- Joined
- Jan 24, 2006
- Messages
- 5,159
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- Location
- Brakpan, South Africa
- Bike
- BMW R1200GS HP2
Our visit to Bilene in July (https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=103690.0 ) was so successful we dearly wanted to visit Mozambique again, so what better opportunity than a long weekend where one could be away for 4 days for just submitting one days leave.
We had a few options – the first being a trip to Kubu island in Botswana or a trip to Ponta. We had to pass Ponta during our previous visit because of diff trouble on a HP and the Kubu island trip consisted of ± 14 okes all on Katooms. No way was I going to submit myself to all that verbal abuse, so the Ponta choice was a fairly simple one.
My mate Basil was the only one of our regular group that could join – the rest all had other commitments
I did not want to go straight to Ponta and opted to plan a trip through Swaziland and from there down into Mozambique and Ponta. A map recce revealed the Gobu border post which was one I had never used before so the planning was done around a crossing from there.
Accommodation in Swaziland was few and far between, but fortunately the Hlane Game reserve looked like a fair option. They allowed camping and Google Earth showed a nice big waterhole not far from the campsite which could allow for some game viewing.
Thursday morning was a chilly affair, as all living in Gauteng would agree, so as we gathered at Basil’s house, thermal underwear was the order of the day, along with winter gloves and Buff’s. I must say I was quite amazed at the number of bikes gathered at the Diamond Hill Plaza, many Harley’s which I presume were on their way to the Lowveld. We wanted to get far, quickly so we opted to travel on tar till pretty close to the Swaziland border. Our last SA town, Amsterdam was as closed as a Dinky Toy’s exhaust pipe so we had no option but to proceed into Swaziland without some meat to braai. I did have my regular stash droewors and biltong as plan B or C.
Well Swaziland has been a firm favourite of mine for many years as one can literally travel all day on some of the most amazing and scenic gravel roads. From Nerston border post we travelled due east Sidvokodvu and from there travelled generally north till we got to Hlane game reserve.
Lots of scenic roads to travel – all in a reasonably good condition
Stunning – just needs a bit of rain to colour it all in green
Refueling near Sidvokodvu – with the HP one seldom misses a fuel stop
Swaziland buys their fuel from SA, yet it’s cheaper than in SA, go figure. I guess the Swazi king needs less levy’s to the fuel price to maintain his 16 wives than what Jacob need’s for his 7 wives.
Camping was a mere R50 per person with wood for free, so we gathered some wood for a bon fire but was forced to eat in the restaurant due to our bad planning. As the sun was hitting the deck, Michael Steyn and three mates on KTM’s pulled in, they on their way to Bilene and we made ourselves ready for a night of chit chatting and kuiering with likeminded individuals.
Dabulamanzi in his natural environment
Somewhere between Sidvikodvu and Hlutse
I wonder how many creature have landed up in here
Buying Coke for a B&C later tonight
As we entered Hlane game reserve these Impala’s was bidding us a welcome and enjoyable stay, right next to the road and in no real rush to get away from the noisy beast.
Hippo doing what they do best.
Not elephant or other big game we had hoped for but not too shabby either
Our campsite and our Katoom neighboors
Lesson learnt: always check the tightening bolts on your GoPro, else it will rattle loose and all you’ll be left with is this. Fortunately for me, my camera was in my tank bag being recharged at the time, else I would have been one very pissed off traveller. Stupid mistake none the less.
After a hearty breakfast we rode from Hlane game reserve via Siteki for a fuel stop and eventually the Gobu border post. What an absolute delight. Nice clean and friendly staff that checked all paperwork and compared engine numbers, etc. Very thorough – first for me. From here we headed for Bela Vista for another fuel stop and then due south. Going was okey, but the road was severely powdered due to many heavy trucks that refused to give way in the sand.
Nice powdery road where heavy truck refused to give way to anyone or anything.
Needless to say Bela Vista had no fuel so we had to continue due south hoping we could reach the next town and get fuel there. In the bustling metropolis of Salamanga we ran into Rudi, a Suff Efrican farming the area who spoke fluent Portugese and promptly organised 10 litres of fuel for us. @ R18 per litre I was glad to buy the minimum fuel needed to get us to Kosi bay.
Very expensive fuel, but it’s brought in through the back roads from Kosi bay on a bicycle, so I had to reward the man for his efforts.
Rudi advised us on a spectacular road to use that were both scenic and less known, so we were unlikely to encounter lots of traffic. Just past Sotiba lake we had to look for a little twee spoor track that would take us just inland of the dunes all the way to Ponta passing all the resorts and lodges on our left. Through sheer luck we managed to find this road, but it soon became apparent that half of SA also knew about this road as we encountered one 4X4 after the other, all filled with happy campers driving along in their air-conditioned luxury while sipping R&R and having a good laugh as us battling it out in the sand.
The going was tough, especially if one got stuck behind a cage and no place to pass, or the odd arsehole coming from the front expecting you to move out the way.
Our little “secret” road that turned out to be “not so secret”
We travelled in what appeared to be a bushed tunnel, very scenic, but the other road users making our live a living hell. Around every corner lurked another crazed driver trying to maintain momentum in the sand. We soon discovered that you were supposed to blow your horn as you go around a “blind corner” and when you heard a horn, got the hell out the way.
Basil was well and truly nackered
Some idea of what the road looked like.
We eventually got to the Sunset Bar where we could proper relax and get a bitta “Dutch Courage”. We were advised by a regular not to go to Ponta as it was totally overcrowded and Ponta Malangane was way nicer and just around the corner from where we were having a toot.
Nice spot, run by Rocky – Sunset Bar
Not too far from everywhere
After a good rest and a refuel for body and soul we rode to Ponta Malangane. Here the receptionist informed us they had 3 vacant camping sites, all big enough to accommodate 8 people, but as we were only 2, we had to pay a levy as we were not using its full capabilities. It turned out to R870 for the two us us, well to me FO spells Go, so we got outta there.
It was another ± 8 km’s to Ponta, where we had to pass at least 3 to 4 4X4’s every 200 metres. Some okes obviously had a bike back home and gave way, while other just sat in their air-conditioned cages and expected you to move over. Many asking “How’s that heavy bike in the sand”? Driving into Ponta was like entering Sandton, hell this place was busy.
Well the regular campsite accommodated us at R100 per person per night and we settled down making friends with our neighbour Sidney, also a keen biker all the way from Potch. He and his two sons with a friend were having a nice break and immediately offered us some meat for a braai and most importantly ice to go with our B&C.
We kuiered with them and eventually went to bed around 10 with the many other young people in the campsite offering music for all to hear. Very noisy and very crowded, quite different from the places we usually frequented.
Friday morning at 05:15 the dive charters started towing their boats to the launch pad, so I decided to get up and take a stroll on the beach. By 6:15 the beach was a hive of activity as one dive charter after the other left with their customers for the first dive of the day.
We lazed around town, tanned on the beach, frequented the Beach Bar and generally just enjoyed a relaxed day. Of course a visit to Ponta would be incomplete without a visit to Fernando’s so that night we visited him and tried to finish his supply of R&R, but alas, no luck there.
Certainly the biggest squid I have ever come across – lotsa calamari but unfortunately not fit for human consumption.
Early morning by the seaside, so a sunrise photo is the order of the day.
Divers getting ready to dive
…… and the fishermen leaving for the rocks to go and try their luck from the coastline.
Fernando’s is unlikely to run out of supply
Basil in front of this famous landmark
This is not the way to travel in Mozambique, unless you’re a stupid foreigner looking for an African Experience. Shame this poor girl really had her work cut out for her.
This is how one should spend a relaxing day
Did I mention that Ponta was a hype of activity?
This is of course the best way to spend a rest day – R&R served 4 drinks to a bottle
Late afternoon and the square area in front of Fernandos’ busting out of its seems. This was certainly the place to kuier.
We realized that most of these visitors were planning to exit Mozambique at Kosi bay the next day so we decided for an early start and get to the border post even though we knew it was only opening at eight, so we hit the road early and stopped at the border post around 07:10 – 19 4X4’s already waiting to pass.
The highlight of a visit to Ponta is the road to get there. Sand, sand and more sand, certain to give you the workout of a lifetime. Don’t visit the place if you have a fear of sand
Pic your road – they will all eventually get you to the border post, or to Ponta if you travel in the opposite direction.
The vehicles queuing at the border post
Once we passed the border post , around 09:10, we headed for Gauteng - fastest route. What a shock awaited us. Every fuel stop, every toll gate and every restaurant was one queue upon the other with a Gail force wind blowing form the west to ensure maximum discomfort on the bike.
I eventually stopped at home around 16:30 feeling as though I had just travelled to Cape Town and back without stopping for a break. Note to self – avoid the high touristy spots over a long weekend.
In terms of Ponta I want to state the following:
This was my second visit to the place and it has expanded tremendously since the previous visit - 2007. Sadly it has become a tourist destination where visitors are exploited to the max. Try R30 for a 2Lt coke or R150 per kg prawns. I say fark that. Just last month I paid R15 for a2 Lt Coke and R30 for a kg prawns in Bilene. OK I am not a diver (the scuba type) so I can’t comment on the underwater scenery, but in terms of other activities, sand riding and drinking can be done anywhere else in Mozambique.
In terms of my Garmin Montana I want to state the following:
It is supposed to be the replacement for the 276C. Even with the 276 switched off, it’s way better than this piece of sh!t. The only good thing where it beats the 276, when the track log gets full it archives the data where the 276 clears the log, unless you save it ever so often and of course the bigger memory. I planned my routes on mapsource, converted them to tracks then uploaded the tracks and routes to the device. When I tried to activate the next section of our route it complained it didn’t have the necessary maps to navigate the route. I activated all maps, then de-activated them and eventually got it to work in Swaziland using Tracks4Africa only, but in Mozambique I could not get it to navigate my planned route/track no matter which map or combination of maps I tried. The 276 never complained about any of this, whether it was a track or a route. WTF!
In terms of my ATG stretcher I want to state the following:
Michnus and Pauli, thanks for upgrading my model to the heavy duty one. This is the bees knees. I slept like a baby. I recon in winter you will have to put some insulation (read newspaper) under yourself to prevent the chill from entering from beneath, but no more worries about a punctured mattress or a pump to inflate or any such shite.
To Basil: Thanks for joining mater. Sorry for all the pain and suffering I brought upon us. Despite all the negatives, I had a blast. I hope by now you have rested and recuperated and gained your strengths.
:ricky:
We had a few options – the first being a trip to Kubu island in Botswana or a trip to Ponta. We had to pass Ponta during our previous visit because of diff trouble on a HP and the Kubu island trip consisted of ± 14 okes all on Katooms. No way was I going to submit myself to all that verbal abuse, so the Ponta choice was a fairly simple one.
My mate Basil was the only one of our regular group that could join – the rest all had other commitments
I did not want to go straight to Ponta and opted to plan a trip through Swaziland and from there down into Mozambique and Ponta. A map recce revealed the Gobu border post which was one I had never used before so the planning was done around a crossing from there.
Accommodation in Swaziland was few and far between, but fortunately the Hlane Game reserve looked like a fair option. They allowed camping and Google Earth showed a nice big waterhole not far from the campsite which could allow for some game viewing.
Thursday morning was a chilly affair, as all living in Gauteng would agree, so as we gathered at Basil’s house, thermal underwear was the order of the day, along with winter gloves and Buff’s. I must say I was quite amazed at the number of bikes gathered at the Diamond Hill Plaza, many Harley’s which I presume were on their way to the Lowveld. We wanted to get far, quickly so we opted to travel on tar till pretty close to the Swaziland border. Our last SA town, Amsterdam was as closed as a Dinky Toy’s exhaust pipe so we had no option but to proceed into Swaziland without some meat to braai. I did have my regular stash droewors and biltong as plan B or C.
Well Swaziland has been a firm favourite of mine for many years as one can literally travel all day on some of the most amazing and scenic gravel roads. From Nerston border post we travelled due east Sidvokodvu and from there travelled generally north till we got to Hlane game reserve.
Lots of scenic roads to travel – all in a reasonably good condition
Stunning – just needs a bit of rain to colour it all in green
Refueling near Sidvokodvu – with the HP one seldom misses a fuel stop
Swaziland buys their fuel from SA, yet it’s cheaper than in SA, go figure. I guess the Swazi king needs less levy’s to the fuel price to maintain his 16 wives than what Jacob need’s for his 7 wives.
