mother
Race Dog
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2009
- Messages
- 3,234
- Reaction score
- 108
- Location
- Cape Town
- Bike
- Harley Davidson (all models)
Long way to Steytlerville December Part 2
We headed to Outshoorn via gravel rd direction Uniondale then tar to De Rust
At the second attempt to find a restaurant we got lucky and found a nice place to eat Xmas lunch. We all phoned our families and had far too much to eat….
After lunch we set off for the Swartberg pass and Die Hel …flip what a stunningly scenic ride…. also new for me so I just soaked in the views and gravel road
Man if you haven’t been go and do it soon
I couldn’t get over what nice rides the guys now in the Western Cape have in their own back yards….dam I must come live here one day
The road to the Hell also carries a bit of traffic so be on the look out for other road users.. Lucky for us we where here on Xmas day so wasn’t too hectic till the next day
I heard they only discovered the people that lived in Die Hel in the 1950s Mostert with a T it was said by the old Tannie apparently as the Mosterts with a T are tougher than the Mosterds with a D…sounded like a soek nie kak met die Tannie kind of aunty, however I cant help but wonder about the deliverance type Hill Billie’s when I heard this story
Below courtesy of the net
https://www.diehel.com/history.htm
The earliest inhabitants of the valley were the San Bushmen. In the early 1830's the first Boer (Farmer) wandered into the valley, and finding it fertile with abundant water made it his home. Other families followed, namely Cordier, Mostert, Marais, Nel, Snyman and Joubert. They farmed and lived in comparative isolation for about 130 years. Although isolated they maintained a good standard of living. Education in the valley consisted of a school for the local children and church services were held in the school by the school master or teacher.
In 1958 the first car was brought into the valley through the Gamka River gorge. In 1962 a road was built into the valley (constructed by Koos van Zyl).
This facilitated communication with the outside world, and was the main reason for the exodus of the youth. The older folks had to follow.
The last remaining farmer left in 1991, leaving the valley with no permanent residents.
This brings us to the Farm Mooifontein, owned by Annetjie Joubert (neé Mostert). She is the only remaining "born and bred" inhabitant that has retained property in Gamkaskloof. She came back permanently in 1998 and skilfully converted the original farmstead into comfortable guesthouses, has a caravan park, camping sites and the only Kiosk and Licensed Restaurant in Gamkaskloof.
In Die Hel we ended up getting supplies at the kiosk and the home made mineral water with no labels they sold came with a few extras and the name floaters was thought of right there and then….
Me being lazy and not in the mood for camping was tempted by the caravans but on closer inspection and remembering some one on the forums comments stating how siff they where, we decided to camp, it was very cheap although I would pay more if they fixed up the ablutions a bit as I have not seen a siff setup like this in SA in a long time also no bog roll so take your own or buy from kiosk prior to going to campsite
Been there got the sticker
Next morning up early and after self made coffee we where on our way to Malgas as decided the night before…we wanted to check out the only hand drawn Pont in SA
Having enjoyed the view the day before.. We rode out the hel this time enjoying the ride and pushing the bikes a bit… all regrouping at the T junction to laugh and smile at our fun we had while pushing our own limits….At the bottom of the Swartberg pass direction Calitzdorp gravel road we stopped at a nice touristy place for breakfast before eventually only making Witsand at the coast just before dark. That night we had leka pizza at the restaurant just inland a bit and celebrated our great trip so far…good food good drink good ride good friends too nice
Near Calitzdorp
I actually got a pic of the same spot on route 62 with three of my bikes now. That’s how much we love riding this area and to top it all we doing the route 62 Harley rally again this year in February Lord willing (Ja Ja don’t say a word. Its still 2 wheels.I love variety and got blessed along the way)
Had to take pic here as I got one with each of my bikes
Heading for the coast
Next day we took it easy a quick stop down by the sea for pics and then gravel on to Malgas and the Pont crossing
At the Pont
On the other side we chilled and had lunch consisting of pies and chips and cold drinks which we stocked up from a café in Witsand and read the paper to catch up on a bit of news. Was very nice and relaxing to spend a few hrs lazing in the shade
In Arniston we met another WD (Derek and his Missus on their GSA ) and just chilled on the veranda drinking beers
That night we went big and stayed at the Arniston hotel needless to say we paid for this but it was a nice treat and had fancy supper to boot .The joys of not booking or planning a holiday…just my style
The previous night we had agreed to split after going to Aghulas and the most southern point of Africa as Shaun and Liesl wanted to head inland and we preferred the cooler coastline
The morning saw us up early to catch a view of the Waenhuiskrans caves a first for me…what a sight we took lots of pics and after the walk back we went for a nice swim in the turquoise blue water….what a holiday so far….
