Today was one of those days where we did not really do what we set out to do, but had a great time not doing it â?? if you know what I mean.
The plan was to do the Hella Hella pass, Qunu Falls and then visit the historic village of Byrne, with a few exploratory side tracks along the way, but the first side track was just so interesting that we just ended up following our noses and instincts, and as for Hella Hella and Qunu, well, they are just going to have to wait for another day.
I met my non-dog buddy, who I have nicknamed WhizzBee, bright and early in Essenwood Road, and then the two of us headed up to the Pavilion where we picked up Husky and headed off on some toll-avoiding roads to Richmond â?? about 90 Kms â?? and from there onto the Hella Hella pass road.
The first exploratory sidetrack was to see if we could get down to the Mkomazi river via the Richmond Tea Estates, on a track visible on Google Earth that I had loaded into the GPS.
The Richmond Tea Estates are unfortunately no more, and all that is left are the ruins of what must have been quite an establishment. The tea bushes are still there, but you would need someone about three meters tall to pick the â??tipsâ? off those untrimmed plants, and the workers huts look like they have been empty for decades. All quite sad, but the good news was there was absolutely nobody about to object to us riding through.
The road is easy until the last bit down to the river where there is quite a steep and stony descent to the river. I got it all wrong, missed a gear; found a neutral and very nearly dropped my bike on a steep and stony part. For those who went to Marico, imagine the last bit to River Still, steeper, three times longer, and rocks the size of tennis balls instead of powder. Not much fun for me, but I suspect it would not have been so nasty on the way up.
The plan was to head back up again and do Hella Hella, but it was nice in the valley and we decided to push along some tracks and footpaths near the river and see if we could find another way back, which we did after a long cappuccino stop next to the river. I suspect we were on private land, and at one stage we hit a locked â??no entryâ? gate from the inside, and had to find a path around it. On my published track I would suggest a short-cut from the waypoint marked â??Aâ? to â??Bâ? and I suspect those roads are public servitude as they lead to some tribal villages.
Our return path took us back to Richmond, brunch of burgers and toasted sarmies at some modified house and tea garden (that I canâ??t remember the name of â?? but it is at S29 49.607 E30 11.002 ) in Byrne.
Thanks to WhizzBee and Husky for their company on a great ride.
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The route from and back to Richmond
An old Victorian house used as an office in Essenwood road at the start.
At the deserted tea processing factory
Mkomazi River - Hella Hella is in the background.
WhizzBee doing a â??Smitheyâ?
Our gallery â?? donâ??t think they see many bikes down there.
Looking back at where we came down â?? the steep bit is just above the jacarandas.
Cappuccino by the Mkomazi.
Brunch in Byrne
The plan was to do the Hella Hella pass, Qunu Falls and then visit the historic village of Byrne, with a few exploratory side tracks along the way, but the first side track was just so interesting that we just ended up following our noses and instincts, and as for Hella Hella and Qunu, well, they are just going to have to wait for another day.
I met my non-dog buddy, who I have nicknamed WhizzBee, bright and early in Essenwood Road, and then the two of us headed up to the Pavilion where we picked up Husky and headed off on some toll-avoiding roads to Richmond â?? about 90 Kms â?? and from there onto the Hella Hella pass road.
The first exploratory sidetrack was to see if we could get down to the Mkomazi river via the Richmond Tea Estates, on a track visible on Google Earth that I had loaded into the GPS.
The Richmond Tea Estates are unfortunately no more, and all that is left are the ruins of what must have been quite an establishment. The tea bushes are still there, but you would need someone about three meters tall to pick the â??tipsâ? off those untrimmed plants, and the workers huts look like they have been empty for decades. All quite sad, but the good news was there was absolutely nobody about to object to us riding through.
The road is easy until the last bit down to the river where there is quite a steep and stony descent to the river. I got it all wrong, missed a gear; found a neutral and very nearly dropped my bike on a steep and stony part. For those who went to Marico, imagine the last bit to River Still, steeper, three times longer, and rocks the size of tennis balls instead of powder. Not much fun for me, but I suspect it would not have been so nasty on the way up.
The plan was to head back up again and do Hella Hella, but it was nice in the valley and we decided to push along some tracks and footpaths near the river and see if we could find another way back, which we did after a long cappuccino stop next to the river. I suspect we were on private land, and at one stage we hit a locked â??no entryâ? gate from the inside, and had to find a path around it. On my published track I would suggest a short-cut from the waypoint marked â??Aâ? to â??Bâ? and I suspect those roads are public servitude as they lead to some tribal villages.
Our return path took us back to Richmond, brunch of burgers and toasted sarmies at some modified house and tea garden (that I canâ??t remember the name of â?? but it is at S29 49.607 E30 11.002 ) in Byrne.
Thanks to WhizzBee and Husky for their company on a great ride.
--------------------------------------
The route from and back to Richmond
An old Victorian house used as an office in Essenwood road at the start.
At the deserted tea processing factory
Mkomazi River - Hella Hella is in the background.
WhizzBee doing a â??Smitheyâ?
Our gallery â?? donâ??t think they see many bikes down there.
Looking back at where we came down â?? the steep bit is just above the jacarandas.
Cappuccino by the Mkomazi.
Brunch in Byrne
