Doringboom
Race Dog
Hallo everybody :wave:
This year, like the past two years, I again attended the annual Buffalo Rally and again I used it as an opportunity to return to Pretoria only after I have made a far and wide loop through the southern and western parts of our beautiful country. What follows is my day-to-day tour plan, indicating the towns I went through, the roads I have ridden and the daily distances that were clocked. Inbetween I have thrown in a few photo highlights and only the most essential text to ensure that you are informed of the where's, what's, how's, why's, etc. I am not going to talk about the lowlight now - it hurts too much! Please wait until we get there. Ok, here we go:
13 March 2008: Pretoria â?? (N1) - Johannesburg â?? (N3) - Heidelberg â?? (N3) - Villiers â?? (R26) - Frankfort â?? (R26) - Reitz â?? (R26) - Bethlehem â?? (R26) - Fouriesburg â?? (R26) - Ficksburg â?? (R26) - Ladybrand â?? (R26) - Hobhouse â?? (R26) - Wepener â?? (R26) - Zastron â?? (R26) - Rouxville â?? (N6) - Aliwal North [709 km - tar all the way]
The beautiful steel bridge across the Orange River, dating from 1937, that links the Free State and the Eastern Cape at Aliwal North.
14 - 15 March 2008: Buffalo Rally, Aliwal North :headbang:
Typical rally accommodations under huge blue gum trees. The weather was perfect and there was more than enough space for a million tents.
"All sorts of people ride all sorts of bikes!" This is the only stereotyping I risk in my opinion of what goes on at any rally.
An interesting wheelie machine on which you can practise for your journey to fame, but without shame.
Lots of inquisitive eyes are watching to see how many horses this Kawa puts out.
16 March 2008: Aliwal North â?? (R58) - Burgersdorp â?? (R391) - Hofmeyr â?? (R390) - Cradock â?? (R357, R337) - Pearston â?? (R337, R75) - Jansenville â?? (R337) - Klipplaat â?? (R337) - Miller â?? (R337, R329) - Willowmore [521 km]
Yours truly at a Boer War block house overlooking the beautiful town of Burgersdorp.
Some views of the town. Here is from the blockhouse ....
.... and here is from a road going up a hill that overlooks the town.
The town of Hofmeyr lies in the distance.
On the Swaershoek Pass, on my way from Cradock to Pearston.
Looking from the top of the pass in the direction of Pearston.
Some old road signs that are hardly legible.
Looking back in the direction of the Swaershoek Pass mountains.
A noorsdoring plant. No wonder the area around Jansenville is also known as the Noorsveld. These plants are everywhere!
An old steam locomotive on its last resting-place at Klipplaat.
17 March 2008: Willowmore â?? (N9, R341) â?? De Rust â?? (N12) - Klaarstroom â?? (N12, R407) - Prince Albert â?? (Swartberg Pass, R328) - Oudtshoorn â?? (R62) - Calitzdorp â?? (R62) - Ladismith â?? (R62) - Barrydale â?? (R324) - Suurbraak â?? (R324, N2) - Swellendam [466 km]
The street-front appearance of the guesthouse in Willowmore where I slept over.
A scene from the R341 not far from De Rust.
Riding through Meiringspoort between De Rust and Klaarstroom is an experience second to none.
A view over a beautiful valley the leads in the direction of Prince Albert further on.
WARNING: PREPARE FOR THE LOWLIGHT! :sad1:
At the turn-off of the Swartberg Pass road just outside of Prince Albert I stopped next to the road to enquire from oncoming vehicles about the condition of the road. I stopped two cars and one motorbike (all with European tourists). Except for the driver of the first car, the rest of the people were all of the opinion that I will have no problem crossing the pass, given the necessary caution of course. I got on the Tiger, awake and alert. It was midday, with perfect sunny, windless weather. This will be my first experience of the wold-famous Swartberg Pass ever!
Less than 500 metres onwards I came across this roadworks scene where a new bridge is being constructed. A lady with a red flag flagged me to ride slowly (Note: NOT to stop). I was appropriately slow already. I went slightly left and down the slope of the temporary detour. I was in the left spoor and about halfway down towards the river-bed when a huge yellow frontloader made a sudden appearance from behind the bush / tree on the left. By the time the driver / operator thereof saw me and immediately stopped, the massive load bucket (raised about a metre or so from the ground with a load of cement) was right in front of me. I had, I guess, about 3 metres of clearance. I slammed on the foot brake. Given the hard, pebbly road surface, the rear wheel immediately went into a slide, which (in retrospect) I think helped me to make my best evasive manoeuvre, but all in vain!
I hit the front edge of the load bucket with the left plastic hand protector and with my left shoulder. The deflection off the impact caused me to make a landing on the righthand side right there and then. Thank heavens there was space among all the roadworks furniture to make a clear landing!
Here is the detour, looking uphill towards the red-flag lady. The frontloader came from the right. The bike is parked exactly where it was picked up by the site foreman and some of his workers who, I believe, not only saw the aftermath, but also how the scene got set for the accident to happen.
I was not impressed at all! For the first few minutes I was dumbstruck by sheer disbelief. The very helpful site foreman in the mean time took control of the scene. The Prince Albert SAPD was contacted and two constables were on the scene within 10 minutes. We all spent time in the foreman's site office completing all the administrative matters, exchanging contact particulars, etc.
The pannier, with the ground clearance it has given, saved the bike from lots of damage. Absolutely nothing has broken. Apart from the handlebar-end that has bent somewhat, it further was only scratches. The bike was still going 100% and I was not injured at all (thanks to wearing full protective clothing). I have since wondered a lot what the outcome could have been had I applied the front brake. (Forum members' opinions will be much appreciated!) Personally I think it could have been more disastrous: Either a premature fall underneath the load bucket or a head-on collision into the side of the load bucket. I cannot accept a more than 5% chance of coming to a standstill in time!
LET'S CONTINUE WITH THE HIGHLIGHTS! :happy11:
On my way to the top of the Swartberg Pass. The road is in a poor condition at places, but I never had any regrets of taking it on. It is an awesome road to ride!
The view towards Oudtshoorn.
18 March 2008: Swellendam â?? (N2, R319) - Bredasdorp â?? (R319) - Voëlvlei â?? (R43) - Franskraal â?? (R43) - Gansbaai [175 km]
On my way to the sea from Bredasdorp.
On the sea-side at Franskraal.
Danger Point lighthouse.
Gansbaai harbour.
19 March 2008: Gansbaai â?? (R43) - Stanford â?? (R43) - Hermanus â?? (R43, R44) - Kleinmond â?? (R44) - Betty's Bay â?? (R44) - Rooiels â?? (R44) - Gordons Bay â?? (R44) - Strand â?? (N2, R300, N1) - Durbanville [193 km]
"Almal wil 'n huisie by die see hê ....!" 8) Pringle Bay.
Pringle Bay.
On the way to Gordons Bay.
Looking to the south from where I was coming.
20 March 2008: Durbanville â?? (N1, R44) - Paarl â?? (R44) - Wellington â?? (R303) - Ceres â?? (R46, R355) - Calvinia â?? (R27) - Brandvlei â?? (R27) - Kenhardt â?? (R27) - Keimoes â?? (N14) - Upington [753 km]
On my way to Calvinia from Ceres - prime Karoo highway!
Closer to Calvinia the road becomes less of a highway: Some water-flow damage at places and with more turns and hills too.
"O die pyngedagte, my bike het geval!" Wherever I get off the bike I must face the damage :crybaby2: I left my bulky camping luggage in Durbanville with my nephew. I will take delivery of it at some later stage.
Bloukrans Pass - sadly my last pass for the entire trip!
Looking south from the Bloukrans Pass. Soon it will be tar road again and with not much photographical inspiration all the way back to Pretoria.
25 March 2008: Upington â?? (N14) â?? Pretoria [822 km - tar all the way]
Some statistics:
1. Total distance: 3 658 km
2. Best fuel consumption: 21,96 km/l
3. Worse fuel consumption: 19,04 km/l
4. Draft quote (yesterday) by Triumph for the repair of my bike (replacing every single damaged part): Just over R31 000.00
I hope you have all enjoyed the report. Until a next time. Ride safe everybody!
