Exploring Rosendal with Rinkink the 310 GS

[Helenus]

Rinkink - Afrikaans: fuif / baljaar / uitgelate wees. English: gallivant / make merry / gad about.

So, the family Kruger: I, wife Carien and Bika the Scott went to Rosendal the last week of 2022. We were there earlier in the year and simply loved the little town. It’s our idea of a place to be. Clean, quiet, not much to do and beautiful scenery.

The plan is to take Rinkink the 310 GS with, I’ll spend some time riding in the mornings and the rest of the day us three will just hang around town, relax, read, afternoon naps, drink wine and braai.

I am combining this RR with some information about the town, in the hope that you will go visit and keep the town alive. There is really some good riding in the area.

Day 1

We left Pretoria with Rinkink on a borrowed trailer and took the N3 / R59 to Vereeninging and then Heilbron, Petrus Steyn, Lindley, Senekal and Rosendal, avoiding the N1, which I hate to drive. Big mistake. We soon realize that this road, from Sasolburg, is pothole kingdom. Taking it slow I managed to navigate the bakkie and trailer around the potholes, but in many instances, we had to go through them.

And then disaster struck. From here on the day just went from kakker and super kakker. Going through a deep hole, at snails’ pace, the bike’s wheels slipped out from underneath it. The straps held it on the trailer, and apart from only a mark on the crash bar there was no damage (thanks Rox Fox). I couldn't understand why this happend, I strapped the 1200 many times in the past. After talking to friend @Kokdjembe and many Google searches I am hopefully closer to understanding why.
No photos here, our main aim was to get the bike off the trailer and get the bakkie out of the middle of the road.

As a sidenote: lots of vehicles passed us while the bike was on its side and while we were taking it off the trailer. I never stopped anyone to ask for help because I know we can get it off the trailer by ourselves. But I find it interesting that no one stopped and asked if they can assist. We were passed by three farmers, one police van and several vehicles with drivers of all colors. I would have stopped.

I decided to ride the bike from here. It was drizzling and I decided not to spend time putting the waterproof layer in my pants. And in any case, genius me forgot his rain jacket at home.

And then the rain started to come down in buckets, and from Lindley to Senekal I rode through the worst thunderstorm I’ve ever seen. Lightning crashing all around me, some so close that I though today I am going to die on this road. All while constantly negotiating potholes. Then we were on the R70, Senekal – Rosendal road, it still rained and with 30 kms of horrendous potholes awaiting us. By the time we reached Rosendal I was wet, freezing, blue and shivering. Carien was gatvol of dodging potholes with a jumping trailer in tow. After lots of red wine we eventually felt way better, and warmer.

An eventful day with no photos to proof it, except the pic of the wine. I think the name "Moody Lagoon" is very funny, considering what I've been through

To be continued.

 

[Helenus]

Day 2 and 3

Day 2

I decided not to ride today, and we explored the town. The aftermath of the heavy rains could be seen, dirt roads (there is only one tar road in town) were washed away and water and mud puddles all around.
Bika was in his element, nothing like a mud puddle to explore.
It’s time for something to eat and we stopped at our friend Liela Magnus’s Benjamins restaurant, which is famous for its scrumptious waffles and the two resident donkeys Basjan and Oscar.
The rest of the day we hanged about at the The Post Office where we stayed while waiting for my gear to dry.


Waffles at Benjamin's

The tiny house movement is big in Rosendal. Many container houses, on big plots, giving the town a nice open feel.

Terrier playground

Day 3

It’s 30 December. We had a quick trip to the vet in Bethlehem; Bika had an eye infection and we had to get some meds. We took the scenic drive back to Rosendal: Clarens / Fourieburg / Ficksburg. Clarens is not our scene, so we passed. The road from Fouriesburg to Rosendal is just as kak as the others.

Once back in town I took Rinkink out for a quick spin, the plan was south towards Ficksburg, doing a circle route by taking the dirt road past Moolmanshoek and then joining the tar again and return to town.

After 10 km on the R70, I got onto the dirt. The scenery was beautiful, lush green fields all around, sandstone mountains and heavy clouds on the horizon. There was no mud on hard surface road and apart from some excitement on a stretch with a lot of loose pebbles it was easy going.
However, just past Moolmanshoek the Moolmanspruit, which turned into a river, washed away the bridge, so it was turnaround time and back to the tar.

I decided to explore some more dirt on the western side of the R70, only to be stopped by water for the second time that day. Another stream, the Meulspruit turned into a river, creating a dam in the lower lying vleiland and surrounding roads. The streams and rivers were still full after the cloud burst two days ago. There is no way that I will get through this and as it was by now late afternoon, I decided to return to town, where there’s a braai and wine in my future.

