BIKE

South Africa
BIKE Tar & Gravel Adventures in South Africa
Includes detailed atlas
Border crossings Camp sites & caravan parks Detailed distance markers Dive sites Ferries & bridges 4X4 trail positions GPS co-ordinates Hiking trails Historic battlefield sites Historic sites Lighthouses Major airports & airfields Mountain passes National parks & reserves National, main & minor route numbers Nature reserves & bird sanctuaries Places of interest Provincial heritage sites Selected accommodation Shipwreck sites Spot heights Toll plaza positions Whale-watching sites Wine estates

BIKE
South Africa
Including Swaziland & Lesotho

Tar & Gravel Adventures in

by Greg Beadle

I S B N 978-1-77026-294-2

Covers the regions best motorbiking routes On- and Off-Road Routes | Classic Scenic Routes | Mountain Passes What to see | What to do | Parks | Accommodation and much more

781770 262942
MAC/CPT/1111/TG/NB/RA

Contents
The Thing about Adventure Motorcycling Riding in Groups About the Author Route 1 Cape Town to Prince Albert Route 2 Cederberg and the West Coast Route 3 The Ultimate Road Trip Route 4 The Greater Karoo Loop Route 5 Baviaanskloof Route 6 Rhodes Village and Surrounds Route 7 Transkei Meander Route 8 Pietermaritzburg to Lesotho Route 9 Southern Mpumalanga and Swaziland Route 10 Northern Mpumalanga Preparation List Maps Map Section Legend and Keyplan The One-Armed Bandit Rides Again

PA GE

4 6 7 8 18 26 34 44 52 64

70

78 88 96 100 217 218

The Ultimate Road Trip

Johannesburg Bloemfontein

35 days of comfortable riding, exploring the Little Karoo, Langkloof and the Garden Route all in one trip Road routes dont really relate to technical difficulty, but this trip gets 10/10 for the enjoyment factor Great riding for a group of any size

Durban

Cape Town

SEE PAGE 100 IN MAIN MAP SECTION

roads and not to be ignored the open desert

APPEAL OF THIS ROUTE

This route must be one of the most scenic and interesting riding routes in South Africa Great roads with well-maintained surfaces throughout the year Many mountain passes along the way to keep you smiling

road. Plentiful passes and, in global terms, highquality tar roads make South Africa the perfect road-touring country. Fuel supply is reliable, the scenery spectacular and the locals friendly. Theres also a variety of accommodation along the way something to suit everyones budget. For me the ultimate road trip could only be in the Cape. Having grown up in Johannesburg and

PREPARATION LIST
Pack rain gear no matter what the season Being a road trip, weight is not as critical as on the off-road routes, so pack a tent and sleeping bags; keep your options open

having travelled extensively via 4X4, I appreciate the beauty of the Northern Territories but everything pales in comparison to the road riding on our doorstep in the western and southern parts of the Cape. This route, based on a 35-day trip, will give you the option of cruising along and stopping wherever you like or allow you to pack on the miles of enjoyable passes and scenic roads. My ultimate road trip starts in Cape Town with an early coffee at the Engen One Stop on the N1 just outside the city. The Wimpy there actually makes a decent espresso coffee, so after my standard order of a double espresso with hot milk on the side, Im now awake and ready to ride. Heading north on the N1, we take the first Stellenbosch turn-off. Turn right and proceed over the N2 into Stellenbosch. Following the signs for Franschhoek, you will go up and over the Helshoogte Pass, the first of many passes on this trip. Helshoogte, meaning hell of a height and once called Banghoek due to the wild animals scaring travellers, is hugely popular for Sunday

Road bikes
I love the variety of bikes and riders I see on the roads from the city scooter folk to a commuter riding a scrambler (road-legal) on the N2 an hour each way every day; from the Harley hogs to the couples wearing matching kit on a shiny motorcycle the size of a luxury 4X4 that includes such necessities as a refrigerated top-box with vanity mirror inside, a reverse gear and an ashtray. As one of the Vespa clubs has shown (on a trip to Namibia and back on vintage Vespas), you dont necessarily have to have all the bells and whistles to enjoy touring the South African roads.

With only 10% of South Africas roads being tarred, most of the fun on a road bike is to be experienced in mountain passes, on winding

26

morning runs with superbikes as it offers fantastic cambered corners that allow you to open up once poised and lined up to accelerate through your chosen line. Ride past Tokara, a wine farm at the summit of the pass on a hill called Botmaskop. This hill was where a sentry would once look out for the arrival of boats in Table Bay, notifying the residents of what is now Franschhoek to transport their produce to the Cape Town harbour. Cruising down the eastern side of the pass, you will enjoy great views of Simonsberg on your left and will pass the Hillcrest Berry Farm, a surprisingly nice venue for tea and cake when youre in that frame of mind. Look out for the speed humps as you enter Pniel. Once you have passed Boschendal, you reach the T-junction after the old railway crossing where you turn right and ride into Franschhoek on the R45. Take note of the sign on your right pointing to LOrmarins and the Franschhoek Motor Museum. If you havent been to see the fine display of motoring history proudly curated by the Rupert family, make a point of going to see it. It features motorcycles from early on in history, and its fascinating to see how technology in bikes has developed so quickly.

Theres a fuel station on your left as you enter Franschhoek. Pick a coffee shop for your next cup of coffee before continuing up the Franschhoek Pass. This pass is just as dramatic as (if not more so than) the Helshoogte Pass. It offers you an unsurpassed view over the Franschhoek valley, which is particularly spectacular in winter, with snowcapped mountains. From here it becomes clear why the early settlers called this town Franschhoek a corner of France. The tighter turns and the views through the mountains over Theewaterskloof Dam are sure to add to your satisfaction levels. Look out for Jan Jouberts Gat, a bridge marking the end of the Franschhoek Pass. It is the countrys oldest stone-arch bridge, spanning 5m across the river. When you reach the T-junction, turn left in the direction of Villiersdorp and head through towards Worcester. Be careful as you pick up speed heading up the long straight out of Villiersdorp. At the crest the road veers to the right rather suddenly as the land before you drops away down to the bottom of this short mountain pass. The scenery is lovely as you come around the Brandvlei Dam, where you turn right at Aan-de-Doorns and take a little short cut to the R60. Turn right onto the R60 and proceed to Robertson.

BEAUTIFUL SCENERY ALONG THE WAY

27

At Robertson you can refuel and stop for breakfast. I recommend the breakfast at Affie Plaas, the first farm stall on your left before you enter town. From Robertson, proceed to Ashton and then on to Montagu. The short section of road between Ashton and Montagu on the Kogmanskloof Pass will take you around ten minutes on your bike, but be aware of what a struggle it must have been in the old days when there was no tar road or tunnel. The first pass followed a similar route, although it had eight fords where the road went into the Kingna River bed, including the section where travellers had to pass around Kalkoenskop (through which the tunnel now proceeds). This was highly risky and lives were lost when flood waters came raging down. Kogmanskloof Pass was completed by the legendary Thomas Bain in 1877. As you approach the tunnel you will see remains of the old pass to your right across the river. The tunnel was blown out of the rock using gunpowder a very risky undertaking in those days, as dynamite was fairly new and rather scarce. You can proceed with relative ease through the tunnel and onto the R62, admiring the folds of these immense mountains and the colourful splashes of lichen on the rock faces. Do be aware of one

particular corner just after the tunnel that can catch you out quite quickly if you are going a little too fast.

TOP TIP
One tip that I was taught on riding through corners is to focus on the horizon of the corner or as far as you can see around the corner. This will allow you to better predict whether you can accelerate as you see the corner opening up or decelerate should you see the corner closing in. This small tip can see you increasing your speed and enjoyment through corners while still riding safely.

Montagu, built on the back of fruit and wine production, is a really pretty town with great accommodation options. I enjoy staying at the Aasvolkrans B&B, a rustic but comfortable country house with four garden suites. Dont get me wrong on rustic here. Clever use of industrial windows and practical room layout make for a tranquil stay, and the breakfast is delicious (www.aasvoelkrans.co.za). Another great overnight spot is De Bos, with accommodation options that include a backpackers barn,

en-suite rooms and camping (www.debos.co.za).

Just north of the town you will find a healthy

THE VIEW FROM DU TOITSKLOOF PASS WITH TABLE MOUNTAIN VISIBLE IN THE CENTRE ON THE DISTANT HORIZON

28

supply of mineral-enriched hot-water springs that attract many people here to relax for a weekend. As you enter Montagu, look out for the Route 62 restaurant and farm stall on your left they make a great breakfast and you can stock up on padkos (road snacks) here too. From here we head into the Litttle Karoo, with the scenery varying between lush, fertile river valleys and the arid openness of the Karoo plains. Barrydale is the next place to refuel. The Barry family started developing this town in 1882 as a church and trading centre on the farm Tradouws Hoek. At the Barrydale junction you have the option to experience the very beautiful Tradouws Pass to your right. This pass clings to the side of a rather large, deep river gorge, and its worth a half-hour ride over the pass and then back again just to enjoy the natural beauty. From Barrydale, you can continue along the R62 to Ladismith. Stop for a beer or cool drink at Ronnies Sex Shop on the way its well worth the short break (see panel, page 9). Ladismith was named after Lady Juana Smith, wife of the governor, Sir Harry Smith. The town (named Ladismith to avoid confusion with Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal) was a booming success in the early 1900s due to the popularity

of ostrich feathers, but the industry crashed in 1914, leaving the whole area bankrupt. As you approach Ladismith, you will see a significant mountain peak to the west, called Toorkop (Bewitched Peak). Legend has it that a witch battled to cross the mountain range at night and in her frustration split the mountain in two with her magic wand. Today this rock dome still has two separate pinnacles, looking remarkably different when viewed from either side. Between Ladismith and Calitzdorp youll enjoy the Huisrivier Pass, taking its name from huis, the Khoi word for willow tree. This impressive work of engineering was overseen by a civil engineer named Graham Ross, who also wrote a popular book that should be on every adventure riders book shelf, The Romance of Cape Moun-

tain Passes. The challenge when building this

road was predominantly the risk of landslides on the steep-sloped western parts of the pass. Youll see the vast retaining walls on your left as you weave through the tight bends of this fine pass. Calitzdorp, a favoured lunch-stop town, offers great food and the fine port that the area is renowned for. Handelshuis and Dorpshuis both offer tasty lunch menus and prompt service. From Calitzdorp you can see the Swartberg

29

to Prince Albert chapter (see panel, page 12), and I believe this to be one of the most impressive and one of only a few flat-road mountain passes in South Africa. The pass has towering, folded sides and crosses the river often, giving you the opportunity to swim in a large rock pool under a waterfall, very near to the visitors centre. From Meiringspoort, I recommend proceeding to Prince Albert for the night (see panel, page 14), or else you can turn back and then turn left onto the R341 just before De Rust. The R341 is yet another scenic, well-surfaced tar road from which you turn right onto the R339 to Uniondale. From Uniondale you can take the Uniondale Poort, a rather astounding little poort, with obvious flood damage where the powerful waters have clawed away at the roads edge. On reaching Avontuur, turn left onto the R62 to enter the Langkloof.
SNOWY PEAKS BEHIND LADISMITH

The Langkloof is the countrys second largest producer of deciduous fruit (the Western Cape is the largest). The R62 will be taking you along a route that follows the classic Apple Express railway line, linking all the towns and villages. This narrow-gauge (610mm) railway line runs from Avontuur to Port Elizabeth (its 283km extent making it the longest in the world) and this famous steam train used to be the main transport route for export fruit through the Langkloof.

Mountains on the left as you near Oudtshoorn, named after the Baroness von Rheede van Oudtshoorn, wife of the civil commissioner of George. C J Langenhoven settled here in 1899, practising as an attorney and becoming a strong voice for the Afrikaans language. In 1918 he wrote Die Stem, the old South African national anthem. Oudtshoorn was known as the ostrich feather capital of the world, and tourists can visit the nearby working ostrich farms. From Oudtshoorn, follow the N12 to De Rust, a tranquil country village. Meiringspoort is one of the main reasons travellers pass through De Rust, but there are also the Red Hills, on Rietvlei farm just a few kilometres outside of De Rust a natural heritage site with red coloured open caves. Here, conglomerate stone appears above the earth. There is a hiking trail on the farm which leads you to this phenomenon. Continuing northwards on the N12, you approach another natural highlight of the trip: Meiringspoort. The history of this pass can be read in the Cape Town

KNYSNA LAGOON

30

Squeezed between the Kouga mountain range to the north and the Tsitsikamma and Kareedouw ranges to the south, this road route offers some special scenery, with the contrast of lush fruityielding vegetation and a background of rugged mountain peaks on either side of the road. Joubertina is named for the Reverend W A Joubert who was the Dutch Reformed minister of Uniondale from 1879 to 1892. In the early days of the towns development, the Joubertina Hotel was positioned outside the municipal boundaries, as the seller of the original farm

St Francis Bay offers a large range of accommodation. My personal favourite is Heath House, right on the cliff-edge overlooking the beach and the Indian Ocean. Its not the cheapest, but its a truly special treat after a long days riding and also great for two nights if you want a rest day in between your riding days. Looking out to sea at night you will more than likely see bright lights shimmering off the ocean from a fleet of fishing boats all harvesting chokka (also known as calamari or, to the fishermen, white gold) during the chokka season. Also worth noting

... the ultimate road trip could only be in the Cape ...

was a teetotaller who enforced a condition of sale that no alcohol could be sold in Joubertina. The R62 ends at a T-junction; turn left onto the R102 to Humansdorp, where you can refuel before heading to St Francis Bay for the night. St Francis Bay was first sighted by Portuguese sailors in 1575 and is named after the patron saint of sailors, St Francis. Worth checking out is the nearby Oyster Bay lighthouse. The lighthouse was built in 1878 to warn ships of the dangerous reefs that stretch for more than a kilometre out to sea. At a height of 27.5m it is the tallest masonry tower on the South African coast, and is now a heritage site. (Just check on the condition of the dirt road before venturing down there on your road-loving mean machine.)

is the Olive Tree Junction, on the road into St Francis from Humansdorp, for tasty lunches and decadent cakes. For more information, visit www.olivetreejunction.co.za Heading back to Cape Town, take the N2, cruising along a quality sliver of tarmac that slices through dramatically beautiful scenery all the way to Knysna. Walls of dense, green forest and ferns are particularly impactful alongside the road once you pass over the Storms River Bridge. I recommend a stop at Storms River Mouth, one of South Africas best camp sites. You camp on the rocks at the oceans edge, with the waves crashing only metres from your tent. Brilliant ablutions and a large restaurant make it a bikerfriendly camping establishment. As a day visitor

31

TOP TIP
If you should ever camp at Groenvlei, be sure to take major mosquito repellant measures. We endured the most mosquito bites known to man in the space of 12 hours of camping with inferior quality mosquito nets. This was a long time ago but is still an itchy memory.

Stop at Mon Petit Pain on your way through Knysna for a proper coffee and delectable pastries. Read more about Knysna in the Baviaanskloof chapter (see panel, page 45). Continuing past Groenvlei and Swartvlei, Wilderness awaits. The expanse of Wilderness beach draws your eye away from the road signs, so watch out for speed cameras before you climb up to Dolphin Point. You then go down to the Kaaimans River and climb up past Victoria Bay, another great camp site and cool surf spot, before arriving in George. Here you can choose your route back to Cape Town. I recommend taking the N2 back to Swellendam, then the R60 to Ashton, Robertson and Worcester, and finally the N1 back to Cape Town. Otherwise you could continue all the way along the N2, up the Houwhoek Pass and through the beautiful plateau of Elgin and Grabouw before dropping down Sir Lowrys Pass back onto the Cape Flats to take you to the Mother City. Alternatively, you could venture up the Outeniqua Pass to Oudtshoorn and then head back home along the R62.

you can take a walk across the swing bridge or enjoy a tasty breakfast. You could also consider the alternative route off the N2 via Natures Valley, with its magical scenery and many twists and turns on the Grootriver Pass. I highly recommend this beautiful detour to take a break from the highspeed riding on the highway. Watch out for speed cameras at Plettenberg Bay before you ride through what must be the most scenic region of any national road in South Africa. Between Plettenberg Bay and Knysna you pass through the majesty and magic of the ancient forests, ferns, big trees and trails that make this area so attractive to all lovers of the outdoors.

