There is a very large and very reproductive branch of my extended family down in the Hazyview area of Mpumalanga.
One of my cousins, Anton, asked for some computer help. I said sure, but the fees will be for him to jump on his 950 and show me some of the back roads of the area, and in particular a railway service road that runs along the South-West border of the Kruger Park.
Anton is a busy guy. He farms bananas and macadamia nuts, and with his missus he operates a company that sources and delivers fresh produce to the hundreds of game farms, B&Bs and lodges in the area. He is a great guy to know if you ever want to find out about the area.
Yesterday he had a free morning, so he kindly offered to show me the southern bit of the fence-road, and a few scenic and twisty tar roads in the area.
Anton tells me that the road is rideable all the way from Kaapmuiden in the South up to Acornhoek, and possibly beyond, but the bit we rode in the time available was the section from Numbi Gate down to Kaapmuiden.
Our 180Km outing.
First bit near Numbi gate is flat and very easy. (near A on the map) The road is wedged in between the KNP fence and the railway. There are hundreds of drainage humps across the road and on occasions a KLE with a big guy on it took to the skies â?? something you donâ??t see that often. An airborne 950 however was a common sight.
At one place there were a few weathered jumbo piles in the road I wondered how the ellie had got through the fence into the corridor, but Anton said there were quite a few holes in the fence. As he said, â??not easy to stop an ellie who wants to go through.â? I wonder would I would have done if we had met a big bull â?? very fast powered u-turn I suspect. Not many escape routes. Railway on the right, fence on the left. Ellie/Lion ahead â?? would have been fun.
There were also spoor that Anton assured me were buffalo, but they looked like cow-turds to me â?? just there were no cows in any direction.
Here Anton is checking the road for spoor but it had rained the previous and there was nothing to be seen.
A shot of one of there drainage humps â?? Anton was doing some impressive big-airs on the 950, but 120Kg of Gunda on a KLE can do serious damage to suspension.
A couple of shy impalas giving the â??tourist viewâ? of their behinds. Strange how they moon you as soon as they see the camera.
Helped this little hingeback tortoise over the road (not that he really needed it)
Suspect a Kinixys belliana belliana
Anton joked this was the first time he had ever seen more rhinos that impala. True. We saw at least ten whites but only one small bachelor herd of impala.
Train carrying a load of iduonnowhat to idunnowhere. Friendly driver nearly blew my ears off with his horn.
Anton had warned me about these drifts, and how slippery the cement gets with algae growing on it. I was very cautious and nursed the bike through with feet down, but even that was tough as there was absolutely no grip for feet or tyres. I managed to get through but heard the unmistakable sound of KTM on cement behind me. The katoom made it through onto dry ground, albeit horizontally, but Anton ended up on his butt in the water.
Missed the down-shot helping Anton, but here he is inspecting damage.
At this crossing the fence stops at the river leaving a huge gap for game to get back and forward and so I was watching carefully for big kitties in the grass or schtomping or sticking things.
Towards the end. Some amazing patches of orange coloured flowers.
Prettiflora katoomensis ?
Almost colour-coordinated, but not quite.
Looking up the Nsikaze river. Upstream from this point the river and railway line divide the KNP from a few private reserves.
On the West is the reserve marked Mtethomusha, but Anton calls it Bongani.
A surprisingly big family of raffies crossing the river. Near B on the map.
We then rode through towards the â??Crocodile river conservation areaâ? B-D on the map.
Excellent overgrown and twisty bit of tar road.
This farmer grows oil-rich lemons for the Coca-cola people. I never knew there was lemon oil in Coke â?? the things you learn riding.
Great piece of tar road â?? worth a visit
A typical granite/lowveld koppie. Pegmatitic Granite/Gneiss according to my â??Geological Journeysâ? book.
Was wondering if we could do a Jerico thingy and ride up it
We took a pleasant detour through the Saligna plantations on the way back. (E-F on the map)
Looking out towards the Park. We had ridden down behind the mountains in the background.
The da Gama dam a few KMs from the family farms.
Great ride â?? thanks Anton.
Donâ??t you guys think Anton should be recruited as a Mpumalanga dog?