Regards
Doringboom
This year, like the past two years, I again attended the annual Buffalo Rally and again I used it as an opportunity to return to Pretoria only after I have made a far and wide loop through the southern and western parts of our beautiful country. What follows is my day-to-day tour plan, indicating the towns I went through, the roads I have ridden and the daily distances that were clocked. Inbetween I have thrown in a few photo highlights and only the most essential text to ensure that you are informed of the where's, what's, how's, why's, etc. I am not going to talk about the lowlight now - it hurts too much! Please wait until we get there. Ok, here we go:
13 March 2008: Pretoria â?? (N1) - Johannesburg â?? (N3) - Heidelberg â?? (N3) - Villiers â?? (R26) - Frankfort â?? (R26) - Reitz â?? (R26) - Bethlehem â?? (R26) - Fouriesburg â?? (R26) - Ficksburg â?? (R26) - Ladybrand â?? (R26) - Hobhouse â?? (R26) - Wepener â?? (R26) - Zastron â?? (R26) - Rouxville â?? (N6) - Aliwal North [709 km - tar all the way]
The beautiful steel bridge across the Orange River, dating from 1937, that links the Free State and the Eastern Cape at Aliwal North.
14 - 15 March 2008: Buffalo Rally, Aliwal North :headbang:
Typical rally accommodations under huge blue gum trees. The weather was perfect and there was more than enough space for a million tents.
"All sorts of people ride all sorts of bikes!" This is the only stereotyping I risk in my opinion of what goes on at any rally.
An interesting wheelie machine on which you can practise for your journey to fame, but without shame.
Lots of inquisitive eyes are watching to see how many horses this Kawa puts out.
16 March 2008: Aliwal North â?? (R58) - Burgersdorp â?? (R391) - Hofmeyr â?? (R390) - Cradock â?? (R357, R337) - Pearston â?? (R337, R75) - Jansenville â?? (R337) - Klipplaat â?? (R337) - Miller â?? (R337, R329) - Willowmore [521 km]
Yours truly at a Boer War block house overlooking the beautiful town of Burgersdorp.
Some views of the town. Here is from the blockhouse ....
.... and here is from a road going up a hill that overlooks the town.
The town of Hofmeyr lies in the distance.
On the Swaershoek Pass, on my way from Cradock to Pearston.
Looking from the top of the pass in the direction of Pearston.
Some old road signs that are hardly legible.
Looking back in the direction of the Swaershoek Pass mountains.
A noorsdoring plant. No wonder the area around Jansenville is also known as the Noorsveld. These plants are everywhere!
An old steam locomotive on its last resting-place at Klipplaat.
17 March 2008: Willowmore â?? (N9, R341) â?? De Rust â?? (N12) - Klaarstroom â?? (N12, R407) - Prince Albert â?? (Swartberg Pass, R328) - Oudtshoorn â?? (R62) - Calitzdorp â?? (R62) - Ladismith â?? (R62) - Barrydale â?? (R324) - Suurbraak â?? (R324, N2) - Swellendam [466 km]
The street-front appearance of the guesthouse in Willowmore where I slept over.
A scene from the R341 not far from De Rust.
Riding through Meiringspoort between De Rust and Klaarstroom is an experience second to none.
A view over a beautiful valley the leads in the direction of Prince Albert further on.
WARNING: PREPARE FOR THE LOWLIGHT! :sad1:
At the turn-off of the Swartberg Pass road just outside of Prince Albert I stopped next to the road to enquire from oncoming vehicles about the condition of the road. I stopped two cars and one motorbike (all with European tourists). Except for the driver of the first car, the rest of the people were all of the opinion that I will have no problem crossing the pass, given the necessary caution of course. I got on the Tiger, awake and alert. It was midday, with perfect sunny, windless weather. This will be my first experience of the wold-famous Swartberg Pass ever!
