Post by Dave S on Jan 21, 2008 20:44:25 GMT 2
Had some RCI points that I needed to use or lose so booked 4 days at the Midlands Saddle & Trout.
Left on Friday morning.
We were intially going to ride down then had a change in plan. Take the car and put the Dakar and Skygo on the trailer and look for some dirt roads over the weekend.
;D
First a stop at Villiers for a leg stretch - no rush as we can only check in at MST at 3pm.
Arriving at our accommodation
The Skygo looked like a Harley - bugs on the mirrors and inside of the hand guards
Had a nice view from the room overlooking some farmland.
Cows in the distance
Saturday morning woke up to mist
The plan for Saturday was to go to Nottingham Road by car so that we could load whatever we bought into the car. A bike ride planned for the afternoon and Sunday.
Found this bridge in Mooi River
There has been a lot of rain in the area and the rivers are full and fast flowing
Stopped at Swissland Cheese to buy some cheese. Here a picture of the building - they at the same altitude as JHB and often get snow.
..and a picture of the cheese factory
Saw lots of goats, cows and then spotted horse
Then on the way back to MST the heavens opened up - got 100mm rain during the late afternoon.
We thought that we would not get to ride the bikes that afternoon but when we got back to MST they had not had any rain - so kitted up and went riding on some farm roads
On the way back to MST we came across this old Anglican Church - does not appear to be used any more and can be hired for weddings etc.
There was a small cemetry at the back - looks like a couple of the families in the area were buried here - probably about 50 graves.
That night it rained at MST - and the resort had arranged a braai and bonfire - so we braaied in the rain.
Sunday morning saw us on the bikes back through Mooi River to Nottingham Road.
Found a nice dirt road to play on
..with an old wooden wagon
From there we went to Fort Nottingham - was only used as a base to try to stop stock theft - built around 1856.
No plaster was used when building the fort
After lunch at The Bierfassl in Nottingham road we found a dirt road crossing the highway and looping round through Currys Post back to Mooi River
Weather looked like it might catch us later
Just before entering Mooi River we found our third disused old church (was also one with cemetry at Currys Post).
Dorothy saw a bridge over the river and we decided to see where it went.
Dorothy's first water crossing on a dirt road
Got back to MST and decided to give the quad track a try
Unfortunately the dam had overflowed its left bank and we did not feel comfortable trying to get through the water and mud so turned around at this point back up a rather steep incline that we had just come down.
Sunday being our last day we loaded the bikes onto the trailer for an early departure this morning.
An end to a really interesting weekend!
Left on Friday morning.
We were intially going to ride down then had a change in plan. Take the car and put the Dakar and Skygo on the trailer and look for some dirt roads over the weekend.
;DFirst a stop at Villiers for a leg stretch - no rush as we can only check in at MST at 3pm.
Arriving at our accommodation
The Skygo looked like a Harley - bugs on the mirrors and inside of the hand guards
Had a nice view from the room overlooking some farmland.
Cows in the distance
Saturday morning woke up to mist
The plan for Saturday was to go to Nottingham Road by car so that we could load whatever we bought into the car. A bike ride planned for the afternoon and Sunday.
Found this bridge in Mooi River
There has been a lot of rain in the area and the rivers are full and fast flowing
Stopped at Swissland Cheese to buy some cheese. Here a picture of the building - they at the same altitude as JHB and often get snow.
..and a picture of the cheese factory
Saw lots of goats, cows and then spotted horse
Then on the way back to MST the heavens opened up - got 100mm rain during the late afternoon.
We thought that we would not get to ride the bikes that afternoon but when we got back to MST they had not had any rain - so kitted up and went riding on some farm roads
On the way back to MST we came across this old Anglican Church - does not appear to be used any more and can be hired for weddings etc.
There was a small cemetry at the back - looks like a couple of the families in the area were buried here - probably about 50 graves.
That night it rained at MST - and the resort had arranged a braai and bonfire - so we braaied in the rain.
Sunday morning saw us on the bikes back through Mooi River to Nottingham Road.
Found a nice dirt road to play on
..with an old wooden wagon
From there we went to Fort Nottingham - was only used as a base to try to stop stock theft - built around 1856.
No plaster was used when building the fort
After lunch at The Bierfassl in Nottingham road we found a dirt road crossing the highway and looping round through Currys Post back to Mooi River
Weather looked like it might catch us later
Just before entering Mooi River we found our third disused old church (was also one with cemetry at Currys Post).
Dorothy saw a bridge over the river and we decided to see where it went.
Dorothy's first water crossing on a dirt road
Got back to MST and decided to give the quad track a try
Unfortunately the dam had overflowed its left bank and we did not feel comfortable trying to get through the water and mud so turned around at this point back up a rather steep incline that we had just come down.
Sunday being our last day we loaded the bikes onto the trailer for an early departure this morning.
An end to a really interesting weekend!
