SODWANA

[ShootingJason]

Its going to be posted in a couple of posts so give me a min to finish... and sorry about pics, had more on camera, just took the ones off my phone:

Heishâ?¦. An adventure for our first rideâ?¦.

I/we spent two months preparing for this trip. Started off by making panniers. Then researching the possible problems bikers have when going out on trips, and therefore inserting heavy duty tubes, slime, tire leavers, huge G-clamps, and two tire welds. The list goes on regarding safety measures.
Gas lamps and stoves, baby cutting boards, small plastic plates, mini awnings for the beach, chairs, blow up matresâ??s, pillows, spare fuel/water. The bike was packed!

The night before putting the last of the clothes inâ?¦

 

[ShootingJason]

We were supposed to be up at 3am to leave at half three to get an extra day in. But only getting to bed at 12 forced me to wake up at 5â?¦ didnâ??t want to ride tired.

Went onto mapsource previously, asked it to route the shortest roads to sodwana from Midrand, and off it sent us through Daveyton / Argent / Ogies / Bethal / Ermalo / Pietretief / Pongola / Jozini / Mabazwana / Sodwana.

Was so nice driving through Daveyton to Bethal. Mapsource took us through back roads along here, and on a Sunday, early in the morning, is so lakker!

A quick stop after Daveyton to get a jersey out for my girlfriend.

 

[ShootingJason]

Ogies was a real eye opener! Hahaâ?¦. It was really small, empty and dirtyâ?¦
From there off to Bethal along a really nice back road with green fields on the sides. Think itâ??s the R555/R545?. At bethal stopped to have a yogi sip/biltong and off to Eermalo. We just dopped all the way from there, until we hit Pongolaâ?¦ this is where it got really cool. Pongolalaat dam/ Jozini Dam, is sexy! Big with such a nice mountains on the other side! There we turned left off to Jozi, up a SE-RI-US hill with leads up those mountains which im sure has eaten many trucks before!

 

[ShootingJason]

From Jozi, dopped along the â??short cutâ?? â??sand roadâ?? to mabazwana! That when I got tuned carrots! First I noticed a clanking, then stopped to find the bottom of the resivour popped out. I wasnâ??t sure what that silver thingy was at first, and thought it was an engine part, thank god it wasnâ??t! Got on the phone and made a few calls to check it was nothing engine orientated. I must have been all that weight, and motoring along at 80 over corrugation which chowed it????

 

[ShootingJason]

Anyway, so it started to feel more and more springy, eventually I had about 10-20 kâ??s left till the tar road leading into mabazwana , which I had to ride at friggin 20km/h! even slower sometimes, so it took ages to cross! Every corner we went around, we wished for the tar road!!!!! It felt forever!!! It was forever!!! That sections probably took like an hour to do! In the heat, with a broken bike that I wasnâ??t sure if it was going to completely fail in the next couple of mins. Was really harshâ?¦. Had already been riding for about 9 hours!!!! Was going at just the worst speed possible to tackle sand, and the bike was all over, with all its weight, and a bouncy shock.

EVENTUALLY we got to the tar road, and as we hit it we both gave a loud sigh of relief through the intercom!!!! Then we upped the speed to about 80 againâ?¦.

We got to the main gates, signed in, and followed off to the camp sight. I overtook a car, and didnâ??t see the first of those little speed bumps. ISH! Wacked it so hard the back bottomed out and squeezed a â??HUCKâ? out of both of us! I felt like such a chop! From then on, the bike had to be treated like a Ferrari over bumps, and couldnâ??t go faster then 30 otherwise things rattled like mad.

Got lost a bit trying to find our campsight! We were in B14 wich only 4x4 are aloud. So contemplated some serious thick sand.

Got there at 5 I think! Took us 11 hours!!!

