Amazing motorcycle adventures in Southern Africa: 06/01/2011

Thursday, 30 June 2011

Day 20 - Leg 3 - Shelly & St. Michaels beach

This continues the series of my Motorcycle Adventure travels from Durban back to Cape Town which was the fourth goal, over what had now become quite a few weeks. Details of the "http://africa4adventure-motorbiketours.blogspot.com/2011/04/planning-lesotho-expidition.html" whole trip here.

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As a kid we used to come down to places like these for a week or three at least once a year and it was fantastic. Brought back great memories stopping down the coast at places like Shelly Beach, St. Michaels-on-sea, etc. Of course the towns have grown out of all proportion, but fortunately the beaches have retained a lot of their natural charm, less a few shells like it was 20 to 30 years ago.

Shelly beach

Looking the other way up Shelly beach

Tidal pool at St. Michaels

The bay at St. Michaels - as a kid I saw a fishermans boat dashed on the rocks in huge waves

My trusty bike still going strong even with all the luggage

Ominous looking clouds

Flowers

Still natural beach

Nice waves today - I learnt to body surf and boogie board here

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Wednesday, 29 June 2011

Day 20 - Leg 2 - Views of coast from Motorway

This continues the series of my Motorcycle Adventure travels from Durban back to Cape Town which was the fourth goal, over what had now become quite a few weeks. Details of the "http://africa4adventure-motorbiketours.blogspot.com/2011/04/planning-lesotho-expidition.html" whole trip here.

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Some of the places along the coast are very scenic. Of course with lots of heavy cloud and no sun it doesn't look as appealing in these pictures, but on a sunny day when you are riding along on the motorway next to the sea looking at the waves and sand it is wonderful. Lots of little locals houses who have million dollar views of the beach but who've simply built there over time for the price of a few cows.

This is the Sizela to Hibberdene stretch where the motorway gets very close to the beach. Wonderful place.

Tuesday, 28 June 2011

Day 20 - Leg 1 - Route plan & Leave Durban in rain

This continues the series of my Motorcycle Adventure travels from Durban back to Cape Town which was the fourth goal, over what had now become quite a few weeks. Details of the "http://africa4adventure-motorbiketours.blogspot.com/2011/04/planning-lesotho-expidition.html" whole trip here.

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This is in fact two weeks later and not the next day; it is however the 20th day of the bike ride as such. I had booked a flight returning to Durban from home and was now ready to ride the bike back to Cape Town.

My "planned" route was roughly to head to Port St. Johns in the Transkei (first red dot), then in-land to Queenstown, (2nd dot) then into the Karoo, past Addo and on lots of farm roads to Steytlerville (3rd dot), then to Route 62 and over the Swartberg pass on to Ladismith (4th dot) then do the balance of route R62 back to Cape town.

This was the planned return route - approx 5 days with 4 overnights - loads of backroads 70% tar & 30% dirt because of time constraints

Having managed to do all the flight planning ok, one thing you cannot predict too far in advance is the weather. As it turned out there were two days worth of cold front and rain predicted, with another cold front following 4 days later, so it just had to be done. Not too early the next day I kitted up with my rain gear and set off from a rainy but relatively warm Durban.

Filling up with petrol in Hillcrest I got a picture showing the wet bike

Under shelter ready to brave the rain

Easier to stop on a motorway on the bike - this is me on Spagetti Junction looking at the clouds

Looking inland

An interesting trip ahead with heavy trucks and sub-tropical rain - but starting on motorway so ok.

This is about 50km down the South Coast - Rain still pretty on and off and occasionally heavy

Funny how photos never show the rain as bad as it is when you were actually in the rain and spray?

Monday, 27 June 2011

Day 19 - Drive back to Durban & change plans

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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Boy was I pleased to have had the 4x4 to load the bike onto the next day, as I'd come down with a really hard hitting cold, from too much cold air and change of temperatures over the last few weeks of being out and about. Temperatures had ranged from -3 deg C to 20 deg C in one day at times. I set off back to Durban to recover.

Of course from then on I had to recover before I could get back onto the bike and head back down to Cape Town. The initial plans had all changed; I was initially going to have gone down to Port Elizabeth in Rob's car with the bike on the trailer and then riden the bike from there, some 700km to Cape Town. Now, by going back to Durban with the bike on the 4x4, I had ended up with a much longer 1700km to ride to Cape Town.

However before getting back on the bike I had to get rid of my cold. After a few days of lying in bed, it didn't improve so I flew back to Cape Town carried on with my life, and then 2 weeks later once strong, flew back to Durban and carried on with the bike trip.

These pictures are me getting packed up and ready to drive from Paul Roux back to Durban.

Bike loaded and ready to hit the road from Paul Roux back to Durban.

Last view of the house as Rob and his helpers carried on renovating

The neighbour popped in for a coffee and a chat in his refurbished MG

Saturday, 25 June 2011

Day 18 - Leg 6 - Alan missing but we all make it home Ok

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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No trip ever goes without its little mishaps. In this case it was the mysterious vanishing of Alan and Claire along the way. Two bikes stopped at a roadside cafe for some cooldrink and the other bike (Alan's) that was a little further behind, with Claire on the back, came driving past us. We were standing on the side of the road waving and shouting, trying to flag them down, but they did not see us and carried on.

By the time we had got back on the bikes to tried to catchup, we realised they were long gone. We also thought they may have taken an incorrect turn as the road forks one tar and one dirt, but you have to turn off onto the tar. Thats when all the debating, concern and indecision set in. Should we head back and look for them? What if they had come off the bike and were lying in the gutter? We tried phoning, but no answer.

We drove further and asked the local police who were manning a road block if they had come through.... Finally when we got to the border post and tried to phone again; nothing. Two minutes later our phone rang and it was them saying they had gone through the border post and were waiting for us at the coffee shop! Relief - we could stop being concerned about them. We were all safe, it had been a fantastic gtrip and we could make it home Ok.