The "Last Outpost or Bust" trip

[Dorsland]

Seeing as the Last Outpost has plenty of Ingelse there, I can like to place this RR in Ingleesh so what yous all can forstand it.

I initially thought I would have an entire week to go do a nice long trip but it turned out to be a 3-day trip which I really enjoyed.  I had ordered a set of Wolfman Expedition Panniers and the Motech racks through GPS4Africa and was keen to test them.  My previous setup with the rollbags had the weight too high on the bike and I saw this Wolfman/Motech setup had got some very good reviews.

Set out on Tuesday early, headed SE and that was the full extent of the plan.

Going to dispense with lots of writing and cut to the chase with pix and captions:

This was the luggage setup: Wolfman panniers (1 for clothes and pikstel stuff, 1 for sleeping bag, stove, mattress etc), Wolfman Tailbag (for tools, snacks, map, camera, First Aid kit), Enduristan rollbag for tent, stool, groundsheet).  Bike felt better balanced and more secure.

As jy in die Vrystaat agterpaaie ry, moet jy maar weet Big Brother ry ook daar.  For you souties, there's always Google translate  :biggrin:

Self portrait:

The veld always smells so sweet and clean,  it's no wonder we spend so much time there to clear our heads of the everyday stuff.  Some typical Vrystaat doringleegtes near Heuningspruit.

This is all that remains of what i think was the hospital at Edenville.  The town itself is destroyed.  I never even saw a filling station there.

In Bethlehem,  I stopped for my rats:  skaaptjoppies, milk, and my weekly reading matter.

The great thing about bikes is traffic is no problem.  Outside of Bethlehem they are working on the roads and there are kilometres of jams both ways.  Lane split to the front, as the attendant pulls the mobile armco out the way, gas it and it's hasta la vista traffic jams.

 

[Vaalseun]

Nice RR sover Dorsland. Die foto van Heuningspruit is toevallig omtrent presies waar ek 'n klein boerderytjie probeer aan die gang hou op 'n stukkie erfgrond. Die paaie in die omgewing is onoortreflik.

Gooi maar die res ou maat, ons wag ... en wag ....

 

[woody1]

Het jy nie werk nie.. jy ry te veel rond man....ek wil ook. :ricky:

 

[Dorsland]

It looked like some good storms were brewing over the Drakensberg SE of Clarens so I decided to head in that general direction.  More on serious thunderstorms later.

Nou ja toe,  in die omgewing van die Sodom en Gomora van Clarens  ;D  kry ek toe hierdie bordjie en voel ek toe heel tuis en gerus dat ek weer my huistaal kon praat.  By die plekkie waar ek iets te ete gekry het, verstaan hulle my Afrikaans gladnie en moes ek toe deur handgebare iets bestel.

Die reenweer raak al swaarder en ek is bly ek is nie 'n stapper in die Drakensberge op dié oomblik nie.  Daar is kortkort sulke kwaai rukwinde maar ek kappit flou na Glen Reenen toe waar ek besluit het ek gaan oornag.

I got an awesome campsite right next to this little stream.  A better, more tranquil site you would be hard pressed to find.  Only pity is that the road passes a short distance away and there is quite a bit of traffic to and from Phutuditjaba.

There were only a few other vehicles there, amongst them two overlander vehicles, one from Germany and one from Holland.  Sorry guys,  no Landies, they broke down before they reached the Mediterranean, s'tru!   >

Hier is my eerste Boere yskas wat bitter min krag gebruik:

 

[Dorsland]

Het jy nie werk nie.. jy ry te veel rond man....ek wil ook. :ricky:

Sê jy wat al hoeveel keer Sani oor was.  En dit nogal sonder my  >

Nice RR sover Dorsland. Die foto van Heuningspruit is toevallig omtrent presies waar ek 'n klein boerderytjie probeer aan die gang hou op 'n stukkie erfgrond. Die paaie in die omgewing is onoortreflik.

Gooi maar die res ou maat, ons wag ... en wag ....

