Where ...? To Hoedspruit...? Why there ...?

[Ian in Great Brak River]

The little female get up, stretches and gives us a looong look ...



















Little sister gets up and moves off a little behind us ... and big brother decides it's time to introduce himself. He is not as friendly as lill' sis and gives us some attitude ...











Baby sister returns to calm the big brother down, these humans are just to play with ...











The other brother had come close but lay down 4m away and just watched the goings on.



The rangers have never experienced such interaction with the Cheetah's before and are astounded at how close they came, we were surrounded by 3 cubs between 3 and 5 meters from us for at least 20 minutes. That is an experience that will stay in my mind for a long time.

 

[Vis Arend]

Sub, always enjoy your rr's.  :thumleft:

 

[Tabasco]

250 must have closed in Hoedspruit not long after that time,
cause in '87 it was at Hammanskraal aka "Die Plaas" north of Pta

... quite correct ... it was never in Hoedspruit ... but I had forgotten that fact and it would take this trip to Hoedspruit to remind me of that fact ... :imaposer:

ok, let me not screw up a good story now with facts  :lol8:

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

Sub, always enjoy your rr's.  :thumleft:

Dankie Mnr en Mev Vis.

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

Whilst all this is going on not 3m from us, Mama has moved off about 25m away and is watching the kids at play .. she calls softly 3 times but no one pays her any attention. Finally the little female moves off and lifts her tail ... and soon we have 3 Cheetah in a row with tails in the air ... the animal way of telling us what they think of us smelly creatures??

 

[ALLEN I]

Great RR so far buddie. Yea this is really gonna pissssss me of for not been able to do the trip. (Sommer dik de moer in met my self) ( Ye was flat on my back with covid, tried to avoid everybody, but ye the young gooses call on a ou to go play  ;D ;D :biggrin: :imaposer: :imaposer: :ricky:, so picked up the bloody covid and was stuffed to do the ride) at least i survived it so ill have to just check out the RR like the rest of you "Ous"
Gooi it buddy (lat ons ry) :ricky: :ricky: :ricky: :ricky:

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

Great RR so far buddie. Yea this is really gonna pissssss me of for not been able to do the trip. (Sommer dik de moer in met my self) ( Ye was flat on my back with covid, tried to avoid everybody, but ye the young gooses call on a ou to go play  ;D ;D :biggrin: :imaposer: :imaposer: :ricky:, so picked up the bloody covid and was stuffed to do the ride) at least i survived it so ill have to just check out the RR like the rest of you "Ous"
Gooi it buddy (lat ons ry) :ricky: :ricky: :ricky: :ricky:

Oupa Allen, you are to old for gymnastics boet …

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

The stay at ROAM and the Cheetah experience was a profound one and I am in no need for long roads today so I head back on the N12 to Prince Albert for day 2.





The R353 to Kruidfontein is a pleasure but Leeu Gamka Shell station insist on one dismounting - I think it's unnecessary and would rather fill up somewhere else.



The R353 is a nice surprise to Fraserburg.









The fight for economic survival takes it's toll out here ... some don't make it ...





... others look good ...





The views from the Komsberg Pass is nice and clear.








Nice touch by this farmer.





Sutherland has load shedding and it's cold so I stay in and do not have a look at Saturn's Rings this year.

The R361 flies by to Prieska where the Riverview Lodge is not what it was.

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

Critchley Hackle Lodge in Dullstroom lies at 2000m, it's a lekker place to stay and the little village is humming with people and activity.









6k's out of town I turn left onto a nice gravel road that stretches 25km up to the Steenkampsberg Pass ... Hoedspruit is a little nearer today.













It's a bumpy road and it's mostly 1st gear ... but I do see tracks of heavy vehicles using it too ... and there it is, a Cement Truck bumping along with no plans to stop so I follow slowly at a distance. Where the hell is he headed to ...?










Just before the tar he turns onto a site for water run off from the tar road ahead.

 

[Wolzac]

:thumleft: thank you.

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

On these photos it might not look like it but the R36 will soon be so bad that it will be un-recoverable. Constant traffic from Coal side tipper trucks are chewing it up to dust.





The JG Strydom Tunnel ahead ...





Here be Giants!





Sleep in a 727 ... someone with big plans for this old bird.





I book in to Raptors Lodge for two nights in Hoedspruit, a busy two road town with lots of traffic and trains running by just outside of town ... this is the destination I had in mind. Now to find 250 ADU .... or so I thought ...

 

[XRRX]

:sip:

 

[ETS]

The R361 flies by to Prieska where the Riverview Lodge is not what it was.

:'( :'( :'(  Its a shame i know. Next time please stay by us :thumleft: :thumleft: :thumleft:

 

[Duster]

Lekker Ian, ek like...... :sip:

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

The R361 flies by to Prieska where the Riverview Lodge is not what it was.

:'( :'( :'(  Its a shame i know. Next time please stay by us :thumleft: :thumleft: :thumleft:

I must apologies ETS, it is not very polite to stay somewhere else when there are good people and better options like yourselves in Prieska. I certainly will let you know when next we will be there.

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

The Raptor Lodge is nice and quiet and with wildlife within the fence. I drive out to the SAAF airbase and speak to the sleepy guards there, it's very quiet out there but I get the feeling there was even less to do here in the '80. So where was 250 ADU I ask?  ... what...? ...and shaking of the head is the general reply from the 3 who are more interested in the AT than 250. Strange say I .... and move on. Later I meet a guy in town on a new 1100 AT, long story short he can't recall 250 being around here either ... Whatever, and I let it slide.

I head South now on the R40 which starts well and then get dirty and noisy but the Injaka Dam looks great!













The R533 continues on to Graskop with it's impressive Gorge attraction.

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

I am headed to Kaapsehoop for tonight via the MacMac Pools.













Beautiful part of the country you guys have here!









Kaapsehoop is a hidden gem at 1600m up in nowhere really. I stay at the Kaapsehoop Gastehuis. Nice place and you park right at the door to your room. At breakfast the next morning the owner and I get chatting ... turns out he was in the SAAF too and I mention my story that had no result. With a large smile he tells me that 250 ADU was never in Hoedspruit ever but at Hammanskraal ... as he says it I remember everything ... so 4600km to the wrong town ... but it's a great ride so far. For some reason I have just 1 photo of the place.

 

[Ian in Great Brak River]

In Ladysmith I stay at the Bokmakierie Country Lodge where you park as close as possible to your room as the manager is a biker too. Nice place other than Load Shedding issues.



The next morning I turn right onto the R103 at Mooi River, and what a road to Himeville this turns out to be!











It is just such a lekker road to do.





























In Himeville I book into Chikanka House, the owners father was the first man up Sani Pass in a car in 1948.

 

[ALLEN I]

Nice Buddy. Fok ek is moerse jelous. Well at least im getting a ride still even if its on your RR.  :biggrin: :biggrin: :ricky: :ricky:
gooi nog

 

[BIGMAC]

The Road from Nottingham Rd to Himeville is the most scenic road along the Southern Berg - Bikers Paradise - glad you enjoyed it. :ricky: