popipants
Race Dog
that is the cleanest 1100 I've ever seen.
Mr and Mrs Three Dawg's African Adventure
- Thread starter Three Dawg
- Start date
ERJ
Pack Dog
:happy1: :happy1:
Casting from Turd
Grey Hound
Yep. I am going to follow this one
Cape Town to the Cederberg Oasis. Tracks4Africa GPS mapping. Outstanding. Most on here will be using it I'm sure, but if anyone outside Africa is contemplating a similar trip and is reading this, buy it for your Garmin.
"A spitbraai?" said Mrs 3D, "What's that going to be like?" Well, I answered, I guess it's a rally with added meat. "A rally? You mean a bunch of old farts sitting around, drinking beer and talking about bikes" Yes. er...NO! There will be ladies present, and eventually most of the blokes will get bored of talking bikes and we'll get on toless interesting things current affairs, business matters and relationships. (this is a lie, of course, but I wasn't about to let on) And we'll have our first two nights in a tent surrounded by like minded souls.
So that was Mrs 3D on board for the spitbraai. And didn't she have a great time? I barely saw her in the evenings as she was yapping to all the lovely people we met and telling anyone who'd listen that I was the greatest GS pilot in history. OK, I'm making that last bit up... :biggrin:
The Gydo pass outside Ceres
Happy campers
Gerritt (sp?) cooking up a storm. Well he did, even if the meat is out of shot...
We went up to the Tankwa Padstal via the Katbakkies pass. Great ride, although our trip was nearly ended by an errant Triumph overshooting a corner. Fortunately we both dived right and no harm was done. We did hear of an Italian couple who ended up in a didch and were injured on their way to the spitbraai. Hope it wasn't too serious.
Marieta, Morne and Jakobus (I think, apologies I have a terrible memory for important stuff) at the padstal.
Gotta love an Africa Twin, and here were two!
Two KLRs waiting patiently in the hot sun...
On the road back to the Oasis
Happy days. It was great to be made to feel so welcome. And even the jokes told in Africaans seemed funny after enough beer had been drunk. :biggrin:
The stars were absolutely amazing at the Oasis- there was no moon. Unfortunately I didn't manage to capture anything like their brilliance.
Altus and Simone and their zebrafied 1150. You guys rock! See you in 2017 I hope.
Thanks to Gerritt and Chantal for a great bash and everyone we met, it was a great way to kick off the trip.
"A spitbraai?" said Mrs 3D, "What's that going to be like?" Well, I answered, I guess it's a rally with added meat. "A rally? You mean a bunch of old farts sitting around, drinking beer and talking about bikes" Yes. er...NO! There will be ladies present, and eventually most of the blokes will get bored of talking bikes and we'll get on to
So that was Mrs 3D on board for the spitbraai. And didn't she have a great time? I barely saw her in the evenings as she was yapping to all the lovely people we met and telling anyone who'd listen that I was the greatest GS pilot in history. OK, I'm making that last bit up... :biggrin:
The Gydo pass outside Ceres
Happy campers
Gerritt (sp?) cooking up a storm. Well he did, even if the meat is out of shot...
We went up to the Tankwa Padstal via the Katbakkies pass. Great ride, although our trip was nearly ended by an errant Triumph overshooting a corner. Fortunately we both dived right and no harm was done. We did hear of an Italian couple who ended up in a didch and were injured on their way to the spitbraai. Hope it wasn't too serious.
Marieta, Morne and Jakobus (I think, apologies I have a terrible memory for important stuff) at the padstal.
Gotta love an Africa Twin, and here were two!
Two KLRs waiting patiently in the hot sun...
On the road back to the Oasis
Happy days. It was great to be made to feel so welcome. And even the jokes told in Africaans seemed funny after enough beer had been drunk. :biggrin:
The stars were absolutely amazing at the Oasis- there was no moon. Unfortunately I didn't manage to capture anything like their brilliance.
Altus and Simone and their zebrafied 1150. You guys rock! See you in 2017 I hope.
