So it came to pass that the WiseOne must show the Young’uns , on how to ride a nice long trail to Kwalata Game farm, about 50kms North of Vaalwater.
The WiseOne, Rob, my son Nick and his brother –in-law Jacques, planned the trip over a few (???) brandies about two weeks before the trip, organized for the second weekend in September.
The trip was to go from Benoni, to Cullinan, Hammanskraal, Dinokeng Nature Reserve, BelaBela, Vaalwater , then on to Kwalata
The bikes we rode were a Triumph 800XC (Rob) , and the Young’Uns had KTM 990s. The Triumph was to be used as a lead/backup/tow vehicle and to carry the spares needed for the KTMs. Our kit was being ferried up by the wives.
We met at Jacques house at 7:00am on the Friday, and were immediately thrown in the deep end in the suburbs of Benoni. Mommies doing the school run!!!!
Breakfast saw us at the Wimpy in Cullinan, nothing like a good greasy start to the day and to settle our shattered nerves.
Nick and Jacques, the Young'uns
The WiseOne and Jacques
From there rode past the Cullinan swimming pool, where apparently someone found a broken windscreen amongst the dirt, which somehow created some sort of digging frenzy.
Our first dirt road, was to lead us to the Dinokeng Reserve. We stopped to turn off our ABS’s and to have a quick smoke break. The surrounding area is stunning and well worth seeing.
The entrance to the Dinokeng Game reserve is controlled by security booms and friendly guards. One is given a ticket for 1 hour’s free travel around the Reserve, after that you pay, though not much, R30 an adult. The Reserve boasts the big 5, though we only saw an impala, a zebra and a squirrel with a death wish. Must admit, was concentrating on not getting a thorn through the tyres, it was too hot to change tubes...
The WiseOne almost had a pace maker malfunction, as we seemed to have found Kwalata rather quickly, turned out there is another one in the Reserve. So my GPS route was working.
We took the northern gate of Dinokeng on the road to Rust de Winter, and headed Northwest to BelaBela
From BelaBela we took the D180 and then a lovely dirt road to the Vaalwater main road
We stopped at the junction of the main road for a quick rest and to let the KTMs catch up. We had not been there for 5 minutes when our wives past us in the Cage on the main road. Not bad considering we left about 2 hours apart and that they had found the way.
The main road to Vaalwater now gets interesting as one passes through the hills.
At the garage next to the Spar in Vaalwater, after our wives had joined us, we noticed a group of BMW GS1200 riders also stopping for fuel. It was then said that “Isn’t that Charlie Brown, Ewan McGregor’s mate?” Close but no cigar. I have the same problem, people forget my name cos I’m fugly.
It was Charlie Borman. What a nice guy. He does tours on bikes from Cape Town to Namibia, Botswana, Vic Falls and back again. Also a tour up the east coast to Sani pass and back again. There were 25 bikes in the group with people from all over the world
Charlie was rather cheesed off because some bright spark had blocked off one of the roads with a locked gate and he had to make a large backtrack and detour.
Charlie asked the WiseOne for an autograph, which he said he would pass on to Queenie back in Blighty. The Young’uns young’uns also wanted to get into the action, so more posing was done
It was then onto the dirt road to Dorset, Visgat and then Kwalata. The sand was rather thick, which proved to be very entertaining. The Young’uns could not keep their mirth under control at the WiseOne’s unorthodox manner of handling the sand.
Message from brain
• Stand up
• Lean back
• Open the throttle
Message from Bones
• Hips pop at this age
• I don’t mend easily
Message from brain
• Slow down
Message from bike
• Front wheel digs in
• Oh F?!?!?! , here I go again
This was repeated many times, over a short period of time and 1 kilometer.
Finally got over the sand bits and had to stop to share my experiences with the Young’uns.
Jacques felt very sorry for me
Nick was not impressed
Anonymous graffiti artist defaced my bike, if I catch him, I will stop his pocket money
During the last rains of June the area had over 400mm of rain in a couple of days, and this destroyed the roads but really did make good bike riding
Kwalata at last, so time to relax and let some air get to the plums
Kwalata is a private game reserve next to the Lapalala Wilderness game reserve, consisting of around 9000 hectares on the one portion
We had to have a customary drinky and a cup of tea (NAF!)
After a good nights sleep, Nick and the WiseOne decided to go on a round about trip to Masebe Game Reserve. A Government Reserve that they spent R14million on building it and then never really used it. Good planning.
The Lephalala river was still flowing nicely
Marken has a shop, a garage, 27 donkeys and no Teazers
The vistas around Masebe are stunning, as are the dirt roads, great riding
Too bad the accommodation in the Reserve is not being used and is very run down. One can visit the Game Reserve itself, it has a reasonable amount of plains animals and some stunning Rock Paintings. Apparently there are plans afoot to incorporate this Reserve into Moepel farms and have the big 5. Can’t wait.
As one can plainly see the WiseOne was a model in his previous life?
The roads back to Kwalata were quite badly corroded but again thats the fun
Met up with another Adventure bike rider with a Kawasaki, didn’t talk much though!
The hot afternoon was spent walking around Kwalata and along the numerous streams. Young’un Nick suddenly started to scream and do his best one legged impersonation of Michael Flatulence’s “Riverdance”. Was it a large carnivore, a crocodile or a marauding honey badger? Believe it or not, my spawn of the devil, is scared of leeches. I know the WiseOne was brought up in the days when the Dead Sea was only sick and that leeches were the cure all for every ailment. I thought Young’un was made of sterner stuff. Will have to take him back to the Shrink, to sort him out.
It was then back to the Chalets, to have a braai and some Strawberry Daiquiris. After all we are from Benoni!
That evening we decided to take a game drive, we saw quite a few animals including buffalo. On the way back, in an open patch of veld we saw an elephant bull that was in Musth, he quickly disappeared into the bush. So it was Nicks idea to go back to camp to get the WiseOne’s wife and his wife , so that they could see the big pachyderm.
On the way back with our better halves, the WiseOne, told the Young’un Nick to not go over the dam wall as the big beastie might be there. Who listens to his old man, especially after 2 Daiquiris (or 10 brandies, sorry can’t remember).
Well we drove over the dam wall, which is very narrow and near the end just wider than the game viewing vehicle.
As we got to the end, the big beastie decided that we are a threat and charged us about 4 times from about 20 metres away. Now Daddy, Mommy and Wifey had a little brown moment, trying to shine the torch (it was night time after all) so that Nick could reverse the LandRover without falling over the sides. How a man, that is petrified of leeches, remained so calm, I do not know. Actually the Young’un has seen more elephants than leeches.
Where Nick is standing in the stream is where the Elephant came at us and the narrow dam wall
Back at camp, we all through caution to the wind and had a brandy. Sin of sins
On Sunday it was time to head back to Benoni , after WiseOne decided a barrel roll was a good idea in a nice thick patch of sand, then stopping for fuel in Vaalwater again.
Ripley’s Believe it or not, the pump attendants name is Woodfat
The highway back is more frightening, than the sand roads but was thankfully uneventful.
The WiseOne will now practice sand riding around the cat litter and hopefully another trip comes up soon
Distance traveled – 980kms
Average fuel consumption for the Triumph – 5.7 litres per 100kms
The WiseOne, Rob, my son Nick and his brother –in-law Jacques, planned the trip over a few (???) brandies about two weeks before the trip, organized for the second weekend in September.
The trip was to go from Benoni, to Cullinan, Hammanskraal, Dinokeng Nature Reserve, BelaBela, Vaalwater , then on to Kwalata
The bikes we rode were a Triumph 800XC (Rob) , and the Young’Uns had KTM 990s. The Triumph was to be used as a lead/backup/tow vehicle and to carry the spares needed for the KTMs. Our kit was being ferried up by the wives.
We met at Jacques house at 7:00am on the Friday, and were immediately thrown in the deep end in the suburbs of Benoni. Mommies doing the school run!!!!
Breakfast saw us at the Wimpy in Cullinan, nothing like a good greasy start to the day and to settle our shattered nerves.
Nick and Jacques, the Young'uns
The WiseOne and Jacques
From there rode past the Cullinan swimming pool, where apparently someone found a broken windscreen amongst the dirt, which somehow created some sort of digging frenzy.
Our first dirt road, was to lead us to the Dinokeng Reserve. We stopped to turn off our ABS’s and to have a quick smoke break. The surrounding area is stunning and well worth seeing.
The entrance to the Dinokeng Game reserve is controlled by security booms and friendly guards. One is given a ticket for 1 hour’s free travel around the Reserve, after that you pay, though not much, R30 an adult. The Reserve boasts the big 5, though we only saw an impala, a zebra and a squirrel with a death wish. Must admit, was concentrating on not getting a thorn through the tyres, it was too hot to change tubes...
The WiseOne almost had a pace maker malfunction, as we seemed to have found Kwalata rather quickly, turned out there is another one in the Reserve. So my GPS route was working.
We took the northern gate of Dinokeng on the road to Rust de Winter, and headed Northwest to BelaBela
From BelaBela we took the D180 and then a lovely dirt road to the Vaalwater main road
We stopped at the junction of the main road for a quick rest and to let the KTMs catch up. We had not been there for 5 minutes when our wives past us in the Cage on the main road. Not bad considering we left about 2 hours apart and that they had found the way.
The main road to Vaalwater now gets interesting as one passes through the hills.
