tankgirl
Pack Dog
I have kind of a reputation for letting the pictures do all the talking. And I’m still going to keep this brief. Because unless you're circumnavigating the continent nobody cares! ;P Read on at your own risk!
Ever since I rode to St. Lucia last November, I felt unstoppable and eager to go anywhere and everywhere! My bike behaved extremely well on that trip after we had finally won the long, gruelling battle with the exhaust by replacing it with something completely different! :Þ
Like a unicorn it ran. Until it didn’t… After 65000km the fuel pump decided to play with my savings, and my sense of humour. Ask blazes. We were just about ready to “make it look like an accident” when some kind of miracle happened and life went on.
During the weeks leading up to our departure I spent many lunch hours carefully selecting my monster mash playlist, hitting up Google maps and accommodation sites. Turns out you can pretty much camp anywhere without booking in advance. It was still a welcome way to waste time while counting down the sleeps!
It’s irrelevant to anyone but me how my hard earned overtime wasn’t loaded in time for payday, but luckily, as an armgat who’s been around I know how to live cheap, sponge on others and defy the odd tollgate
-
Day 1: This was always going to be the most boring part of the trip, no surprises there In Ventersburg we stopped to stretch a few legs and buy yellow-fat biltong. We also bought a (one) block of fudge to share between the three of us because it was Day One and there was still plenty of fudge and biltong and jam to be bought onwards. That turned out to be the best damn fudge I ever had...
According to my ass cheeks the day was 11 hours and 712km long. We had saved a total of R200 in toll fees for the two vehicles and promptly spent it on ice cream.
Day 2: We rode Swartberg pass the last time so opted for Meiringspoort this round. I'd been looking forward to its tight twisties since before Beaufort West and it didn't disappoint! I love how a simple winding road can just fire your insides up like that, I could carry on for another 400km! But we arrived at Stompdrifdam and settled in right on the water front.
The wind howled at the full moon all night long which was moderately annoying
Day 3: An exciting day lay ahead – there was finally some adventure to be had! Firstly I must mention that Ebenhart's cheese burgers and fruit shakes in Calitzdorp are highly recommended. But if you're a chick with GP plates here on these streets you're gonna have a bad time getting hassled by drunken beggars. Huisrivier pass made it all okay again. And up next was Seweweekspoort! I couldn't wait to get my new goggles out for this one! The sheer size of it! Thrilling, like Meiringspoort, but dirtier!! Definitely a highlight. As in, it kinda went a little downhill from there... But a day without trouble is like a bath without bubbles!
The bakkie's tire had completely self-destructed on the R323, I still remember thinking what a nice and smooth dirt highway! When I eventually turned back looking for them, my dad was already getting the spare wheel out. It was 40°C in the shade, if you could find any! An hour and about 5 litres of water later some rain clouds sarcastically rolled up, just as we got going again.
Road closures where the Touwsrivier and Brakrivier go their separate ways meant we had to make a detour through a place called Hondewater. We missed our turnoff and got very nicely lost but the road was an absolute joy to ride so we kept calm and happily carried on. It had rained maybe a couple of hours before, just enough to settle the dust without getting slippery. The road itself was really good, winding up and down the little hills towards what we held thumbs would turn out to be Swellendam. Instead it brought us to a gate. Sanbona Wildlife Reserve's back door. "Fuck!" we thought. It's late and too far to go back, will they even allow my bike through?! About half an hour of paperwork was all it took We got to ride through a bit of springbok and oryx country for free!
My favourite thing about the riding there is that you can generally see nice and far ahead, not like up here in the bush where every corner is a blind corner, which means you can really get into a nice rhythm! I enjoyed this bit of road the most, it reminded me somewhat of an MX track only not as deep, but graded exclusively for bikes
We had lost quite a bit of time exploring these unknown roads and changing wheels but only a few hundred meters from where we eventually re-joined the R62 was that fabled Sex Shop! We had to stop and meet the old guy and his lazy black cat! Knocked back some hard-earned cold ones while the setting sun rushed us on impatiently. Asshole sun :/
The Cape, and specifically Barrydale where I had to refuel, is no place to be in a hurry. The people are just too friendly and interested in out-of-towners. What is great when in a hurry though, is something like Tradouw's pass! Really got the blood pumping! We arrived at the gate for Bontebok National Park at 6:30pm. Closing time was 7! We won! In spite of some seriously sweaty moments we still made it! There was even a little daylight left to set up camp
Day 4: The park does not allow motorbikes outside the camp so Blitsie stayed put for the day. It was overcast and drizzling. Sweet, soft rain lasted late into the afternoon. We spent the entire day game-driving and also replaced that spare tire.
