Vis Arend
Bachelor Dog
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2010
- Messages
- 11,792
- Reaction score
- 1,996
- Location
- King William's Town
- Bike
- Honda CRF-250 Rally
DARLINGTON LAKE (5 FLATS) TRIP
Saturday morning was D-day after almost 2 months of being grounded and not able to do a trip due to alterations to the house and work commitments.
We were itching to do a decent ride and decided to explore Darlington lake, some odd 300km from King Williams Town. I had some detours in mind and set of early morning as I knew we were out of the saddle for a while and a bit rusty. This ride would be a test of our stamina.
The route was roughly from King Williams Town to Peddie, 50km tar and then onto a turnoff to Commitees drifts, cross over to Kwandu nature reseve, a quick 20 odd kms back to Grahamstown to refuel and then onto the R400 to Riebeeck East, still on the R400 crossing the N10 at Theuns se Winkel on to Darlington lake. From there it will be back on the R400 to Somerset East and then on the backroad through Bedford, Adelaide, Fort Buafort, Alice and then back in King.
Ill skip the boring tar bit and start with the gravel road towards Commitees.
On route to Commitees
The great Fish River
The bridge over Fish River at Commitees
This is one beautiful steel bridge.
Wifes art work
A local with his dogs going hunting.
The roads were still not repaired after the rains we had 3 months ago.
I thought Im not lekka upstairs, methinks my wife is a little more dilly than what I am. When we looked at the photos after the trip I saw this.
We were standing on a tricky and bumpy stretch of road and she, undeterred, just kept on taking photos. (Crazy one I married!!, but still love her)
Then it was on to Kwandu (or is it Kwantu) nature reserve.
Wild life was plenty and we hoped to see one of these.
And then we did. He was a bit far, but still worth seeing one.
Then it was onto the R400.
Old, very old church on route
This little bugger was taken out of the tyre, 1st flat wheel for the day.
A quick repair and we were on the road again.
Sharp little pebbles these....
The entrance to Darlington Lake.
We saw a variety of wild life, gems buck, camel horses (giraffes), elephant, warthogs, red buck, springbucks, ostriches, blue wild beasts (blou wilde beeste), secretary bird, flat owls and snakes and kudus.
Darlington Lake
The dam wall
Some scenery around the dam.
Road in a distance, on our way back to the R400.
Back on the R400.
And yet another flat, the rocky road surface was cutting my tyres to pieces.
I repaired the one and then discovered another about 3 mm from the one I just repaired, eish, three punctures so far and we were still 270 km from home.
Repaired both and was hoping for the best.
On route towards Somerset East.
Luck was on our side and we arrived home safely with no more punctures.
After 672 km for the day starting at 06:00 and stopping at the house at 17:30, the last flat ones were the two of us. It was indeed a very fruitful day.
I know what Im doing on Monday, ordering a new set of tyres.
Are there any vendors out there with a good deal? I urgently need a proper set of knobblies.
Saturday morning was D-day after almost 2 months of being grounded and not able to do a trip due to alterations to the house and work commitments.
We were itching to do a decent ride and decided to explore Darlington lake, some odd 300km from King Williams Town. I had some detours in mind and set of early morning as I knew we were out of the saddle for a while and a bit rusty. This ride would be a test of our stamina.
The route was roughly from King Williams Town to Peddie, 50km tar and then onto a turnoff to Commitees drifts, cross over to Kwandu nature reseve, a quick 20 odd kms back to Grahamstown to refuel and then onto the R400 to Riebeeck East, still on the R400 crossing the N10 at Theuns se Winkel on to Darlington lake. From there it will be back on the R400 to Somerset East and then on the backroad through Bedford, Adelaide, Fort Buafort, Alice and then back in King.
Ill skip the boring tar bit and start with the gravel road towards Commitees.
On route to Commitees
The great Fish River
The bridge over Fish River at Commitees
This is one beautiful steel bridge.
Wifes art work
A local with his dogs going hunting.
The roads were still not repaired after the rains we had 3 months ago.
I thought Im not lekka upstairs, methinks my wife is a little more dilly than what I am. When we looked at the photos after the trip I saw this.
We were standing on a tricky and bumpy stretch of road and she, undeterred, just kept on taking photos. (Crazy one I married!!, but still love her)
Then it was on to Kwandu (or is it Kwantu) nature reserve.
Wild life was plenty and we hoped to see one of these.
And then we did. He was a bit far, but still worth seeing one.
Then it was onto the R400.
Old, very old church on route
This little bugger was taken out of the tyre, 1st flat wheel for the day.
A quick repair and we were on the road again.
Sharp little pebbles these....
The entrance to Darlington Lake.
We saw a variety of wild life, gems buck, camel horses (giraffes), elephant, warthogs, red buck, springbucks, ostriches, blue wild beasts (blou wilde beeste), secretary bird, flat owls and snakes and kudus.
Darlington Lake
The dam wall
Some scenery around the dam.
Road in a distance, on our way back to the R400.
Back on the R400.
And yet another flat, the rocky road surface was cutting my tyres to pieces.
I repaired the one and then discovered another about 3 mm from the one I just repaired, eish, three punctures so far and we were still 270 km from home.
Repaired both and was hoping for the best.
On route towards Somerset East.
Luck was on our side and we arrived home safely with no more punctures.
After 672 km for the day starting at 06:00 and stopping at the house at 17:30, the last flat ones were the two of us. It was indeed a very fruitful day.
I know what Im doing on Monday, ordering a new set of tyres.
Are there any vendors out there with a good deal? I urgently need a proper set of knobblies.
