Doringboom
Race Dog
Today, Sunday, was one of those days when everything weatherwise was just so perfect that a well-known, and sometimes even boring area gained new attraction for me. At 06:20 this morning I hopped on the bike for a ride to Hartebeespoort dam and from there further onwards to Maropeng. Not even the excuse of my pillion invitee not to go with me anymore could damper the prospects I had for this day. The air was crisp and clear, perfect for riding (and taking a pictures too.) Enough said. Enjoy!
My first stop was on the dam wall. The recent abundant rainfall has resulted in the dam to overflow. A few sluice-gates are open and it makes it worthwile to stroll over the wall to watch the spectacle.
Below the dam wall the Crocodile river gets a welcome boost to its flow.
The curved dam wall.
No, we are not in Paris ;D This, however, is supposed to be a scale replica of the real Parisian one.
A single lane road leads over the dam wall. Traffic lights control the movement of vehicles on both sides.
Slowly, slowly .... careful now with your big Kawa! Signs of the mud monster are everywhere >
On the eastern end of the dam wall this black hole in the rock face awaits you!
From the dam wall one can see some of the luxury houses of Kosmos, overlooking the dam from their hillside perch.
After leaving the dam wall, I headed off to the Wimpy at the Engen garage for breakfast. As usual on a Sunday morning, there were a lot of bikes converged here. I took a look around: Bingo, my first (and only) sighting of a bike with a Wilddog sticker on it! (The blue GS.) I, unfortunately, never managed to see the rider.
Here is a gentleman with his Katoom who, I believe, has some dirt road business on his mind for the day 8)
"Kakplaas" Could this be a Wilddog's bike?
And this Vara?
And this AT?
The non-motorised 2-wheel squad was also out in full force for the day 8)
After leaving the Wimpy, I took the road over Kommando nek to Kosmos.
A view over the dam.
If you find the price of living in Kosmos (or in any of the many "security villages" in the area) a little bit too high for your liking, you can always move over here, just a hundred or so metres down the street from Kosmos's boom entrance ;D
Who still remembers the Stywelyne restaurant with its big parking area - the main arena for the Sunday breakfast runs for many years? Well, this is how the spot looks like from the street today :-\
Some more of the "security village" houses on the far western end of the dam.
From Hartebeespoort dam I took the road in the direction of Magaliesburg to Maropeng. Maropeng, according to a brochure I got there, is "a fantastic facility offering a fun yet informative family day out with restaurants, market stalls, a world class underground visitor attraction, conferencing and much more! Situated only 50 minutes from Joburg and Pretoria in the Cradle of Humankind, Maropeng tells the story of humankind's origins and its continuing journey into the future, the four elements and the formation of the earth and all its living creatures." The entrance fee for a bike is R5.
The entrance to the Maropeng main building.
For you to "seek answers to your questions, go back in time on the boat ride, explore the interactive exhibits, interpretation panels and audio visual displays ......", you must cough up a further R80 per adult. Yes, there are lots to read about and exibits of old bones, skulls, etc. The display area reminded me very much of a game arcade.
If you pick up one of these telephones you can listen to the sad life story of the dodo, that extinct bird of Madagascar.
This, apparently, is how our early ancestors looked like Howzit oupa!
Some of the reading there is for you to do.
So, apparently, we are all, you can say, close relatives :-\
When I got back to the parking area, I had this pleasant sighting to pull me right back into the presence from the Stone Age 8)
End of show! I hope you have all enjoyed this short pictorial tour, especially the non-Gautengers and those in far away, freezing countries!
Until next time. Regards
Doringboom
My first stop was on the dam wall. The recent abundant rainfall has resulted in the dam to overflow. A few sluice-gates are open and it makes it worthwile to stroll over the wall to watch the spectacle.
Below the dam wall the Crocodile river gets a welcome boost to its flow.
The curved dam wall.
No, we are not in Paris ;D This, however, is supposed to be a scale replica of the real Parisian one.
A single lane road leads over the dam wall. Traffic lights control the movement of vehicles on both sides.
Slowly, slowly .... careful now with your big Kawa! Signs of the mud monster are everywhere >
On the eastern end of the dam wall this black hole in the rock face awaits you!
From the dam wall one can see some of the luxury houses of Kosmos, overlooking the dam from their hillside perch.
After leaving the dam wall, I headed off to the Wimpy at the Engen garage for breakfast. As usual on a Sunday morning, there were a lot of bikes converged here. I took a look around: Bingo, my first (and only) sighting of a bike with a Wilddog sticker on it! (The blue GS.) I, unfortunately, never managed to see the rider.
Here is a gentleman with his Katoom who, I believe, has some dirt road business on his mind for the day 8)
"Kakplaas"
Could this be a Wilddog's bike?
And this Vara?
And this AT?
The non-motorised 2-wheel squad was also out in full force for the day 8)
After leaving the Wimpy, I took the road over Kommando nek to Kosmos.
A view over the dam.
If you find the price of living in Kosmos (or in any of the many "security villages" in the area) a little bit too high for your liking, you can always move over here, just a hundred or so metres down the street from Kosmos's boom entrance ;D
Who still remembers the Stywelyne restaurant with its big parking area - the main arena for the Sunday breakfast runs for many years? Well, this is how the spot looks like from the street today :-\
Some more of the "security village" houses on the far western end of the dam.
From Hartebeespoort dam I took the road in the direction of Magaliesburg to Maropeng. Maropeng, according to a brochure I got there, is "a fantastic facility offering a fun yet informative family day out with restaurants, market stalls, a world class underground visitor attraction, conferencing and much more! Situated only 50 minutes from Joburg and Pretoria in the Cradle of Humankind, Maropeng tells the story of humankind's origins and its continuing journey into the future, the four elements and the formation of the earth and all its living creatures." The entrance fee for a bike is R5.
The entrance to the Maropeng main building.
For you to "seek answers to your questions, go back in time on the boat ride, explore the interactive exhibits, interpretation panels and audio visual displays ......", you must cough up a further R80 per adult. Yes, there are lots to read about and exibits of old bones, skulls, etc. The display area reminded me very much of a game arcade.
If you pick up one of these telephones you can listen to the sad life story of the dodo, that extinct bird of Madagascar.
This, apparently, is how our early ancestors looked like
Howzit oupa!
Some of the reading there is for you to do.
So, apparently, we are all, you can say, close relatives :-\
When I got back to the parking area, I had this pleasant sighting to pull me right back into the presence from the Stone Age 8)
End of show! I hope you have all enjoyed this short pictorial tour, especially the non-Gautengers and those in far away, freezing countries!
Until next time. Regards
Doringboom
