Vaalseun
Pack Dog
The planets lined up for me again, SWAMBO was visiting the kids in the Cape, and I managed to swindle my boss out of a Friday’s leave.
Inspired by Masai’s excellent report in May, I decided to visit Magoebaskloof and surrounding area. As I don’t have Masai’s gift for words, I will try to compensate with photos.
After dropping my wife off at Lanseria, I fought my way back home again through the morning traffic, quickly loaded my luggage, and then started the battle again through the traffic, direction north-east. I had a quick pap-en-wors brekkie in Dronkwordspruit, thereafter hitting the road north towards Groblersdal.
Shortly before Groblersdal I got pulled over for doing 110km/h in an 80 zone. The damage, R750, ….. eish. I did my best to demonstrate my disappointment, and told the cop that this will absolutely ruin my weekend. It soon became clear that he was prepared to settle out of court, and this gave me some confidence. To cut a long story short, after a long chat about bikes, a demonstration of the virtues of my Garmin Montana, and a practical demonstration of Electronic Suspension Adjustment, the once aggressive traffic officer was a converted biker and eager to buy his first BMW. By now he did not have the heart to fine a fellow biker, and he sent me off with a seriaas final warning. I shook his hand and took off. Just less than a kilometre was another cop in his car under a tree, obviously the "stoppergroep".
Old houses hold some kind of mystery to me, as I always imagine the excitement when the foundations were measured out, the satisfaction when the roof was finished and eventually the lives that were lived in them, until finally they just return to rubble.
North of Groblersdal is the Flag Boshelo dam. Locals were fishing all around the dam, seemingly with considerable success.
Colleague Anton collects aloes, and he shared some of his knowledge about these wonderful plants. The area north of Groblersdal can almost be called an aloe-forest, and I spotted this awesome specimen.
In the distance, the Strydpoort mountain range. I see some maps also refer to the Wolkberge, maybe someone can help me out.
Chuniespoort cuts through the Strydpoort mountain where the road carries on north towards Piets’burg, but with a turnoff to the right towards Magoebaskloof and then on to Tzaneen.
In Haenertsburg I took a quick ride through town, where I spotted this cute little church. The town reminds one of Clarens, and I will definitely return for a longer visit to explore the place a bit more.
The plan was to have an early dinner in Haenertsburg, and then head out to my campsite at Magoebaskloof Getaway, some 16km’s out of town into the kloof. I ordered pork neck with chips and salad, and received a pork chop with chips and salad. I was however ravenous by now, and tucked into the food which turned out not bad at all. Thereafter it was off to the local grocer for a packet of biscuits for later that evening, and also a nice bottle of Spier Chardonnay from the liquor store next door. My biggest fear is always to be trapped in a place without appropriate rations.
I was the only person in the campsite, which meant I could just relax and listen to the evening forest sounds. It’s at times like this that one realises what a beautiful country we have, and how blessed we are. Being alone also meant that I could drink my wine straight from the bottle like a Bergie, as I did not pack a mug. I had a peaceful night which was only disturbed once when an unknown nocturnal creature raided the dustbin for my biscuit wrapping and empty wine bottle.
Inspired by Masai’s excellent report in May, I decided to visit Magoebaskloof and surrounding area. As I don’t have Masai’s gift for words, I will try to compensate with photos.
After dropping my wife off at Lanseria, I fought my way back home again through the morning traffic, quickly loaded my luggage, and then started the battle again through the traffic, direction north-east. I had a quick pap-en-wors brekkie in Dronkwordspruit, thereafter hitting the road north towards Groblersdal.
Shortly before Groblersdal I got pulled over for doing 110km/h in an 80 zone. The damage, R750, ….. eish. I did my best to demonstrate my disappointment, and told the cop that this will absolutely ruin my weekend. It soon became clear that he was prepared to settle out of court, and this gave me some confidence. To cut a long story short, after a long chat about bikes, a demonstration of the virtues of my Garmin Montana, and a practical demonstration of Electronic Suspension Adjustment, the once aggressive traffic officer was a converted biker and eager to buy his first BMW. By now he did not have the heart to fine a fellow biker, and he sent me off with a seriaas final warning. I shook his hand and took off. Just less than a kilometre was another cop in his car under a tree, obviously the "stoppergroep".
Old houses hold some kind of mystery to me, as I always imagine the excitement when the foundations were measured out, the satisfaction when the roof was finished and eventually the lives that were lived in them, until finally they just return to rubble.
North of Groblersdal is the Flag Boshelo dam. Locals were fishing all around the dam, seemingly with considerable success.
Colleague Anton collects aloes, and he shared some of his knowledge about these wonderful plants. The area north of Groblersdal can almost be called an aloe-forest, and I spotted this awesome specimen.
In the distance, the Strydpoort mountain range. I see some maps also refer to the Wolkberge, maybe someone can help me out.
Chuniespoort cuts through the Strydpoort mountain where the road carries on north towards Piets’burg, but with a turnoff to the right towards Magoebaskloof and then on to Tzaneen.
In Haenertsburg I took a quick ride through town, where I spotted this cute little church. The town reminds one of Clarens, and I will definitely return for a longer visit to explore the place a bit more.
The plan was to have an early dinner in Haenertsburg, and then head out to my campsite at Magoebaskloof Getaway, some 16km’s out of town into the kloof. I ordered pork neck with chips and salad, and received a pork chop with chips and salad. I was however ravenous by now, and tucked into the food which turned out not bad at all. Thereafter it was off to the local grocer for a packet of biscuits for later that evening, and also a nice bottle of Spier Chardonnay from the liquor store next door. My biggest fear is always to be trapped in a place without appropriate rations.
I was the only person in the campsite, which meant I could just relax and listen to the evening forest sounds. It’s at times like this that one realises what a beautiful country we have, and how blessed we are. Being alone also meant that I could drink my wine straight from the bottle like a Bergie, as I did not pack a mug. I had a peaceful night which was only disturbed once when an unknown nocturnal creature raided the dustbin for my biscuit wrapping and empty wine bottle.