Day 5: Our first glimpse of the ocean was a windy Struisbaai. Took the obligatory photo at the southernmost tip and l'Agulhas lighthouse and a dusty little gravel road brought us to Franskraal. The time had come for soft serve. There in the queue was Oom Steyn, who just so happens to be the father-in-law of the brother of my friend who we were on our way to! Oom Steyn suggested a charming little road to Gansbaai all along the coastline but somehow we landed up on a MTB trail! Oh well, we loved it!
Approaching Bellville the weather was getting rather whiffy. But even worse than that was the traffic. It was a Wednesday afternoon, peak hour. But it was great to be reunited with my old travel buddy again
Day 6-9: Took enough photos for a book at Kirstenbosch Botanical gardens. Supported my cousin's new restaurant (Lisa's at Milnerton Stodels - feel free to go spend some money there) Drove up the West Coast for fish & chips at Paternoster's Voorstrandt. Lazy day at Big Bay. Yellowtail on the braai while the Lions beat the Stormers 34-10. Quick swim at Gordons Bay. Pizza and beer with family. I wanted to get a photo with Blits and the mountain but it was doing its table cloth trick when I rode out that way.
Day 10: We left home in absolute darkness, rode Bainskloof pass at first light and arrived for breakfast at the Ceres Inn just after daybreak. About 20km from Citrusdal on the R303 my bike suddenly died. The last few km’s had been a little bumpy and it was about to get even more interesting according to the Middelberg pass signboard. While my folks went on to town to get help I started loosening and fastening and checking everything I could think of. The battery was bone dry, seals all over the place and the negative connector was burnt through from the acid. *sigh of relief* But a minor issue! About an hour later they arrived back with a trailer they'd managed to borrow from the local quad shop. We carefully towed the bike back for a top up and I was on my merry way again!
With my faith in humanity restored, we ordered some crème soda floats like our lives depended on it in that midday heat and hit the gravel all the way to Algeria in the Cederberg. We hiked a bit of their leopard country and admired the views. I would love to go back someday and explore the area a little more.
Day 11: We shared our camp site with some wild baboons, gobsmacked by how high they'd climbed into those tall Cedar trees at bedtime. Easily twenty meters! Dunno how they get any sleeping done up there?! For a brief moment when we were all at our most vulnerable, brushing our morning breaths away, the thieving bastards took off with all our home-baked biscuits and rusks. A miserable state of affairs. That bad huh? Worse! We were out of our marshmallows too!
The rooibos milkshakes in Clanwilliam were surprisingly delicious and from Pakhuis pass we took a dirt road first towards Wupperthal and then all along the Biedourivier where things started to get a little hairy. Rather suddenly the road became very rough and rocky. I couldn't even stop for photos and barely hung onto my momentum with fright-white knuckles! My dad did a great job steering his LWB 4×2 through safely. And the Jimny was like "what rocks?" ;B
Typical for us, it was getting late again and we still had to find the gate for Tankwa Karoo park. There was a signboard in the middle of nowhere that advertised fuel so we turned in, stumbled upon the Stonehenge and got talked into having an ice cold Black Label at the Onverklaar Bar. The bakkie had picked up another puncture so I used the repair time to have a look around. The helpful Malawians manning the joint sent us in the general direction of the park. Initially it was a very sandy tweespoor road past the abandoned AfrikaBurn festival site and the sun had already set into the dust. Thanks to ADA I’d ridden sand in the dark (once) before so naught was feared
We eventually entered the park through an unofficial gate. There weren’t any road markings or directions yet so at the first fork I rode in the opposite direction the sign board was facing, hoping we'd encounter more clues. All I could soon see was the yellow blob of light ahead of me. Even though we were booked and paid at Biesjesfontein we arrived at Volmoersfontein at about 8pm and voted to just crash there since neither sites had power or ablutions anyway. It was different but same-same
Day 12: Fear of getting caught camping illegally had us all up early We were also very eager to explore since we had all that daylight at our disposal! I won a short staring contest with a spotted eagle owl, he was a pretty sore loser and flew off. We saw an abundance of game and a LOT of open air. One could really breathe! There were no other vehicles, not another soul in sight all day. Jimny dashed off for fuel in Middelpos via Ganaggas pass, which I'm sorry now I didn't tag along for...
Meanwhile, we found Pyperseboom and got settled in for a quick afternoon nap. We spent the rest of the day around the fire and what was left of our cold beers *hic* That night while we were sleeping a caracal climbed on our car and tried to eat us! We found its footprints on the windscreen. Oh and I took my most epic star trail photo do date.
Day 13: We awoke to an absolutely stunning sunrise, which really sealed our great memories of this place. Its unpretentious beauty had left a lasting impression on me and I will most definitely return to poop in a hole in the ground once more.
Choosing which of the awesome roads to ride was agony but the parts we did get to ride were awesome. We had two rounds each of Verlatenkloof's ginger beer, and at lunchtime the Sutherland Hotel invited us in for some air conditioning and cheese burgers. Down from Fraserburg and Theekloof pass we took a gravel shortcut towards the Karoo National park, tucked safely away behind the unassuming front that is Beaufort West town. There were rainbows everywhere!
Day 14: In a futile attempt to postpone the inevitable we took one last long game drive for old time's sake. I left my folks behind in the thundering rain. This was me at my most focused, cutting through the crappy weather like a chainsaw through a meringue pie. After settling in Colesberg I walked down the block for some dinner and spent the evening hating FB and no make-up selfies. To my own surprise my R199 Mr Price kiddie’s tent kept me dry like a decent deodorant as the rain came down all night!
Day 15: Next morning all the rain was gone which made packing up fairly painless. I still had to take it very easy on the wet roads though, especially from Smithfield towards Wepener. Got well-acquainted with a grass embankment once! Had my first drink and meal for the day at 12:36 near Clocolan/Ficksburg. I was starving!
Upon arrival at Bergwoning where I paid to camp, the man insisted that I take the key for the Fisherman's Hut in case it rained again. Somewhere on the way over a random can of Red Bull popped inside my dry bag but luckily my 25 year old sleeping bag was in there to soak up all of the chaos. I pitched my tent (still damp from the previous night) and spread out the sleeping bag while the sun was out and walked up to Kiara Lodge’s pub for some trout and veggies while the Bulls played the Lions 25-17. I was wearing my PT shorts and plakkies so I felt right at home
As I hauled my stuffed belly back it started to drizzle again. Had a quick shower and then Blitsie and I retreated for a cozy night in, downloading photos to the laptop by candlelight. He makes a really great roommate It rained all night on the little tin roof and we slept like babies!
Day 16: I was out of the house by sunrise, ready to burn some rubber. But I didn't get very far past Clarens when this dense wall of fog nearly knocked me off my bike! At first I thought I was hallucinating, caught in some scene from Pirates’ At World’s End. But there was no Johnny Depp. My sense of direction is rather dubious at the best of times so my inability to see a word on top of getting wet and frozen didn't help matters much. I think I returned to my human form somewhere near Reitz.
The road condition was pretty ridiculous but when a bug ended his own life dramatically all over my visor I was only too happy to rinse the yellow Jackson Pollock off with some lukewarm puddle water! By then I was also back on track. Shortly before the N3 tollgate I silenced my empty stomach with a Wimpy cappuccino and gave up the freeway again for the road less travelled. Narrow lanes crammed with coal trucks. Bollocks! It had also started to piss down again and continued by the bucket load for the rest of the way.
I did make it home in one whole piece and lived to tell the tale and all that so it's cool Altogether I'd ridden 4121km. Not that anyone asked ...except maybe if you're an X-Challenge rider.