From the net
https://www.capetown-direct.com/activity/meditating-inside-the-waenhuiskrans-grot
The Waenhuiskrans grot is located in the picturesque seaside village called Arniston a pleasant two hour journey from Cape Town. Waenhuiskrans grot means Wagon house cliff cave, (named because it is large enough for an ox-wagon and span of oxen to turn around in it). Arniston's is also famous for its thatched fishermen's cottages at the 200 year old Kassiesbaai and the high white dunes and turquoise seas.
Arniston / Waenhuiskrans is the only town in South Africa with 2 official names. Named Arniston after the East Indiaman ship Arniston wrecked nearby in 1815 with a tragic loss of 372 lives. The cave is peaceful, cool and dark, the ideal place to meditate. Wear shoes that can get wet and check the tide flow times. Waenhuiskrans Cave can only be visited during low tide.
The gravel to Struis baai was fairly quick and uneventful then WHAM….welcome to a serious amount of holiday makers in Aghulas we had to wait our turn to take pics at the monument stating most southern tip of Africa…can you imagine if they charged they would make a killing.
Here we met Drazil from WD and his family holidaying again nice people.
After the photo session we said our good byes and split with Shaun and Liesl soon to find it was virtually impossible to find two nights accommodation without having had booked(so where is the so called recession they spoke of I wonderered if it was a conspiracy thing for a second)
We spent the better part of the day looking for accommodation and finally found some at the Windsor hotel in Hermanus .I didn’t complain as I don’t book my holidays and I prefer to wing it…in so being that’s the price one pays I guess
The hotel was old but neat and fairly priced for the time of the season and right on the sea. Just what I was in the mood for to enjoy a rest day before heading back inland to the heat and dust
Indulging in Hermanus
The next day we just spent walking around shopping for clean clothes(hehehe) and eating in decent restaurants and generally just spoiling ourselves…it was great…what an awesome holiday and Hermanus was bustling with holiday makers but it was nice and one could feel the relaxed mood
After our rest day we headed inland via the gravel to Caledon picking up the N2 to Riviersonderent then Bonnyvale and Montague where we met up with Leonie’s old friends on the route 62 for coffee and cake…they must think us dilly as we seem to pop in regularly in this area especially for Gautengers….but then we love to tour
Riviersonderent
Met friends in Montagu for Coffee
Anyway after saying our good byes we headed for Ronnies Sex Shop other side of Barrydale also a quick decision then and there. After a beer here and some pics and the barman trying to get Leonie to make tips behind the bar we decided it would be safer taking the gravel right opposite Ronnies in a northerly direction to Laingsburg…
Geez what a ride that was…besides being moer hot. We ended up at a game farm which did not show on the GPS or map it showed a normal gravel rd via Rooi Nek pass to Laingsburg
So here we are at this electrified fence/gate and the guard is calling for an escort for us….the sign reads enter at own risk ….wild predators….we find out we now have to pass through on our exposed bike….I didn’t feel too brave but was in no mood to back track…after waiting for a while and no escort arriving, we entered with another game vehicle who arrived just then escorting us only till the first turn ,then we where on our own….I had visions of my worst nightmare and that’s being eaten alive….what a pissy I thort to myself ,just waiting for a lion to ambush us while we where going slow through some dry river bed crossings.
It was a relief crossing the gate on the other side and I could get back to enjoying the interesting gravel road and valleys we passed though…very scenic and highly recommended
Finally we got to Laingsburg with a fair amount of time to kill so we did the Flood museum and was this interesting to be taken back to the floods that swept half the town away in the 1980s.Next time you pass by do yourself a favour and go see. Worth the visit in my view
From the net
https://www.go2africa.com/south-africa/laingsburg
In January 1981 Laingsburg suffered what was to become its most famous tale - the Laingsburg flood. Heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of the Buffels and Baviaans Rivers (which converge in Laingsburg) caused a massive flood in the town, killing at least 100 people. The waters even swept the railway line off its bridge. Today a signpost on the main road indicates the level to which the waters rose - probably well above the roof of your car.
