Day sixteen - getting to Lesotho border via the Free State

This continues the series of my Motorcycle Adventure travels from Durban to Lesotho which was the third goal, over a week. Details of the "http://africa4adventure-motorbiketours.blogspot.com/2011/04/planning-lesotho-expidition.html" whole trip here.

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Once on the road, we had to do in the order of about 170km to get to the Lesotho border post from Paul Roux. on the way we went through some small farming towns Marquad, Clocolan and Ladybrand. Potholes on the Clocolan Marquard road were a nightmare!

But in Ladybrand we found a magic little coffee sho[ to warm us up, both in the sun and from the coffee. After that it was 20km and we got to the Lesotho border post. We cleared them without any issues and reasonably quickly given how long some can take.

Sunflower plantations in the background through the Free State

Some serious potholes on this road - cars battle more than the bikes

Gotta love autumn colours

Dropped the car off to fetch on the return trip

Quick coffee and sandwixch for lunch to warm up

Sun was bright and warm

Picture with the owner

Our bikes outside the Immigrartion office

Rob chirping in Sotho to everyone

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Day sixteen - Kit up and head off to Lesotho

This continues the series of my Motorcycle Adventure travels from Durban to Lesotho which was the third goal, over a week. Details of the http://africa4adventure-motorbiketours.blogspot.com/2011/04/planning-lesotho-expidition.html whole trip here.

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We arrived home after breakfast, packed our stuff, put on our gear and got ready to leave. Moira, Rob's wife was going to ride pillion, but before she did so she first had to drive the car the first 150km as she had to leave directly as we came back out of Lesotho and head back to PE. This saved her doubling back and an extra 300km travel.

It was then that Rob realised that his front tyre was pretty low on air, so we had to head down to the local garage to fill up with both petrol and air.

Sun was out, frost gone and the bikes were ready to roll

Rob fires up his 1150 GS

And brings it down the driveway

The "before" team picture of all going on the ride taken by the builder

All ready after filling up and pumping air in the tyres

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Day sixteen - Stamina for the Lesotho trip

This continues the series of my Motorcycle Adventure travels from Durban to Lesotho which was the third goal, over a week. Details of the whole trip here.

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Friday morning with an overnight low of -3 deg C, left us with frost on the bike saddles. We decided to only leave at about 10am when it had warmed up, so headed down to the local restaurant called the "Pink Tricycle tea room" for breakfast. There we found an old ambiance, they have two musuems both in the tea room and next door at the B&B co-owned by the couple. We took a walk through both and then had breakfast.

The bikes had loads of frost on the saddles

Again notice the typical sandstone architecture of the area

Rob knows the owner and they were chatting

A beautiful Museum type browsy envionment next door where you are bound to find something of interest

Still loads of frost where the sun hadn't reached yet

Part of the B&B / Museum feel next door

Another collection of model bikes - even a BMW Adventure bike in there!

Full English / Farmhouse breakfast for all to build up the stamina today

So the before picture of all going on the ride to Lesotho

Filled up with a great breakfast we were ready to head home, pack up and take to the road.

More motorcycle adventure tours on our list of tour route summaries are available, where we explore these sorts of motorcycle adventure tour routes. Just choose one of our events and reserve yourself a place on one of the future motorcycle adventure safari events.

Day fifteen - Dinner with ride partners in Paul Roux

This continues the series of my Motorcycle Adventure travels from Durban to Lesotho which was the third goal, over a week. Details of the whole trip here.

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Well having arrived in Paul Roux and looked around at all the changes to the house since the last I'd been there; they had completely redone a whole new roof on the house. Also converted the kitchen area into a much bigger open plan, added another bathroom, etc. Rob is going to continue fixing it up and then offer it out for bikers and other travellers to the area to rent.