-
Thanks for looking and reading and watching the silly little video
TG's Cape Crusade on Vimeo
Ever since I rode to St. Lucia last November, I felt unstoppable and eager to go anywhere and everywhere! My bike behaved extremely well on that trip after we had finally won the long, gruelling battle with the exhaust by replacing it with something completely different! :Þ
Like a unicorn it ran. Until it didn’t… After 65000km the fuel pump decided to play with my savings, and my sense of humour. Ask blazes. We were just about ready to “make it look like an accident” when some kind of miracle happened and life went on.
During the weeks leading up to our departure I spent many lunch hours carefully selecting my monster mash playlist, hitting up Google maps and accommodation sites. Turns out you can pretty much camp anywhere without booking in advance. It was still a welcome way to waste time while counting down the sleeps!
It’s irrelevant to anyone but me how my hard earned overtime wasn’t loaded in time for payday, but luckily, as an armgat who’s been around I know how to live cheap, sponge on others and defy the odd tollgate
-
Day 1: This was always going to be the most boring part of the trip, no surprises there
In Ventersburg we stopped to stretch a few legs and buy yellow-fat biltong. We also bought a (one) block of fudge to share between the three of us because it was Day One and there was still plenty of fudge and biltong and jam to be bought onwards. That turned out to be the best damn fudge I ever had...According to my ass cheeks the day was 11 hours and 712km long. We had saved a total of R200 in toll fees for the two vehicles and promptly spent it on ice cream.
Day 2: We rode Swartberg pass the last time so opted for Meiringspoort this round. I'd been looking forward to its tight twisties since before Beaufort West and it didn't disappoint!
I love how a simple winding road can just fire your insides up like that, I could carry on for another 400km! But we arrived at Stompdrifdam and settled in right on the water front.The wind howled at the full moon all night long which was moderately annoying
Day 3: An exciting day lay ahead – there was finally some adventure to be had! Firstly I must mention that Ebenhart's cheese burgers and fruit shakes in Calitzdorp are highly recommended. But if you're a chick with GP plates here on these streets you're gonna have a bad time getting hassled by drunken beggars. Huisrivier pass made it all okay again. And up next was Seweweekspoort! I couldn't wait to get my new goggles out for this one!
The sheer size of it! Thrilling, like Meiringspoort, but dirtier!! Definitely a highlight. As in, it kinda went a little downhill from there... But a day without trouble is like a bath without bubbles!The bakkie's tire had completely self-destructed on the R323, I still remember thinking what a nice and smooth dirt highway! When I eventually turned back looking for them, my dad was already getting the spare wheel out. It was 40°C in the shade, if you could find any! An hour and about 5 litres of water later some rain clouds sarcastically rolled up, just as we got going again.
Road closures where the Touwsrivier and Brakrivier go their separate ways meant we had to make a detour through a place called Hondewater. We missed our turnoff and got very nicely lost but the road was an absolute joy to ride so we kept calm and happily carried on. It had rained maybe a couple of hours before, just enough to settle the dust without getting slippery. The road itself was really good, winding up and down the little hills towards what we held thumbs would turn out to be Swellendam. Instead it brought us to a gate. Sanbona Wildlife Reserve's back door. "Fuck!" we thought. It's late and too far to go back, will they even allow my bike through?! About half an hour of paperwork was all it took
We got to ride through a bit of springbok and oryx country for free!My favourite thing about the riding there is that you can generally see nice and far ahead, not like up here in the bush where every corner is a blind corner, which means you can really get into a nice rhythm! I enjoyed this bit of road the most, it reminded me somewhat of an MX track only not as deep, but graded exclusively for bikes
We had lost quite a bit of time exploring these unknown roads and changing wheels but only a few hundred meters from where we eventually re-joined the R62 was that fabled Sex Shop! We had to stop and meet the old guy and his lazy black cat! Knocked back some hard-earned cold ones while the setting sun rushed us on impatiently. Asshole sun :/
The Cape, and specifically Barrydale where I had to refuel, is no place to be in a hurry. The people are just too friendly and interested in out-of-towners. What is great when in a hurry though, is something like Tradouw's pass! Really got the blood pumping! We arrived at the gate for Bontebok National Park at 6:30pm. Closing time was 7! We won! In spite of some seriously sweaty moments we still made it! There was even a little daylight left to set up camp
Day 4: The park does not allow motorbikes outside the camp so Blitsie stayed put for the day. It was overcast and drizzling. Sweet, soft rain lasted late into the afternoon. We spent the entire day game-driving and also replaced that spare tire.
Day 5: Our first glimpse of the ocean was a windy Struisbaai. Took the obligatory photo at the southernmost tip and l'Agulhas lighthouse and a dusty little gravel road brought us to Franskraal. The time had come for soft serve. There in the queue was Oom Steyn, who just so happens to be the father-in-law of the brother of my friend who we were on our way to! Oom Steyn suggested a charming little road to Gansbaai all along the coastline but somehow we landed up on a MTB trail! Oh well, we loved it!
Approaching Bellville the weather was getting rather whiffy. But even worse than that was the traffic. It was a Wednesday afternoon, peak hour. But it was great to be reunited with my old travel buddy again
Day 6-9: Took enough photos for a book at Kirstenbosch Botanical gardens. Supported my cousin's new restaurant (Lisa's at Milnerton Stodels - feel free to go spend some money there) Drove up the West Coast for fish & chips at Paternoster's Voorstrandt. Lazy day at Big Bay. Yellowtail on the braai while the Lions beat the Stormers 34-10. Quick swim at Gordons Bay. Pizza and beer with family. I wanted to get a photo with Blits and the mountain but it was doing its table cloth trick when I rode out that way.
Day 10: We left home in absolute darkness, rode Bainskloof pass at first light and arrived for breakfast at the Ceres Inn just after daybreak. About 20km from Citrusdal on the R303 my bike suddenly died. The last few km’s had been a little bumpy and it was about to get even more interesting according to the Middelberg pass signboard. While my folks went on to town to get help I started loosening and fastening and checking everything I could think of. The battery was bone dry, seals all over the place and the negative connector was burnt through from the acid. *sigh of relief* But a minor issue! About an hour later they arrived back with a trailer they'd managed to borrow from the local quad shop. We carefully towed the bike back for a top up and I was on my merry way again!
With my faith in humanity restored, we ordered some crème soda floats like our lives depended on it in that midday heat and hit the gravel all the way to Algeria in the Cederberg. We hiked a bit of their leopard country and admired the views. I would love to go back someday and explore the area a little more.
Day 11: We shared our camp site with some wild baboons, gobsmacked by how high they'd climbed into those tall Cedar trees at bedtime. Easily twenty meters! Dunno how they get any sleeping done up there?! For a brief moment when we were all at our most vulnerable, brushing our morning breaths away, the thieving bastards took off with all our home-baked biscuits and rusks. A miserable state of affairs. That bad huh? Worse! We were out of our marshmallows too!
The rooibos milkshakes in Clanwilliam were surprisingly delicious and from Pakhuis pass we took a dirt road first towards Wupperthal and then all along the Biedourivier where things started to get a little hairy. Rather suddenly the road became very rough and rocky. I couldn't even stop for photos and barely hung onto my momentum with fright-white knuckles!
My dad did a great job steering his LWB 4×2 through safely. And the Jimny was like "what rocks?" ;BTypical for us, it was getting late again and we still had to find the gate for Tankwa Karoo park. There was a signboard in the middle of nowhere that advertised fuel so we turned in, stumbled upon the Stonehenge and got talked into having an ice cold Black Label at the Onverklaar Bar.