Thanks to Gerritt and Chantal for a great bash and everyone we met, it was a great way to kick off the trip.
gwild
Race Dog
Dont keep us in suspense we want more 
eepwall:
eepwall:
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- Joined
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:blob9:
After leaving the Oasis on Sunday we headed north through Algeria to Clanwilliam heading to our overnight in Springbok. Nice run through the hills and then along the Olifants river on the opposite side to the N7.
Gassed up at Clanwilliam for the long haul up the N7. Damn near didn't make it to Springbok- fuel pump was whining as we pulled in to town running on fumes. The town was suffering a power cut which was much more than the usual load shedding nonsense, it had been out for 24 hours or more. We dined by candle light. How romantic.
The next day we crossed the border at Vioolsdrift. Very quiet and straightforward. Chatted to a couple on a 1200 travelling fast and light. 140kmh on sand standing on the pegs two up? Respect!
Just a short run to our first stop in Namibia, Norotshama River Resort, which has nice chalets and camping on the Orange/Gariep River.
The next day promised much, a ride through the Richtersveld National Park then north to Helmeringhausen. It was great to be riding in Namibia again, the gravel there is fun without being too much for a heavily laden GS and the scenery is just stunning.
Fuel in Aus
Not all gravel sadly. I think this was a road built for the trucks going to the mine at Rosh Pinah.
When we got to the hotel in Helmenringhausen we ran into a bunch of photography enthusiasts from New Zealand. It didn't take long to find a connection between one of the group and someone we knew in NZ (Mrs 3D is a Kiwi)
Dinner was very fresh
Gassed up at Clanwilliam for the long haul up the N7. Damn near didn't make it to Springbok- fuel pump was whining as we pulled in to town running on fumes. The town was suffering a power cut which was much more than the usual load shedding nonsense, it had been out for 24 hours or more. We dined by candle light. How romantic.
The next day we crossed the border at Vioolsdrift. Very quiet and straightforward. Chatted to a couple on a 1200 travelling fast and light. 140kmh on sand standing on the pegs two up? Respect!
Just a short run to our first stop in Namibia, Norotshama River Resort, which has nice chalets and camping on the Orange/Gariep River.
The next day promised much, a ride through the Richtersveld National Park then north to Helmeringhausen. It was great to be riding in Namibia again, the gravel there is fun without being too much for a heavily laden GS and the scenery is just stunning.
Fuel in Aus
Not all gravel sadly. I think this was a road built for the trucks going to the mine at Rosh Pinah.
When we got to the hotel in Helmenringhausen we ran into a bunch of photography enthusiasts from New Zealand. It didn't take long to find a connection between one of the group and someone we knew in NZ (Mrs 3D is a Kiwi)
Dinner was very fresh
GRAVELTRAVEL
Pack Dog
If you do get to Walvisbay let me know. I have accommodation of required.
Let me know! Would like to meet you
Martin
[email protected] or +264811412390
Let me know! Would like to meet you
Martin
[email protected] or +264811412390
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2010
- Messages
- 3,605
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- Location
- I would rather be in Great Brak...
- Bike
- Honda CRF-1000L Africa Twin
Classic stuff, thanks.
Hi Martin
Home now unfortunately. But I'll be back! :ricky:
Uuurg, bloody dinged my tank refuelling in Helmeringhausen. This doesn't often happen to GSs of course because they mostly land on their cylinder heads, but I missed my footing next to a gas pump which was mounted on a plinth. Ho hum. These nice guys helped get the thing off my leg...
Anyway, off to Solitaire. We saw a lot of wildlife on the way, including some impressive gemsbok. There seems to be more fencing in Namibia since I was last there, and the animals are forced to run alongside or in front of you until there is a gap. Unless you are the one who ran straight into the fence flat out, did a summersault and landed flat on his back on the other side. Made me laugh, and the beast seemed OK.
Damn, those horns look sharp!
