Following the Sundays River

[DRAZIL]

Warning this RR could be boring to quite a few dogs. Geologists will enjoy.
Friday I was full of energy and ready to put Pestilence (my new GSA) to the test and see if she could redeem herself as I have sold Goga and miss the bitch terribly. I will ride her hard (within my capabilities) and if anything should break it must and I must drive out the Gogas 2008 GSA perfect qualities and put it to rest.
So with great enthusiasm I plot a route to follow Sundays River to its source, I live next to it so why not see her humble beginnings.
For those that do not know Pestilence, she is a bad weather attractor.
Mr T hears of my plan when he stopped at my office on Friday so I invite him and he nearly has a heart attack as I hardly ever take people with me.
Saturday morning arrives and I have run out of steam, lazy, lethargic whatever it is it’s bad. What a mission getting the bike out of the garage.
Mr T arrives and I eventually have my bike packed……..we leave.
We first stop at the old Barkly Bridge where the water level is a lot higher than normal. Last week my personal camp site on the Sundays in Kirkwood was flooded, here are some pics of the camp.

 

[DRAZIL]

1=Mr T
2+4+5=bridges over Sundays River
3=some bird life

 

[DRAZIL]

1+2+3=Sundays bridge in Kirkwood
4= breakfast
5=WOW there is water in the Sundays at Jansenville, first for me.

 

[DRAZIL]

Well we did not get very far on the gravel road to Graaf Rienet as the Sundays River which never has water is not in flood again, my brother in law phones me to say the water is rising on his farm and my private camp site is under water again, a bit late for a warning as we cannot cross the first crossing out of 8.
Only option ….tar which in my lazy mode was cool.

1=Sundays Jansenville
2+3+4=dirt road to Graaf Rient.
5=Mountain trail Graaf Rienet

 

[DRAZIL]

1=A must ride for anybody is the mountain trail at the base of the mountains
2+3+4+5=double WOW this is the first time I have seen water in the dam at Graaf Rienet.

 

[DRAZIL]

1+2+3=dam
4=stairway to the toposcope which was stolen.
Mr T said I was not allowed to ride up so we walked………..groan
5=Drazil

 

[DRAZIL]

The view from the top.
4+ the mountain track we came in on.

 

[DRAZIL]

Valley of desolation

 

[DRAZIL]

more

 

[Piston Pete]

Always a pleasure!  :thumleft:

 

[DRAZIL]

4= supper

The End

 

[Brandt]

Really nice photos, thanks  :thumleft:

 

[letsgofishing]

That mountain trail looks great - thanks for posting!  :thumleft:

 

[tok-tokkie]

Brilliant.

I criss-crossed the Sundays on a trip of mine & wrote this:

I think it would be a great ride to follow any of the bigger Eastern Cape rivers from source to sea

You actually missed the lovely bit of the Sundays upstream from Graaff-Reinet.  See my report page 4 post #64 for some pictures. Something else to do when you have the blues again.
https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=51075.60

 

[JACOVV]

Always a pleasure!  :thumleft:

+ 1

Nice photo's etc.  Thanks.  

We are doing Graaf Reinet area over Easter.  :biggrin:

 

[DRAZIL]

Brilliant.

I criss-crossed the Sundays on a trip of mine & wrote this:

I think it would be a great ride to follow any of the bigger Eastern Cape rivers from source to sea

You actually missed the lovely bit of the Sundays upstream from Graaff-Reinet.  See my report page 4 post #64 for some pictures. Something else to do when you have the blues again.
https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=51075.60

Thanks tok-tokkie for your link,I haven't finnished reading it but it looks great with facts. :thumleft:
We did not persue the river past the railway tracks and up as we were told the river was rising and we already had to do a u-turn by Jansenville so this trip will be continued in June with my wife or daughter (whoever wins >) as at the end of this month I am go angling in the underberg with my old toppies and family. :thumleft:

 

[DRAZIL]

Always a pleasure!  :thumleft:

+ 1

Nice photo's etc.  Thanks. 

We are doing Graaf Reinet area over Easter - thanks now Ou Bees & me.  :biggrin:

check out tok-tokkies RR,I have the maps plotted from the weekend,I can send them to you if you want. :thumleft:

 

[BMWPE]

Great pics  :thumleft:
Thanks

 

[steady eddy]

Nice photos thks

 

[JACOVV]

Always a pleasure!  :thumleft:

+ 1

Nice photo's etc.  Thanks.  

We are doing Graaf Reinet area over Easter - thanks now Ou Bees & me.  :biggrin:

check out tok-tokkies RR,I have the maps plotted from the weekend,I can send them to you if you want. :thumleft:

Thanks - but my GPS is in my head.  Just tell me to turn at gate 4, 4th 2spoor road etc  :imaposer: , but with Ou Bees as a pillion, I have to stick to tar as far as possible . . . because of her back  :'(

We are also going to Verwoerddam, Bethulie, Elliot etc - cannot wait  :mwink: