9am on Tuesday the 23rd May and the GS is all packed and fuelled and ready to roll! Tank bag, tail bag and my better half on the back and we are on our way! Forget the builders at the house and the total disorganisation of remodelling the garages.... ITS RALLY TIME!
Sun is shining but its slightly cooler than normal thanks to the bunch of cold fronts attacking the Cape coast.... one ahead of us and one coming up behind! But what the hell its NOT raining! Let's go!!
We decided the weekend before,over a rather splendid bottle of Johnny Walker Black (and Spice Gold and Appletiser for the wife) that we would see parts of the country that we had not experienced before and thus try to stay off the obvious routes unless pushed for time as we HAD to be at the rally by Friday lunchtime!
DuToits Kloof pass was first up and then breakfast at the trout farm.
Then N1 to Worcester (where we were suddenly reminded how irregular the Cape weather can be and got RAINED on) and the famous and really pleasant R62 to Barrydale and of course to Ronnie's Sex Shop.
Now dont stop here unless you intend to spend the night somewhere close by!! We got horribly involved with the man himself and ended up booking into the Spa up the road which was a unique experience!
Next morning off in the direction of Oudtshoorn and finally found the reason for heated grips!! Snow on the mountains around Ladismith with a howling wind and kit still wet from yesterday....... bone chilling!
Breakfast in Ladismith and off to Oudtshoorn through Calitzdorp where we saw this at the entrance! A THINK BIKE sticker
Oudtshoorn went past followed by the LOVELY Outeniqua Pass down to George and then N2 all the way to Humansdorp and through to St Francis Bay which was our overnight stop.PORT VIEW PLACE: absolutely amazing place to stay highly recommended!
Next stay over was East London so about 700km in one day lay ahead: N2 to PE and then on to East London via Grahamstown.
Once in East London one phone call to Michnus was all that was needed to be spoilt rotten the whole day and secured us a warm and comfy room in the BEST B&B in the country! Luxury at its best with the hosts unable to do enough for us! A few pleasant whiskies and some wonderful company relaxed the tired muscles and warmed the soul........
Seriously though, Michnus and his wonderful wife took us into their home and pampered us with warmth and friendship that made me realise why I always liked East London. Wonderful people, thank you so much Mich now get your butt to Cape Town so I can return the favour!!!
Michnus was also in somewhat of a quandry... he couldn't decide what to buy, a KTM990 or this:
In the end I think he saw the light and settled with the Vespa
:lol:
Next day off through the old Transkei and gale force winds had us riding dead straight with the bike at about a 10 degree lean(all I could see in my right mirror was ME!) Dodging cattle, sheep,goats,dogs,locals,monkeys, potholes,oncoming cars (in your lane but passing nobody!) and even pigs with this constant irritating wind required total concentration and was not enjoyable in the least! Hang a right at Umtata and off to Port St Johns where we realised how late we were. Through the Lusikisiki pass(fun but badly maintained) and to Port Edward where suddenly you can feel civilisation return as the pedestrians become less and the roads improve tenfold.
Arrived at the Rally Site at 4pm.
Sterling job done by that bird-flu endangered species and kudo's to the Chicken Outfit who managed to run this entire rally with something like 8 members!!! Great Rally and great entertainment as usual.
The mass ride on Saturday morning
Great entertainment on the Saturday into the evening which culminated in a wet t-shirt comp (all contestants bar one becoming shirtless!) followed by the crowning of a VERY worthy Miss Chicken 2006 and then prize giving where I was most pleased to collect my second longest distance Chicken Rally trophy
Ride back in brief: Overnight with friends in Pinetown on Sunday, through to in-laws in Pavels town then Bethlehem next day and through to Hogsback on the Wednesday (another 700km day!) overnight at the marvellous Kings Lodge in Hogsback, where we were welcomed with open arms by Michnus' (special) friend Neil, a fantastic person who really entertains and enjoys bikes himself!
From Hogsback it was off to Knysna and overnight there and back to Cape Town the next day and just to end off the trip as started we were rained on constantly all the way to Swellendam after which we arrived at a dry and pleasant Cape Town.
4450km at a fuel consumption average of 15.88km/l. The faithful GS never missed a beat and was flawless from beginning to end!
Sun is shining but its slightly cooler than normal thanks to the bunch of cold fronts attacking the Cape coast.... one ahead of us and one coming up behind! But what the hell its NOT raining! Let's go!!
We decided the weekend before,over a rather splendid bottle of Johnny Walker Black (and Spice Gold and Appletiser for the wife) that we would see parts of the country that we had not experienced before and thus try to stay off the obvious routes unless pushed for time as we HAD to be at the rally by Friday lunchtime!
DuToits Kloof pass was first up and then breakfast at the trout farm.
Then N1 to Worcester (where we were suddenly reminded how irregular the Cape weather can be and got RAINED on) and the famous and really pleasant R62 to Barrydale and of course to Ronnie's Sex Shop.
Now dont stop here unless you intend to spend the night somewhere close by!! We got horribly involved with the man himself and ended up booking into the Spa up the road which was a unique experience!
Next morning off in the direction of Oudtshoorn and finally found the reason for heated grips!! Snow on the mountains around Ladismith with a howling wind and kit still wet from yesterday....... bone chilling!
Breakfast in Ladismith and off to Oudtshoorn through Calitzdorp where we saw this at the entrance! A THINK BIKE sticker
Oudtshoorn went past followed by the LOVELY Outeniqua Pass down to George and then N2 all the way to Humansdorp and through to St Francis Bay which was our overnight stop.PORT VIEW PLACE: absolutely amazing place to stay highly recommended!
Next stay over was East London so about 700km in one day lay ahead: N2 to PE and then on to East London via Grahamstown.
Once in East London one phone call to Michnus was all that was needed to be spoilt rotten the whole day and secured us a warm and comfy room in the BEST B&B in the country! Luxury at its best with the hosts unable to do enough for us! A few pleasant whiskies and some wonderful company relaxed the tired muscles and warmed the soul........
Seriously though, Michnus and his wonderful wife took us into their home and pampered us with warmth and friendship that made me realise why I always liked East London. Wonderful people, thank you so much Mich now get your butt to Cape Town so I can return the favour!!!
Michnus was also in somewhat of a quandry... he couldn't decide what to buy, a KTM990 or this:
In the end I think he saw the light and settled with the Vespa
:lol:
Next day off through the old Transkei and gale force winds had us riding dead straight with the bike at about a 10 degree lean(all I could see in my right mirror was ME!) Dodging cattle, sheep,goats,dogs,locals,monkeys, potholes,oncoming cars (in your lane but passing nobody!) and even pigs with this constant irritating wind required total concentration and was not enjoyable in the least! Hang a right at Umtata and off to Port St Johns where we realised how late we were. Through the Lusikisiki pass(fun but badly maintained) and to Port Edward where suddenly you can feel civilisation return as the pedestrians become less and the roads improve tenfold.
Arrived at the Rally Site at 4pm.
Sterling job done by that bird-flu endangered species and kudo's to the Chicken Outfit who managed to run this entire rally with something like 8 members!!! Great Rally and great entertainment as usual.
The mass ride on Saturday morning
Great entertainment on the Saturday into the evening which culminated in a wet t-shirt comp (all contestants bar one becoming shirtless!) followed by the crowning of a VERY worthy Miss Chicken 2006 and then prize giving where I was most pleased to collect my second longest distance Chicken Rally trophy
Ride back in brief: Overnight with friends in Pinetown on Sunday, through to in-laws in Pavels town then Bethlehem next day and through to Hogsback on the Wednesday (another 700km day!) overnight at the marvellous Kings Lodge in Hogsback, where we were welcomed with open arms by Michnus' (special) friend Neil, a fantastic person who really entertains and enjoys bikes himself!
From Hogsback it was off to Knysna and overnight there and back to Cape Town the next day and just to end off the trip as started we were rained on constantly all the way to Swellendam after which we arrived at a dry and pleasant Cape Town.
4450km at a fuel consumption average of 15.88km/l. The faithful GS never missed a beat and was flawless from beginning to end!
