Adventurer
Gentleman Dog
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2006
- Messages
- 17,108
- Reaction score
- 4
- Location
- Kempen Germany
- Bike
- KTM 1290 Super Adventure
Seeing as I had to test the Yamaha XT660X first, we only left for our long weekend trip on Friday morning, Cherry was nursing a â??childhood babalasâ??, she had spent Thursday night at a friend, so after virtually no sleep and lots of excitement she donned her riding kit, ready for a 500 km stint to Tzaneen.
We traveled up via Bronkhostpsruit, Condom City, Groblersdal, Marble Hall and Polokwane.
We took the alternative route around Ebenezer Dam, I had seen the dam many years ago and it was incredible to see the change, almost sad to see all the infrastructure now in place, the last time I was there it was still densely forested.
Cherry was looking a bit green at this stage, I took it easy through the corners, but it was too late, after getting me to stop she barely got her helmet off in time, a technicolour yawn unceremoniously decorated the side of my bike! Yukkkk.
However, she felt much better after this, must have been something she had eaten. We arrived in Tzaneen mid afternoon; I had left the address of our dwellings for the night at home. Whilst getting the details again on the phone, Cherry fell asleep on the pavement wrapped around her helmet, rough night, canâ??t wait for the teens to set inâ?¦..
We booked into our lodgings, a B&B on the outskirts of Tzaneen, nice place but a bit overpriced. I had hastily booked prior to leaving home, rumour had it that Tzaneen was full of Harleys for the weekend and accommodation was scarce. We only saw two Harleys, no idea where the rest were.
Saturday morning we headed towards Hoedspruit, the Cheetah Projects were on out list of things to see. At Gravalot we took a detour to see a huge Boabab tree, well worth seeing, there was space inside the hollow trunk for about ten people.
Thereafter we set course for the Cheetah Projects, the GPS showing the way. Wrong move, the co-ordinates indicated on the GPS is nowhere near the actual place, but no problem, we eventually found it, about 40 km from where it was indicated on the GPS.
Unfortunately they were fully booked so we were only allowed to have something to eat at the entrance. We did however manage to get Cherry close to a Cheetah that was in a breeding pen nearby. Anyone ever heard a Cheetah purr? This one purred up a storm, apparently only hand-reared Cheetahs purr.
Back on the road again, I stopped at an intersection and my front tyre felt squishy, dammit, it looks like I have a puncture. It was now around 32°C; we stopped in at nearby garage, poured water on the tyre to find the puncture, nothing! Closer inspection revealed the pressure indicator valve cap was the culprit! Relief, easy to sort out. Cap in pocket, pressure in tyre, weâ??re back in business. Pilgrims Rest was our destination; we traveled through Bushbuckridge, over a new dam and through Graskop. Evidence of the recent veldfires was all around, vast expanses of forest blackened, trees scorched half way up their trunks. It will take more than two years to recover properly.
We stopped in Pilgrims Rest outside the Royal Hotel, the town was packed with tour busses and lily white tourists, checking us out as if we were from Mars, whatâ??s wrong, you guys never seen a chick riding a 1200? In South Africa we grow them strongâ?¦â?¦.
Still full of optimism I strolled into the Hotel reception, I asked how many rooms they have available for tonight. Nothing Sir, sorry. Well, one has to ask!
By now my ailing throat was being joined by the rest of my body, not feeling lekker at all. But feeling a whole lot better than the poor soul that lost his live on the road just before Mac-mac Pools. We later heard there had been a horrific accident between a biker and a car, the biker lost his life, ET had claimed another victim.
We booked into the Floreat Hotel, enough excitement and riding for the day. My flu symptoms were now growing big time.
After breakfast on Sunday we checked out of Sabie, opting for a route home we had never done before. Up through Longtom Pass, more burnt vegetation, through Lydenburg to Steelpoort. The mountain pass en-route is awesome, tight switchbacks and long sweeps, quite a few baboons strolling up the road.
After Steelpoort we passed the townâ??s sources of income, steel mills and mining activity all over the place.