Camping was a mere R50 per person with wood for free, so we gathered some wood for a bon fire but was forced to eat in the restaurant due to our bad planning. As the sun was hitting the deck, Michael Steyn and three mates on KTM’s pulled in, they on their way to Bilene and we made ourselves ready for a night of chit chatting and kuiering with likeminded individuals.
Dabulamanzi in his natural environment
Somewhere between Sidvikodvu and Hlutse
I wonder how many creature have landed up in here
Buying Coke for a B&C later tonight
As we entered Hlane game reserve these Impala’s was bidding us a welcome and enjoyable stay, right next to the road and in no real rush to get away from the noisy beast.
Hippo doing what they do best.
Not elephant or other big game we had hoped for but not too shabby either
Our campsite and our Katoom neighboors
Lesson learnt: always check the tightening bolts on your GoPro, else it will rattle loose and all you’ll be left with is this. Fortunately for me, my camera was in my tank bag being recharged at the time, else I would have been one very pissed off traveller. Stupid mistake none the less.
After a hearty breakfast we rode from Hlane game reserve via Siteki for a fuel stop and eventually the Gobu border post. What an absolute delight. Nice clean and friendly staff that checked all paperwork and compared engine numbers, etc. Very thorough – first for me. From here we headed for Bela Vista for another fuel stop and then due south. Going was okey, but the road was severely powdered due to many heavy trucks that refused to give way in the sand.
Nice powdery road where heavy truck refused to give way to anyone or anything.
Needless to say Bela Vista had no fuel so we had to continue due south hoping we could reach the next town and get fuel there. In the bustling metropolis of Salamanga we ran into Rudi, a Suff Efrican farming the area who spoke fluent Portugese and promptly organised 10 litres of fuel for us. @ R18 per litre I was glad to buy the minimum fuel needed to get us to Kosi bay.
Very expensive fuel, but it’s brought in through the back roads from Kosi bay on a bicycle, so I had to reward the man for his efforts.
Rudi advised us on a spectacular road to use that were both scenic and less known, so we were unlikely to encounter lots of traffic. Just past Sotiba lake we had to look for a little twee spoor track that would take us just inland of the dunes all the way to Ponta passing all the resorts and lodges on our left. Through sheer luck we managed to find this road, but it soon became apparent that half of SA also knew about this road as we encountered one 4X4 after the other, all filled with happy campers driving along in their air-conditioned luxury while sipping R&R and having a good laugh as us battling it out in the sand.
The going was tough, especially if one got stuck behind a cage and no place to pass, or the odd arsehole coming from the front expecting you to move out the way.
Our little “secret” road that turned out to be “not so secret”
We travelled in what appeared to be a bushed tunnel, very scenic, but the other road users making our live a living hell. Around every corner lurked another crazed driver trying to maintain momentum in the sand. We soon discovered that you were supposed to blow your horn as you go around a “blind corner” and when you heard a horn, got the hell out the way.
Basil was well and truly nackered
Some idea of what the road looked like.
We eventually got to the Sunset Bar where we could proper relax and get a bitta “Dutch Courage”. We were advised by a regular not to go to Ponta as it was totally overcrowded and Ponta Malangane was way nicer and just around the corner from where we were having a toot.
Nice spot, run by Rocky – Sunset Bar
Not too far from everywhere
After a good rest and a refuel for body and soul we rode to Ponta Malangane. Here the receptionist informed us they had 3 vacant camping sites, all big enough to accommodate 8 people, but as we were only 2, we had to pay a levy as we were not using its full capabilities. It turned out to R870 for the two us us, well to me FO spells Go, so we got outta there.
It was another ± 8 km’s to Ponta, where we had to pass at least 3 to 4 4X4’s every 200 metres. Some okes obviously had a bike back home and gave way, while other just sat in their air-conditioned cages and expected you to move over. Many asking “How’s that heavy bike in the sand”? Driving into Ponta was like entering Sandton, hell this place was busy.
Well the regular campsite accommodated us at R100 per person per night and we settled down making friends with our neighbour Sidney, also a keen biker all the way from Potch. He and his two sons with a friend were having a nice break and immediately offered us some meat for a braai and most importantly ice to go with our B&C.