Jissie man dis vir my rerig mooi in daai omgewing so langs daai Heuningspruit.  Ek kry altyd hierdie ongelooflike mooi plase so vlak anderkant 'n randjie as jy nounet vir ure oor die vaal vlaktes gery het.  Dis vir my lekker.

 

[Oom Foe-rie]

Lekker Dorsland .............. :thumleft: jy maak mens dors vir lees ............  :biggrin:

 

[Dorsland]

The previous night there was heavy thunder and lightning all around Glen Reenen and while I got a few drops, nothing special.  I did notice that the stream had risen quite a bit since earlier so the rain must have been higher up the mountains.  Nothing like the sound of running water to soothe you to sleep.  (Unless you are peeing in your bed  :biggrin

Next morning, after a good cuppa,  I packed and headed out with not much of a plan.  My charger for my cell phone had stopped working so I had to stop in Harrismith for a repair/replace though.

In Harrsimith kan julle ouens gerus by die 4x4 Megaworld stop as julle pyne het.  Andre en sy vrou het toe sommer dat ek my fiets in die winkel instoot, al die toets magafters uitgehaal en gou vind ons toe die probleem is 'n draadtjie wat afgebreek het.  Andre soldeer toe en ons draai hom met isolasieband toe en daar is hy weer 100%.  Plus ek kry koffie.  Plus hy vra my niks nie!  Dankie julle  :thumleft:

Seeing as how I missed the Geluksburg trip to Draadkar's place in December, I thought I would take a ride there.  Maybe there would still be a few hung over Dawgs still from New Year's.  It's a damn nice ride though.

Looked if I could see Draadkar's place from the top of the mountain. (That's Geluksburg doer down there)

All that's left of the Geluksburg Jol:

Quaint little place and nice if you are looking to escape the rat race.  Draadkar,  ek gaan nie te veel sê nie anders sak die hordes daar toe en dan is die plek se bekoring ook daarmee heen.

Between Geluksburg and Bergville, I came across maize and soya crops destroyed by a hail storm.  There were a lot of road works going on so I never took any pix.  I chatted with two crop assessors sitting alongside the road under a big Papierbas tree assessing the damage but their comments were that the farmers are looking at a serious hail claim.

Onward, ever westward. Ehm, make that NWestward.  Rode through the Zulu tribal areas and found the guys friendly, many waving and the kids making bike riding moves as I passed.  This pic on the bridge over the Woodstock dam was pretty with its views onto more serious thunderstorms brewing over the Drakensberg.  Check how all the stanchions from the safety guard have been stolen (Stainless steel nogal)  :eek7: :eek7:  The bridge is a good 750m long and almost every last stanchion has been sawn off, on both sides.

En toe kry ek dié REGTE EGTE  adventure biker (check daai windskermveër in die laaste foto).  The guys looking for ideas for screens for the XR650L,  take some tips from this guy,  he says no buffetting behind that screen  :imaposer: :imaposer:

Die laaste ent net voor Royal Natal reën dit kwaai maar dis lekker want dis hel warm en bedompig.  By die park aangekom,  koop ek weer die nodige proviant (teen 'n stywe prys natuurlik), laai my 800 soos 'n pakdonkie en gaan soek vir my kampplek.

Die wolke dreig en ek slaan maar vinnig kamp op.

Tweede Boere yskas wat nog ligter op krag is:

Royal Natal is a very neat and orderly site.  The gardens, buildings and facilities are topclass.  It really does have that old colonial feel to it, and has "another era" atmosphere about it.  I enjoyed it a lot.  The views are great and life is good while I am there.

And then it rained! And hailed!  It was awesome watching these storms roll down from the peaks, one after the other, with great thunder and lightning and plenty of rain that covered the peaks totally.  Really a humbling experience as always.

Your helmet and jacket doesn't make good company when you are stuck in a tent for a while.  So then you get up to this:

Ag OK, ek het dit geniet en ek dink die fotos is mooi.  Stone me if you don't like them  :imaposer:

This Bushbuck doe wandered around the campsite like she was part of the furniture.  Later that evening while I was enjoying the view, she came past and disappeared into the thick bush around the edge of the camp where she spent the night.

Even these tarrentale were eating Provita out of my hand.  Literally.  Great to camp so close to nature.