Then still had to setup camp, in scorching heat!
Managed to quickly walk to the beach, we couldnâ??t not see it before we went to bed!
got back just before dark. Started cooking in little pots and pans while the ants itched our legs all the time. Showered, and off to bed. I really struggle to fall asleep in heat, I get so hot. 1st time I slept without any sheeting over me. I bought a thin sleeping bag liner for myself which I didnâ??t even use. So the good sleep I thought I was going to get after such a hectic day, wasnâ??t on the list for me. I even had a huge glass on wine every night to try help put me to sleep.

 

[ShootingJason]

The next day we snorkeled
Bliksem its AWSOME!!!!! It was the clearest it been in years according to the dood that works at coral divers. We could see so far underwater, and the thousands of fish we saw were so beautiful!!! Canâ??t explainâ?¦ was worth all the shit just to do that!!!!!

Anyway, the next couple of nights were the same story, just with HECTIC sunburnâ?¦ fark in not going to explainâ?¦ its just difficultâ?¦ for us. sunburn/tired/heat/humidity/stranded bike/tired/itchyâ?¦ hehe

I gave up the last night and decided to sleep in a cabin at coral divers (2km for our campsite) for R225, I was gatvol of the camp story! The last day made us want to stay for another two nights at least! Was so awesome at coral divers, really felt like a tropical beach destination, with the bamboo walls and was just really really nice there. We going in march/april again with our spear guns, and going to have a hell of a good time thereâ?¦.

 

[ShootingJason]

Writing this story and thinking back on the trip was really cool, made me appreciate more 

My cousin came with the trainer to fetch us. While loading the trailer, another two ladies where also loading their GS650 & Dakar onto another trailer, who also drove from JHB. The one lady fell and hurt herself just before sodwana. Are they on this forum?? Maybe give us your story?

Anywayaâ?¦. Was crazy and something we wont forget 

 

[CrazyPorra]

Very lekker SJ, so I take it that you camping next year March/April.  >

 

[GIDEON]

Very nice SJ
Nice pictures, bikes looks lekker.
Looks like FUN

 

[Ratel]

The first one is always the worst ;D

Even though you had a couple of problems you still had fun, and that is the most important

 

[YellowFever]

This is a good story with a bad end.

Rule 1: the dakar is not for this, 2 up fully loaded, get a 1150 or 1200. You possibly had all the correct equipment, except the bike.
Rule 2: as a newbie camper, practise close to your home for 1 night stints only, no more than 300km per day x 2 = 600 max. Until you figure out what you need or not.

We travel 2 up and camping fairly often, I've sort of got it figured out now after 18 months. But its trickey, keeping the girl happy is the most important thing.

I think you had bad luck though, pity.

 

[IceCreamMan]

This is a good story with a bad end.

Rule 1: the dakar is not for this, 2 up fully loaded, get a 1150 or 1200. You possibly had all the correct equipment, except the bike.
Rule 2: as a newbie camper, practise close to your home for 1 night stints only, no more than 300km per day x 2 = 600 max. Until you figure out what you need or not.

We travel 2 up and camping fairly often, I've sort of got it figured out now after 18 months. But its trickey, keeping the girl happy is the most important thing.

I think you had bad luck though, pity.

+1 ,camping with a girl person is tricky ...2 nights max with not to much riding an not to much luggage is the trick...serious stuff best left one up

 

[SGB]

Nice ride, agree that you should travel a little lighter on this bike - the Jozini road is enough to damage your false teeth at the best of times.  Pity you could not ride around Sodies, there are some great tracks through the forest to Lake Sibiya and genral area.

Hope you get the scoot fixed and back on the road soon! 

 

[LeonDude]

Nice. Glad you enjoyed it.

 

[Runner]

Nice tent >

 

[Zeff Cowboy]

Nice tent >

I concurr ;D

 

[Kev]

Sweet! :thumleft:

 

[blazes]

It can only get better from now on. Cool. Lucky you did not take the kitchen sink along.

 

[Crazy Horse]

My home town, lovely place, very jealous! 

 

[ShootingJason]

Anyone fished in jozini dam for tigers, from the bank???? planning on doing that sometime! im mal about fishing! havnt caught a tiger yet! im embarrased to admit that.