Carnivore
Race Dog
Loxton Sutherland Tour May 2008 (part 2)
You can find part 1 at https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=17678.msg281618
After some more chats and tea, we were finally gone by 15:15! This is the start of the road to Fraserburg. I love the tall trees which seem to typify the Karoo farmstead.
Jock contrived a tool pipe from bits and pieces and moved the tool roll and compressor from the tank bag. Said it made a lot of difference.
Filling up in Fraserburg.
The Sutherland Southern African Largest Telescope (SALT) which was fully booked for tours, and anyway, it was overcast!
We checked into the Jupiter Guest house, run by Helen and Lieb Liebenberg. Let us just say it was festive, with a zillion people coming and going. It was the Centenary Celebrations of the high school, and it had been a miracle that a cancellation made our accommodation available. We drove out some of the Sutherland cold with a little bit of OBSâ?¦ while Karoo lamb and veggies were being prepared.
This is a seriously competent and professional Bistro Guesthouse â?? most highly recommended.
Helen â?? full of fun and as cheeky as they come!
Leaving the next morning for Willowmore, via Matjiesfontein, Laingsburg, Price Albert and Klaarstroom, to finally take the dirt road to Willowmore.
The tar pass to the N1 is prettyâ?¦ but tar.
The N1 looks like it always does.
At Klaarstroom, the Padstal has these scarecrows lazing aboutâ?¦ idle louts.
Then it was the final road to Willowmore.
Going through a drift, the topbox let go.
Ski rope, a tie-down and some mumbling under my breath sorted it out, and we arrived at the Finchley Farm, 2km from Willomore, and were greeted by Joanne Kroon. She only provides BB, so we scooted into town to the Villa dâ?? Lockyer and had a ball. After a really good steak, the old out-of-tune piano beckoned, and we had some singing and drinking â?? all the old 70â??s stuff came slowly back to me and we swore eternal allegiance to each other by the time it came to say goodbye.
Breakfast by the lovely Joanne the next morning was great.
I think every town should have a Royal Hotelâ?¦!
And so we bade farewell to the little Karoo town of Willowmore. I have discovered a bit of what lies underneath the seemingly desolate and who-the-hell-would-want-to-live â??here dorpies. There are really lovely people there. A farming couple had driven 60km into town that evening, and said they had NEVER had such a lovely entertaining eveningâ?¦ quite humbling, when I consider what I â??needâ? to keep me entertained. These farming folk have a hard life, with the ever-present threat of loss due to hail, and the inevitable stock theft. One sheep needs 4 ha in order to not kill the veld. At current prices, it is impossible to start farming, because one animal will NEVER return the outlay for the ground needed to sustain it. So unless a farm is inherited, our farming community is dwindling, at least in the Karoo.
On the road to Steytlervilleâ?¦
The other side of the mountains seen on the first day.
The Cockscomb 100km in the distance.
Once again, we grabbed a monster burger at the Hotel. Our new friends were pleased to see us, and we kuiered lekker till the voice of reason said it was time to move on.
This farmer made fences from old tyres. This is a particularly effective way to keep ostriches. The fool birds need a visual barrier to stop them running into wire fences.
Pity we did not get the angle quite right on the Oregaon Scientific Xtreme-cam. It did take some rather nice video footage. I have to hunt for the bits where the Kudu family came out of the bush in front of usâ?¦
My home-made mount for the old trusty GPSIII+.
Late afternoonâ?¦ we are approaching the R75 from Graaff-Reinet to Uitenhage, but still 150 odd km to go.
Jock got news that once of his work bakkies had been affirmatively shopped. He tried to get hold of the tracking company, but seems like they were â?¦ umâ?¦.off-lineâ?¦ The bakkie was never recovered.
The road always changes and offers something new, before returning to the gravel highwayâ?¦
Now we were doing a good 120 km/h with the sun behind us. Idyllic â??travelling side by side most of the time, chatting the hind leg off a donkey. At one stage, the BTs gave us a 400 m range, as I set up this shot.
Approaching the hills north of Uitenhage, the vegetation changes quite significantly. We were getting close to home.
Finally, we emerged onto the R75.
Did a quick detour to a job-site in Uitenhage, and belted it home through the night back to PE, arriving around 19:30 at my home.
Good night!
Iâ??d like to take this opportunity to say thank you to my friend Jock for accompanying me and making this ride possible. Also, to Kilroy, Wino, Funacideâ?¦ thanks for the Forum, and the chance to share these adventure stories.
You can find part 1 at https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=17678.msg281618
https://www.villaj.co.za/
https://www.aatravel.co.za/static/establishments/establishmentFI3491.html
Jupiter Guest House
21 Jubilee Street, Sutherland
Licensed Bistro with fireplace
3 En Suite Rooms with TV
Central heating
Electric blankets
Disabled Friendly
Tariffs: R180 single + R30 BB â?¢ R150 pp sharing + R30 BB
Your hosts: Helen Liebenberg
Tel & Fax: +27 (0)23-5711340
0832926705
email: [email protected]
You can find part 1 at https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=17678.msg281618
After some more chats and tea, we were finally gone by 15:15! This is the start of the road to Fraserburg. I love the tall trees which seem to typify the Karoo farmstead.