At the garage next to the Spar in Vaalwater, after our wives had joined us, we noticed a group of BMW GS1200 riders also stopping for fuel. It was then said that “Isn’t that Charlie Brown, Ewan McGregor’s mate?” Close but no cigar. I have the same problem, people forget my name cos I’m fugly.
It was Charlie Borman. What a nice guy. He does tours on bikes from Cape Town to Namibia, Botswana, Vic Falls and back again. Also a tour up the east coast to Sani pass and back again. There were 25 bikes in the group with people from all over the world
Charlie was rather cheesed off because some bright spark had blocked off one of the roads with a locked gate and he had to make a large backtrack and detour.
Charlie asked the WiseOne for an autograph, which he said he would pass on to Queenie back in Blighty. The Young’uns young’uns also wanted to get into the action, so more posing was done
It was then onto the dirt road to Dorset, Visgat and then Kwalata. The sand was rather thick, which proved to be very entertaining. The Young’uns could not keep their mirth under control at the WiseOne’s unorthodox manner of handling the sand.
Message from brain
• Stand up
• Lean back
• Open the throttle
Message from Bones
• Hips pop at this age
• I don’t mend easily
Message from brain
• Slow down
Message from bike
• Front wheel digs in
• Oh F?!?!?! , here I go again
This was repeated many times, over a short period of time and 1 kilometer.
Finally got over the sand bits and had to stop to share my experiences with the Young’uns.
Jacques felt very sorry for me
Nick was not impressed
Anonymous graffiti artist defaced my bike, if I catch him, I will stop his pocket money
During the last rains of June the area had over 400mm of rain in a couple of days, and this destroyed the roads but really did make good bike riding
Kwalata at last, so time to relax and let some air get to the plums
Kwalata is a private game reserve next to the Lapalala Wilderness game reserve, consisting of around 9000 hectares on the one portion
We had to have a customary drinky and a cup of tea (NAF!)
After a good nights sleep, Nick and the WiseOne decided to go on a round about trip to Masebe Game Reserve. A Government Reserve that they spent R14million on building it and then never really used it. Good planning.
The Lephalala river was still flowing nicely
Marken has a shop, a garage, 27 donkeys and no Teazers
The vistas around Masebe are stunning, as are the dirt roads, great riding
Too bad the accommodation in the Reserve is not being used and is very run down. One can visit the Game Reserve itself, it has a reasonable amount of plains animals and some stunning Rock Paintings. Apparently there are plans afoot to incorporate this Reserve into Moepel farms and have the big 5. Can’t wait.
As one can plainly see the WiseOne was a model in his previous life?
The roads back to Kwalata were quite badly corroded but again thats the fun
Met up with another Adventure bike rider with a Kawasaki, didn’t talk much though!
The hot afternoon was spent walking around Kwalata and along the numerous streams. Young’un Nick suddenly started to scream and do his best one legged impersonation of Michael Flatulence’s “Riverdance”. Was it a large carnivore, a crocodile or a marauding honey badger? Believe it or not, my spawn of the devil, is scared of leeches. I know the WiseOne was brought up in the days when the Dead Sea was only sick and that leeches were the cure all for every ailment. I thought Young’un was made of sterner stuff. Will have to take him back to the Shrink, to sort him out.
It was then back to the Chalets, to have a braai and some Strawberry Daiquiris. After all we are from Benoni!
That evening we decided to take a game drive, we saw quite a few animals including buffalo. On the way back, in an open patch of veld we saw an elephant bull that was in Musth, he quickly disappeared into the bush. So it was Nicks idea to go back to camp to get the WiseOne’s wife and his wife , so that they could see the big pachyderm.
On the way back with our better halves, the WiseOne, told the Young’un Nick to not go over the dam wall as the big beastie might be there. Who listens to his old man, especially after 2 Daiquiris (or 10 brandies, sorry can’t remember).
Well we drove over the dam wall, which is very narrow and near the end just wider than the game viewing vehicle.
As we got to the end, the big beastie decided that we are a threat and charged us about 4 times from about 20 metres away. Now Daddy, Mommy and Wifey had a little brown moment, trying to shine the torch (it was night time after all) so that Nick could reverse the LandRover without falling over the sides. How a man, that is petrified of leeches, remained so calm, I do not know. Actually the Young’un has seen more elephants than leeches.
Where Nick is standing in the stream is where the Elephant came at us and the narrow dam wall
Back at camp, we all through caution to the wind and had a brandy. Sin of sins
On Sunday it was time to head back to Benoni , after WiseOne decided a barrel roll was a good idea in a nice thick patch of sand, then stopping for fuel in Vaalwater again.
Ripley’s Believe it or not, the pump attendants name is Woodfat
The highway back is more frightening, than the sand roads but was thankfully uneventful.
The WiseOne will now practice sand riding around the cat litter and hopefully another trip comes up soon
Distance traveled – 980kms
Average fuel consumption for the Triumph – 5.7 litres per 100kms