COFFEE BREAK

32

Biker: Greg Coetzee, 37, national marketing manager from Pretoria. Make and model of bike(s): BMW R1200GS, BMW R1200GS Adventure, BMW F800GS. Which is your favourite adventure bike for 35-day trips and why? BMW R1200GS. The riding position is well suited for a very comfortable ride and enables you to take in the scenery where riding conditions allow. With a comfortable riding position you can cover longer distances without getting overly fatigued during the ride or arriving in an exhausted state at your destination. I would consider this a safety aspect of the bike. Why did you choose this particular bike? The BMW R1200GS is easy enough to ride for short commuting trips through the traffic, offering you the ease of handling to take on any traffic situation, and its also great for longer-distance riding. How often do you take a passenger? This is unfortunately something I have never done, probably because none of my partners has wanted to get on the back of a motorcycle not because I was the rider, just because it was something they never wanted to do. Do you prefer on-road or off-road and why? I enjoy a mixture on-road with gentle non-technical off-road riding. Favourite 35-day adventure trip: I had an enjoyable trip up to Graskop, where the group I was with plotted a mixture of on-road and off-road routes to and around the area. Unfortunately I was just tagging along, so at times I was at their mercy in that they knew where they were going and I didnt. I would love to explore the Karoo area as I have heard a great deal about this from other riders and believe that you can get a happy medium of both the types of riding I enjoy. Tyre choice: No brand in particular, but multipurpose for my style of riding. Custom accessories you have added: I have only added a BMW luggage roll. This is big enough, and completely waterproof for all types of weather, and can easily be swapped between different bikes without the hassle and constraints of brackets that need to be fitted. What are the five most important things you pack for a typical adventure? Camera to show people where you have been; basic first-aid kit; means of communication like a charged cellphone; fluids for hydration and something for energy, depending on the availability of places to get this on your route; and a detailed route plan. What made you start riding a motorcycle? My cousin lived and breathed motorcycling and he taught me how

to ride. It looked and sounded like great fun. How long have you been riding? I have been riding on and off for about ten years now, but Im still a solid novice! (I actually only started riding years after I was taught, when I started working at BMW Motorcycles.) What was your first motorcycle? It was a 1998 F650FL, the facelift Funduro. Highlights of your first bike: Unfortunately it wasnt mine, but it was intimidating in size as I hadnt been on a bike in years. I clearly remember the thumping of the single cylinder. How often do you ride motorcycle/s now? I suppose unless you commute on a motorcycle every day the answer would invariably be not often enough. I try and get out as often as I can, but on the other hand I have the privilege of being able to ride different bikes as part of my fantastic job! Which foreign country would you most like to visit on a motorcycle and why? I was fortunate enough to have ridden the BMW K100GT and GTL in Spain. Their roads are superb, and for road touring the limited amount I saw was just enough to make me want to plan a trip to see so much more. The part of Spain I got to ride in, around Marbella, had beautiful mountain passes, filled with sweeping twists and turns to get the adrenaline pumping and heighten the thrill of the ride. If you could choose one model of motorcycle to park in your lounge just to look at, which would it be? A carbon version of the BMW S1000RR. Do you have any extra comments about your experiences, news, aspirations, memories, views or hopes for motorcycling? I hope that motorcycling can move away from the stigma it has acquired because of a very small part of the biking community who behave like hooligans. Motorcycling gets branded extremely dangerous because one or two of these hooligans cannot behave and ride with total disregard for their own and others safety. By changing this negative perception of motorcycling I am sure we can change the publics attitude and increase their awareness of the motorcyclists out on the road every day, getting to and from their destinations safely.

33

Preparation List
Jan Staal du Toits list
For those who dont know who Jan Staal is, he is the guy with the ultimate lifestyle: a farmer near Amersfoort in southern Mpumalanga by day, running Country Trax off-road academy by night, training motorcyclists on weekends, and enjoying the occasional week-long mass-mileage adventure into Angola or around South Africa every other month. When I asked him for a list of his key items for a motorcycle adventure, he replied in one breath: GPS, Leatherman, tow rope, tyre-repair kit, tools, rain suit, headlamp, buff, small spade and toilet paper, Pratley putty, passport, leather chamois to clean visor, neck brace, proper jacket and pants, off-road boots, thermal underwear, winter/summer gloves, camelback, earplugs. If you want to travel far and fast, travel light! Lets break it down a little and add to it.

