Williston doing the Cederbergs

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LMG

Race Dog
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My first ride report on WDs!

The idea was that my friends from Williston and I met up for a weekend in the Cederbergs.  Eventually, some of our friends from Cape Town also arrived with some of them I haven’t seen since ‘84.  That in itself is something to celebrate!  Nestie, the sister of Dawid Nieuwoudt – the owner of Dwarsrivier – and married to a friend in Williston, made all the arrangements for us to stay over at Dwarsrivier.  I did not know that Dawid recently opened a new camping spot called Die Kliphuis.  

Leaving Saldanha at about 16h00 on Friday, it was already late when I turned from the N7 on the road towards Algeria and Dwarsrivier.  With the sun setting in the east, the scenes were spectacular on the road over the Nieuwoudts pass.  The road was almost as bad as the scenery was good.  A friend described the road as skurf.  There was only one way of riding – low in the gears, high in the revs, standing on the front pegs and let the bike do with its rear whatever it wants to do.

When I arrived at Dwarsrivier at around 0730 it was already dark.  I did not know about the new camping spot and look for my friends at Sandrivier, the well-known camping spot.  I could not find them and decided it will be useless to try and find them on the farm in the dark.  As a result, I pitch my tent, get myself a dop and settle in for a quiet night.  Well, it was not that quiet since two dogs were camping with their 4X4s on the spot next to me.  They offer me a steak and a lot of dop.  But it was rustig.

On Saturday morning, I went back to the office and eventually found the dogs from Williston at the Kliphuis.  Well, the gods were good to me since they had a hell of a time on Friday night.  I wonder whether a study was ever done on the origins of the word babbelas in South Africa?  

Nonetheless, we had a hell of a breakfast before saddling up for a ride to Wupperthal.  It required some technical riding.  It was nonetheless a very enjoyable ride in great weather.  The 45kms kept us busy for almost three hours.  The tweespoor paadtjies were much better that the four wheeled open gravel roads.  I was glad I did not have a pillion on my bike.  Most of my friends had.  Though, I should add, if you’re from Williston you know gravel roads and above all how to ride them.  

When we arrived at Wupperthal, they had their annual church bazaar.  We were glad to make a small contribution.  I had two litres of home-made gemmerbier.  Their food was great with all the necessary things that are required for a good church bazaar – including the pudding made of 44 kinds of jellies.  The ride back to the Kliphuis was good, hot and uneventful.

Arriving back at the Kliphuis, we allowed for only a small lull in the fire before saddling up for a wine tasting at Dwarsrivier winery.  Good stuff!  Saturday night was spent around a fire with stories of life in Williston.  I almost forget what people from those areas can do with a good story.  Whereas in the rest of the country people tell jokes, the Karoo people just tell stories about their own experiences and real life comings and goings pick up through a fine sense of humour and a fyn waarnemingsvermoë. (Try and find one word in English to describe that activity!!!!!!!!!)

On Sunday, after a hearty breakfast, we saddle up for a visit to the Stadsaal caves.  The road from Matjiesrivier towards Ceres is in an excellent condition – doing 80-120 the whole time.  We stopped for lunch at a restaurant next to the road.  The owner, Gerrit, did a good job as a restaurateur and I can recommend his place for lunch or even a sleep-over any time.  The tar road from Ceres to Saldanha was like all tar roads – freaking boring.  And due to a doubtful back tire I had to restrict myself to 100km.              
 

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