After the museum we booked into the local hotel had a leka swim to cool down and took a walk around town to take photos and just relax after the long day
The next day we had to meet every one in Steytlerville for our old years party as like last year was fast becoming a tradition now…(our second one in a row) so we headed up the N1 to Prince Albert then back roads and gravel to come out at Willowmore
Here we bumped into Derek AKA “China” or “Jackie Chan” after catching up with him and coffee and koek we did the final concrete section to Steylerville .
Finally at Steytlerville….3000km to get here
At last we caught up with our friends at the Steytlerville Karoo Hotel.They had also been touring around the country and this was our agreed meeting place to celebrate New Years
We had heard about this strange little place in the middle of nowhere ,where two guys “Queens of the Desert” run a theatre type show for guests of the Karoo Hotel.
There was a spread laid on and a song and dance show with one of the Gay owners doing the whole dress up like Mimmie Coetzer type thing
It was nice to see every one again and catch up on the stories and laugh and tease everyone who had a story to tell….nothing beats this type of touring and fellowship
We also enjoyed the pool as it was nearing the forties again
After lots of wine and food the few die hards hit the sack around 2am and tried to get in some sleep ….mmmmm( long story short we stayed in the backpackers because at time of booking it was all they had left….NOT RECOMMENDED… a bit of a dump and the mossies frikkin ate us alive)….to the extent I was up at 5am(ok and the snoring mates) I went for a swim to escape the mossies and the heat…..between Leonie and I we counted 27 mossie bites on us ,thank God we where not in a malaria area..
Next morning 5am
The next day we all planned to go our separate ways again, some continuing on holiday and us …well… after our night as mossie bait we decided time for home, so after breakfast we all said our good bye and off we went
We did 1150km back home via gravel to Jansenville then tar mostly Graaf Reinett/Burgersdorp/Ladybrand/Senekal/Heilbron/Pretoria
Total 4244km
And another awesome holiday what a blessing and privilege to be able to do this sort of stuff
We headed to Outshoorn via gravel rd direction Uniondale then tar to De Rust
At the second attempt to find a restaurant we got lucky and found a nice place to eat Xmas lunch. We all phoned our families and had far too much to eat….
After lunch we set off for the Swartberg pass and Die Hel …flip what a stunningly scenic ride…. also new for me so I just soaked in the views and gravel road
Man if you haven’t been go and do it soon
I couldn’t get over what nice rides the guys now in the Western Cape have in their own back yards….dam I must come live here one day
The road to the Hell also carries a bit of traffic so be on the look out for other road users.. Lucky for us we where here on Xmas day so wasn’t too hectic till the next day
I heard they only discovered the people that lived in Die Hel in the 1950s Mostert with a T it was said by the old Tannie apparently as the Mosterts with a T are tougher than the Mosterds with a D…sounded like a soek nie kak met die Tannie kind of aunty, however I cant help but wonder about the deliverance type Hill Billie’s when I heard this story
Below courtesy of the net
https://www.diehel.com/history.htm
The earliest inhabitants of the valley were the San Bushmen. In the early 1830's the first Boer (Farmer) wandered into the valley, and finding it fertile with abundant water made it his home. Other families followed, namely Cordier, Mostert, Marais, Nel, Snyman and Joubert. They farmed and lived in comparative isolation for about 130 years. Although isolated they maintained a good standard of living. Education in the valley consisted of a school for the local children and church services were held in the school by the school master or teacher.
In 1958 the first car was brought into the valley through the Gamka River gorge. In 1962 a road was built into the valley (constructed by Koos van Zyl).
This facilitated communication with the outside world, and was the main reason for the exodus of the youth. The older folks had to follow.
The last remaining farmer left in 1991, leaving the valley with no permanent residents.
This brings us to the Farm Mooifontein, owned by Annetjie Joubert (neé Mostert). She is the only remaining "born and bred" inhabitant that has retained property in Gamkaskloof. She came back permanently in 1998 and skilfully converted the original farmstead into comfortable guesthouses, has a caravan park, camping sites and the only Kiosk and Licensed Restaurant in Gamkaskloof.
