SA/Namibia 2011 - Day 24 to 28. Johannesburg. Randburg. Midrand. Braamfontein. Sandton City. Brits and Beyond.

A query about how to 'read' a ride report such as this has come up. The easy answer is to choose a starting point (say SA/Namibia 2011 - Day 1. The Cape Peninsula [2011 - September]). To do this go to Blog Archive (below the picture of the three handsome guys on the right side of this page). 
In order to progress forward in time the 'NEXT' blog is found by simply clicking on 'Newer Post' at the foot of the page you have read. An on-line diary such as this always displays the newest posting at the top.


Here is an overview of the whole motorcycle ride.

Key to Markers:
Blue  = Vanrhynsdorp - Springbok - Grunau -  Luderitz.
Yellow = Luderitz - Grunau - Springbok - Calvinia - Karoo National Park - Calitzdorp - Stellenbosch - Cape Town.
Magenta = Cape Town - Swellendam - Jeffreys Bay - East London - Port St Johns - Durban - Bethal - Midrand.
Orange = Earlier solo ride in 2010. Calvinia - Kathu - Midrand - Zastron - Aberdeen - Calitzdorp - Moorreesburg.
Green = Two bike ride in 2010.  Dundee - Durban - Umtentweni - Underberg - Winterton - Clarens.

Below is a map of Day 26.



View 26th Sept: Midrand to Assen to Midrand. in a larger map

Days 24 and 25 were spent with family in Randburg and Midrand. The motorbike did not get a lot of use during this time. On Saturday 24th Meriel took me to Braamfontein in the morning and to Sandton City in the afternoon. Both places impressed me very much for different reasons.

Braamfontein is being reclaimed (if that is the correct word). Sandton City is a testament to wealth, enterprise, business, imagination and entrepreneurship.


In Braamfontein we went to a market in a reclaimed, revamped, refurbished building. It was excellent. The whole area appears to be undergoing positive change. Also Braamfontein is very 'arty' with galleries, coffee bars and even a piazza with a huge TV screen - the rugby was on.

 'Reclaimed' building in Braamfontein.

In the picture above the market is just visible at the mezzanine level. 

Inauguration of a new market in Braamfontein. Busy. Brilliant.

The Milner Park Hotel is also being revamped and is receiving a lot of care and attention. This building, on De Beer Street is one of the original buildings of Johannesburg.

Milner Park Hotel

View from a new penthouse apartment on Juta Street, Braamfontein.

A 'piazza' in Braamfontein. 

'Interesting' art in one of the galleries in the area.

Sandton City is phenomenal. The buildings are impressive. Every other car seems to be a Maserati, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Bentley or Rolls-Royce. Obviously there is a lot of money in this part of Johannesburg.

We visited the Joburg Art Fair at the Sandton Convention Centre www.joburgartfair.co.za . It was an amazing experience. Sorry no pics.


The following day we went north to Pretoria - to the Voortrekker Monument. It was very interesting.

Camera on car. 10-sec timer! 

Voortrekker Monument

The history and courage of the Boer nation is recorded here. The Great Trek, Zulu Wars and the Boer Wars are chronicled here. The great leaders of the Afrikaner nation are celebrated in frescos and pictures. Men like Louis Tregardt, Hans van Rensburg, Hendrik Potgieter, Gerrit Maritz, Piet Retief and Piet Uys.

View of Pretoria from the monument.

The old Pretoria - Johannesburg Road.

Day 26: On the 26th September, Chris (family) took me for a ride-out. He has a Honda XR650L, modified slightly with a 22 litre Acerbis tank and headlight from a XR650R. Also MX style fatbars and risers and a tail tidy

Coffee stop at Hartbeespoort.

"Okay let's go ......"

We were really enjoying being out in the sunshine on the motorbikes. Chris suggested that we ride through Brits and beyond as we had most of the day at our disposal.

We stayed on the R511 through the bustling town and were soon once again in fertile countryside. At one place we got the wonderful scent of citrus - lemon groves I think. We also crossed a railway line just north of Bethanie and again at Beestekraal near the Roodelkopjes Dam. Chris said that with an off-road or dual-purpose motorcycle it is possible to ride the railways. There are service roads running alongside the tracks and it is possible to get maps of such railway roads. Sounds like a lot of fun to me.

Near Assen, about 75 km before Thabazimbi, we spotted Die Bosveld Lapa and decided it was a good place to pull in for a snack.