Next morning, what better way to greet the day than with a cup of tea brewed on the stofie right outside your tent.  Man, what a life.  Man of the road, that's me.  :biggrin:  Who needs stuff when we can do this:

... and then go for a walk here:

 

[Dorsland]

Lyk my dis net julle klomp boerseuns wat lees, so ek gooi maar ons taal  :biggrin:

Donderdagoggend is ek eintlik nie lus om weer terug plaas toe met al sy verantwoordelikhede nie.  Ek draai met die kamp afslaan.  Dan sit ek bietjie en kyk na die mooi berge en dink lang gedagtes oor "the meaning of life".  Maar alles moet uiteindelik tot op 'n punt kom en daar is die fiets gepak en ek vat weer die pad.  Dis baie bedompig en hier by 08h30 was dit al 28 grade C en ek sweet kwaai.  Ek is bly om te kan ry dat die wind my afkoel.  Die verskil in temperatuur tussen Royal Natal en die bo-punt van die Oliviershoekpas was 5 grade C.

Jissie, maar daai stuk pad verby Sterkfonteindam is darem 'n gemors om van te vertel.  Die Vrystaat se paaie lyk maar oor die algemeen bedroefd maar die lekker ding is seker ons het al hoe meer adventure roetes wat ons kan ry  >

Tussen Bethlehem en Lindley, stop ek op 'n grondpaadjie en tokkel die GPS so bietjie.  Hy wys my 'n laaaaaaaaaang grondpad Vegkop Feesterrein toe.  Ek is nie haastig nie en draai die 800 se oor.

Mooi stukkie geskiedenis:

Kyk bietjie die mal donner:  

Dissie ekkie, belowe  :imaposer:

En toe is ek weer oppie plaas met dié lekker verrassing wat vir my wag: https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=107514.80

Total distance: 1080 km;  average consumption: 4.6l/100 km;  average speed: 68km/h

 

[woody1]

Jy moet ophou om tee te maak met tamboekie gras  :laughing4:

 

[OOOOMS]

Nice reports & pics  :thumleft:

Nice Jetboil !

 

[Dorsland]

Jy moet ophou om tee te maak met tamboekie gras  :laughing4:

Ja maar ek voel so lekker as ek dit gedrink het  >

Nice reports & pics  :thumleft:

Nice Jetboil !

It boils a mug of water in about 3 minutes flat if you put the lid on.  Packs up nice and small too, even with the gas canister.

 

[SchalkL]

Mooi report en foto's. Jy is natuurlik nou by die huis en het geen flippen verskoning om nie more te kom braai by Groot Marico nie NE! atch:

 

[Dorsland]

Mooi report en foto's. Jy is natuurlik nou by die huis en het geen flippen verskoning om nie more te kom braai by Groot Marico nie NE! atch:

Jy sien mos Woody skryf dat ek nie werk het nie, ek ry net heeltyd rond.  Nou moet ek maar werk die naweek.  DeepBass kom more 'n ram by my laai Slakkie.  Eet maar 'n tjoppie of 8 vir my part    Belowe ek is volgende keer daar

 

[JVR]

Puik geskryf soos altyd!! Dankie Johan. :thumleft:

 

[eikeboom]

Lekker trip!
Daai sagte panniers is baie sinvol. Hulle kon net bietjie vorentoe gesit het, sodat die meeste gewig op of net voor die agteras is.
:ricky:

 

[subie]

Baie mooi RR en fotos  :thumleft:

 

[Vis Arend]

Dankie vir die lekker RR, mooi wereld daai.  :thumleft:  O yes, delicious pictures also.  :biggrin:

 

[Ganjora]

thanks for the RR,  and thanks for making the effort to do it in english.

 

[Dorsland]

Dankie dat julle gelees het en vir terugvoering ouens  :thumleft:  Dit was lekker om weer innie berge te gaan ry.

 

[Gerry10]

Dorsland, dankie vir die RR.  Daai kampterrein by Mahai is my gunsteling!!  En jy't mooi plekke gery, sommer hier naby my.  Dankie vir die deel van jou trippie!!