In Die Hel we ended up getting supplies at the kiosk and the home made mineral water with no labels they sold came with a few extras and the name floaters was thought of right there and then….
Me being lazy and not in the mood for camping was tempted by the caravans but on closer inspection and remembering some one on the forums comments stating how siff they where, we decided to camp, it was very cheap although I would pay more if they fixed up the ablutions a bit as I have not seen a siff setup like this in SA in a long time also no bog roll so take your own or buy from kiosk prior to going to campsite
Been there got the sticker
Next morning up early and after self made coffee we where on our way to Malgas as decided the night before…we wanted to check out the only hand drawn Pont in SA
Having enjoyed the view the day before.. We rode out the hel this time enjoying the ride and pushing the bikes a bit… all regrouping at the T junction to laugh and smile at our fun we had while pushing our own limits….At the bottom of the Swartberg pass direction Calitzdorp gravel road we stopped at a nice touristy place for breakfast before eventually only making Witsand at the coast just before dark. That night we had leka pizza at the restaurant just inland a bit and celebrated our great trip so far…good food good drink good ride good friends too nice
Near Calitzdorp
I actually got a pic of the same spot on route 62 with three of my bikes now. That’s how much we love riding this area and to top it all we doing the route 62 Harley rally again this year in February Lord willing (Ja Ja don’t say a word. Its still 2 wheels.I love variety and got blessed along the way)
Had to take pic here as I got one with each of my bikes
Heading for the coast
Next day we took it easy a quick stop down by the sea for pics and then gravel on to Malgas and the Pont crossing
At the Pont
On the other side we chilled and had lunch consisting of pies and chips and cold drinks which we stocked up from a café in Witsand and read the paper to catch up on a bit of news. Was very nice and relaxing to spend a few hrs lazing in the shade
In Arniston we met another WD (Derek and his Missus on their GSA ) and just chilled on the veranda drinking beers
That night we went big and stayed at the Arniston hotel needless to say we paid for this but it was a nice treat and had fancy supper to boot .The joys of not booking or planning a holiday…just my style
The previous night we had agreed to split after going to Aghulas and the most southern point of Africa as Shaun and Liesl wanted to head inland and we preferred the cooler coastline
The morning saw us up early to catch a view of the Waenhuiskrans caves a first for me…what a sight we took lots of pics and after the walk back we went for a nice swim in the turquoise blue water….what a holiday so far….
From the net
https://www.capetown-direct.com/activity/meditating-inside-the-waenhuiskrans-grot
The Waenhuiskrans grot is located in the picturesque seaside village called Arniston a pleasant two hour journey from Cape Town. Waenhuiskrans grot means Wagon house cliff cave, (named because it is large enough for an ox-wagon and span of oxen to turn around in it). Arniston's is also famous for its thatched fishermen's cottages at the 200 year old Kassiesbaai and the high white dunes and turquoise seas.
Arniston / Waenhuiskrans is the only town in South Africa with 2 official names. Named Arniston after the East Indiaman ship Arniston wrecked nearby in 1815 with a tragic loss of 372 lives. The cave is peaceful, cool and dark, the ideal place to meditate. Wear shoes that can get wet and check the tide flow times. Waenhuiskrans Cave can only be visited during low tide.
The gravel to Struis baai was fairly quick and uneventful then WHAM….welcome to a serious amount of holiday makers in Aghulas we had to wait our turn to take pics at the monument stating most southern tip of Africa…can you imagine if they charged they would make a killing.
Here we met Drazil from WD and his family holidaying again nice people.