We kuiered with them and eventually went to bed around 10 with the many other young people in the campsite offering music for all to hear. Very noisy and very crowded, quite different from the places we usually frequented.
Friday morning at 05:15 the dive charters started towing their boats to the launch pad, so I decided to get up and take a stroll on the beach. By 6:15 the beach was a hive of activity as one dive charter after the other left with their customers for the first dive of the day.
We lazed around town, tanned on the beach, frequented the Beach Bar and generally just enjoyed a relaxed day. Of course a visit to Ponta would be incomplete without a visit to Fernando’s so that night we visited him and tried to finish his supply of R&R, but alas, no luck there.
Certainly the biggest squid I have ever come across – lotsa calamari but unfortunately not fit for human consumption.
Early morning by the seaside, so a sunrise photo is the order of the day.
Divers getting ready to dive
…… and the fishermen leaving for the rocks to go and try their luck from the coastline.
Fernando’s is unlikely to run out of supply
Basil in front of this famous landmark
This is not the way to travel in Mozambique, unless you’re a stupid foreigner looking for an African Experience. Shame this poor girl really had her work cut out for her.
This is how one should spend a relaxing day
Did I mention that Ponta was a hype of activity?
This is of course the best way to spend a rest day – R&R served 4 drinks to a bottle
Late afternoon and the square area in front of Fernandos’ busting out of its seems. This was certainly the place to kuier.
We realized that most of these visitors were planning to exit Mozambique at Kosi bay the next day so we decided for an early start and get to the border post even though we knew it was only opening at eight, so we hit the road early and stopped at the border post around 07:10 – 19 4X4’s already waiting to pass.
The highlight of a visit to Ponta is the road to get there. Sand, sand and more sand, certain to give you the workout of a lifetime. Don’t visit the place if you have a fear of sand
Pic your road – they will all eventually get you to the border post, or to Ponta if you travel in the opposite direction.
The vehicles queuing at the border post
Once we passed the border post , around 09:10, we headed for Gauteng - fastest route. What a shock awaited us. Every fuel stop, every toll gate and every restaurant was one queue upon the other with a Gail force wind blowing form the west to ensure maximum discomfort on the bike.
I eventually stopped at home around 16:30 feeling as though I had just travelled to Cape Town and back without stopping for a break. Note to self – avoid the high touristy spots over a long weekend.
In terms of Ponta I want to state the following:
This was my second visit to the place and it has expanded tremendously since the previous visit - 2007. Sadly it has become a tourist destination where visitors are exploited to the max. Try R30 for a 2Lt coke or R150 per kg prawns. I say fark that. Just last month I paid R15 for a2 Lt Coke and R30 for a kg prawns in Bilene. OK I am not a diver (the scuba type) so I can’t comment on the underwater scenery, but in terms of other activities, sand riding and drinking can be done anywhere else in Mozambique.
In terms of my Garmin Montana I want to state the following:
It is supposed to be the replacement for the 276C. Even with the 276 switched off, it’s way better than this piece of sh!t. The only good thing where it beats the 276, when the track log gets full it archives the data where the 276 clears the log, unless you save it ever so often and of course the bigger memory. I planned my routes on mapsource, converted them to tracks then uploaded the tracks and routes to the device. When I tried to activate the next section of our route it complained it didn’t have the necessary maps to navigate the route. I activated all maps, then de-activated them and eventually got it to work in Swaziland using Tracks4Africa only, but in Mozambique I could not get it to navigate my planned route/track no matter which map or combination of maps I tried. The 276 never complained about any of this, whether it was a track or a route. WTF!
In terms of my ATG stretcher I want to state the following:
Michnus and Pauli, thanks for upgrading my model to the heavy duty one. This is the bees knees. I slept like a baby. I recon in winter you will have to put some insulation (read newspaper) under yourself to prevent the chill from entering from beneath, but no more worries about a punctured mattress or a pump to inflate or any such shite.
To Basil: Thanks for joining mater. Sorry for all the pain and suffering I brought upon us. Despite all the negatives, I had a blast. I hope by now you have rested and recuperated and gained your strengths.
:ricky:
