treat their food and their own staff? If you ever have to travel through King Williamstown, be warned! Just before you leave the N3 to King Williamstown, there is a Kei River Shell Ultra City. Seriously consider using that facility before you reach King Williamstown! BUT MORE ABOUT THE ROUTE: It is amazing! Some towns like Umzimkulu and Ixopo are typical African towns. Strangely enough Umthatha seemed a little more civilized! Then you get places like Clarens - what a contrast! As we left Kokstad, we remembered the warning about no places to stop, so we decided to fill up and have breakfast at the Engen garage right outside Kokstad. [glow=red,2,300]Please take note of the white bag on the top box. You will not see this bag again - but more of that later[/glow] . Then, as we neared Mount Frere, the rain started. We decided to play it safe and donned our rain clothes. The rain fell on and off the whole way to Umthatha. The road was not bad at all, the locals were friendly and waved as we sped by. We realized that goats and sheep were not the only risks, but dogs as well. We saw a couple of them lying dead next to the road. As we left the N2 and turned on to the R63, the road became narrow and bumpy. I put the suspension on COMFORT to ease the ride a little. Coming down the N2 to the Kei River, I had the ESA on SPORT as I took some liberties around the corners before Ina tapped me on my left shoulder. (Before we had the intercom system a tap on the left shoulder meant "slower" and a tap on the right shoulder meant "faster"). Now the clouds were moving in even darker and we knew that the next day could mean some really wet business! We were welcomed at Amatola Guest House. They even took a mirror off the wall to bring to our room when Ina asked for one to dry her hair. They also brought us a hair dryer. What a contrast to the service we have (not) received at the SPUR! Amatola Guest House does most of its business with the government. During holidays they are quiet and would like more tourists to visit their establishment. This guest house has already expanded to another, bigger place so there should always be room!
|
|
johanrt
Biker
Me & my best find .....to date.
Posts: 56
|
Post by johanrt on Dec 27, 2007 10:55:05 GMT 2
Man I'm so jealous if only I could somehow get the wife to ride with me, perhaps its time for a new wife? ;D
Thanks soooo much for sharing, now we can enjoy the trip with you. I can hardly wait for your next posting.
|
|
|
Post by Jamie on Jan 3, 2008 19:39:46 GMT 2
Great trip.....thanks for posting. Very enjoyable to read.......invite us as well next time
|
|
johangt
Biker
Impossible is just a word used by people who need excuses
Posts: 54
|
Post by johangt on Jan 5, 2008 19:23:01 GMT 2
When we woke up the next morning, the weather predicted an 80% chance of raining. RIGHT - outside the rain had already started falling. We donned our rain gear and set off on the N2 towards Grahamstown. The rain came AS WELL AS THE WIND! When we had our trip with the club to Natal Spa, we came back in the wind. The wind was not that stroing, but with rain falling so heavy that you could hardly see anything it was a bad mixture. The road was not too bad and the back of the bike was plastered withn reflective tape so I was not too worried. It was amazing that the Arai never misted up. Just before we left we purchased love handles which now earned their keep. When Ina holds on to the handles on the GT, her arms are too wide and it catches the wind. With the love handles she can tuck in behind me and stay out of the wind. This was our longest stretch. When we stopped in Grahamstown to don some warmer clothes, we found that the white bag just blew off the bike without us noticing it. Moral of the story - Never stick anything to the bike that was not designed for it by BMW. I should have taken the waterproof bag from Anita. Fortunately we only lost the plastic bag, the bag with wheels, our shoes and a camera stand. Then we had breakfast in Port Elizabeth with Ludwich (our eldest son and his wife Desiree). What a glorious day and what a glorious time with them! After about two hours we left for Mossel Bay. At first we wanted to take the R62 but time was running out and we had to get to Avenues in Mossel Bay. We had some strong side winds which really uses up energy, so we decided to have a break at the Storms River garage. The place was PACKED!! We settled for some Steers chips and water before continuing. We passed Knysna waterfront and got to the hilly part. It was tempting to open the throttle but the wind was rough and Ina threatened to kick me off the bike if I tried any funny tricks with her. We passed Dolphin Point and as we neared George, just before the Engen garage on the left, we stopped for some potato and leak soup. It was great! Then we arived at Avenues in Mossel Bay! It is a great guest house that we will recommend to anybody. Just do not use the milk in the fridge without asking, there is some special milk in there. We never asked what this special milk was as we already used some of it in our coffee. That last piece of Road between George and Mossel Bay is really great! Double highway with the sea on the one hand and the mountains on the other! We ended the day with fresh fish and chips from the fish shop close to the point in Bland street:
|
|
johangt
Biker
Impossible is just a word used by people who need excuses
Posts: 54
|
Post by johangt on Jan 5, 2008 19:31:31 GMT 2
The next day Chris (my son-in-law) on his Suzuki 100 GSX and I left for the Pass! We started relatively slow and then increased our speed. (I left the panniers at Avenues). Ina and our eldest daughter Elmarie went shopping. The adrenaline really PUMPED. The GT scraped its footpegs and I realized that this GT is a really serious piece of machine! With the ESA set on SPORT and my adrinaline level at maximum we were rolling! This was when I realized how valuable the training course at BMW in Swartkops was! I really recommend that if you have not done a training course before, that you should consider this one. First we drove from Mossel Bay to Groot Brak along the N2. There we filled up the GT and we left via R102 to George. Just outside Grootbrak there is a nice winding hill up to the airport where you can loosten up the bike and get used to some speed. At the airport we turned off on the R404 to Blanco and then the Outeniqua Pass. The first clinb is done "at leisure" to make sure there are no grease or oil spills and to check out the traffic. Then down the pass and back up at ever increasing speeds as the confidence levels grow. The GT is an interesting bike. Below 80km/hr the bike can be thrown around with ease. As you pass 100km/hr, the bike becomes more rigid. This assists greatly if you get cross winds as you are not thrown around by it, but in the pass it takes getting used to to get the bike in and out of corners. As you ride out of the corner, you open the throttle. The rush of power and speed is intoxicating!