We then settled down to plan, have some red wine and good food and think about the trip into Lesotho tomorrow. Rob and Moira had been there quite a few times and done many rides there, so he knew what to expect. Me, knowing it was a mountain kingdom and knowing the Drakensberg mountains all around Lesotho, knew that with these mountains come some amazing mountain passes and twisty rides. Fantastic.

Lots of planning going on by Alan and Moira

Rob next to the fire telling us about the bathroom changes and work done

View of the recently completely refurbished house

Rob and Charles

Alan & Claire doing some route planning - they had also been to Lesotho before

Steaks an inch thick - Yumm

A great evening; good food, great company and an awesome ride to look forward to in the morning

Rob making his special Amarula Cappuccinos after dinner

Tomorrow we are off to Lesotho! can't wait...

More motorcycle adventure tours on our list of tour route summaries are available, where we explore these sorts of motorcycle adventure tour routes. Just choose one of our events and reserve yourself a place on one of the future motorcycle adventure safari events.

Day fifteen - Driving to Paul Roux

This continues the series of my Motorcycle Adventure travels from Durban to Lesotho which was the third goal, over a week. Details of the whole trip here.

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So all packed and now finally heading to the Goal 3 of the trip - getting to Paul Roux from which we would base ourselves at Rob's holiday home in order to head off into Lesotho. This is my drive up to Paul Roux from Durban. Its a distance of about 400km through KwaZulu Natal and into the Orange Free State.

Motorway in KwaZulu Natal

Interesting landscape on the way to Harrismith

Mountains the the distance, and scenic views from the farm huts

The majestic Drakensberg some 40km odd in the distance that form the boundary to Lesotho

small town looking out over the mountains in the distance

Beautiful orange glow around sunset time

Rob's holiday home in Paul Roux - a beautiful old small town Free State sand stone house - under recent renovation

Aahh - there are all three bikes, all ready and patiently waiting to head into Lesotho

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Day fifteen - Changing plans for Lesotho trip

This continues the series of my Motorcycle Adventure travels from Durban to Lesotho which was the third goal, over a week. Details of the whole trip here.

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Various phone calls were made to confirm plans and ensure my ability to get from Durban to Paul Roux, our base from which we would start and end the motorcycle adventure 3 day trip into Lesotho, after which to be able to get me and my bike down to Port Elizabeth. We established that it was going to be problematic on various fronts:

Firstly Greg could not come with us any more which meant someone had to get the 4x4 I was using to get to Paul Roux, back to Greg again. We asked around and nobody wanted to spend all day driving 4 hours there, just to drop me off and do another 4 hour return journey. Fair play on a long weekend post easter holiday.

Secondly, it was uncertain as to exactly when Rob and his wife who were already in Paul Roux with my bike, were going to be returning to Port Elizabeth, so was a little risky as to when my bike would get back there, as they had various business meetings, etc.

Thirdly and now the main reason was, after my bike trip up from Cape Town, then the hot and cold Splashy days, then all the socialising I was coming down with a cold and was starting to feel a little unwell, so it was becoming doubtful as to if I'd even being able to ride the bike back from Port Elizabeth in any case.

I decided in discussion with the rest, to take the 4x4 up to Paul Roux, but to take the canopy off the back so I had the option, if I so chose or if things changed again, to put my bike on the pickup and take it back to Durban with me to ride from there. I thought I'd see how I felt after the Lesotho trip. Options were now open to either send the bike down to PE on Robs trailer or to bring it back with me to Durban, so I felt much better.

Wolfie and Greg helping remove the canopy off the 4x4

A challenge to remove the canopy given Greg's back, and the heavyish canopy, but we made it Ok

Finally a plan that I could see that was likely to cover all bases, so we removed the canopy and I headed off to Paul Roux for Goal three of the journey.

More motorcycle adventure tours on our list of tour route summaries are available, where we explore these sorts of motorcycle adventure tour routes. Just choose one of our events and reserve yourself a place on one of the future motorcycle adventure safari events.

