Doringboom
Race Dog
Hallo everybody,
This year was the second time I attended the annual Buffalo Rally ("the Buff") in Mossel Bay. Like the first time last year, I again decided to make a proper holiday trip out of the whole occasion, travelling along roads and visiting places that do not necessarily fall on the line the proverbial crow would have flown. This time of year the weather in SA is generally very pleasant everywhere and the roads are without any school holiday traffic. Herewith some highlights:
Day 1 (Wednesday): Pretoria - Krugersdorp - Randfontein - Potchefstroom - Viljoenskroon - Bothaville - Hoopstad - Hertzogville - Boshof - Kimberley - Douglas - Prieska (780 km)
I left Pretoria at 05:30. Here is the first beacon of note: The bridge across the Vaal River between Potchefstroom and Viljoenskroon, where you enter the Free State!
The Free State's mealies (maize, corn, "papbome") vary between almost beautiful and almost dead, mainly due to the insufficient rainfall of the past summer months. Here, between Viljoenskroon and Bothaville, there may be some yield...
...but here, between Bothaville and Hoopstad, I doubt about any yield at all!
At Hoopstad's imposing town entrance. Viva Afrikaner cattle!
Cattle, though not Afrikaner cattle, between Hoopstad and Hertzogville. They could be Drakensbergers (?)
My first gravel road of the trip: A 38 km section of the direct route between Hertzogville and Boshof.
At the confluence of SA's mighty rivers: The Vaal (from the right behind the tree) and Orange (from the left) meet just outside Douglas. The last 3 km to the confluence point is also a gravel road. A R4 entrance fee is charged.
A fisherman is trying his luck in the westernmost waters of the Vaal River.
Day 2 (Thursday): Prieska - Britstown - Victoria West - Three Sisters - Beaufort West - De Rust - Oudtshoorn - Mossel Bay (650 km). (I dropped my initial plan to ride the gravel roads over Carnarvon and Fraserburg on the advice of the people at the guesthouse in Prieska.)
Almost without exception a church building is at the centre of all "platteland" towns. Some are real eye catching pieces of architecture. Here is Victoria West's Dutch Reformed Church.
A peaceful midtown scene in Victoria West.
Inside Meiringspoort, on the road to Oudtshoorn. The majestic Swartberg Mountains really put a final end to all boring roads if there had been any on your way to get here!
On the picturesque Robinson Pass over the Outeniqua Mountains, between Oudtshoorn and Mossel Bay.
A view from the Robinson Pass.
I arrived at the Buff just after 17:00. I have just finished parking when fellow Wilddog Forumers Leo and Excalibur also pulled in on their Beemers, all the way from Pretoria.
The view across the bay from the Santos Caravan Park, the venue of the Buff.
Day 3 (Friday): Mossel Bay - Groot Brakrivier and vicinity (60km)
Some cattle on the way to the Bottelierskop Nature Reserve.
At Bottelierskop you can choose your ride for game viewing: An elephant, a Samil 20, etc.
The coastline from between Groot and Klein Brakrivier in the direction of Mossel Bay.
Here I am in front of the camera at last! I paid a visit to my Pretoria neighbours at their holiday home in Groot Brakrivier.
Day 4 (Saturday): Mossel Bay
The Buff campsite is all activity. My little brown tent is just to the left of the centre of the photo.
More tents, bikes and people and all sorts of spectacles.
Some restaurants in town are favourite venues for drinks, etc. "Hoe later, hoe kwater!"
Ditto.
I had to do some normal tourist things, like hiking a section of the trail that starts at the foot of the lighthouse at The Point. Here is the view from a spot overlooking the rocks of Cape St Blaize.
Some more of the rocky coastline, with beautiful rock carvings by the waves over the ages.
(continue in Part 2)
This year was the second time I attended the annual Buffalo Rally ("the Buff") in Mossel Bay. Like the first time last year, I again decided to make a proper holiday trip out of the whole occasion, travelling along roads and visiting places that do not necessarily fall on the line the proverbial crow would have flown. This time of year the weather in SA is generally very pleasant everywhere and the roads are without any school holiday traffic. Herewith some highlights:
Day 1 (Wednesday): Pretoria - Krugersdorp - Randfontein - Potchefstroom - Viljoenskroon - Bothaville - Hoopstad - Hertzogville - Boshof - Kimberley - Douglas - Prieska (780 km)
I left Pretoria at 05:30. Here is the first beacon of note: The bridge across the Vaal River between Potchefstroom and Viljoenskroon, where you enter the Free State!
The Free State's mealies (maize, corn, "papbome") vary between almost beautiful and almost dead, mainly due to the insufficient rainfall of the past summer months. Here, between Viljoenskroon and Bothaville, there may be some yield...
...but here, between Bothaville and Hoopstad, I doubt about any yield at all!
At Hoopstad's imposing town entrance. Viva Afrikaner cattle!
Cattle, though not Afrikaner cattle, between Hoopstad and Hertzogville. They could be Drakensbergers (?)
My first gravel road of the trip: A 38 km section of the direct route between Hertzogville and Boshof.
At the confluence of SA's mighty rivers: The Vaal (from the right behind the tree) and Orange (from the left) meet just outside Douglas. The last 3 km to the confluence point is also a gravel road. A R4 entrance fee is charged.
A fisherman is trying his luck in the westernmost waters of the Vaal River.
Day 2 (Thursday): Prieska - Britstown - Victoria West - Three Sisters - Beaufort West - De Rust - Oudtshoorn - Mossel Bay (650 km). (I dropped my initial plan to ride the gravel roads over Carnarvon and Fraserburg on the advice of the people at the guesthouse in Prieska.)
Almost without exception a church building is at the centre of all "platteland" towns. Some are real eye catching pieces of architecture. Here is Victoria West's Dutch Reformed Church.
A peaceful midtown scene in Victoria West.
Inside Meiringspoort, on the road to Oudtshoorn. The majestic Swartberg Mountains really put a final end to all boring roads if there had been any on your way to get here!
On the picturesque Robinson Pass over the Outeniqua Mountains, between Oudtshoorn and Mossel Bay.
A view from the Robinson Pass.
I arrived at the Buff just after 17:00. I have just finished parking when fellow Wilddog Forumers Leo and Excalibur also pulled in on their Beemers, all the way from Pretoria.
The view across the bay from the Santos Caravan Park, the venue of the Buff.
Day 3 (Friday): Mossel Bay - Groot Brakrivier and vicinity (60km)
Some cattle on the way to the Bottelierskop Nature Reserve.
At Bottelierskop you can choose your ride for game viewing: An elephant, a Samil 20, etc.
The coastline from between Groot and Klein Brakrivier in the direction of Mossel Bay.
Here I am in front of the camera at last! I paid a visit to my Pretoria neighbours at their holiday home in Groot Brakrivier.
Day 4 (Saturday): Mossel Bay
The Buff campsite is all activity. My little brown tent is just to the left of the centre of the photo.
More tents, bikes and people and all sorts of spectacles.
Some restaurants in town are favourite venues for drinks, etc. "Hoe later, hoe kwater!"
Ditto.
I had to do some normal tourist things, like hiking a section of the trail that starts at the foot of the lighthouse at The Point. Here is the view from a spot overlooking the rocks of Cape St Blaize.
Some more of the rocky coastline, with beautiful rock carvings by the waves over the ages.
(continue in Part 2)