|
|
johangt
Biker
Impossible is just a word used by people who need excuses
Posts: 54
|
Post by johangt on Jan 5, 2008 22:29:32 GMT 2
I am putting Ina on the line as we often heard comments at filling stations and restaurants that men wished their wives would join them on tours like these and was she not scared?
Here she is:
A year ago when we bought the bike I was not very positive and only went on short trips for coffee or to the shop.
I didn't want the expensive motorbike clothes and felt I would prefer to use the money on other things. I now realize that it is important to have the correct clothes - you feel safer with protective clothing. I am also VERY happy with my rain suit. I will even wear it when there is no rain - when I am cold.
Johan went out of his way to make things comfortable for me. When I am on the bike he behaves like a gentleman - totally a different person than the one that enjoys the corners in the pass when he is on his own. The bike is comfortable with no strain on my back or neck.
He will stop at different stalls, shops and any interesting place next to the road. We can talk while we drive. We have heated seats, nice helmits, gloves etc.
He had motorbikes since high school, but when we bought this one he went on a training course at Swartkops. This course made a huge difference. I feel safe at the back and do not feel the need to be in prayer all the time. I know that he will be able to handle any situation that may arise - rain, wind, oil on the road, storms. I am totally relaxed and therefore can enjoy the trip.
The way we planned the trip was to do only short distances per day. It never felt like a huge burden to get to the next stop.
So Men, if you want your wives with you on your bike:
1. Buy a bike that is comfortable for the person at the back. It is also not fun clinging for life and death onto the only thing available - a toooo huge waist line. A pair of love handles and a top box works great.
2. Do a training course - even if you think you are an expert. A bike only has two wheels and it is easy for the pillion to sense when the driver is uncertain, wavering or scared. Before Johan did the training course I felt unsafe and was scared of all the cars so close by.
3. Do shorter distances per day
4. Please book into a nice B&B or guesthouse.
5. The pillion's fun is not in the riding, but in the chatting, visiting new places and being able to get a lot of rest in between the riding. We want to have a holiday, not a medal.
6. Speed for the pillion IS NOT fun! If you want to speed, leave us to do shopping. If you want us on the bikes, please slow down so that we are not blown off the bike by the wind.
7. Geniet mekaar!
|
|
johangt
Biker
Impossible is just a word used by people who need excuses
Posts: 54
|
Post by johangt on Jan 5, 2008 23:03:14 GMT 2
We spent three glorious days in Mossel Bay! On our last day we heard from one of our tenants that he would be moving out of our flat. We are now going to set up this flat for us! We then have a place for holidays. Mossel Bay is a great place to have a relaxing holiday: One house was made up for Christmas and the owners even invite people to walk through their home: This is also the place where you can explore the Outeniqua Pass as well as the R328, Knysna etc.
|
|
johangt
Biker
Impossible is just a word used by people who need excuses
Posts: 54
|
Post by johangt on Jan 5, 2008 23:05:24 GMT 2
Ina picked up our car and trailer in Mossel Bay and took it to Stellenbosch. Chris and I left Mossel Bay for Route 62 and Ronnie's Sex shop. What a trip! We ended up with 39 degrees Celcius in Worcester! We travelled via Mossel Bay to Riversdale where we left the N2 for the R323. Garcia Pass had some problems after all the rains - but only in one place as far as we could see: I see some members of our club have already been to Ron's Sex shop! Well, now I can say that I have also been there! We even had a little tunnel! Barrydale is a real bikers place! Everywhere you look there are bikers having lunch or just something to drink. We filled our bikes and set off for Worcester. We turned off on to the R62 for Montagu Ashton and Robertson. There we turned off on to the R60. It was a pleasure to open up the throats of our bikes and get the tyres nice and round again after getting a pretty flat surface during the tour. After some Steers chips at the Shell Ultra City and a float Chris and I left for Du Toit's kloof. I decided that I just had to get Ina to see this part of the world.
