398km
Waking up this morning I had only one thing on my mind. Herbalife! I’m not sure if it is an international brand and I’m not even bothered to Google it but what I do know is that if the Herbalife tannies take to the road in their cars there is chaos. It is Monday which means that those sods who could not get vacation leave will be going to work this morning, clogging up the roads and just making an annoyance of themselves. Then you throw the Herbalife tannie into the mix and traffic in the 80km/h zone grinds to a 25.5km/h crawl. Hence my desire to get out of Dodge as early as possible.
So we quickly say our goodbyes and did the (partly because the kids were still sleeping) family Xmas pic before hitting the road.
Thank you Paul and Jenna for hosting us. Please remember the sliding door safety regulation for our next visit. Note to Self: Never lead with your head when entering a building through a glass sliding door.
The wind was howling and by the time we came into Gordons Bay the ocean was white as the spray came off the surface. Not nice to ride in winds like this but it looked pretty cool.
Other than the wind it was a great day for riding with the sun shining and a cold ‘breeze’ blowing the snot out of your nose. We stopped at a roadside coffee shop for a quick coffee and a bite to eat.
The roads we are riding are part of the Whale Route, a very scenic drive along the coast where you pass by and through small towns. Clouds rolling over the mountain top looked really spectacular.
We approach one of these small towns called Betty’s Bay.
Betty’s Bay is a vacation town that started out as a whaling station somewhere in the early 1900s. One of its star attractions these days is the penguin colony at Stony Point Nature Reserve. It is the 3rd largest breeding colony of the African Penguin in the world. Its size is a bit difficult to capture with a photo because they move around in clusters.
We eventually reach Gansbaai well known for its white shark diving. Even though I’ve done it I’m not really too keen on it because of the way that it is done. Sharks are baited and lured for people to see up close. This disturbs their natural pattern which I cannot think can be good for them.
And this is where the real fun for the day starts. It’s close to lunch and we start looking out for a place to eat. I drive down to the harbor and I look around for something interesting when all of a sudden there is this big bang and we come to a sudden stop. Yip, I drove right into a huge, shiny stainless steel bollard. Luckily the only damage is a slightly dented toolbox and an ego. Could have been much worse, somebody could have been watching me do this!. Note to self: When looking around for something interesting, stop driving.
This is what I was looking at when my brain has a huge fart so the least we could do is go there and eat something. The fish and chips were ok but not good and they had to run to a shop to go get bacon for the breakfast.
The next leg will take us to Bredasdorp. From this point onwards we would be doing mostly gravel, around 200km. The stretch between Gansbaai and Bredasdorp wasn’t too bad with a few corrugated sections and very dusty. You find the weirdest things on these roads that make you wonder what people were thinking when they created it. This boat/airplane/windmill is found just before entering Bredasdorp and clearly, a lot of effort went into it.
Bredasdorp is a very clean town, not something you expect to find often. In fact, this is the first time I ever saw such attention to detail when filling up at a garage.
After this exiting town, we are back on the gravel, this time to Malgas where we will cross Breederiver on the pond. The wind was still howling and it was a real struggle on the gravel road. A few kilometers before we reach Malgas I see a bike in the distance and I slowed trying to find the rider which seem to be missing. It is only when I came to a stop that I realized that the rider was a diminutive figure hunched over the bike. When the ride came upright I realized it was a lady, and she immediately came over. “Hello I’m Henriette, she said as she holds out her hand. Turns out she is from Denmark on a solo world tour. Like me, she’s had enough of the @#@# wind and was busy praying for it to stop when we drove up.
What an awesome lady to take on an adventure like this solo. We chatted for a bit and then decided to ride together to Malgas where she intends to find an overnight spot while we continue on towards Still bay another 105km further. Henriette rides her CRF 250 like a Dakar pro as she sits patiently behind Putin until things come to an abrupt stop when my back wheel blows out at 80km/h on the gravel. This is the same tire I fixed in Springbok a few days ago so I think it’s had just about enough.
While I was busy doing this a group of about 8 riders on adventure bikes came up the road and drove right by with just a wave of the hand. We were all totally amused by the fact that no one stopped to ask if we were ok or to offer assistance, not that we needed it but hell they did not know that. And as Henriette said, at least stop to have a chat. A bit disappointing to say the least but if these trips will teach you anything it is that you have all kinds out there. Hope they all made it safely to their destination.
At the ferry, we bid Henriette fair well as we crossed over to the other side (of the river, not life). You can follow her adventures on Instagram at Henriette_fortheloveofwheels.
The skies are becoming overcast and the air is a bit crisper as we rode off the ferry on the far side of the Breede River. We still have a 105Km to go, all gravel, and a bit behind schedule. Sure I know you should not have a schedule and you should like free and send money to feed baby seals but I try not to be on the road after sunset so the schedule is not made up of fixed times but rather preferences.
Anyhow by the time, we approached Vermaaklikheid a misting rain has started to spoil my mood. It is not enough to wash off the dust of the previous 150km of dirt road, just enough to turn it into something I do not have a word for.
Before we are taken onto private property by the GP Ice only to end up where we were not supposed to be.
We eventually found the correct location but I first had to take a phone call from the lovely ladies looking after our house and dog asking how to switch on the stove before we could proceed.
We find our overnight stay on the farm Duinekroon just outside Still Bay.
We unpack before I go find the nearest store to buy food and decide to stock up on some brownie points.
Today marks day 10 of our adventure. We have completed 3230Km, had two flats, one split vacuum tube, one broken screen bracket, one totally stuffed Motorad tank bag.
Tomorrow is a rest and maintenance day. I will look at what to do with the spare tire and we also need to get some laundry done.
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