Day fourteen - Visit and plan Lesotho more

This continues the series of my Motorcycle Adventure travels from Durban to Lesotho which was the third goal, over a week. Details of the whole trip here.

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Today was split up into three things; visiting my daughter and family, then meeting Greg to plan the Lesotho trip details, then meeting up with friends who I'd seen at Splashy. As you can tell a mad rush, but nice to see everyone.

I started the day by visiting them and having lunch and a nice chat.

My daughter very pregnant and almost days from popping with her man's folks at home

I then headed off to Greg, who was my partner for the Lesotho trip. The plan was that Greg and I would drive up to Lesotho with his bike on the back of the 4x4 twin cab pickup, do the Lesotho trip (3 days), then he would come back with the 4x4 and his bike and I would get a lift back to Port Elizabeth with my bike on one of the other riders Rob's bike trailer so that I could then ride the bike the 1000km back to cape Town.

Greg had mentioned the fact that he had put his back out at work and was hoping it would be healed and that he'd be strong for the Lesotho ride. When Igot to his home and saw how he was still taking strain with his back, I suggested that he do the Lesotho trip in the 4x4 instead. he gave it some thought but I could see that it was still very painful and that even a few days in a car would not do it any good.

I now had to make a plan as to how I was going to get to Paul Roux (where we were starting the ride from) and get his 4x4 back again. We started racking our brains as to how we could best acheive this...

Greg sitting gingerly on the edge of the sofa with his back still in pain

I then went off to meet up with Graham (last seen at Splashy) and his wife at one of the local pubs called the Stokers Arms to socialise. It was a great evening and we had a good chat and catchup.

More motorcycle adventure tours on our list of tour route summaries are available, where we explore these sorts of motorcycle adventure tour routes. Just choose one of our events and reserve yourself a place on one of the future motorcycle adventure safari events.

Day thirteen - Meet mates to talk about Mozambique trip

This continues the series of my Motorcycle Adventure travels from Durban to Lesotho which was the third goal, over a week. Details of the whole trip here.

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I got a call from a good friend of mine who knew I was in town to join them on a trip to Mozambique. He invited me to meet them at one of their locals to discuss the logistics and see if I'd be able to make it with them. I was extremely keen to go, but as it turned out I couldn't make it that particular weekend for various reasons.

I love the ingenious excuses and reasons people find to give their wives as to why they need to go down to the pub. In this case the guys were genuinely buying eggs at a wholesale prices from a farmer. The farmer no doubt gives also his wife the same excuse from the supply side.

They buy eggs from some local farmer - great excuse to give their wives as to why they need to go to the pub!

Richard concerned about the hard saddle going to Mozambique

The only good excuse for having a pint! Good mates.

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Day twelve - Visit to Pennington beach

This continues the series of my Motorcycle Adventure travels from Durban to Splashy Fen which was the second goal, over a week. Details of the whole trip here.

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Well having arrived back from Splashy Fen rather shattered, a few days to recover were definitlty well in order! Good family and friends were down the coast at a little beach village called Pennington and we were invited down to spend the day having a braai (BBQ) at their holiday cottage. These are the pictures of the beach at pennington we visited and some of the smaller wildlife so abundant in their garden.

Swimming part of the beach

Some people in the warm water

Clean coarse sand - doen't stick to you too much

Clean rock pools

People still out on the beach on an Easter Monday

River lagoon that breaks through into the sea in the rainy season

Some local tweety birds (I'm no bird specialist)

Friends holiday cottage in five minutes walking distance of the beach

One of the local vervet monkey members of the 30 strong troup that came through for tree fruit

A few more monkeys eating tree fruit at the bottom of the garden

So from today (Monday) on I had to start preparing for the Lesotho motorcycle adventure trip which was starting on Thursday.

More motorcycle adventure tours on our list of tour route summaries are available, where we explore these sorts of motorcycle adventure tour routes. Just choose one of our events and reserve yourself a place on one of the future motorcycle adventure safari events.