Our Route
Botriver/Montagu/Burgers Pass/ Rooihoogte Pass/Gecko Rock/ Sanbona/Warmwaterberg/Koedoeskloof/Dwarsbar/ Outeniqua/George/Wilderness/Ebb&Flow/Knysna /Groot Rivier Pass/ Natures Valley/De Vasselot/Keurbooms/Prince Alfred’s Pass/Angies G Spot/De Vlugt/ Oudtshoorn/Carlitzdorp/Barrydale/Ashton Pass

Locked and loaded to the hilt with everything you think you need, which on a motorcycle is not a lot actually. I made sure we were organised for our morning coffee ritual with a gas cooker and some fresh coffee, from our local roaster in Houties. Also in the arsenal are some basic tools to get you out the dwang. A pap wiel can be a bummer in the roasting sun.
We started the ride from Botrivier on the glorious Van Der Stels Pass… always a good place to get aquainted with your motorcycle until you get your rhythm. We headed for the hills in the Great Karoo. It’s a familiar ride to Montagu taking all the back roads. From Montagu we headed north up the Koo valley. Probably one of the most picturesque Karoo farming valleys in South Africa, flanked by rocky Karoo mountains, with white washed huisies dotted all over the lapiesland.
Our destination on the first day was in the Great Karoo and going up the Burgers pass you realise you are traversing the great escarpment, up to the heavens almost. We set up camp on the Gecko Rock farm and spent a great evening next to the crackling fire under the stars.

Up at first light, a coffee session to get the show on the road. The route takes us through Sanbona, a wildlife reserve, and the posibility to spot some game. On motorbikes you have to be escorted through the park in case there are any encounters with big game. It was a hot day and the mercury climbed to 42 degrees Celcius. We spotted the odd Oryx horns peeping through the small bossies like antennae, but for a South African that was considered a dry run.
That night we soak in hot spring.

Another early start – It was going to be another hot day, so we decide to make a run for the sea over the Outeniqua mountains.
One more stop though, at Koedoeskloof on the foothills of the famous Towerkop, to find some kindred spirit. There in the Dwarsbar is the dynamic team of Veldbrandt Benoudebout & Co. We had breakfast on the stoep, shared some old stories, and spoke about he drought, in that moment you realise that every sip of coffee matters.

Off we went over the Outeniqua Pass…to the sea. It cooled down to a coolish 29 degrees Celcius. We spent some glorious days hiking, swimming and getting some beach sand between our toes. In the end we got foiled be the weather and had to re-jig our route to avoid the wetspots.

Homeward bound we traversed the famous Prince Alfred’s Pass, stopped off at Angie’s G-Spot, got aquatinted with a menagerie of pets during breakfast and got an update of of the ongoing saga with neighboring farms. We still got wet on the R62 as we approached the distant rainstorms one by one. A dramatic ride for sure.

We spent the last night at the Warmwaterberg hot spring to warm up and dry out. The perfect end to a long and wet ride. It was fortuitous the we met Reto and Lorraine a Swiss and Irish couple. As Retos’ english was patchy and Lorraines Swiss was full of holes. We tried to clarify to the Swiss Reto, the difference between a peacock and the dyslexic version thereof. We laughed into the night under the stars.

Taking the slow road home we stop in Barrydale to catch up with some old friends at Mud Studio. We enjoyed excellent coffee and a breakfast at their establishment. Its always great to keep those connections alive.

Time to saddle up and brave the strong cross winds on the open road. It’s always daunting in the wind shadow of an eighteen wheeler. You either get sucked in on the leeward side or rattled be the turbulence. You have to anticipate your response carefully.

We made it back even though it took us a bit longer avoiding the main roads but it was another, “time out” session on bikes and a perfect re-set for another bumpy ride in 2020

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