SA/Namibia 2011 - Day 9. Grunau to Springbok.

View 9th Sept: Grunau to Springbok in a larger map

I woke quite early. The early morning sunshine in Southern Africa makes it very easy to get up and get out. Also I had to turn over my clothes and stuff on the water pylon. By the time breakfast was over my clothes would be dry. That was the plan - and also to take my mates a cup of tea. I'm like that. Tea at dawn whether you want it or not!

Dawn - for sure.

We packed our stuff - it didn't take long! I found this scoundrel trying to make off with my bike.......

Possession is nine-tenths of the law, but we settled the ownership quickly. He is R5 better off and I have a motorbike to ride.

We headed for the security gate. Nestor the guard (17 years old and speaks five languages) saluted us. Just one thing Nestor .......... the gate!

Any excuse to stop at a stopping pace and to enjoy a brief chat in the sunshine. Mike F is checking his oil level. The bikes never missed a beat. I'll put some stats at the end re fuel consumption - which was excellent.

Mike F, Tony E, Graeme W, Andy M and John K. John M taking the picture! These stopping places are brilliant. Nowhere else in the world have I seen such excellent roadside rest facilities. South Africa and Namibia, I congratulate you.

It looks like I am travelling excessively light. Actually I also had a backpack - a Kriega R25 and a Kriega US-10 - the US -10 is on the bike. When we got to Cape Town I sent some stuff back with Andy which had proved to be excess baggage on the trip. Besides my motorbike kit - helmet, jacket, pants, boots and gloves, I ended up with three shirts, three u/pants, one jeans, three socks, one fleece, one shoes and one Crocs. The Crocs were specifically for walking on the beach at Durban!!

We reached the Orange River after 138 km, and once again entered beautiful South Africa. Namibia had been brilliant and we are kind of sad to be leaving such a wonderful country behind. I am sure that we will be back. As I said at Luderitz, maybe we can ship our own motorcycles into Walvis Bay next time and start the journey from there. Zambia (?) Zimbabwe (??) Botswana (???). I will start saving my pension for the NEXT Southern African Adventure. Anyone else want to come with?

I have seen the Vaal, the Limpopo, the Zambesi, and recently the Fish rivers, but my favourite river remains the Orange.

This view is looking east.

It had been our intention to photograph this impressive koppie of rocks northbound. We did not miss the opportunity this time. Aren't these rocks just amazing?

We are through the hills lining the Orange River now and, having climbed several hundred metres, we are now shooting straight for Springbok 121 km from the border.

Springbok ahead .......

....... just beyond those hills is Steinkopf and then only 52 km to go!

The vegetation (and wild life) is increasing by the mile.

The flowers are starting to appear again.

The colours are brighter.

We can't resist stopping for a closer look.

I could spend weeks here.

Finally we ride into Springbok. We have booked ahead (from Luderitz) for three rooms at the Springbok Lodge where we stayed before. Mr Jopie Kotze (Receptionist of the Year 19??) was obviously just as pleased to see us this time as he was the first time we rolled up at his establishment and requested rooms 'in the middle of the flower season!' 

Jopie is owner, manager, receptionist and most importantly cashier. He always has a ready smile for his favourite guests!

We were assigned three rooms in Die Stoor 75 m up the road. Same as before. It was good to be back in Springbok. Tomorrow we would be riding south and then east to Calvinia, but tonight it was time for some Klippies and some Kingklip or Kudu followed by a few Witblitzes from Jopie Kotze.

Distance Today: 259 km. 161 miles.

Total Trip: 2 310 km. 1 435 miles.

SA/Namibia 2011 - Day 8. Luderitz to Grunau.

View 8th Sept: Luderitz to Grunau in a larger map

Its Thursday and we really have to leave Luderitz. On the ride north and west we liked Grunau and Springbok so much that we phoned back yesterday and made reservations for accommodation at both places. It is 489 km to Grunau. We plan to refuel and have coffee at Aus and then refuel and get some lunch at Keetmanshoop. It is only 123 km to Aus.

The weather is not so brilliant when we set out.

Very cool and low overcast. But we know that as we progress eastwards the temperature will increase and the sun will burn off the clouds.

Sand and Stratus ...... thanks Andy, you can get back on your motorbike now.

Somewhere over the horizon are blue skies and warm temperatures ... 

It DID warm up after about 100 km. Soon after that we turned off the highway into the charming little village of Aus. We refuelled and then pulled in to the Bahnhof Hotel - jewel of the Sperrgebiet.

Our parking needs more practise. I usually insist on herring-bone, but nobody listens!

Coffee and sun on the beautiful deck. What's not to like?

If you have a plane and want to land there, here are the co-ordinates: S 26 40 078 E 016 17 628 - I just thought you would like to know.

'Raus raus - we have to leave Aus!' Next stop KMH. Some of our group can't say 'Keetmanshoop', but they CAN say KayEmAitch!