Good campsite at Solitaire Guest Farm. Separate ablution block a luxury, and an amazing view. These donkey boilers work amazingly well.
Went up the Spreetshoogte pass. Some of it surprisingly was paved, but still a stoating ride.
This was taken by the German ambassador to Zambia. He invited us to stay at the 'German Residence' in Lusaka. Good job I packed my dinner jacket...
Solitaire apple pie. Nice, but where's the custard???
Pie Girl gets hers.
Anyway, off to Solitaire. We saw a lot of wildlife on the way, including some impressive gemsbok. There seems to be more fencing in Namibia since I was last there, and the animals are forced to run alongside or in front of you until there is a gap. Unless you are the one who ran straight into the fence flat out, did a summersault and landed flat on his back on the other side. Made me laugh, and the beast seemed OK.
Damn, those horns look sharp!
Good campsite at Solitaire Guest Farm. Separate ablution block a luxury, and an amazing view. These donkey boilers work amazingly well.
Went up the Spreetshoogte pass. Some of it surprisingly was paved, but still a stoating ride.
This was taken by the German ambassador to Zambia. He invited us to stay at the 'German Residence' in Lusaka. Good job I packed my dinner jacket...
Solitaire apple pie. Nice, but where's the custard???
Pie Girl gets hers.
Off next to Swakopmund. Kinda wished we hadn't decided on three nights there, but it was OK. Mrs 3D got some time in the saddle riding a quad on the dunes.
The gold is buried here somewhere...
The gold is buried here somewhere...
- Joined
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- Messages
- 271
- Reaction score
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- Bike
- BMW (all models)
Awesome!
BradleyT
Race Dog
Brilliant thanks for sharing. I look forward to the updates. :happy1:
Right, topped up the coffee and sugar supplies in Swak, now heading north. Or at least we would be IF I'D REMEMBERED TO CHECK THE BLOODY ROOM SAFE Yep, 50km up the coast I patted where my money belt should have been and AAAARGH! And it was freezing, and it was a long way to our overnight in Kalmanjab. What a berk...
Anyway, we passed by the ship and shortly afterwards turned inland, the temperature rising with every kilometer we moved away from the coast.
The ride was pretty straightforward through a landscape that looked about as hostile to humans as it's possible to get, people survive but it looked a bit desperate.
If you're up that way, Alpec Bush Camp just outside Kalmanjab is a pretty decent place to stay. There is a warning on the gate about not taking any responsibility for, well, anything. So when I fell off at the camp entrance in a sand hole trapping my ankle under the bike at the end of a pretty shitty 2km track I couldn't complain, could I? : Anyway, some brawny lads appeared and lifted the bike up while I tried to regain my composure. Gotta love Sidi Adventures, reckon they did their job well. My foot was sore, but nothing broken.
They've gone through some Jaegermeister over the last wee while...
Mrs 3D couldn't wait for the barman, so helped herself. Typical.
The following day my foot had swelled up nicely, so I had to adjust the straps on my boot, but once done up felt OK. Heading north through Kaokoland towards the Kunene river it felt as though we were starting to get remote, even by Namibian standards.
However, the road was pretty good, even if north of the bustling town of Opuwo we saw virtually no traffic. Gassing up in Opuwo, we were immediately surrounded by Himba and Herero people trying to sell us stuff, and it was clear that any attempt at un paid for photography was a no-no, so Mrs 3D was reduced to trying to snap pics on the way out of town.
I used my Desert Fox fuel bladder for the first time on this road. Great piece of kit, carried four or five litres, which with the 350km you can go on a tank gives a range that is good enough for most situations. When I wasn't using it I folded it up and stuck it in the pannier 'beavertail'
Anyway, it was all going along fine, until we reached this:
OK, no bridge, tons of sand on the other side and it's stinking hot. What to do? I had visions of completely unloading the bike and walking it through, but while we were scouting up and down for a better place to ford the river, some youngsters appeared and told me I could cross about 500m upstream- there were tracks everywhere, so this wasn't obvious. Anyway, they led us to a spot where we could cross- loads of deep sand but against all the odds I managed to ride it, with a bit of help in the form of some pushing from the larger lads. They then showed us the way back to the road. Damn though, it was hot.
