2005 Buffalo Rally Part 2

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

droffarc

Race Dog
Joined
Jan 27, 2006
Messages
1,368
Reaction score
113
Location
Cape Toon - TransAlp XL650V 2004
Bike
Honda NC750X
It was still dark on Sunday morning when the over-revving started up again – and this woke the folks in the van who put on their music again – the words go something like “Save me, take me away from the action…..” Ironic!

The previous evening I had remarked to one of my neighbors that my intention was to snooze till the sun became too hot in the tent – well I was up before 6 for a shower. The sun only cleared the mist bank over the sea at about 8:30 by which time I was already packing.

Sunday, according to the program, was listed as “DEPARTURE”, so off I went. I had arranged with a colleague that I would sleep over at his place in George. In the meantime I had some serious riding to do. The plan was to pass through George, to see where his house was, go up over the Outeniqua pass to Uniondale, on to Joubertina and Humansdorp and then back through the Garden route from StormsRiver, Bloukrans pass etc. to Plettenberg bay and Knysna. From there I would seek out the Phantom pass and if time permitted the Homtini pass.

Boy was it hot. Lunchtime in Joubertina was swetty to say the least. Then getting closer to Humansdorp it began to cool down rapidly. At Kareedouw I stopped to put on my wet weather gear. When I got back onto the N2 it was raining softly but steadily.

At the garage at Storms river I caught up with the guys who were on their way back to Port Elizabeth from Mosselbay. I warned them of a speed camera I had noted just after the bridge.

I stopped off at the start of the Bloukrans pass at a site where I could shelter under the trees. There is a place where you can issue your own permit to walk the route – someday I will return to walk that route. Meantime I sat all alone beneath the trees in the drizzle listening to the birds and the quiet and the rumble of thunder in the mountains – I could spend my life there!

The pass was magnificent although the visibility was not good due to the rain. Through Nature’s valley to the Grootriver pass was just as magnificent. On to Plet where I refueled and called my colleague who informed me that it would not be possible for me to stay over for the night for some or other reason. Oh well! So I had to set up tent in the George tourist centre. It was now raining off and on and there were a number of places along the road where one way traffic was allowed due to roadworks. Sitting in the rain waiting for the green light was not too pleasant besides it was beginning to get dark. I reached Knysna while there was still plenty of light and by chance found the start of the Phantom pass. It turned out to be a fairly good gravel road, nothing much to write about. It fortunately had not rained much there so the road was relatively dry.

Back on the N2 it was now getting dark and by the time I went through Wilderness it was night time. When I reached George I went directly to the Camp site. There were two other bikers that had arrived just before me and the one had just paid for a room for him and his pillion. The next guy asked how much it was to put up his tent for the night - R200 he was told! Both he and I nearly died! But two years ago I had stayed there in a similar situation and only paid R80.00! It’s now tourist season rates I was told. Needless to say I told the guy what he could do with the entire campsite which was quite empty from what I could see. We both rode off in the direction of town. I stopped off at the MacDonalds for a bite. They did’nt even give me a serviette to wipe my fingers with.

My mood was now quite sour and my situppon was as I think it was Deti who termed it “sour ass”. I decided to try at Mosselbay again, failing which I would ride the four hundred plus km in the dark all the way home – something which I dreaded, especially since it was also raining off and on still.

When I got to the campsite in Mosselbay I noted with glee that there were still bikers camped in the site where I had been the previous night although the main site had been cleared. So I just rode in and pitched my tent in the dark. The rain seemed to have stopped which was great. Once I had set everything up one of my neighbors from the previous evening strolled up and invited me to sit and chat with them. They were a party of three and had come all the way from Gauteng. One on a 1150 BMW and the two on a 650GS. We were still chatting when suddenly the heavens opened up and we dashed for the cover of our tents. In my tent I sat for a while wondering if the rain would get through, so hard it came down. Anyway I was quite tired and just curled up and slept.

The next morning I was up by about 6 again, had a shower and a change of clothes and felt human again. I was offered a hot cup of coffee which was very welcome indeed. My neighbors were staying on a further night and informed me that they had paid R30 per person for the previous night and that for the next night it was R90 per person. I didn’t say a word since I had not paid a cent!

After packing up I returned to George anddid the first section of the Montagu pass. Due to the rain the road was very muddy and slippery and with my history of mud pools I chickened out and took a short cut back to the Outeniqua pass to Oudtshoorn and on to De Rust and through the Meiringspoort which has some amazing rock formations. Here one can clearly see that the rocks must have been mud at some time in the past and that plate tectonics was not just something you read about. I had, several years previously been through this poort when the river was flowing but now there was no river – only some stagnant pools. Back to Oudtshoorn for a spot of lunch and then on to Calitsdorp the Huisriver pass and Seweweekspoort. I had been wanting to do this section since last December. This poort was amazing – similar to Meiringspoort except that Meiringspoort has a tarred road – Seweweekspoort has a gravel road but in excellent condition. The rock formations here are just indescribable. Unfortunately when I went through here it was past 4pm and the sun was low in the west so the photos I took were not all that spectacular because of the sun.

I turned back and made a beeline for Ladismith and then Barrydale where the sun was just setting when I refueled. My intention was to reach Robertson where I would spend the night with my mother in law. This section of the road (92km) I did at an average speed of about 155 to 160km/h (I did not allow the rev counter to pass 7000rpm, …well not too often) – my fuel consumption was 6.64L/100km (about 15km/l) ( all time heaviest).

After a magnificently tasty meal of bacon and eggs with a green salad I hit the sack. (Till now I had been eating cereal bars, biltong slices( beef jerky?) dried wors (sausage) and smarties (wotalotigot little colored candy coated chocolate beans) as I usually do when on a trip – saves weight and space and you don’t have to wash up afterwards. Also I never make a fire unless it is really cold.)

Next morning I was off to Mcgregor – a small little place where I had never been before. I took the gravel road to Bonnivale and then the R62 to Swellendam then the R319 to Bredasdorp where I refueled and bought some more cereal bars for lunch. Then I took the gravel road to Elim and on to Baardskeerdersbos where I stopped in the shade of a lone tree for lunch. I was barked at by the local Jack Russel and the local cock crowed everytime the dog barked till he got tired and slunk away. Another 10km of gravel and I was back on tar at Pearly Beach. I stopped off at Stanford, by the river for a bit of a rest in the shade of the trees, just absorbing the quiet, the sound of the birds and the lapping of the water – my favourite sights and sounds.

Off again on me bicycle, the saddle now really starting to sit uncomfortably, through Hermanus, touching at the new harbour then on to Kleinmond and one of my favourite spots – the bridge over the Palmiet river. Years ago, before they improved the road this spot was in a sad state and there was a sign that said “Bathing Dangerous – Broken Glass” which some clever soul had altered by removing a few choice letters to read “Thing Dangerous – Broke Ass”. This may have been the same soul who altered a sign in Hermanus which read “Keep Hermanus clean” to read “Keep Her anus clean”.

Before I knew it I went through Gordons Bay and Strand and was on the N1 and in my driveway. I had left on Saturday morning at 6am and was back home on Tuesday afternoon at almost 5pm – 4 days in the saddle with 2200km (1300 miles) on the clock. The TA was TArrably dirty and my ass was now very sour. But I enjoyed the rally and the trip and am already planning the next long trip, but that will have to wait for December. – I have bought local maps 1:50 000 scale from the Directorate Surveys and mapping for some weekend trips in the meantime.

 
Top