** signing off from WiFi hotspot at Wimpy - Rendevous Center, Hazyview **
One of my cousins, Anton, asked for some computer help. I said sure, but the fees will be for him to jump on his 950 and show me some of the back roads of the area, and in particular a railway service road that runs along the South-West border of the Kruger Park.
Anton is a busy guy. He farms bananas and macadamia nuts, and with his missus he operates a company that sources and delivers fresh produce to the hundreds of game farms, B&Bs and lodges in the area. He is a great guy to know if you ever want to find out about the area.
Yesterday he had a free morning, so he kindly offered to show me the southern bit of the fence-road, and a few scenic and twisty tar roads in the area.
Anton tells me that the road is rideable all the way from Kaapmuiden in the South up to Acornhoek, and possibly beyond, but the bit we rode in the time available was the section from Numbi Gate down to Kaapmuiden.
Our 180Km outing.
First bit near Numbi gate is flat and very easy. (near A on the map) The road is wedged in between the KNP fence and the railway. There are hundreds of drainage humps across the road and on occasions a KLE with a big guy on it took to the skies â?? something you donâ??t see that often. An airborne 950 however was a common sight.
At one place there were a few weathered jumbo piles in the road I wondered how the ellie had got through the fence into the corridor, but Anton said there were quite a few holes in the fence. As he said, â??not easy to stop an ellie who wants to go through.â? I wonder would I would have done if we had met a big bull â?? very fast powered u-turn I suspect. Not many escape routes. Railway on the right, fence on the left. Ellie/Lion ahead â?? would have been fun.
There were also spoor that Anton assured me were buffalo, but they looked like cow-turds to me â?? just there were no cows in any direction.
Here Anton is checking the road for spoor but it had rained the previous and there was nothing to be seen.
A shot of one of there drainage humps â?? Anton was doing some impressive big-airs on the 950, but 120Kg of Gunda on a KLE can do serious damage to suspension.
A couple of shy impalas giving the â??tourist viewâ? of their behinds. Strange how they moon you as soon as they see the camera.
Helped this little hingeback tortoise over the road (not that he really needed it)
Suspect a Kinixys belliana belliana
Anton joked this was the first time he had ever seen more rhinos that impala. True. We saw at least ten whites but only one small bachelor herd of impala.
Train carrying a load of iduonnowhat to idunnowhere. Friendly driver nearly blew my ears off with his horn.
Anton had warned me about these drifts, and how slippery the cement gets with algae growing on it. I was very cautious and nursed the bike through with feet down, but even that was tough as there was absolutely no grip for feet or tyres. I managed to get through but heard the unmistakable sound of KTM on cement behind me. The katoom made it through onto dry ground, albeit horizontally, but Anton ended up on his butt in the water.
Missed the down-shot helping Anton, but here he is inspecting damage.
At this crossing the fence stops at the river leaving a huge gap for game to get back and forward and so I was watching carefully for big kitties in the grass or schtomping or sticking things.
Towards the end. Some amazing patches of orange coloured flowers.
Prettiflora katoomensis ?
Almost colour-coordinated, but not quite.
Looking up the Nsikaze river. Upstream from this point the river and railway line divide the KNP from a few private reserves.
On the West is the reserve marked Mtethomusha, but Anton calls it Bongani.
A surprisingly big family of raffies crossing the river. Near B on the map.
We then rode through towards the â??Crocodile river conservation areaâ? B-D on the map.
Excellent overgrown and twisty bit of tar road.
This farmer grows oil-rich lemons for the Coca-cola people. I never knew there was lemon oil in Coke â?? the things you learn riding.
Great piece of tar road â?? worth a visit
A typical granite/lowveld koppie. Pegmatitic Granite/Gneiss according to my â??Geological Journeysâ? book.
Was wondering if we could do a Jerico thingy and ride up it
We took a pleasant detour through the Saligna plantations on the way back. (E-F on the map)
Looking out towards the Park. We had ridden down behind the mountains in the background.
The da Gama dam a few KMs from the family farms.
Great ride â?? thanks Anton.
Donâ??t you guys think Anton should be recruited as a Mpumalanga dog?
** signing off from WiFi hotspot at Wimpy - Rendevous Center, Hazyview **
