My Fooooook Rietbron; will I ever get to see you?

[NIMMO]

A few of the local guys wanted to do a trip to the coast and do some site seeing along the R62.  I was keen to go but would take an alternative route down. 
Yamaha660, Tampan and I would stick to gravel and Hein & Johlan would take the N1 to get to Beaufort West where Wynand would meet up with them.
The first stop would be Prins Albert, we would all meet up there again.
The week before the trip we had some proper rain.  Even the day before we left we still had heavy downpours.

 



I personally would have left Colesberg with a smile  :biggrin:  even if we had to start the trip in pouring rains – it is DRY in our part of the country  :-\ and we had forgotten what rains looked like. When our first rains came I had to search for the controls to my wipers in the bakkie. :deal: 
The day before we left yamaha660 came down with a cold and withdrew.

We left Colesberg the Tuesday morning. Lood and I at 07:00 and the other two would hit the N1 at 08:00. 












Fate however saw Lood and me back in Colesberg after only 12km with Lood’s clutch losing pressure.  atch:
It was however only a fluid issue and we only needed some mineral oil and to bleed the system – ja right; in Colesberg  ot: – we opted for baby oil after a quick call to Cocky.
By 08:00 as we set off we ran into the other 2.  We all left at the same time.




The roads were a pleasure, no dust and plenty of water to negotiate.





Locally the wildlife & eco tourism business is taking off.

 




The farm roads are not getting the attention they need and a lot of the motorhekke look like this, issues at speed and without warning signs.













I lost my headlight guard in a splash and luckily Tampan saw it and picked it up.  Thx for that  :thumleft:




In Hanover we filled up.




We met this lady with plenty of tattoos on her way to CT, despite the looks she was quite chatty.  :bueller:





We had a look around.  Nice to see people starting businesses in some small towns.



















I plotted a route from Hanover to the west of Nieu Bethesda going down to Graaff Reinet, it was a gem.  Plenty of water and with that some very slippery sections. 





This farmer shared my thoughts on the state of motorhekke  eepwall: ot: :imaposer: :imaposer:

 

[NIMMO]

Toyota’s don’t get stuck or what is the story again?  eepwall: eepwall:















We had a very nice burger (could have been hunger) in GR. 





I should probably tell you that I have tried to see Rietbron on three previous occasions and every time I could not make it.  atch: atch: atch:  Flooding, punctures, time issues etc.  This time however I had my sights set on getting to it.

From Adendorp on the Klaarstroom road I plotted a route to Aberdeen, this would turn out to be a truly adventurous road.  The first section of road in all honesty was not that bad and that was probably why we pushed a little harder that we should have. 
I hit a driffie and the front bottomed out, simultaneously the rear got a proper opskop and it ended with me frontwheeling the 990 for about 8 meters before I managed to get the backwheel down – If the front did not release when it did I would have surely flipped the damn thing.  :xxbah:  I stopped to warn Lood and as I looked back he was already frontwheeling his 990 at probably 80km/h.  :eek7: :eek7: :eek7:  By the way he locked his rear after getting his bike under control I could tell he too had a tiny little Oh Sheeet moment.  ot: ot:







We gathered our thoughts pulled the onderbroeke from our clenched cheeks and hit the road – a little more cautious than before. The road deteriorated fast and you could tell they must have had a hell of a storm. 





Close enough to Aberdeen to see the traffic in the distance we ran into this: :eek7: :eek7: :eek7:







As with all photos of depth – these do not do justice to the incline and the height of the steps.  :eek7:
A truely Losper and 10 men obstacle.  We started working to build a track up. It was HOT and it quickly drained the energy.  The mud was PROPPER potklei and even walking was a mission.  My bike first.  After managing to negotiate it halfway up the slope we simply could not get it up the highest step – no traction whatsoever.  atch:













So close to Aberdeen and yet so far.  :deal: :dousing:
Getting the bike turned around and back to the bruggie turned out to be way, way, waaaay more difficult than either of us expected.  We were knackered.
If we had come from the other side we would have had MAJOR issues – it would have been disastrous to say the least. atch:

The whole expedition not only drained our strength it also chewed up time.  I was wondering if I would ever get to see Rietbron.
We decide to go back and take the first farm entrance on our left hoping we would find a farm road taking us to the N9.  This road also had its fair share of obstacles.  ot:





Gettign the 990 up was like watching cartoons – you would battle it halfway up only to slide in the potklei with straight legs back down to your arse in the mud.  :imaposer: :imaposer:




Along the way the farmer on whose property we were trespassing stopped and his first words to me (covered in mud) were: “Clay are a bliksem” – we soon changed to mother tongue and he explained the way to salvation. He was right klei are 'n bliksem.  :imaposer: :imaposer: :imaposer:






We made Aberdeen and received this from the other guys, it was salt in the wounds after the past 2 hours.

 

[woody1]

:ricky:

 

[NIMMO]

In Aberdeen Lood hosed me down and I in turn got the mud from my radiator and after a quick stop we were going again.  It was already late in the afternoon.





Probably ¾ of the way to the R61 we ran into this (The Rietbron curse – I am sure of it).




No warning of any road closure or private road (which it was not), after a couple of calls someone would come to unlock it.  Lood took the time to dry his clothes – it was already soaked. :ricky: ot:
After Jonas opened the gate we pushed to make up some time.  Next stop Rietbron – that is IFFF nothing else was going to prevent us.







From the R61 south to Rietbron we made good time ad FINALLY made it.  :thumleft: :thumleft: :thumleft: :thumleft: :thumleft: :thumleft:





Entering Rietbron we passed the graveyard – I could not think of a more desolate place to be buried.





The town had a beautiful church and outbuildings.




I read somewhere a local oomie was restoring the houses there to their former glory – we saw some of them.  :thumleft:





Here children were children, no tablets & phones. :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin:





Note the street names – Rietbron is so desolate even the ANC has not bothered to change the names.  ot:





I was getting really late now and Lood and I had to motor to get to PA before dark. 









We only just made it with the last bit of daylight.







The other bikes looked as if they had just bought them compared to our bikes. It was nice seeing the other guys after a day like this. 

We had a lekker meal and Lood and I were sleeping like babies by the time the others were still puffing pillows. :imaposer: :imaposer: ot:
It was a great, long, day. :thumleft:

     



 

 

[cocky]

Awesome RR, lye na n lekker Jean

 

[Wolzac]

:thumleft: I met a Wild Dog in Rietbron that worked  in Afghanistan  and his Family was stationed in this Godforsaken Place. He explained that it was very safe and a lovely Community. Last Time I went there the Shopkeeper told me he was badly injured on a flying Mission and that he was recovering in Oudtshoorn.
Thanks for sharing, I really like riding that same Area.

 

[Noneking]

Lekker! :thumleft:

 

[NIMMO]

Wednesday

After a great nights rest we got the kit packed and Hein, Johlan, Lood and I set off to do Swartberg and the Hell.  Wynand had a appointment at his house in Springerbaai and would meet us there.  He would go via Meiringspoort.







The weather was great.
The pass remains a thing of beauty















The road to the hell was fairly rough the first couple of km but the rest was ok.















Briv’s driffie :  https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=208365.msg3812313#msg3812313














It was very dry and dusty







Briv lost his heart to someone last time we were here, I simply made sure her’s still ticked  ot:









Len also:






We had a nice breakfast before heading back up again – I can honestly say I have never been so lazy to start back – must have been the previous days sports.
Intermitedly Lood’s bike would have display issues, dying and starting up. It was doing it since we started getting water crossings the previous day – we hoped it would sort itself out. atch:
Hein also had issues with the 800 losing power and then accelerating on its own.







By now it was scorching hot, we made Oudtshoorn and had some cold ones then left for Mosselbay via the Robinson’s pass.

In Mosselbay Lood replaced his tyre and we bought some meat and did the last few km to Springerbaai to meet up with Wynand again.





We spent the rest of the afternoon and night admiring the sea and having a great braai with friends.






Thanks again Wynand and Johlan for your hospitality  :thumleft:




     

 

[Snafu]

Had an awesome time at the the Rietbron tennis club, on one of our hunting expeditions

 

[NIMMO]

Had an awesome time at the the Rietbron tennis club, on one of our hunting expeditions

I wanted to take a photo there - they were as new.  I noticed they must have a club and that the courts were newly renovated and the grounds well kept.  :thumleft:

 

[BikerJan]

Lekker ry verslag!

Stuur groete aan Wynand en Johlan. Eersteklas mense!

 

[NIMMO]

Thursday

This was the start to our day  ot: ot: :ricky:





Hein was contemplating buying a Quest Honda and it was his loan bike for the day, he seemed very chuffed. :biggrin:
Our plans were to go have coffee and some tert at Amanda and see Chris as well.  ot:  As always Amanda did not disappoint and Hein and I concurred that the lemon meringue was the best we had ever had.  :deal: :drif: :drif:

They carry a LOT of stock and Enduristan is in my opinion some of the best kit you can buy – support them. :thumleft:
Some great stories later we left for Garcia pass and then the Branrivier road to Barrydale.
But first I went to have a look at Kobus Groenewald’s trekkers



















Barrydale was already scorching hot. :eek7:

Route 62 must bring a LOT of business if I look at how places have sprung up.
Lord Milner in Barrydale - uhmm







[Despite it being a week day PLENTY of chrome bikes and people in leather and chains in the towns and on the road.

Next stop was Ronnie’s.  A place to stop and to tell people you were there but nothing more.










Here I managed to see what the forum had been up to while we were away and just as expected it was a religious dogfight. (Snap Jan de Beer)  :lamer: eepwall: ot:






The idea was to pop in at Veldtie but the heat and time got the better of us, we opted for home again via Robinson’s. :-\

Along the way we lost Lood and Hein but soon received confirmation they were VERY, VERY OK where they were. :imaposer: :imaposer:





What a site








Everyone joined up and we had another night with plenty of stories and laughter before we hit the hay.







     

 

[RobCrouch]

Awesome RR! :thumleft:

 

[NIMMO]

Lekker ry verslag!

Stuur groete aan Wynand en Johlan. Eersteklas mense!

Wie sal ek sê stuur groete?  ot:
Jy is reg great mense met 'n oop hand  :thumleft:

 

[woody1]

Mooi so...nou weet ek ek hoef NOOIT weer in Colesberg te stop nie.  ot: eepwall: :3some:  Ry mos deur my dorp en se nie eers HELLO nie...  Bye !!!!! :laughing4:

 

[NIMMO]

Mooi so...nou weet ek ek hoef NOOIT weer in Colesberg te stop nie.  ot: eepwall: :3some:  Ry mos deur my dorp en se nie eers HELLO nie...  Bye !!!!! :laughing4:

Eish nou weet ek  :biggrin: ;D :imaposer:

 

[BikerJan]

Lekker ry verslag!

Stuur groete aan Wynand en Johlan. Eersteklas mense!

Wie sal ek sê stuur groete?  ot:
Jy is reg great mense met 'n oop hand  :thumleft:

Jan Venter

 

[edgy]

Awesome RR as always boet :thumleft:

 

[Chrisl]

Dankie vir die kuier en ondersteuning, julle het te kort gestop, ek kon net een storie vertel!! :deal: :thumleft: :lol8:

 

[roxenz]

Fooooook…..  maar dit lyk na 'n lekker trip!  :thumleft: :thumleft: :thumleft: