Bie
Race Dog
Not that it does not happen often you know, but again this Sunday I had to work, without additional pay I might add. Last week was a bit cramped and coming Monday and Tuesday is also set aside for other work which meant some stockwaters needed to be checked. Seeing that the day broke with mist and a fresh cool breeze I decided to take the bike and a camera to share my world with you.
Jansenville is a quite arid area, but since 2011 we have had beautiful rains. The Sundays river normally runs 3 or 4 times annually for up to two weeks per event, but since January 2011 the riverbed was never dry. Sometimes it came down to a trickle like now and before it dries up, we get more rain.
View up the road passing through Jansenville in the direction of Graaff Reinet.
From here I took the R337 toward Klipplaat for about two km and then turned off on the Oatlands road for about 20km to the farm turnoff. Just past the abbatoit one goes past the golf course, not the lush green fairways you guys are used to, but natural grass and sand/oil greens.
The main road to the farm turnoff is basically a gravel highway allowing some fun to be had.
From the farm turnoff it is basically a two-spoor road, but the condition is good.
and
I actually came to see those ladies you can see in the distance
Cannot remember whether I have ever seen the veldt like this in November
Also had to check up on these guys, to see it they do their work.
While working I had to endure this primitive mode of transport.
A few generations back these were used as sheep kraals.
On my way back to town I took this picture showing the town in the distance. Filled up with fuel, bought a Rapport newspaper and set off on the R75 tar road to the next property. Some 25km later it becomes dirt again until you reach the farm turnoff some 20km further.
These are the roads that made me swop to the dark side. The 800gs never really managed these roads.
Nowadays we use these instead of the stone kraals of yesteryear.
Saw some of the Angora Kapaters and checked on their water.
Then decided to shoot through to my Dad's place, some 30km further along the old Paardepoort road to take him the newspaper. This road used to be part of the main road between Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg before the tar road was built. This road goes through the mountains and klowe for many kilometers while the new road goes along the vlakte. The method in the old folk's seemingly madness to make the road through this difficult terrain is actually simple. In those days transport drivers transported vast amounts of goods by oxwagon to and from Port Elizabeth. The 400 odd km round trip took about two weeks and there were numerous outspans along the route where they could outspan and rest for the night. This is also where the peculiar choice of route came in as water was to be found all along this route and water is a necessity in keeping the oxen in a roadworthy state.
The road was built in the early 1800's by the famous Geddes Bains and black prisoners were used in construction. At the same time the Zuurberg pass was also built, but there the labour force was made up of white prisoners. The remnants of the old goal where the prisinors were kept is still to be seen in Paardepoort.
After the poort the road meanders through the mountains until you reach my Dad's place.
After some breakfast, I took on the road back home. In total 197km. Hard word for a Sunday....
Jansenville is a quite arid area, but since 2011 we have had beautiful rains. The Sundays river normally runs 3 or 4 times annually for up to two weeks per event, but since January 2011 the riverbed was never dry. Sometimes it came down to a trickle like now and before it dries up, we get more rain.
View up the road passing through Jansenville in the direction of Graaff Reinet.
From here I took the R337 toward Klipplaat for about two km and then turned off on the Oatlands road for about 20km to the farm turnoff. Just past the abbatoit one goes past the golf course, not the lush green fairways you guys are used to, but natural grass and sand/oil greens.
The main road to the farm turnoff is basically a gravel highway allowing some fun to be had.
From the farm turnoff it is basically a two-spoor road, but the condition is good.
and
I actually came to see those ladies you can see in the distance
Cannot remember whether I have ever seen the veldt like this in November
Also had to check up on these guys, to see it they do their work.
While working I had to endure this primitive mode of transport.
A few generations back these were used as sheep kraals.
On my way back to town I took this picture showing the town in the distance. Filled up with fuel, bought a Rapport newspaper and set off on the R75 tar road to the next property. Some 25km later it becomes dirt again until you reach the farm turnoff some 20km further.
These are the roads that made me swop to the dark side. The 800gs never really managed these roads.
Nowadays we use these instead of the stone kraals of yesteryear.
Saw some of the Angora Kapaters and checked on their water.
Then decided to shoot through to my Dad's place, some 30km further along the old Paardepoort road to take him the newspaper. This road used to be part of the main road between Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg before the tar road was built. This road goes through the mountains and klowe for many kilometers while the new road goes along the vlakte. The method in the old folk's seemingly madness to make the road through this difficult terrain is actually simple. In those days transport drivers transported vast amounts of goods by oxwagon to and from Port Elizabeth. The 400 odd km round trip took about two weeks and there were numerous outspans along the route where they could outspan and rest for the night. This is also where the peculiar choice of route came in as water was to be found all along this route and water is a necessity in keeping the oxen in a roadworthy state.
The road was built in the early 1800's by the famous Geddes Bains and black prisoners were used in construction. At the same time the Zuurberg pass was also built, but there the labour force was made up of white prisoners. The remnants of the old goal where the prisinors were kept is still to be seen in Paardepoort.
After the poort the road meanders through the mountains until you reach my Dad's place.
After some breakfast, I took on the road back home. In total 197km. Hard word for a Sunday....
