Amazing motorcycle adventures in Southern Africa

Wednesday, 06 July 2011

Day 20 - Leg 8 - Suddenly rural Transkei

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 you cross the bridge you are immediately thrown into another completely different world. It's amazing. It becomes real rural Africa instantly and stays like that for the best part of 400km. I also noticed that it was a lot more populated than it used to be, particularly near the major towns.

This was a main road for the area but not the main N2 artery. I have also been amazed at how quickly all the local folk have started giving up on their rural methods of building houses and moved to a more modern structure. Here are some pics of the first sojurn into the Transkei.

A fair amount of natural trees and bush - looking forward.

Looking backward

Looking downward - this is probably the last known picture of my intact left front indicator!

Houses on yonder hill

Yonder hill (not a place name!)

I love the rolling hills of the Transkei

Some thick clouds that I was hoping would miss me

Beautiful place all told - building for an awesome sunset

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Tuesday, 05 July 2011

Day 20 - Leg 7 - Umtamvuna bridge

The shores of the casino complex and golf club on the right

View upstream - we stayed at a lodge just where the river ends in the picture sime years back.

I remember exploring up and down the river in a rubber duck

The bridge

Monday, 04 July 2011

Day 20 - Leg 6 - Explore Leisure Crest

Beautiful beach with the angry clouds

close up of the clouds

This is such a lovely beach on a sunny day

An amazing flower - the Styrelitzia - I've never see a blue one before

Further down the coast

The bike getting a nice wash in all the rain

Beachfront Marine drive

Saturday, 02 July 2011

Day 20 - Leg 5 - Avoided cloudburst getting petrol

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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By now it was getting on for about 3:30 for 4pm, and what with all my stopping and looking around, driving on slow back roads with traffic and so on, I realised I was not making good time. I was soon going to be crossing the bridge out of the last of the more commercial areas of Kwa Zulu Natal (KZN), going over the great Umzimvubu river into rural more natural african surrounds of the Transkei in the Eastern Cape.

The great Transkei, where garages are not as plentiful nor are they open 24 hours. The roads I was going to be riding on are not main roads either, meaning they are narrow and potholed, as well as many people walking on them with the cars, trucks and livestock. Extremely dangerous after dark.

While still in KZN, I pulled into a garage I knew well at a place called Leisure Crest and filled up, just as the heavens opened. Once finished getting petrol and something to eat I took some pictures, but by now the rain had moved on. I love this part of KZN - it has lush vegitation and is "relativley" unspoilt.

Fresh rain and lush vegitation

I was glad to have been here

Sun beginning to go down

Love the lush greenery and dense sub-tropical bush and trees here

Friday, 01 July 2011

Day 20 - Leg 4 - Banana plantations

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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I had been loving re-living my past by driving down the South Coast on the old road (before they built the motorway) I'd looked in at Uvongo, Margate, Southbroom and may of the places I'd stayed at on holidays as a kid as well as in later years after I'd started working when living in Durban in the 80's and 90's.

Eventually all the extra coffee I'd had in the morning caught up with me and I needed an urgent stop. The best place I could find was this banana plantation near Trafalgar and took some pictures of the place while I was stopped there.

I just love how the new technology of growing banana's means they grow it pre-packed in blue plastic bags! I'm sure there must be an obvious reason for this? Anyone know?

Thursday, 30 June 2011

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

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

Wednesday, 29 June 2011

Day 20 - Leg 2 - Views of coast from Motorway

Tuesday, 28 June 2011

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

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