- Joined
- Jan 24, 2006
- Messages
- 5,159
- Reaction score
- 345
- Location
- Brakpan, South Africa
- Bike
- BMW R1200GS HP2
Picture me quietly sitting at home and my CCOC (Current companion of Choice) recons – “Let’s go and buy some paint and paint the interior of the house a nice Terracotta colour”. I think “WTF” – I’m on leave and no way me doing anything strenuous around the house. And in any case painting the house it not something you plan in 5 minutes. Wommin claim they don’t fart, so it rises up to their brains and that’s where they get their shitty ideas.
This was my queue that I should hit the road.
30 Minutes later Honey was packed and me ready to hit the road. I started off over Skurweberg as I want to see the condition of the gravel roads after the heavy rains of the last few days. At the Hennops river crossing the water was flowing over the bridge. Yes it certainly rained a lot!
Hennops river crossing
From here I headed for Harties, where I passed the notoriously muddy canal road - I was not going to attempt this solo and headed for the gravel road leading to the Groot Klip about 6 km’s outside Brits.
Glorious roads towards Die Groot Klip
The roads were in an absolute glorious condition and in no time I was passing Assen and heading for a quaint little village called Ga-Rasai.. After a cold one I headed for the Borakalalo game Reserve which I passed on the southern side and eventually pulled into Koro Koro around 3 pm. Sweis, the owner, informed me that he unfortunately had no space for me, but one of the campers overheard the conversation and offered that I could put my tent on his stand!
The bustling metropolis of Ga-Rasai. Nice shebeen next door!
This one couldn’t get out of the way quick enough.
A busy Koro Koro
Fire going courtesy of my landlord
Full moon above – really awesome
Some campers have a weird sense of humour
Tent erected amidst the peering eyes of 10’s of campers I headed to town to get some meat, coke, ice and other stuff. That night I listened to my “landlord” talking about camping with wife, kids and mother in law while I gently gulped the contents of my gifkan. After his missus reprimanded him about the amount of brandy he had already consumed I realised there was no way in hell I was going to join him (them) for supper and placed my “skaapribbetjie” on my tripod so it would cook even slower. It must be a true SA experience to go camping wiff da wife, kids and mother in law. Sorry KillRoy, I guess I’m not a true Suff Efrican – no Blue Bulls, Toyota bakkie, camping with the above, etc for me! …..and let me tell you – she was not a small woman.
Anyhow me and old faithful kept each other our lonesome company till the wee hours of the morning before I finally stumbled to brush my teeth and eventually pass out on my @#$%^&* leaking mattress.
The next morning I was up at 5:30, tea and rusks, cleaned all the cooking gear and by 7:30 was ready to hit the road. The previous afternoon I had seen a sign that read Rankins Pass inside Warmbaths and as I was on a mission to ride as many of SA passes as possible I decided to give this one a go.
Heading for Alma
Jan Trichard Pass
Pedestrians on Trichard Pass
Rankins Pass as I was told by a senior citizen from Alma actually meant you were passing the spot where Mr Ranking farmed, so you were passing his pozzy but not actually going up a pass. He (the toppy) directed me towards the Jan Trichard pass and the Bakkerspass past that took me on a very scenic route. On my R/H side was the majestic Waterberge, while the left was covered with game farm upon game farm with several game in attendance. This road led towards Thabazimbi, but I turned north towards Ellisras before I got to town.
Heading towards Bakkers pass
Game on the left…………
Majestic mountains on the rights……..
Krans Assvoels in attendance
From Ellisras I headed west towards the Botswana border and then turned south all along the Botswana border on a road that most certainly can rate as one of the best gravel roads I have ridden in some time. The road was graded in the recent past and pinning Honey at 180 was fun till my responsible self reminded me that if a Koedoe were to jump infront of me now I would be fcuked, so I’d tap off. This would last about 2 min before I would pin it again. Hell the conscience is a fcuker!
More tall spectators……..
Loose pebbles making for interesting riding
Eventually I reached Derdepoort where I decided to turn due east and head back to Koro. I passed through Thabazimbi and took the gravel section to Rooiberg where I settled for a pub lunch at the Koekepan. Swannie was in attendance and unfortunately I had the sad “misfortune” to inform him of Iep’s death. They were old flatmates but for some unknown reason he was not informed about Iep’s untimely death!
Absolutely nothing happening at Buffelsdrif
Crossing the Crocodile River
Koekepan pub
Getting back to Koro was a non event and by 4pm I was having a cold B&C after covering the odd 750 kms for the day! That night my gifkan and I had another serious get together while grilling a beef kebab all the while the paedophile in me eyed all the young girls scrolling about the camp site. Fortunately my conscience got the better of me, so I passed out long before I could commit any crimes.