Jock contrived a tool pipe from bits and pieces and moved the tool roll and compressor from the tank bag. Said it made a lot of difference.
Filling up in Fraserburg.
The Sutherland Southern African Largest Telescope (SALT) which was fully booked for tours, and anyway, it was overcast!
We checked into the Jupiter Guest house, run by Helen and Lieb Liebenberg. Let us just say it was festive, with a zillion people coming and going. It was the Centenary Celebrations of the high school, and it had been a miracle that a cancellation made our accommodation available. We drove out some of the Sutherland cold with a little bit of OBSâ?¦ while Karoo lamb and veggies were being prepared.
This is a seriously competent and professional Bistro Guesthouse â?? most highly recommended.
Helen â?? full of fun and as cheeky as they come!
Leaving the next morning for Willowmore, via Matjiesfontein, Laingsburg, Price Albert and Klaarstroom, to finally take the dirt road to Willowmore.
The tar pass to the N1 is prettyâ?¦ but tar.
The N1 looks like it always does.
At Klaarstroom, the Padstal has these scarecrows lazing aboutâ?¦ idle louts.
Then it was the final road to Willowmore.
Going through a drift, the topbox let go.
Ski rope, a tie-down and some mumbling under my breath sorted it out, and we arrived at the Finchley Farm, 2km from Willomore, and were greeted by Joanne Kroon. She only provides BB, so we scooted into town to the Villa dâ?? Lockyer and had a ball. After a really good steak, the old out-of-tune piano beckoned, and we had some singing and drinking â?? all the old 70â??s stuff came slowly back to me and we swore eternal allegiance to each other by the time it came to say goodbye.
Breakfast by the lovely Joanne the next morning was great.
I think every town should have a Royal Hotelâ?¦!
And so we bade farewell to the little Karoo town of Willowmore. I have discovered a bit of what lies underneath the seemingly desolate and who-the-hell-would-want-to-live â??here dorpies. There are really lovely people there. A farming couple had driven 60km into town that evening, and said they had NEVER had such a lovely entertaining eveningâ?¦ quite humbling, when I consider what I â??needâ? to keep me entertained. These farming folk have a hard life, with the ever-present threat of loss due to hail, and the inevitable stock theft. One sheep needs 4 ha in order to not kill the veld. At current prices, it is impossible to start farming, because one animal will NEVER return the outlay for the ground needed to sustain it. So unless a farm is inherited, our farming community is dwindling, at least in the Karoo.
On the road to Steytlervilleâ?¦
The other side of the mountains seen on the first day.
The Cockscomb 100km in the distance.
Once again, we grabbed a monster burger at the Hotel. Our new friends were pleased to see us, and we kuiered lekker till the voice of reason said it was time to move on.
This farmer made fences from old tyres. This is a particularly effective way to keep ostriches. The fool birds need a visual barrier to stop them running into wire fences.
Pity we did not get the angle quite right on the Oregaon Scientific Xtreme-cam. It did take some rather nice video footage. I have to hunt for the bits where the Kudu family came out of the bush in front of usâ?¦
My home-made mount for the old trusty GPSIII+.
Late afternoonâ?¦ we are approaching the R75 from Graaff-Reinet to Uitenhage, but still 150 odd km to go.
Jock got news that once of his work bakkies had been affirmatively shopped. He tried to get hold of the tracking company, but seems like they were â?¦ umâ?¦.off-lineâ?¦ The bakkie was never recovered.
The road always changes and offers something new, before returning to the gravel highwayâ?¦
Now we were doing a good 120 km/h with the sun behind us. Idyllic â??travelling side by side most of the time, chatting the hind leg off a donkey. At one stage, the BTs gave us a 400 m range, as I set up this shot.
Approaching the hills north of Uitenhage, the vegetation changes quite significantly. We were getting close to home.
Finally, we emerged onto the R75.
Did a quick detour to a job-site in Uitenhage, and belted it home through the night back to PE, arriving around 19:30 at my home.
Good night!
Iâ??d like to take this opportunity to say thank you to my friend Jock for accompanying me and making this ride possible. Also, to Kilroy, Wino, Funacideâ?¦ thanks for the Forum, and the chance to share these adventure stories.
You can find part 1 at https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=17678.msg281618
https://www.villaj.co.za/
https://www.aatravel.co.za/static/establishments/establishmentFI3491.html
Jupiter Guest House
21 Jubilee Street, Sutherland
Licensed Bistro with fireplace
3 En Suite Rooms with TV
Central heating
Electric blankets
Disabled Friendly
Tariffs: R180 single + R30 BB â?¢ R150 pp sharing + R30 BB
Your hosts: Helen Liebenberg
Tel & Fax: +27 (0)23-5711340
0832926705
email: [email protected]