By now my flu was moering me internally in a big way, the last 300 km home was not a pleasant experience. For once I was glad the ride was over, another biking weekend was complete, although I was not feeling at all well, we were all richer for having visited new places and seen new sights. Peaches had wanted to visit that Boabab tree for years and Cherry had seen Cheetahs, me, Iâ??d done some lekker saddle time, albeit in a bad state of health. Our route was mostly blacktop, not nearly enough dirt roads, but still very enjoyable.
We traveled up via Bronkhostpsruit, Condom City, Groblersdal, Marble Hall and Polokwane.
We took the alternative route around Ebenezer Dam, I had seen the dam many years ago and it was incredible to see the change, almost sad to see all the infrastructure now in place, the last time I was there it was still densely forested.
Cherry was looking a bit green at this stage, I took it easy through the corners, but it was too late, after getting me to stop she barely got her helmet off in time, a technicolour yawn unceremoniously decorated the side of my bike! Yukkkk.
However, she felt much better after this, must have been something she had eaten. We arrived in Tzaneen mid afternoon; I had left the address of our dwellings for the night at home. Whilst getting the details again on the phone, Cherry fell asleep on the pavement wrapped around her helmet, rough night, canâ??t wait for the teens to set inâ?¦..
We booked into our lodgings, a B&B on the outskirts of Tzaneen, nice place but a bit overpriced. I had hastily booked prior to leaving home, rumour had it that Tzaneen was full of Harleys for the weekend and accommodation was scarce. We only saw two Harleys, no idea where the rest were.
Saturday morning we headed towards Hoedspruit, the Cheetah Projects were on out list of things to see. At Gravalot we took a detour to see a huge Boabab tree, well worth seeing, there was space inside the hollow trunk for about ten people.
Thereafter we set course for the Cheetah Projects, the GPS showing the way. Wrong move, the co-ordinates indicated on the GPS is nowhere near the actual place, but no problem, we eventually found it, about 40 km from where it was indicated on the GPS.
Unfortunately they were fully booked so we were only allowed to have something to eat at the entrance. We did however manage to get Cherry close to a Cheetah that was in a breeding pen nearby. Anyone ever heard a Cheetah purr? This one purred up a storm, apparently only hand-reared Cheetahs purr.
Back on the road again, I stopped at an intersection and my front tyre felt squishy, dammit, it looks like I have a puncture. It was now around 32°C; we stopped in at nearby garage, poured water on the tyre to find the puncture, nothing! Closer inspection revealed the pressure indicator valve cap was the culprit! Relief, easy to sort out. Cap in pocket, pressure in tyre, weâ??re back in business. Pilgrims Rest was our destination; we traveled through Bushbuckridge, over a new dam and through Graskop. Evidence of the recent veldfires was all around, vast expanses of forest blackened, trees scorched half way up their trunks. It will take more than two years to recover properly.
We stopped in Pilgrims Rest outside the Royal Hotel, the town was packed with tour busses and lily white tourists, checking us out as if we were from Mars, whatâ??s wrong, you guys never seen a chick riding a 1200? In South Africa we grow them strongâ?¦â?¦.
Still full of optimism I strolled into the Hotel reception, I asked how many rooms they have available for tonight. Nothing Sir, sorry. Well, one has to ask!
By now my ailing throat was being joined by the rest of my body, not feeling lekker at all. But feeling a whole lot better than the poor soul that lost his live on the road just before Mac-mac Pools. We later heard there had been a horrific accident between a biker and a car, the biker lost his life, ET had claimed another victim.
We booked into the Floreat Hotel, enough excitement and riding for the day. My flu symptoms were now growing big time.
After breakfast on Sunday we checked out of Sabie, opting for a route home we had never done before. Up through Longtom Pass, more burnt vegetation, through Lydenburg to Steelpoort. The mountain pass en-route is awesome, tight switchbacks and long sweeps, quite a few baboons strolling up the road.
After Steelpoort we passed the townâ??s sources of income, steel mills and mining activity all over the place.
By now my flu was moering me internally in a big way, the last 300 km home was not a pleasant experience. For once I was glad the ride was over, another biking weekend was complete, although I was not feeling at all well, we were all richer for having visited new places and seen new sights. Peaches had wanted to visit that Boabab tree for years and Cherry had seen Cheetahs, me, Iâ??d done some lekker saddle time, albeit in a bad state of health. Our route was mostly blacktop, not nearly enough dirt roads, but still very enjoyable.