|
|
johangt
Biker
Impossible is just a word used by people who need excuses
Posts: 54
|
Post by johangt on Jan 5, 2008 23:07:52 GMT 2
After a day of rest in Stellenbosch we decided to leave for Hermanus and do the coastal route. The first target was to show Ina Du Toit Kloof pass. This is now the R101 bypass of the Hugenote tunnel. The view from Du Toit's Kloof on to the entrance of the Hugenote Tunnel is amazing: We were surprised to see workers from the municipality cleaning along the whole Du Toit's kloof. This is excellent and that is why the place always looks so tidy! What a contrast to the previous Transkei!! We had breakfast in Worcester when we heard that it was raining along the coast. We decided to change our plans and left for Saldanha as none of us has ever seen this part of the world before. We turned off from the N1 to the R43 just after the Ultra City, then the R46 to Wolsely. We then turned on to the R44 to Porterville. Here we stopped at the local SPAR for some cold water and Yogi Sip and filled up the GT. We were pleasantly surprised with Velddrif! What a clean, lovely town! Everywhere we saw notice boards of property for sale. The Groot Bergrivier looks and smells like the sea, Fishermen were all over the place. Eventually we were in Saldanha! The wind welcomed us as we slowly drove into town looking for a place to eat. Names of restaurantrs could be found everywhere, but they ended before we could actually find the restaurants. It was getting late so Ina and I decided to take the road running along the sea to langebaan. This road is tarred and in good shape. Once again we saw all the notice boards of restaurants but the places (except the casino) was nowhere to be found. We ended up at the hotel. What a great place to have a bar lunch! We were just in time. We drove in the wind from Saldanha to Cape Town. Here we stopped just outside Blouberg:
|
|
johangt
Biker
Impossible is just a word used by people who need excuses
Posts: 54
|
Post by johangt on Jan 5, 2008 23:10:48 GMT 2
Elmarie booked us into the Protea Hotel at Technopark. If you have never been in this hotel, I recommend that you take the time to visit it. It has two parts and you can stay in either of the two. The first one is a one bedroom unit with a bathroom - huge! The second one is the same as the first, but it also has a lounge and a kitchen. The best thing about this hotel is that you can rent both of these and have a two-bedroomed self-catering unti! We have a 6,5m rubber duck in Stellenbosch and decided to take the boat out to sea at Gordon's Bay. Chris had taken the boat in for a service and to get it sea-worthy. Here we are getting everybody into the boat: Then we visited Stellenbosch and the river running through it: Of course, you have not been in Cape Town unless you have visited this place: Unfortunately I could not remember when the other people from our club would be there as I forgot to put it on my phone and we missed it. Sorry!
|
|
johangt
Biker
Impossible is just a word used by people who need excuses
Posts: 54
|
Post by johangt on Jan 5, 2008 23:14:14 GMT 2
We decided to put the GT on the trailer and head for home. What a holiday! Marisa (our youngest daughter) booked us into the Protea hotel in Bloemfontein. Although this hotel is in a very "scary" part of Bloemfontein, it was fully booked and a beautiful hotel! After we booked in, we went for some coffee at the Bloemfontein Waterfront: We will most definately do a similar trip and hopefully some of the club members can join us on one of these trips. We are hooked on this type of holiday and hopefully we can intice others to do the same. This foto was taken in the Manora Guest House in Kokstad. What a beautiful place! We tried to take a picture of the double shower but somehow the real thing could not be reproduced on camera. To everybody who assisted us in planning this holiday and encouraged us when we were somewhat scared to try this, thank you very much. Lastly I would like to thank our Lord for keeping us safe throughout this journey. Never once did we have a close shave or something bad happen to us. Even the Christmas lunch of Russian and chips for me and a chicken for Ina turned out to be perfect! Not many people know that in 2001 I was diagnosed with Myeloid Fibrosis and CML. This combination of Leukemia gave me 3 months to live. But the Lord intervened and healed me of Myeloid Fibrosis. Then I was sent to Constantiaberg Medi Clinic where Prof. Peter Jacobs and Sister Wood put me on Gleevec. My weight increased from 60kg to what it is now. Now He has given me the grace to travel the country on our motorcycle! What a mighty God we serve! Love Johan and Ina.
|
|
|
Post by Dave S on Jan 7, 2008 21:37:17 GMT 2
Very nice report! We gave RSS a miss this time round - if you look above the BMW Club colours you can still see my business card stick out from our visit 2 years ago - can only make out my surname! ;D
|
|