This is my kind of place for lunch! Forget The Ritz.

Die Bosveld Lapa (obviously).

A snack on the stoep at Die Bosveld Lapa. (That 10-sec timer again!)

We turned around here and headed back to Midrand taking a slightly different route around the Dam. It had been a brilliant day's riding. 'Thanks Chris.'

Distance Today: 263 km. 164 miles.

Trip Total: 7 003 km. 4 352 miles.

Day 27: This was another special day which included seeing, and being allowed to hold, the latest member of the family - Imogen. Imo is my niece's baby.

Imo is so cute.

Chris, Em and Imo.

Day 28: Now it is the time to meet up with Mike once more and to ride the motorcycles to MotoBerlin in Boksburg. Click HERE. 

Back 'home' at MotoBerlin in Boksburg.

I had taken delivery of the bike in Cape Town on the 1st September. The odometer at MotoBerlin Cape Town reading was 13 007 km.

 Odometer at MotoBerlin in Boksburg.

The odometer reading at MotoBerlin in Boksburg: 20 733 km.
7 726 km recorded on the motorbike.

My Garmin 76Cx recorded 7 494 km. The speedometer/odometer was therefor only approximately 3% in error.

 Garmin at MotoBerlin in Boksburg.

The Yamaha Tenere performed excellently throughout. It never missed a beat.

Here are the Fuel Statistics (based on the motorbike's odometer):

361 litres fuel.

R3639.00.

7 726 km.
4 801 miles.

21.39 km/lt.

4.68ltr/100km.

60.42 mpg.

Albert at MotoBerlin kindly gave me a holdall which he had surplus to requirement. I wondered how I was going to get my stuff on the plane!

'Thanks for the bag Albert.'

Mike at the airport.

John at the airport.

Boarding the plane for Birmingham via Dubai - our version of the Long Way Round!

The SA/Namibia adventure is over. 
7 494 km
 4 657 miles.

View SA/Namibia 2011 in a larger map

SA/Namibia 2011 - Day 23. Bethal to Vanderbijl Park and Randburg.

View 23rd Sept: Bethal to Vanderbijl Park in a larger map

Sorry there are no pictures today. We set out from Bethal in very cool and foggy conditions. Even if I could have made my cold hands work the camera, there was nothing to photograph.


We routed via Nigel where we pulled in for fuel and breakfast, then Heidelburg, Vereeniging and Vanderbijl Park.


Mike was staying in Vanderbijl Park with his sister for a few nights. I was going on to Randburg to stay with my cousin.


View 23rd Sept: Vanderbijl Park to Randburg in a larger map

After Nigel and some welcome breakfast, the sun burnt its way through the fog and the day turned into beautiful Highveld weather - sunny, cloudless and warm.

After a cup of tea and a koeksuster at Mike's sister's I headed off for Randburg. It was quite strange riding 'solo' after having had company for so long on this South Africa/Namibia ride. It didn't take long to join the N1 and after paying the toll at Grasmere Plaza I was cruising the last part of my journey. I couldn't help smiling as I passed familiar names and places as the Tenere buzzed north. Glimpses of the Johannesburg skyline offered itself on my right-hand side and it was like I was actually coming home.

This was the place of my formative years, my upbringing and education. True, I had left South Africa in 1966, but I still consider this city as my spiritual home. The grin inside my helmet was tinged with sadness because my brother Robby, a true Jo'burger, had passed on a few years before and he was always very dear to me. I would, however, be catching up with his wife and family in the next four or five days.

I pulled into my cousin's place at about 13h15 to be greeted warmly and immediately offered a cold beer.

Distance Today: 287 km. 178 miles.
Trip Distance: 6 740 km. 4 188 miles.

SA/Namibia 2011 - Day 22. Durban to Bethal.

View 22nd Sept: Durban to Bethal in a larger map

Last night we ended a very pleasant day with a meal and a beer at uShaka. This morning we were reluctant to leave Durban, but The Plan was to make it to Vanderbijl Park and Randburg respectively by Friday 23rd. So, we took the North Coast Road towards Stanger.

The North Coast Road. Mike and his machine.