The bakkie had picked up another puncture so I used the repair time to have a look around. The helpful Malawians manning the joint sent us in the general direction of the park. Initially it was a very sandy tweespoor road past the abandoned AfrikaBurn festival site and the sun had already set into the dust. Thanks to ADA I’d ridden sand in the dark (once) before so naught was feared We eventually entered the park through an unofficial gate. There weren’t any road markings or directions yet so at the first fork I rode in the opposite direction the sign board was facing, hoping we'd encounter more clues. All I could soon see was the yellow blob of light ahead of me. Even though we were booked and paid at Biesjesfontein we arrived at Volmoersfontein at about 8pm and voted to just crash there since neither sites had power or ablutions anyway. It was different but same-same
Day 12: Fear of getting caught camping illegally had us all up early
We were also very eager to explore since we had all that daylight at our disposal! I won a short staring contest with a spotted eagle owl, he was a pretty sore loser and flew off. We saw an abundance of game and a LOT of open air. One could really breathe! There were no other vehicles, not another soul in sight all day. Jimny dashed off for fuel in Middelpos via Ganaggas pass, which I'm sorry now I didn't tag along for...Meanwhile, we found Pyperseboom and got settled in for a quick afternoon nap. We spent the rest of the day around the fire and what was left of our cold beers *hic* That night while we were sleeping a caracal climbed on our car and tried to eat us! We found its footprints on the windscreen. Oh and I took my most epic star trail photo do date.
Day 13: We awoke to an absolutely stunning sunrise, which really sealed our great memories of this place. Its unpretentious beauty had left a lasting impression on me and I will most definitely return to poop in a hole in the ground once more.
Choosing which of the awesome roads to ride was agony but the parts we did get to ride were awesome.
We had two rounds each of Verlatenkloof's ginger beer, and at lunchtime the Sutherland Hotel invited us in for some air conditioning and cheese burgers. Down from Fraserburg and Theekloof pass we took a gravel shortcut towards the Karoo National park, tucked safely away behind the unassuming front that is Beaufort West town. There were rainbows everywhere!
Day 14: In a futile attempt to postpone the inevitable we took one last long game drive for old time's sake. I left my folks behind in the thundering rain. This was me at my most focused, cutting through the crappy weather like a chainsaw through a meringue pie. After settling in Colesberg I walked down the block for some dinner and spent the evening hating FB and no make-up selfies. To my own surprise my R199 Mr Price kiddie’s tent kept me dry like a decent deodorant as the rain came down all night!
Day 15: Next morning all the rain was gone which made packing up fairly painless. I still had to take it very easy on the wet roads though, especially from Smithfield towards Wepener. Got well-acquainted with a grass embankment once!
Had my first drink and meal for the day at 12:36 near Clocolan/Ficksburg. I was starving!Upon arrival at Bergwoning where I paid to camp, the man insisted that I take the key for the Fisherman's Hut in case it rained again. Somewhere on the way over a random can of Red Bull popped inside my dry bag but luckily my 25 year old sleeping bag was in there to soak up all of the chaos. I pitched my tent (still damp from the previous night) and spread out the sleeping bag while the sun was out and walked up to Kiara Lodge’s pub for some trout and veggies while the Bulls played the Lions 25-17. I was wearing my PT shorts and plakkies so I felt right at home
As I hauled my stuffed belly back it started to drizzle again. Had a quick shower and then Blitsie and I retreated for a cozy night in, downloading photos to the laptop by candlelight. He makes a really great roommate
It rained all night on the little tin roof and we slept like babies!
Day 16: I was out of the house by sunrise, ready to burn some rubber. But I didn't get very far past Clarens when this dense wall of fog nearly knocked me off my bike! At first I thought I was hallucinating, caught in some scene from Pirates’ At World’s End. But there was no Johnny Depp. My sense of direction is rather dubious at the best of times so my inability to see a word on top of getting wet and frozen didn't help matters much. I think I returned to my human form somewhere near Reitz.
The road condition was pretty ridiculous but when a bug ended his own life dramatically all over my visor I was only too happy to rinse the yellow Jackson Pollock off with some lukewarm puddle water! By then I was also back on track. Shortly before the N3 tollgate I silenced my empty stomach with a Wimpy cappuccino and gave up the freeway again for the road less travelled. Narrow lanes crammed with coal trucks. Bollocks! It had also started to piss down again and continued by the bucket load for the rest of the way.
I did make it home in one whole piece and lived to tell the tale and all that so it's cool
Altogether I'd ridden 4121km. Not that anyone asked ...except maybe if you're an X-Challenge rider.-
Thanks for looking and reading and watching the silly little video
TG's Cape Crusade on Vimeo