We passed a lovely Quiver tree..........

....... and the group stopped to take a picture. Tony E, being very observant, looked at not only the tree, but also at the sand under his motorcycle. It should have been dry and dusty, but it was slightly black and oily! Oooops - the BMW had thrown a clutch-housing bolt! Japan 1. Germany 0.

Andrew, being a skilled dentist, and used to plugging horrible holes with sharpened wood, effected a repair before you could say 'Aaaaagh........'

BMW 650 Clutch-Housing.

....... and a beautiful job too I'm sure you will agree. If his glamourous nurse had been assisting him, I am confident that the blood oil would have been carefully and sensitively wiped away!

Onwards and eastwards - with a 5-degree turn onto 085 ahead I see! But I get very tired at about noon and my concentration (poor at best) starts to wain. A ten minute nap does it for me. The guys are very patient and they understand completely. While I sleep they walk around in the dust kicking rocks and muttering stuff like, 'He should be shot at the first available dawn.'

Any questions ........ ?

The road to Keetmanshoop.

We got back on the road. Tony E and Graeme W decided to go ahead to KMH and look for a garage with a bolt for the BMW. There they are racing off towards the horizon. We would RV with them at the refuelling stop on the B1 3 km south of KMH.

About an hour later, at the Keetmanshoop Engen, Tony and Graeme roared in with big grins on their faces. On entering the outskirts of the town they spotted a scrap yard. It was closed and as Graeme said, 'Even the scrap yard dog didn't make an appearance.' However, a few minutes later a woman pulled up and said that the yard was her brother's place. She phoned him and soon the gate was unchained, the dog barked, and the owner was very helpful. He found a likely looking bolt - wrong length and wrong thread! No problem. He cut it and re-threaded it and fitted it. No charge! What a bonzer bloke!! I think Tony insisted on R50 changing hands.

This is the sort of thing that makes your day and puts a smile on your face every time you think of it. I bet you anything that bolt will be on that bike until the bike ends up in a scrapyard.

Soon we were back at Grunau (still no umlauts you'll notice) at the Shell refuelling station. We are now just five minutes from R&R at the Country House and a Castle Lager. It has been another great day.

Distance Today: 489 kilometers. 304 miles.

Total Trip: 2 051 kilometers. 1 274 miles.

SA/Namibia 2011 - Day 5. Springbok to Grunau.

View 5th Sept: Springbok to Grunau in a larger map

Day 5 dawned in Springbok. We gathered our stuff together - retrieving my pants and tee shirts from the ceiling fan - and prepared to move onwards and upwards. Actually there were a few jobs to get done in Springbok before we could leave: ATM raids; Camera shop; Vodacom shop; Garage to have M.F's back brake bled; MIDAS shop for fully-synthetic engine oil.

Mike F's bike receiving mechanical attention at a garage. All done by about 10h00.

Meanwhile I had the opportunity to explore Springbok before we headed out. This hill is in the centre of Springbok. A fort on the hill was blown up by General Jan Smuts in the Boer War.

 This kind of "art" really intrigues me - I like it!

 A charming house in Springbok on Voortrekker Street - the main street.

 A house and wind pump situated just off the main street .......

........ just down this shady road.

 Finally we HAD to make tracks. We joined the N7 just north of the town.

The scenery approaching the border was beautiful. The koppies, the veld and the flowers were all magnificent.

The hills ahead flank the beautiful Orange River. The road winds through the terrain as it approaches before dropping down to the river level.

 The SAPS officials at the Border Post at Vioolsdrif were courteous and efficient.

Soon the formalities were over and we were on the bridge and crossing the line to Namibia.

 The Orange is my favourite river. I have crossed it at Hopetown, Gariep, Neilersdrif and Aliwal North in my time.......

 ....... but this crossing was special because I was entering a different country!

Tony E on the bridge. This was Tony's first visit to the Southern Hemisphere let alone South Africa and Namibia!

Customs on the Namibia side at Noordoewer were equally courteous and efficient. We parted with some N$/Rands for road tax and were on our way. The N7 was behind us ...... the B1 ahead.

The aim was to ride to Keetmanshoop but in Namibia no accommodation had been booked - flexi-rules applied. As it happened we spotted this delightful place at Grunau about 600m off the B1:

It was only about 14h30 but we decided to stay. It was a good decision and a beautiful place to stay. It is called the Country House. We had four rooms between the six of us. Brilliant!!

 Mike F and John K shared No.1.

Andrew M had No. 2.

 John M had No. 3.

 Tony E and Graeme W shared No. 4.

Andrew M and John M used a water tower pylon as a washing line!

I believe that this is a Quiver Tree.

Our overnight stay at Grunau and the Country House was very good. The staff were excellent, the food superb and the accommodation comfortable.

Distance Today: 271 kilometers. 168 miles. 
Total Trip: 1 073 kilometers. 666 miles.