Less than 500 metres onwards I came across this roadworks scene where a new bridge is being constructed. A lady with a red flag flagged me to ride slowly (Note: NOT to stop). I was appropriately slow already. I went slightly left and down the slope of the temporary detour. I was in the left spoor and about halfway down towards the river-bed when a huge yellow frontloader made a sudden appearance from behind the bush / tree on the left. By the time the driver / operator thereof saw me and immediately stopped, the massive load bucket (raised about a metre or so from the ground with a load of cement) was right in front of me. I had, I guess, about 3 metres of clearance. I slammed on the foot brake. Given the hard, pebbly road surface, the rear wheel immediately went into a slide, which (in retrospect) I think helped me to make my best evasive manoeuvre, but all in vain!
I hit the front edge of the load bucket with the left plastic hand protector and with my left shoulder. The deflection off the impact caused me to make a landing on the righthand side right there and then. Thank heavens there was space among all the roadworks furniture to make a clear landing!
Here is the detour, looking uphill towards the red-flag lady. The frontloader came from the right. The bike is parked exactly where it was picked up by the site foreman and some of his workers who, I believe, not only saw the aftermath, but also how the scene got set for the accident to happen.
I was not impressed at all! For the first few minutes I was dumbstruck by sheer disbelief. The very helpful site foreman in the mean time took control of the scene. The Prince Albert SAPD was contacted and two constables were on the scene within 10 minutes. We all spent time in the foreman's site office completing all the administrative matters, exchanging contact particulars, etc.
The pannier, with the ground clearance it has given, saved the bike from lots of damage. Absolutely nothing has broken. Apart from the handlebar-end that has bent somewhat, it further was only scratches. The bike was still going 100% and I was not injured at all (thanks to wearing full protective clothing). I have since wondered a lot what the outcome could have been had I applied the front brake. (Forum members' opinions will be much appreciated!) Personally I think it could have been more disastrous: Either a premature fall underneath the load bucket or a head-on collision into the side of the load bucket. I cannot accept a more than 5% chance of coming to a standstill in time!
LET'S CONTINUE WITH THE HIGHLIGHTS! :happy11:
On my way to the top of the Swartberg Pass. The road is in a poor condition at places, but I never had any regrets of taking it on. It is an awesome road to ride!
The view towards Oudtshoorn.
18 March 2008: Swellendam â?? (N2, R319) - Bredasdorp â?? (R319) - Voëlvlei â?? (R43) - Franskraal â?? (R43) - Gansbaai [175 km]
On my way to the sea from Bredasdorp.
On the sea-side at Franskraal.
Danger Point lighthouse.
Gansbaai harbour.
19 March 2008: Gansbaai â?? (R43) - Stanford â?? (R43) - Hermanus â?? (R43, R44) - Kleinmond â?? (R44) - Betty's Bay â?? (R44) - Rooiels â?? (R44) - Gordons Bay â?? (R44) - Strand â?? (N2, R300, N1) - Durbanville [193 km]
"Almal wil 'n huisie by die see hê ....!" 8) Pringle Bay.
Pringle Bay.
On the way to Gordons Bay.
Looking to the south from where I was coming.
20 March 2008: Durbanville â?? (N1, R44) - Paarl â?? (R44) - Wellington â?? (R303) - Ceres â?? (R46, R355) - Calvinia â?? (R27) - Brandvlei â?? (R27) - Kenhardt â?? (R27) - Keimoes â?? (N14) - Upington [753 km]
On my way to Calvinia from Ceres - prime Karoo highway!
Closer to Calvinia the road becomes less of a highway: Some water-flow damage at places and with more turns and hills too.
"O die pyngedagte, my bike het geval!" Wherever I get off the bike I must face the damage :crybaby2: I left my bulky camping luggage in Durbanville with my nephew. I will take delivery of it at some later stage.
Bloukrans Pass - sadly my last pass for the entire trip!
Looking south from the Bloukrans Pass. Soon it will be tar road again and with not much photographical inspiration all the way back to Pretoria.
25 March 2008: Upington â?? (N14) â?? Pretoria [822 km - tar all the way]
Some statistics:
1. Total distance: 3 658 km
2. Best fuel consumption: 21,96 km/l
3. Worse fuel consumption: 19,04 km/l
4. Draft quote (yesterday) by Triumph for the repair of my bike (replacing every single damaged part): Just over R31 000.00
I hope you have all enjoyed the report. Until a next time. Ride safe everybody!
Regards
Doringboom