After the photo session we said our good byes and split with Shaun and Liesl soon to find it was virtually impossible to find two nights accommodation without having had booked(so where is the so called recession they spoke of I wonderered if it was a conspiracy thing for a second)
We spent the better part of the day looking for accommodation and finally found some at the Windsor hotel in Hermanus .I didn’t complain as I don’t book my holidays and I prefer to wing it…in so being that’s the price one pays I guess
The hotel was old but neat and fairly priced for the time of the season and right on the sea. Just what I was in the mood for to enjoy a rest day before heading back inland to the heat and dust
Indulging in Hermanus
The next day we just spent walking around shopping for clean clothes(hehehe) and eating in decent restaurants and generally just spoiling ourselves…it was great…what an awesome holiday and Hermanus was bustling with holiday makers but it was nice and one could feel the relaxed mood
After our rest day we headed inland via the gravel to Caledon picking up the N2 to Riviersonderent then Bonnyvale and Montague where we met up with Leonie’s old friends on the route 62 for coffee and cake…they must think us dilly as we seem to pop in regularly in this area especially for Gautengers….but then we love to tour
Riviersonderent
Met friends in Montagu for Coffee
Anyway after saying our good byes we headed for Ronnies Sex Shop other side of Barrydale also a quick decision then and there. After a beer here and some pics and the barman trying to get Leonie to make tips behind the bar we decided it would be safer taking the gravel right opposite Ronnies in a northerly direction to Laingsburg…
Geez what a ride that was…besides being moer hot. We ended up at a game farm which did not show on the GPS or map it showed a normal gravel rd via Rooi Nek pass to Laingsburg
So here we are at this electrified fence/gate and the guard is calling for an escort for us….the sign reads enter at own risk ….wild predators….we find out we now have to pass through on our exposed bike….I didn’t feel too brave but was in no mood to back track…after waiting for a while and no escort arriving, we entered with another game vehicle who arrived just then escorting us only till the first turn ,then we where on our own….I had visions of my worst nightmare and that’s being eaten alive….what a pissy I thort to myself ,just waiting for a lion to ambush us while we where going slow through some dry river bed crossings.
It was a relief crossing the gate on the other side and I could get back to enjoying the interesting gravel road and valleys we passed though…very scenic and highly recommended
Finally we got to Laingsburg with a fair amount of time to kill so we did the Flood museum and was this interesting to be taken back to the floods that swept half the town away in the 1980s.Next time you pass by do yourself a favour and go see. Worth the visit in my view
From the net
https://www.go2africa.com/south-africa/laingsburg
In January 1981 Laingsburg suffered what was to become its most famous tale - the Laingsburg flood. Heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of the Buffels and Baviaans Rivers (which converge in Laingsburg) caused a massive flood in the town, killing at least 100 people. The waters even swept the railway line off its bridge. Today a signpost on the main road indicates the level to which the waters rose - probably well above the roof of your car.
After the museum we booked into the local hotel had a leka swim to cool down and took a walk around town to take photos and just relax after the long day
The next day we had to meet every one in Steytlerville for our old years party as like last year was fast becoming a tradition now…(our second one in a row) so we headed up the N1 to Prince Albert then back roads and gravel to come out at Willowmore
Here we bumped into Derek AKA “China” or “Jackie Chan” after catching up with him and coffee and koek we did the final concrete section to Steylerville .
Finally at Steytlerville….3000km to get here
At last we caught up with our friends at the Steytlerville Karoo Hotel.They had also been touring around the country and this was our agreed meeting place to celebrate New Years
We had heard about this strange little place in the middle of nowhere ,where two guys “Queens of the Desert” run a theatre type show for guests of the Karoo Hotel.
There was a spread laid on and a song and dance show with one of the Gay owners doing the whole dress up like Mimmie Coetzer type thing
It was nice to see every one again and catch up on the stories and laugh and tease everyone who had a story to tell….nothing beats this type of touring and fellowship
We also enjoyed the pool as it was nearing the forties again
After lots of wine and food the few die hards hit the sack around 2am and tried to get in some sleep ….mmmmm( long story short we stayed in the backpackers because at time of booking it was all they had left….NOT RECOMMENDED… a bit of a dump and the mossies frikkin ate us alive)….to the extent I was up at 5am(ok and the snoring mates) I went for a swim to escape the mossies and the heat…..between Leonie and I we counted 27 mossie bites on us ,thank God we where not in a malaria area..
Next morning 5am
The next day we all planned to go our separate ways again, some continuing on holiday and us …well… after our night as mossie bait we decided time for home, so after breakfast we all said our good bye and off we went
We did 1150km back home via gravel to Jansenville then tar mostly Graaf Reinett/Burgersdorp/Ladybrand/Senekal/Heilbron/Pretoria
Total 4244km
And another awesome holiday what a blessing and privilege to be able to do this sort of stuff