Our rescuers/guides
I fished around in my pocket and found about eight dollars and pressed it into the hand of the lad lad who had been doing the talking. He looked at it and mumbled something about twenty being better. Cheeky little bugger, but I found some more and told hime to share it with the others. He'll go far, that one. :biggrin:
Once we reached the turnoff to Kunene River Lodge we had to start working hard again- some very steep rocky sections there- or so it seemed on the GS- but I just stayed off the clutch and drove her up and it felt good. I may be learning how to handle the bike on tough sections!. When we got to the lodge I had one of the most enjoyable beers in my life.
Our pitch, right on the river with Angola on the other side. Angola!
Yep, 50km up the coast I patted where my money belt should have been and AAAARGH! And it was freezing, and it was a long way to our overnight in Kalmanjab. What a berk...
Anyway, we passed by the ship and shortly afterwards turned inland, the temperature rising with every kilometer we moved away from the coast.
The ride was pretty straightforward through a landscape that looked about as hostile to humans as it's possible to get, people survive but it looked a bit desperate.
If you're up that way, Alpec Bush Camp just outside Kalmanjab is a pretty decent place to stay. There is a warning on the gate about not taking any responsibility for, well, anything. So when I fell off at the camp entrance in a sand hole trapping my ankle under the bike at the end of a pretty shitty 2km track I couldn't complain, could I? :
Anyway, some brawny lads appeared and lifted the bike up while I tried to regain my composure. Gotta love Sidi Adventures, reckon they did their job well. My foot was sore, but nothing broken.
They've gone through some Jaegermeister over the last wee while...
Mrs 3D couldn't wait for the barman, so helped herself. Typical.
The following day my foot had swelled up nicely, so I had to adjust the straps on my boot, but once done up felt OK. Heading north through Kaokoland towards the Kunene river it felt as though we were starting to get remote, even by Namibian standards.
However, the road was pretty good, even if north of the bustling town of Opuwo we saw virtually no traffic. Gassing up in Opuwo, we were immediately surrounded by Himba and Herero people trying to sell us stuff, and it was clear that any attempt at un paid for photography was a no-no, so Mrs 3D was reduced to trying to snap pics on the way out of town.
I used my Desert Fox fuel bladder for the first time on this road. Great piece of kit, carried four or five litres, which with the 350km you can go on a tank gives a range that is good enough for most situations. When I wasn't using it I folded it up and stuck it in the pannier 'beavertail'
Anyway, it was all going along fine, until we reached this:
OK, no bridge, tons of sand on the other side and it's stinking hot. What to do? I had visions of completely unloading the bike and walking it through, but while we were scouting up and down for a better place to ford the river, some youngsters appeared and told me I could cross about 500m upstream- there were tracks everywhere, so this wasn't obvious. Anyway, they led us to a spot where we could cross- loads of deep sand but against all the odds I managed to ride it, with a bit of help in the form of some pushing from the larger lads. They then showed us the way back to the road. Damn though, it was hot.
Our rescuers/guides
I fished around in my pocket and found about eight dollars and pressed it into the hand of the lad lad who had been doing the talking. He looked at it and mumbled something about twenty being better. Cheeky little bugger, but I found some more and told hime to share it with the others. He'll go far, that one. :biggrin:
Once we reached the turnoff to Kunene River Lodge we had to start working hard again- some very steep rocky sections there- or so it seemed on the GS- but I just stayed off the clutch and drove her up and it felt good. I may be learning how to handle the bike on tough sections!. When we got to the lodge I had one of the most enjoyable beers in my life.
Our pitch, right on the river with Angola on the other side. Angola!
Voetpomp
Pack Dog
Respect!!
Thx for the share, keep it coming :thumleft:
Thx for the share, keep it coming :thumleft:
