DIRT SKUNK
Race Dog
Great fish lighthouse ride
Grant ( TA 650) Myself( TA 650) and Chris( Tenere 660) met at the Sasol petrol station at 08:00
We stopped at Colchester to top up our tanks as we were no quite sure how far we would have to go on the dirty stuff before the next petrol station? I have a saying, ”there’s no tank like a full tank”.
At Kinklebos we turned off the N2 and headed onto the dirt road towards Alexandria.
After putting quite a few kilometres of blacktop under the wheels of my Super Blackbird, getting back onto the dirty stuff was entertaining, great fun and a renewed learning curve. Keeping my throttle hand wrapped around the grip so there was no temptation to pull front brakes??
Soon the knack returned and the three bikes were kicking up thick clinging dust Grant and I taking it in turn to be tail end Charlie and being last you were just sucking up a lot of dust.
Half way to Alexandria we stopped to stretch our legs as well as to allow the recently milked cows to clear the road. Soon the distinct sound of a thumper could be hear and soon from the other direction weaving through the cows was Eugene on a Tenere 660 he stopped and we chatted for a while, and allowed said cows to make their way to pastures new.
Unfortunately the Chris’s top box lock refused to keep itself closed, not having a spare bungee cord it became a case of the following bike collecting that which shed itself from the top box and putting the items back every time Chris stopped. In Alexandria we stopped at a Co-op and bought some ski rope and tied the top box lid firmly closed.
Leaving Alexandria we headed toward Canon rocks, testing my newly re-acquired riding skills and my turn at the back, we hit a patch of loose dusty stuff and I got a mouthful of it? Had to stop cos’ coughing in a full face is not a pretty sight. After rinsing my mouth out, Chris and Grant returned ,we stretched our legs then carried on.
Kindly they let me lead, sadly I did not repay their kindness as I missed the turnoff to Canon rock and took them all the way back toward Bokness, some 10kms in the wrong direction
Realising we’re heading in the wrong direction we turned back, but not before seeing Bird Island from the land for the first time (for me that is) as I have sailed around it during the daylight, night-time, bad weather and good but this was the first time I’d seen it from land.
We discovered the reason for missing the Canon rock turn off? The sign board had fallen off? So I was partially forgiven. At “Roes” Pub’n’Grub we had a fine breakfast of burger & chips washed down with a cold frosty bubble salad.
Satisfied we headed into Port Alfred along the R72, now Port Alfred is not the biggest town in the world so how the hell could we manage to lose one-another in it? This we managed with great aplomb, Grant missed us and headed towards out next destination “The Pig and Whistle” in Bathurst when Chris and I stopped? As is said “there’s no thirst like Bathurst”
We stopped , I phoned Grant , while turning around he returned my call so I stopped to take it, but by this time Chris was down the road already, I Told Grant to wait for us at the Pig?
Phoned Chris said I’d found Grant he was going to the Pig and I’d wait for Chris at the turn off
Chris did not hear the last bit and headed for the Pig from town?
So there we were Grant at the Pig? Chris on his way to the Pig? and me waiting in Port Alfred at the turn off to Bathurst? SNAFU
It was all sorted out and there was a cold castle waiting for me when I eventually arrive at the Pig?
Patently, clearer instructions are call for in cases like this, and having slaked our thirst we headed to the Great Fish light house.
Turning off just out of Port Alfred having once again missed the turnoff, this looks like a newly graded dirt road with patches of thick loose dusty sand to really test ones riding skills, but we got there in one piece with only a few near misses along the way.( seeing the light house up close was another first for me as I have only seen this light house from the sea)
Having been automated, the old light house keeper cottages have been spruced up and can be rented for weekends away. The ride back to the N2 was a cinch as we could now avoid the really soft dusty patch.
After filling up in Port Alfred we headed home, getting home safe and sound but stiff , sore and tired at 18:00. A Great day in the saddle with great bikes and great friends
Grant ( TA 650) Myself( TA 650) and Chris( Tenere 660) met at the Sasol petrol station at 08:00
We stopped at Colchester to top up our tanks as we were no quite sure how far we would have to go on the dirty stuff before the next petrol station? I have a saying, ”there’s no tank like a full tank”.
At Kinklebos we turned off the N2 and headed onto the dirt road towards Alexandria.
After putting quite a few kilometres of blacktop under the wheels of my Super Blackbird, getting back onto the dirty stuff was entertaining, great fun and a renewed learning curve. Keeping my throttle hand wrapped around the grip so there was no temptation to pull front brakes??
Soon the knack returned and the three bikes were kicking up thick clinging dust Grant and I taking it in turn to be tail end Charlie and being last you were just sucking up a lot of dust.
Half way to Alexandria we stopped to stretch our legs as well as to allow the recently milked cows to clear the road. Soon the distinct sound of a thumper could be hear and soon from the other direction weaving through the cows was Eugene on a Tenere 660 he stopped and we chatted for a while, and allowed said cows to make their way to pastures new.
Unfortunately the Chris’s top box lock refused to keep itself closed, not having a spare bungee cord it became a case of the following bike collecting that which shed itself from the top box and putting the items back every time Chris stopped. In Alexandria we stopped at a Co-op and bought some ski rope and tied the top box lid firmly closed.
Leaving Alexandria we headed toward Canon rocks, testing my newly re-acquired riding skills and my turn at the back, we hit a patch of loose dusty stuff and I got a mouthful of it? Had to stop cos’ coughing in a full face is not a pretty sight. After rinsing my mouth out, Chris and Grant returned ,we stretched our legs then carried on.
Kindly they let me lead, sadly I did not repay their kindness as I missed the turnoff to Canon rock and took them all the way back toward Bokness, some 10kms in the wrong direction
Realising we’re heading in the wrong direction we turned back, but not before seeing Bird Island from the land for the first time (for me that is) as I have sailed around it during the daylight, night-time, bad weather and good but this was the first time I’d seen it from land.
We discovered the reason for missing the Canon rock turn off? The sign board had fallen off? So I was partially forgiven. At “Roes” Pub’n’Grub we had a fine breakfast of burger & chips washed down with a cold frosty bubble salad.
Satisfied we headed into Port Alfred along the R72, now Port Alfred is not the biggest town in the world so how the hell could we manage to lose one-another in it? This we managed with great aplomb, Grant missed us and headed towards out next destination “The Pig and Whistle” in Bathurst when Chris and I stopped? As is said “there’s no thirst like Bathurst”
We stopped , I phoned Grant , while turning around he returned my call so I stopped to take it, but by this time Chris was down the road already, I Told Grant to wait for us at the Pig?
Phoned Chris said I’d found Grant he was going to the Pig and I’d wait for Chris at the turn off
Chris did not hear the last bit and headed for the Pig from town?
So there we were Grant at the Pig? Chris on his way to the Pig? and me waiting in Port Alfred at the turn off to Bathurst? SNAFU
It was all sorted out and there was a cold castle waiting for me when I eventually arrive at the Pig?
Patently, clearer instructions are call for in cases like this, and having slaked our thirst we headed to the Great Fish light house.
Turning off just out of Port Alfred having once again missed the turnoff, this looks like a newly graded dirt road with patches of thick loose dusty sand to really test ones riding skills, but we got there in one piece with only a few near misses along the way.( seeing the light house up close was another first for me as I have only seen this light house from the sea)
Having been automated, the old light house keeper cottages have been spruced up and can be rented for weekends away. The ride back to the N2 was a cinch as we could now avoid the really soft dusty patch.
After filling up in Port Alfred we headed home, getting home safe and sound but stiff , sore and tired at 18:00. A Great day in the saddle with great bikes and great friends
