I just had to go ride today. Only left home at 11 because of heavy mist.
Plan is to ride to Infanta and back with as much dirt as possible. Some of these roads I have not been on since
1987 and I have not been in Infanta for the same time.
My driveway. Allways feels good coming down it after some time away.
Goukou lowwaterbridge.
We had some rain.
I will not bore you about how many times I turned left or right because I lost count myself!!
The Canola is starting to blossom.
I zigzaged over the "Vlakte" towards Heidelberg.
The Blue Cranes were out in big numbers.
Got some fuel in Heidelberg and took this road for the first time. Very nice winding through the farms.
Connects later on with the tarroad between Heidelberg and Witsand.
Heidelberg below.
Backtracked two kms towards Heidelberg and turned left on the Slangrivier road.
August is haymaking month in the Southern Cape. First field cut down. Looks like Barley.
Slangrivier is a very little town and everyone works on the farms around or in the towns around it.
Part of Slangrivier below. If one keeps strait on with this road you end up in Malgas.
Me I'm taking the longer way round.
Green and yellow wherever you look.
This is the little siding/station of Niekerkshek. I used to offload lots of fertilizer from trains here when
I worked for a fertilizer company in Swellendam long ago.
Niekerkshek is very close to the N2 and I just go over it towards Suurbraak.
One goes over two ridges and a valley before reaching Suurbraak.
Suurbraak below.
If you look at the pic above you will see a white line in the mountains above Suurbraak.
A waterfall. This is how far I can zoom in my "mikndruk" Would love to see it upclose.
I did the tar piece between Suurbraak and turned off the tar at Buffeljagsrivier.
If you ever have to go to from Swellendam take the eastern road along the Breede river to Malgas.
Much nicer than the other. Very twisty. Beware though there is lots of places you can over cook it.
This section drops into a figure of eight over a little river.
Yes I overcooked it but it was my lucky day!!
Saw this sign just before a farmyard. Please let's keep the farmers likeing us. Just slow down a bit
when you see ostriches.
The pontoon over the Breede river. The only non-motorized pontoon in SA I believe.
While crossing the river I always look at all the stickers stuck on the ferry.
This is a new one. I'm not one for brandbashing but I wonder who had stuck it on there.
From the turnoff after Malgas it is about 33kms to Infanta.
Stunning houses along the riverbanks owned by mostly people out of Cape Town.
Infanto is a nice little town. Did not grow much since I last saw it. The big drawback with Infanta is the lack of water.
Everyone collects their own water when it rains and stores it in big tanks. Maybe it's a good thing. I would like to
see it stay small. No campingsite I could see. Stunning place for a gettogether. I will find out. Dirt all the way there.
The slipway for the fishingboats.
Strait across is Witsand. A mere kilo and a half but by road -+ 65 kilos.
Saw a stunning jump by a whale. Yes they are back!!
Nice jetty! Sorry I dont do stairs!!
It was getting late and the mist comeing in. It was coldish all day and it was getting colder.
Taken on the way back to Malgas. Sad thing about these houses is that they flood easily when the river
comes down big.
Lucky thing is if you cross the pontoon twice in one day you only pay once.
I was not cruiseing anymore. It was cold and me hungry.
Just before Witsand.
And there is Infanta on the other side. You hardly see anything.
The lodge/ hotel in Witsand just above the harbour.
The Duiwenhoks river. I do not have very fond memories of it!! :biggrin:
The little town of Vermaaklikheid.
Took the coastal road back to Stillbay. This was taken at the viewpoint. No whales to be seen in Stillbay yet.
I rode 397 kms. Only regret I have is that I pulled away to late but the mist made it dangerous.
I will do it again in summer and at a more leisurely pace.
Thanks for reading.
We do live in a beautiful country!!! :thumleft:
Plan is to ride to Infanta and back with as much dirt as possible. Some of these roads I have not been on since
1987 and I have not been in Infanta for the same time.
My driveway. Allways feels good coming down it after some time away.
Goukou lowwaterbridge.
We had some rain.
I will not bore you about how many times I turned left or right because I lost count myself!!
The Canola is starting to blossom.
I zigzaged over the "Vlakte" towards Heidelberg.
The Blue Cranes were out in big numbers.
Got some fuel in Heidelberg and took this road for the first time. Very nice winding through the farms.
Connects later on with the tarroad between Heidelberg and Witsand.
Heidelberg below.
Backtracked two kms towards Heidelberg and turned left on the Slangrivier road.
August is haymaking month in the Southern Cape. First field cut down. Looks like Barley.
Slangrivier is a very little town and everyone works on the farms around or in the towns around it.
Part of Slangrivier below. If one keeps strait on with this road you end up in Malgas.
Me I'm taking the longer way round.
Green and yellow wherever you look.
This is the little siding/station of Niekerkshek. I used to offload lots of fertilizer from trains here when
I worked for a fertilizer company in Swellendam long ago.
Niekerkshek is very close to the N2 and I just go over it towards Suurbraak.
One goes over two ridges and a valley before reaching Suurbraak.
Suurbraak below.
If you look at the pic above you will see a white line in the mountains above Suurbraak.
A waterfall. This is how far I can zoom in my "mikndruk" Would love to see it upclose.
I did the tar piece between Suurbraak and turned off the tar at Buffeljagsrivier.
If you ever have to go to from Swellendam take the eastern road along the Breede river to Malgas.
Much nicer than the other. Very twisty. Beware though there is lots of places you can over cook it.
This section drops into a figure of eight over a little river.
Yes I overcooked it but it was my lucky day!!
Saw this sign just before a farmyard. Please let's keep the farmers likeing us. Just slow down a bit
when you see ostriches.
The pontoon over the Breede river. The only non-motorized pontoon in SA I believe.
While crossing the river I always look at all the stickers stuck on the ferry.
This is a new one. I'm not one for brandbashing but I wonder who had stuck it on there.
From the turnoff after Malgas it is about 33kms to Infanta.
Stunning houses along the riverbanks owned by mostly people out of Cape Town.
Infanto is a nice little town. Did not grow much since I last saw it. The big drawback with Infanta is the lack of water.
Everyone collects their own water when it rains and stores it in big tanks. Maybe it's a good thing. I would like to
see it stay small. No campingsite I could see. Stunning place for a gettogether. I will find out. Dirt all the way there.
The slipway for the fishingboats.
Strait across is Witsand. A mere kilo and a half but by road -+ 65 kilos.
Saw a stunning jump by a whale. Yes they are back!!
Nice jetty! Sorry I dont do stairs!!
It was getting late and the mist comeing in. It was coldish all day and it was getting colder.
Taken on the way back to Malgas. Sad thing about these houses is that they flood easily when the river
comes down big.
Lucky thing is if you cross the pontoon twice in one day you only pay once.
I was not cruiseing anymore. It was cold and me hungry.
Just before Witsand.
And there is Infanta on the other side. You hardly see anything.
The lodge/ hotel in Witsand just above the harbour.
The Duiwenhoks river. I do not have very fond memories of it!! :biggrin:
The little town of Vermaaklikheid.
Took the coastal road back to Stillbay. This was taken at the viewpoint. No whales to be seen in Stillbay yet.
I rode 397 kms. Only regret I have is that I pulled away to late but the mist made it dangerous.
I will do it again in summer and at a more leisurely pace.
Thanks for reading.
We do live in a beautiful country!!! :thumleft:
