Zimbabwe Gravel Travel

[Noneking]

DAY 1 - BEITBRIDGE TO BUBYE

The next morning we are up early to leave for the border. Vehicles are parked for the two weeks we’ll be gone and luggage strapped to bikes.

Ready to go!……. Except my 990 won’t start. My heart sinks. 4 years ago my Husky did the exact same thing as we were about to start our trip.

It is still dark out. We hook a tow rope to Mark’s bike and we attempt a run start up a side road. The 990 refuses to fire up. Anxiety is builing in my chest and I feel helpless.

Turn the bike around and give it another try… it starts immediately. Relief!

Everybody refuels just before the border

 

[Noneking]

At the south African side of the border the drama starts. Criminals take all Reiner’s Dollars from his backpack while we stand in line to have our passports stamped. We all feel very sorry for Reiner, but it didn’t take lonk for humor to take over and Reiner was promptly nicknamed ATM for the rest of the trip.

On the Zim side we get sent back and forth between stations for stamps and payments. Runners try their best to con us out of money and succeed with a few unfortunately. A drunken cop get very abusive because we’re not wearing masks (no one was, but as tourists me must’ve looked like easy targets) He tries to force Mark and myself to go to back office to complete the fine transaction, but we refuse and eventually he gives up and takes some poor black lady to a back room for whatever he deemed she had done wrong.

After roughly 3.5 hours, we clear the border and our trip starts.

 

[Noneking]

Within minutes Mark has us on some beautiful dirt roads with massive Baobabs decorating the landscape. The fully laden 990 feels big and unwieldy on the sandy surface and it takes a while before I start feeling comfortable.

 

[Noneking]

 

[Noneking]

 

[Noneking]

 

[Noneking]

It was nearing mid day and we had not eaten breakfast. Mark promptly stopped at the first shebeen for some beer and snacks

 

[Noneking]

There was some challenging sand riding in spots and we were all still finding our sand legs on the heavy bikes

 

[Vis Arend]

On the Zim side we get sent back and forth between stations for stamps and payments. Runners try their best to con us out of money and succeed with a few unfortunately. A drunken cop get very abusive because we’re not wearing masks (no one was, but as tourists me must’ve looked like easy targets) He tries to force Mark and myself to go to back office to complete the fine transaction, but we refuse and eventually he gives up and takes some poor black lady to a back room for whatever he deemed she had done wrong.

After roughly 3.5 hours, we clear the border and our trip starts.

That's my only gripe with some of our neighboring countries. Seem though the rest of the trip made up for it

 

[evansv]

I recently went to Zim (Kariba) & back towing a boat for a client.

Spent 4 days at the border due to a paperwork error by the clearing agent! Otherwise no issues apart from expensive fuel! US$1.94/L

 

[Chrisl]

Sub looking forward to the rest.

 

[petri oosthuizen]

Hier kom 'n paar mooi Piccies.
Like daai rooi en wit Tenere.............

 

[Noneking]

 

[Noneking]

Colours are beautiful this time of the year in the mopani veld

 

[Just Blip It!]

Looking forward to re-living this epic trip through Nonekings ride report!

 

[Noneking]

We make our way through a particularly tricky section of sand riding. Bikes drop all over the place. I help pick up 2 bikes at the beginning of the section but then head towards the front where the pace is faster and the 990 feels easier to manage.

The extra 8 odd litres of fuel on the back and the luggage and tools on the rear plate makes the 990 feel like a much bigger beast.

Mark, Marc and I reach the end of the sandy stretch and stop on a little bridge to wait for the rest. A few bikes arrive some time later, but it is a very long wait before the rest of the guys reach the bridge.

 

[Wildwindfr]

Will follow this keenly

 

[cocky]

Lekker Canz, lek na n awesome trip.

 

[Noneking]

 

[TVB]

Looking fw to the rest!!