Beemer Mike
Race Dog
All those branches... hence camel strands on 4x4s.
Aaahhh Planet Baobab... my most favourite place in Botswana.
Aaahhh Planet Baobab... my most favourite place in Botswana.
2 Jameson brothers and an orphan - Kubu Island and beyond..
- Thread starter popipants
- Start date
Excalibur
Race Dog
Great one my friends, just great :thumleft: :thumleft:
It is funny re-reading the report for the day, just doesn't do the sand justice or the amount of sweat we went through. At the time I remember thinking damn I wish the sand would end and now I just want to go back and ride it again...
popipants
Race Dog
funacide said:
me to....But I don't have a bike.
SGB
Race Dog
Lekker ride that, the sand around Gweta does tend to bring the taste of Voltaren to the tongue..... >
Well done for doing it with loaded pigs!
Well done for doing it with loaded pigs! 
IDR
Grey Hound
popipants said:
???
I assume there's a story behind that little nugget - come on, get on with it!
;D
michnus
Bachelor Dog
moersk..ont, wat het ek gemis! :eek7:
Poppipants you really have a flair with the pen, I loved this :thumleft:
Poppipants you really have a flair with the pen, I loved this :thumleft:
Oetie
Race Dog
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2006
- Messages
- 1,247
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Rooihuiskraal, Centurion
- Bike
- BMW R1200GS Adventure
Befonk :thumleft:
Come on poppi, this is not a five day test :deal:
Come on poppi, this is not a five day test :deal:
popipants
Race Dog
IDR said:
Where have you been???
I sold it. Shopping for a new one now
nreyneke
Race Dog
Vrek, ek lees nou lekker... en die mond water.... :thumleft: :thumleft:
Moerse sover manne!!!
Moerse sover manne!!!
bradleys
Race Dog
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2007
- Messages
- 1,589
- Reaction score
- 7
- Location
- Lake Side,Cape Town
- Bike
- KTM 640 Adventure
eepwall: :clock: :happy1: :happy1:Really a lekker read :thumleft:
popipants
Race Dog
Day: 5
Distance: 241 km
Destination: Kokonje Island (S20 54.913 E26 12.159)
Price: Free
After a large number of St. Louis Exports, we decided to see what the road looks like going into Kukonje Island. Funacide said he read somewhere that Kukonje is nicer than Kubu because it is more remote and there are less 4x4’s there. According to the map there is about 40 – 60 km worth of jeep track to get the edge of the pan. The previous night there was a lot of tourist and tourist guides in the bar. Herman asked a couple of them what the road look like going in. Imagine our surprise that not one of them has ever been there, or know someone who has. This sound interesting…
One guide did tell us that the landscape all around the pan is the same. It starts with bush and sand then moves to grassland and rocks just before you reach the pan. I was not in the mood for a 40 km stretch like yesterday. So we decided to go and have a look. Just a look!! The turnoff the Island is on our way home. The official plan was to turn off and see what the track looks like….But I knew there was no way that we were going to follow the track for 10km and then decide it was too bad and turn back.
Before we left we had a bit of a discussion about whether to go back to Gweta for fuel or keep going and fill up at Nata. We were unsure of how much fuel the KTM’s burned yesterday. The GSA will pretty much still full. I used a lot less fuel than normal because of the low revving nature of the GSA. But Funacide and Ryperd had to keep the revs up…and KTM’s fuel consumption just loves that.
We decided for the safe option and filled at Gweta, where it was discovered that the KTM’s were not as heavy on juice as originally suspected and we could have made Nata really easily.
We stopped at Nata filled again and had breakfast.
At the turn off to Kukonje Island we crossed a vet fence and asked the guard what the road conditions are like……
We were greeted with this.
The road runs next to the vet fence and it has been scrapped!! It looked like the N1.
It was still pretty sandy with some rocks left behind, but it was easy going.
We even had a river crosssing.
Approaching the pan
Kukonje dead ahead.
All I can say is wow. The Island is deserted. There is nothing and no one there.
There are no campsites just big trees, so take your pick and you camp. We setup camp and collected firewood.
From the top of the Island.
After setting up camp we decided it would be a good idea to go ride around the island on the pans. Some of the patches were quite wet and on more than one occasion there was pans mud being flung around by the bikes, what awesome fun.
That night was also full moon.
What an awesome night. The only problem was our Jameson was finished. We bought a couple of beers when we filled up (namely 8). But watching that moon rise a Jameson or 5 would have been nice!!
And to think, we almost never found this Island….
The view from the campsite.
The Campsite
What a night, it is really tough in Africa....
Distance: 241 km
Destination: Kokonje Island (S20 54.913 E26 12.159)
Price: Free
After a large number of St. Louis Exports, we decided to see what the road looks like going into Kukonje Island. Funacide said he read somewhere that Kukonje is nicer than Kubu because it is more remote and there are less 4x4’s there. According to the map there is about 40 – 60 km worth of jeep track to get the edge of the pan. The previous night there was a lot of tourist and tourist guides in the bar. Herman asked a couple of them what the road look like going in. Imagine our surprise that not one of them has ever been there, or know someone who has. This sound interesting…
One guide did tell us that the landscape all around the pan is the same. It starts with bush and sand then moves to grassland and rocks just before you reach the pan. I was not in the mood for a 40 km stretch like yesterday. So we decided to go and have a look. Just a look!! The turnoff the Island is on our way home. The official plan was to turn off and see what the track looks like….But I knew there was no way that we were going to follow the track for 10km and then decide it was too bad and turn back.
Before we left we had a bit of a discussion about whether to go back to Gweta for fuel or keep going and fill up at Nata. We were unsure of how much fuel the KTM’s burned yesterday. The GSA will pretty much still full. I used a lot less fuel than normal because of the low revving nature of the GSA. But Funacide and Ryperd had to keep the revs up…and KTM’s fuel consumption just loves that.
We decided for the safe option and filled at Gweta, where it was discovered that the KTM’s were not as heavy on juice as originally suspected and we could have made Nata really easily.
We stopped at Nata filled again and had breakfast.
At the turn off to Kukonje Island we crossed a vet fence and asked the guard what the road conditions are like……
We were greeted with this.
The road runs next to the vet fence and it has been scrapped!! It looked like the N1.
It was still pretty sandy with some rocks left behind, but it was easy going.
We even had a river crosssing.
Approaching the pan
Kukonje dead ahead.
All I can say is wow. The Island is deserted. There is nothing and no one there.
There are no campsites just big trees, so take your pick and you camp. We setup camp and collected firewood.
From the top of the Island.
After setting up camp we decided it would be a good idea to go ride around the island on the pans. Some of the patches were quite wet and on more than one occasion there was pans mud being flung around by the bikes, what awesome fun.
That night was also full moon.
What an awesome night. The only problem was our Jameson was finished. We bought a couple of beers when we filled up (namely 8). But watching that moon rise a Jameson or 5 would have been nice!!
And to think, we almost never found this Island….
The view from the campsite.
The Campsite
What a night, it is really tough in Africa....
nreyneke
Race Dog
1 KTM km = 1 tot Jameson.... >
Julle is net so swaar op sous as die bikes
:thumleft: :thumleft: :thumleft:
Julle is net so swaar op sous as die bikes
:thumleft: :thumleft: :thumleft:
Damn that Kukonje brings back some gr8 memories... That has to be one of the most beautiful places on the planet and totally unspoiled...
If you ride hard, you could also probably get the from here in 1 day.
If you ride hard, you could also probably get the from here in 1 day.
michnus
Bachelor Dog
man, this turned into a great report :thumleft:
Just Blip It!
Race Dog
Awesome guys, ridden to Kubu before, but never even heard of Kukonje Island! Now I have to go back and see it for myself.
Oetie
Race Dog
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2006
- Messages
- 1,247
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Rooihuiskraal, Centurion
- Bike
- BMW R1200GS Adventure
michnus said:
Fully agree :thumleft:
Kubu Island and Kukonje Island is on the list of places to visit.
Some more pics of Kukonje Island surrounds...
Pic 1 : Are they beautiful on the pans, if you could see far enough you would see Kubu Island in the distance
Pic 2 : Just off the island with our campsite in the background under the large Baobab tree
Pic 3 : Riding around the island there is black rock formations against the island for about 50% of the island size
Pic 1 : Are they beautiful on the pans, if you could see far enough you would see Kubu Island in the distance
Pic 2 : Just off the island with our campsite in the background under the large Baobab tree
Pic 3 : Riding around the island there is black rock formations against the island for about 50% of the island size