Another evening under the full moon
The CCOC asked me if I would please be at home on old years eve, so the next day I packed and headed home. Blissful riding cleared the mind and I headed home ready to face more shitty ideas from the CCOC and the New Year.
Thanks to Honey for taking me to previously unknown spots and my gifkan for keeping me company!
All the best for 2010.
:ricky:
This was my queue that I should hit the road.
30 Minutes later Honey was packed and me ready to hit the road. I started off over Skurweberg as I want to see the condition of the gravel roads after the heavy rains of the last few days. At the Hennops river crossing the water was flowing over the bridge. Yes it certainly rained a lot!
Hennops river crossing
From here I headed for Harties, where I passed the notoriously muddy canal road - I was not going to attempt this solo and headed for the gravel road leading to the Groot Klip about 6 km’s outside Brits.
Glorious roads towards Die Groot Klip
The roads were in an absolute glorious condition and in no time I was passing Assen and heading for a quaint little village called Ga-Rasai.. After a cold one I headed for the Borakalalo game Reserve which I passed on the southern side and eventually pulled into Koro Koro around 3 pm. Sweis, the owner, informed me that he unfortunately had no space for me, but one of the campers overheard the conversation and offered that I could put my tent on his stand!
The bustling metropolis of Ga-Rasai. Nice shebeen next door!
This one couldn’t get out of the way quick enough.
A busy Koro Koro
Fire going courtesy of my landlord
Full moon above – really awesome
Some campers have a weird sense of humour
Tent erected amidst the peering eyes of 10’s of campers I headed to town to get some meat, coke, ice and other stuff. That night I listened to my “landlord” talking about camping with wife, kids and mother in law while I gently gulped the contents of my gifkan. After his missus reprimanded him about the amount of brandy he had already consumed I realised there was no way in hell I was going to join him (them) for supper and placed my “skaapribbetjie” on my tripod so it would cook even slower. It must be a true SA experience to go camping wiff da wife, kids and mother in law. Sorry KillRoy, I guess I’m not a true Suff Efrican – no Blue Bulls, Toyota bakkie, camping with the above, etc for me! …..and let me tell you – she was not a small woman.
Anyhow me and old faithful kept each other our lonesome company till the wee hours of the morning before I finally stumbled to brush my teeth and eventually pass out on my @#$%^&* leaking mattress.
The next morning I was up at 5:30, tea and rusks, cleaned all the cooking gear and by 7:30 was ready to hit the road. The previous afternoon I had seen a sign that read Rankins Pass inside Warmbaths and as I was on a mission to ride as many of SA passes as possible I decided to give this one a go.
Heading for Alma
Jan Trichard Pass
Pedestrians on Trichard Pass
Rankins Pass as I was told by a senior citizen from Alma actually meant you were passing the spot where Mr Ranking farmed, so you were passing his pozzy but not actually going up a pass. He (the toppy) directed me towards the Jan Trichard pass and the Bakkerspass past that took me on a very scenic route. On my R/H side was the majestic Waterberge, while the left was covered with game farm upon game farm with several game in attendance. This road led towards Thabazimbi, but I turned north towards Ellisras before I got to town.
Heading towards Bakkers pass
Game on the left…………
Majestic mountains on the rights……..
Krans Assvoels in attendance
From Ellisras I headed west towards the Botswana border and then turned south all along the Botswana border on a road that most certainly can rate as one of the best gravel roads I have ridden in some time. The road was graded in the recent past and pinning Honey at 180 was fun till my responsible self reminded me that if a Koedoe were to jump infront of me now I would be fcuked, so I’d tap off. This would last about 2 min before I would pin it again. Hell the conscience is a fcuker!
More tall spectators……..
Loose pebbles making for interesting riding
Eventually I reached Derdepoort where I decided to turn due east and head back to Koro. I passed through Thabazimbi and took the gravel section to Rooiberg where I settled for a pub lunch at the Koekepan. Swannie was in attendance and unfortunately I had the sad “misfortune” to inform him of Iep’s death. They were old flatmates but for some unknown reason he was not informed about Iep’s untimely death!
Absolutely nothing happening at Buffelsdrif
Crossing the Crocodile River
Koekepan pub
Getting back to Koro was a non event and by 4pm I was having a cold B&C after covering the odd 750 kms for the day! That night my gifkan and I had another serious get together while grilling a beef kebab all the while the paedophile in me eyed all the young girls scrolling about the camp site. Fortunately my conscience got the better of me, so I passed out long before I could commit any crimes.
Another evening under the full moon
The CCOC asked me if I would please be at home on old years eve, so the next day I packed and headed home. Blissful riding cleared the mind and I headed home ready to face more shitty ideas from the CCOC and the New Year.
Thanks to Honey for taking me to previously unknown spots and my gifkan for keeping me company!
All the best for 2010.
:ricky:
