ZWY 635 GP goes north

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Geotraveller

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ZWY 635 GP goes north.

“You want to do what! I rode my 230 Yamaha out to the Airport once and had to get a new arse!”
Sid Hayes glared at me from across the wooden table at the Vic Falls boat club. I was up for a visit and the locals had invited us for a dop and a meal. When we had finished laughing I thought about it a bit and realized I really did want to do a bike trip to the Falls.

I had worked in Vic Falls on and off for a couple of seasons as a raft guide and it was a special place then and still remains so.

So a plan was hatched, me on the bike and the family in the car, one night in Nata, two nights in Kasane and three in the Falls. We planned to leave just after Christmas and be back early in the New Year.

I was going to use the 650 GS but it developed a problem with its right hand side cover, so I got the TransAlp ready.

Got into a bit of a wobbly as I heard there were fuel issues in Botswana so hurriedly got hold of some fuel containers which we would fill at the Border.

26 December 2010.

The alarm went at some ungodly hour, pulling me from a lekker sleep I had just fallen into.

Kettle on, TV on Poms wailing on the Aussies, cup of coffee and off I go. The TransAlp seemed eager for the road and I let her have her head, off to the North I saw flashes on the horizon in the dark…….hmmmmm.

It got light not far other side Brits and dawn was a watery affair, damp and windy but great to ride in.

The road to Thabazimbi is a bit potholed and kept my mind from wandering to far. I stopped in Thabazimbi around 6:30 for fuel and a cuppa, the road was wet and I could see rain ahead in the Waterberg. Still being an optimist or a fool, I headed out sans raingear and soon regretted that! About 30 kays later I had to stop and hurriedly pull on the rain stuff!! Good steady rain was falling now. The water on the road made the few twisties near Lephelale interesting

Lephalale came and went and the rain abated around Monte Cristo. I arrived at Grobbler’s Brug at around 8:45, just ahead of the family cage. The border crossing was a breeze and took around 30 minutes.

tbc......
 
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