 

[skydiver]

I have an interest in the containers homes so will have to visit the town some time
Nice photos

 

[petri oosthuizen]

Helenus...the Villiers, Frankfort, Tweeling, Reitz road is open again and lekker.
That R57 Heilbron road is outright dangerous now, rather go via Deneysville if you HAVE to drive down via Sasol

 

[punisher]

ANC footprints on most roads in SA
such a pity

but nice scenery , and lekker bike

 

[petri oosthuizen]

ANC footprints on most roads in SA
such a pity

but nice scenery , and lekker bike

The Eastern FS is SUCH a beautiful part of SA....TONS of tourism etc potential.
Huge pity.
Anyway.....sorry Helenus, going OT here.

 

[Helenus]

The Eastern FS is SUCH a beautiful part of SA....TONS of tourism etc potential.
Huge pity.
Anyway.....sorry Helenus, going OT here.

Nope, not OT.
You are spot on, just imagine what decent access roads will do for the economy of Rosendal, and other towns. For us as tourists the quietness is bliss, but it’s a nightmare for the locals who have to make a living.

 

[Helenus]

Day 4 Part 1

31 December 2022.

So the plan for today’s last day of the year’s ride is to go on a round trip around the mountains on the eastern side of town, an estimated 200 km ride. Roads this side are not on T4A maps, so I am using my 1:250 000 ‘staatsdienskaarte’, as we would refer to them in the time before GPS.

As always I left later than I planned. I went north towards Senekal on the R70, turning off on the dirt about 10 km out of town, direction Paul Roux. Another stretch of hard surface with imbedded rocks had us shaking and rattling. Man can the plastics make a noise.

Turning south east just before Paul Roux and I am on my way to Slabberts. And it on this road that the fun (aka mud) started. Mud puddles constantly interrupt the faster sections of hard road and I had to concentrate, they appear in a blink of time. Rivers were still flowing but there were no difficult crossings, mostly low water cement bridges. Up to now, riding for about an hour, I’ve seen only one vehicle.

After a lekker downhill mud slide towards a river I stopped on the bridge and decide this is just the place for an espresso and sandwich. Since starting to collect Bialetti moka pots many years ago we almost never travel without one, always close by for a roadside espresso. The setting is beautiful with the river below, stream running over sandstone riverbed and a quietness and serenity that I wouldn’t mind experiencing every day.

From here the road constantly changes, and there are mud stretches, stream crossings, loose pebbles, and hard surface high way until I reach Slabberts, where I found a station, silo and maize fields, with a farmhouse and cattle close by. It’s a lovely day to ride; the air is cool, beautiful clouds and landscapes and almost no other traffic.

In hindsight I wished I had more time for photos, but I was going much slower than expected, it’s 12:00 and I am only halfway now.

Rinkink is doing good, much better than I expected; the soft suspension and comfortable seat feels like I am sitting in a gomma gomma, and as long as you keep the revs up in first and second, climbing uphill over rougher terrain are easily managed. Just don’t hit a hole or bump at speed, the suspension is not made for that. I can see a progressive spring in his future. The handle bar risers are a winner.

To be continued

 

[TheBear]

Ek gee nie name vir my voertuie nie, maar ek moet jou geluk wens met "Rinkink"! As daar nou een naam is wat werk vir 'n motorfiets, is dit die een.

 

[Grunder]

Nice roads in that area. I've been through there once or twice.

I can concur, T4A has not explored that area yet

 

[Helenus]

Ek gee nie name vir my voertuie nie, maar ek moet jou geluk wens met "Rinkink"! As daar nou een naam is wat werk vir 'n motorfiets, is dit die een.

dankie. Dit het nogal dinkwerk gekos.

 

[petri oosthuizen]

Helenus...was guster daar, sommer net.
Befokte nice plek.
Definitief my nuwe "go to" plek vir naweke en ook bike trippies.

 

[Helenus]

Great! Sal laat weet wanneer on weer gaan, dan sien ek jou daar

Shit ek moet die RR klaarmaak, kom net nie daarby uit nie.

 

[Raggety]

Did you not visit Moolmanshoek ? (too lazy to read the report)

 

[Raggety]

Trip in 2008 from Paul Roux to Rosendal amd loop back

 

[Raggety]

Trip to Moolmanshoek in 2008

 

[Helenus]

Did you not visit Moolmanshoek ? (too lazy to read the report)

No, just passed their entrance.

 

[Helenus]

Trip to Moolmanshoek in 2008

Same road

 

[Raggety]

That road get extremely slippery when wet.

 

[Raggety]

Visited Moolmanshoek again in 2021, Coming from Bethlehem and back. With my son's Varadero he had at that time.
Pic