The road repair programme impressed me. After Pongola, between Piet Retief and Heidelburg, there were numerous traffic hold ups due to this programme. The traffic controls at each section under repair were inconvenient but necessary. The waiting times were seldom more than 15 minutes. One of the advantages of travelling by motorcycle is getting straight to the front of a queue. Drivers, especially truck drivers, did not seem to mind at all that we nudged into a space in front of the leading vehicle. Of course we never held up anyone. When the lights changed to green we were off and away in a flash.

On this occasion we waited in turn.

Traffic control can mean commercial opportunity.

At Piet Retief we stopped for a coffee and also a few zzzzzs for me. We thought that stopping in Ermelo for the night would be a good plan.

But plans don't always work out. Ermelo was 'full'. We tried a few places and made enquiries. There was not a room to be had. The problem was that daylight was diminishing rapidly. Our policy was not to ride in the dark. The road surface state is so important to the motorbiker, and, with no highway lighting, no cats eyes and few white lines, good visual conditions is important.

We decided, therefore, to ride in the dark to Bethal!! It wasn't a lot of fun - too many dazzling car headlights and high speed 4x4s. Not only seeing but also being seen is so very important on the road. We felt, and were vulnerable. Maybe we should have just waited at a garage until dawn?

However, we did make it safely to Bethal. We pulled in to the first B&B place we saw. It was Die Groen Kooi and it was fine. Click here for the link.

We were only about 2 km from the centre of the town, so we dumped our gear and rode in to get a hamburger and a beer.

 'Cheers - we made it to Bethal.'

'Cheers and well-done.'

Back at the B&B we had a quick nightcap before turning in for a very welcome rest. I didn't even unpack my stuff.

Distance Today: 659 km. 410 miles.

Trip Distance: 6 453 km. 4 010 miles. 

SA/Namibia 2011 - Day 20. Port St Johns to Durban.

View 20th Sept: Port St Johns to Durban in a larger map

It was a good night's sleep. Also breakfast at the Outspan Inn was excellent. We rolled out of Port St Johns in brilliant sunshine and headed for Lusikisiki, Flagstaff and Bizana. The scenery was beautiful - rolling green hills, fertile valleys, colourful huts and shacks.

 Pondoland scene.

Many houses and huts were painted in this pale green colour.

 See what I mean?

 We stopped often to take in the views.

Entering Lusikisiki. What a great name.

 Grid lock in Lusikisiki? See Mike just ahead ....

I really wanted to stop and enjoy the town, but .....

Lusikisiki was a busy place - and charming in a chaotic kind of way. Just like all the little towns in the Transkei there were people, taxis, trucks and buses everywhere. The roadside markets were colourful and busy and very interesting. If we had not been in motorcycle gear, which was only relatively cool if one was moving at a reasonable speed, we would very much have liked to park the motorbikes and walk around enjoying the atmosphere and taking in the sights and sounds.

In fact I did have to park briefly as I spotted a Midas shop which I knew would be able to sell me synthetic engine oil for the Yamaha. The motorbike needed a top up. R99.99 later I had the required lubricant and a very kind fellow helped me get the oil into the engine. 'Thank you Danny Williams of Port St Johns.'


Lusikisiki had, in addition to a well-stocked Midas store, a very modern Sasol petrol station. Its pristine blue and white trademark colours contrasted starkly with the dusty chaos of the general area. Inside this modern facility were ATM machines too.

So, we left Lusikisiki with fuel, oil and money. The next brief stop would be Port Edward.

Pondoland lies between the Mtamvuna River and the Mtata River I believe. We passed the Pondoland border somewhere after Lusikisiki and the scenery was even better than before. Also many of the women had painted faces, resembling western face-packs, and were quite charming.

 Mike is a pharmacist. Maybe he could help out here? This is Bizana I think.

Flagstaff and Bizana were soon behind us as we continued more or less southeast towards Port Edward and KZN.

 This side Transkei. That side KwaZulu-Natal.

 'Siyakwemukela'

 Good bridge Messrs J. Brown & Hamer!

 Indian Ocean - view from bridge.

There was, again, a noticeable difference on crossing the Mtamvuna River between Transkei and KwaZulu-Natal. Everything now appeared to be more ordered and organized. The tarmac was blacker and the lines were whiter. Port Edward proved to be a very pleasant resort. Mike and I were right to take the time to ride to the beach and climb on the rocks for a while. The Indian Ocean waves crashing onto the shore and the interesting rock pools were very evocative of earlier times in our respective youths.

Photos done .... back on the motorbike........

....... but not for long. On the rocks at Port Edward.

