droffarc
Race Dog
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2006
- Messages
- 1,384
- Reaction score
- 138
- Location
- Cape Toon - TransAlp XL650V 2004
- Bike
- Honda NC750X
>
For many months the TA had wanted to add the Lighthouse at Danger Point to its photo collection of lighthouses visited. Now was the time to do so.
The intention was that this would be a tar only ride â?? I had cleaned the TA so nicely after the Cedarberg trip â?? it seemed a pity to dirty it again â?? so! Tar Only! No worries â?? NO DIRT.
It was a beautiful day â?? would be thirty degrees Centigrade they said â?? and when I approached the turnoff from the N2 to Gordonâ??s bay so as to follow the scenic coastal route to Hermanus I found that I had quite a struggle to actually not go straight over Sir Lowryâ??s pass to the shorter Highlands road gravel route. In the end my conscience won and I enjoyed the scenic coastal route.
I stopped off at the new harbor at Hermanus for a rest.
And this is where it all began to go horribly, terribly wrong â?? you see at the last moment I took the dirt road to the view point reasoning that it was only a very short wee little roadie â?? what harm could there be â?? the bike wont get that dirty from such a smally little bit of dirt road.
Later on the way out of Hermanus I was waylayed by the Sirens sweetly singing â?? as if I was brave Ulyses! â?? to see what was at Prawn Flats â?? and here was also just a small little tiny bit of dirt.
Eventually I passed through Stanford where I had intended to re-fuel but there was a queue at the petrol station and I did not feel like standing in a queue in the hot sun so on I went to Gansbaaai where I was the only customer at the petrol station.
I stopped at the Spar â?? as usual â?? for some liquid refreshment and a wee bite then on to Danger Point.
The Birkenhead â?? a ship previously know as HMS Vulcan (captain had pointy ears I think) struck a rather nasty submerged rock and sank here. All the women and children were saved but most of the soldiers and crew apparently perished and nothing is said of the horses that were on board. This lighthouse was erected for the women? Nah, that canâ??t be right. Anyway the lighthouse was built to warn ships of the nasty rock and as a monument.
The lighthouse keeper wanted R15.00 to go up the red stairway â?? being the cheepskate I am I said that for that much I wanted to go up in the lift!
On the way back there was this dangerous looking masked biker with a rather large gun â?? accompanied by a red chap with horns and a trident - they forced me to follow the untarred coastal track which I secretly enjoyed as it had a few nice technical spots with loose stones, rocks and sand.
In fact I enjoyed it so much I rode all the way back again just to prove it. I also found the Birkinhead Restaurant but was drawn to the gravel road beyond â?? drat, the bike was well and dirty now anyway! This degenerated into a pair of tracks in the sand.
Eventually I found the rather loose surfaced dirt road to Franskraal where I sat for a while to cool in the sea breeze.
Then I hightailed it back to Hermanus and took the Caledon road â?? more dirt
and eventually rode down the Franschoek pass and on to home with a dirty grin and an equally dirty bike â?? Oh well.
For many months the TA had wanted to add the Lighthouse at Danger Point to its photo collection of lighthouses visited. Now was the time to do so.
The intention was that this would be a tar only ride â?? I had cleaned the TA so nicely after the Cedarberg trip â?? it seemed a pity to dirty it again â?? so! Tar Only! No worries â?? NO DIRT.
It was a beautiful day â?? would be thirty degrees Centigrade they said â?? and when I approached the turnoff from the N2 to Gordonâ??s bay so as to follow the scenic coastal route to Hermanus I found that I had quite a struggle to actually not go straight over Sir Lowryâ??s pass to the shorter Highlands road gravel route. In the end my conscience won and I enjoyed the scenic coastal route.
I stopped off at the new harbor at Hermanus for a rest.
And this is where it all began to go horribly, terribly wrong â?? you see at the last moment I took the dirt road to the view point reasoning that it was only a very short wee little roadie â?? what harm could there be â?? the bike wont get that dirty from such a smally little bit of dirt road.
Later on the way out of Hermanus I was waylayed by the Sirens sweetly singing â?? as if I was brave Ulyses! â?? to see what was at Prawn Flats â?? and here was also just a small little tiny bit of dirt.
Eventually I passed through Stanford where I had intended to re-fuel but there was a queue at the petrol station and I did not feel like standing in a queue in the hot sun so on I went to Gansbaaai where I was the only customer at the petrol station.
I stopped at the Spar â?? as usual â?? for some liquid refreshment and a wee bite then on to Danger Point.
The Birkenhead â?? a ship previously know as HMS Vulcan (captain had pointy ears I think) struck a rather nasty submerged rock and sank here. All the women and children were saved but most of the soldiers and crew apparently perished and nothing is said of the horses that were on board. This lighthouse was erected for the women? Nah, that canâ??t be right. Anyway the lighthouse was built to warn ships of the nasty rock and as a monument.
The lighthouse keeper wanted R15.00 to go up the red stairway â?? being the cheepskate I am I said that for that much I wanted to go up in the lift!
On the way back there was this dangerous looking masked biker with a rather large gun â?? accompanied by a red chap with horns and a trident - they forced me to follow the untarred coastal track which I secretly enjoyed as it had a few nice technical spots with loose stones, rocks and sand.
In fact I enjoyed it so much I rode all the way back again just to prove it. I also found the Birkinhead Restaurant but was drawn to the gravel road beyond â?? drat, the bike was well and dirty now anyway! This degenerated into a pair of tracks in the sand.
Eventually I found the rather loose surfaced dirt road to Franskraal where I sat for a while to cool in the sea breeze.
Then I hightailed it back to Hermanus and took the Caledon road â?? more dirt
and eventually rode down the Franschoek pass and on to home with a dirty grin and an equally dirty bike â?? Oh well.