We pushed on and, after a very pleasant lunch in Port Shepstone, made it to the lovely city of Durban at rush hour. But this was not an issue.

Refuelled at Umtentweni. Courtesy visor wash too!

We turned off the highway and navigated successfully more or less directly to the Point.

 The Spinaker. Our home for two nights!

 Durban Harbour. By the time we had settled in it was dusk.

Mike has influence, and he had organized, through his numerous connections, accommodation for us at the Spinaker which is situated right next to uShaka. The gate man was expecting us. He directed us to the parking. Our apartment was situated on the 18th floor and it was brilliant. There were three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a huge lounge, kitchen and balconies on each side of the building - one with views of Durban Harbour and one with views of the beach and the Indian Ocean. This was pure luxury AND there was a washing machine. We had two nights to look forward to here.

Distance Today: 374 km. 232 miles.
Trip Total: 5 794 km. 3 600 miles.

SA/Namibia 2011 - Day 19. East London to Port St Johns.

View 19th Sept: East London to Port St Johns in a larger map

I had never been to or through the Transkei before and so was really looking forward to this next part of our riding 'adventure'.

We headed out of East London and made our way from Bunkers Hill to the N2. It was another lovely day although a little cool. But that was fine. I suppose I could have said the weather was fine but that was cool.

East London from Bunkers Hill.

Approaching the Kei River.

 What river is this?

Having crossed the Kei River there was an almost immediate change to the feel of the country. There was a more African atmosphere and physical aspect now as viewed from the road. I was very happy to be here and thoroughly enjoyed the rustic beauty of the hills, the horizons and the huts.

The Transkei is very beautiful.

Mthatha (or Umtata as it was formerly called) was interesting, jam-packed with people, markets and traffic. It was chaotic in a very endearing sense. We pulled in at a petrol station for fuel and a coffee. Also I popped into a shop for some AA batteries for my trusty Garmin 76Cx which, like the motorbikes, was also demanding a power source.

Mthatha

The plan was to ride to Port St Johns for a look-see and also for a nightstop. At Mthatha we turned off the N2 onto the R61 and headed for PStJ.

An old bridge on the R61 east of Mthatha.

Eventually we rolled into Port St Johns which is situated on the Wild Coast on the Indian Ocean. And the coast is wild. Wild in an impressive no non-sense love me or hate me way. I loved it (of course), but we did not have much success at the little i office where we sought information about somewhere to stay for the night. In fact Mike had gone into the Information Office while I remained with the motorbikes and also entertained some little local people who had just been released from school lessons for the day. They were taking an interest in the motorcycles.

Just outside of Port St Johns.

Mike came out of the office armed with the phone numbers of a handful of guest houses. But the rates quoted were higher than we were prepared to pay. We decided to get on the motorbikes and ride around in search of a place. 

Port St Johns is very African..... but this is AFRICA!

We decided to ride around and look for a place to stay ......

It wasn't long before we found somewhere good. It was just a few hundred metres away and it was perfect for our requirements. Two single en-suite rooms were available at R275 each including breakfast. The place is called the Outspan Inn.

 ..... we found this place. Very good too.

Reception this way ...

Our rooms were on the top story. Excellent.

This is the view from where the motorbikes were parked.

The place is in need of a teeny bit of TLC, but it was clean, comfortable, roomy, friendly and had plenty of boiling hot water. Also we were able to park the bikes near the rooms at the back.

After a hot shower etc., we recce'd the town. It was not pretentious and would not have looked out of place had it been transplanted in Nigeria or Ghana - very African, busy, bustling, chaotic, characterful and full of life. People and taxis everywhere. Markets and street vendors. Coming and going. To-ing and fro-ing. It was very interesting.

Mike and I walked on the dusty roads towards the river and found The Fish Eagle which was a likely looking place for dinner. It was too early for a meal, but we checked the place out and had a beer there. It seemed perfectly okay, so we made a reservation for a little later in the evening.

At around 19h00 we walked back to The Fish Eagle and had a very pleasant evening. The meals were good as was the ambience - semi al fresco - and the company; we bumped into two young guys who happened to be staying at the Outspan Inn too. These fellows work for Escom and were in Port St Johns in the course of their duties. They were good company and they gave us a ride back to the B&B.

It was a good day again.

Distance Today: 316 km. 196 miles.
Trip Distance: 5 420 km. 3 368 miles.