GPS:
This is my big debate. I am not keen on relying on a GPS, preferring to pore over a map book and remember what I saw last night when approaching a fork in the road. That said, a GPS can be invaluable when exploring a remote area with few roads. It can save you a lot of time and assist you in keeping your bearing. The other bonus is that you are able to listen to music through your GPS should you have a communication system. This is also a debate for me because I choose to ride motorbikes for the solitude and to escape from the busy world.

Riding gear:
socks two pairs; Cape Union Mart offers a sock very similar to the extremely comfortable BMW riding sock buff great for protecting and keeping your throat warm (or cool if the buff is wet) ear warmer First Ascent has a soft-shell ear muff that you can easily wear under your helmet thermal gloves First Ascent sells inner gloves that offer that little bit of extra warmth you need first thing

in the morning, without taking up much packing space

long johns and top First Ascent Dermatec items make up a fantastic climate-controlling, comfortable suit that

works super well as a base layer in cooler conditions

UV protection sleeves these double up as an extra layer in winter; my jacket sleeves always ride up and cause

my wrists to get sunburnt when riding on hot summer days

ear plugs can subdue the constant buffeting of the wind against your helmet on longer journeys extra thermal layer First Ascents Matterhorn body warmer does well to keep the wind out,

particularly around the neck area; take a spare one along motorcycling riding jacket well ventilated, comfortable in summer and winter, well padded with a removable waterproof, thermal inner to keep the chill and rain out (BMW Rally suits are among the best, but look at the Richa range too) riding pants comfortable and padded are the key requirements waterproof pants outers easy to slip over your riding pants and boots (try First Ascent DryLite pants, and always go for a larger size that will fit over your padded pants and boots) boots comfort is the key here, but look for ankle bracing and support, as your ankles need to be properly protected (BMW GS Pro boots are hard to beat for performance and price)

96

helmet for long trips I believe a visor is key to keeping the suns glare at bay; the helmet should be well vent-

ilated and brightly coloured to make you more visible in traffic (when buying a helmet, always try it on and leave it on for a few minutes; we all have different shaped heads and need different helmets to find comfort) neck brace I prefer the Omega neck brace to the more common Leatt brace; the Omega is more comfortable and doesnt put pressure on the sternum or spine in the event of an accident gloves always ensure your knuckles are protected when I came off my Ducati on tar recently I was fortunate to be wearing my BMW GS gloves with Kevlar knuckle guards, ensuring that I did not lose two of my knuckles, which would have been the case had I not been wearing gloves; generally wet-weather winter gloves offer little protection, but check out the Richa arctic glove range as they are warm and dry and offer knuckle protection kidney belt consider a quality kidney belt for your adventures; its amazing how this belt can make you feel less tired on a long days riding motorcross armour can be useful when playing around in warm weather conditions compared to wearing a heavy over-jacket photochromic sunglasses Oakley make the best photochromic lenses that change in the light, from white clear to dark depending on the light conditions (I wear my Oakley Jawbone photochromics during day and night riding you never know what might end up in your eye with your visor open; protect your eyes whenever you ride, even at night) gotowel a bamboo towel that doubles as a chamois to clean your visor but is also a biodegradable, extremely compact (the size of a casino chip) and naturally anti-bacterial towel; it is super absorbent and reusable; once you wet it slightly it opens up to a medium-sized towel hiking towel First Ascent make a compact hiking towel that serves well as a shower towel hand sanitiser great for getting your hands squeaky clean should there be no water or soap nearby toilet paper self-explanatory headlamp a compact hands-free solution to enable you to fix your bike or set up camp in the dark (check out the Black Diamond range) backpack for water First Ascent offers the Artemis 3+9, which packs in water and other useful gear that can fit into a backpack waterproof luggage key to keeping your gear dry (my favourite is the Wolfman range of soft luggage)

Off-the-bike gear:
compact trousers denim jeans take up too much space; try First Ascents Trek Lite pants, which dry quickly

and zip off to offer you shorts or longs

rain jacket I like to take a compact, quality rain jacket on long trips for when my riding gear is wet and I still

want to walk out into the rain at night (First Ascents Dry-Lite is my choice)
dry thermal layer First Ascents Piranha pullover is a lightweight, warm winner hat/cap/visor take a hat of sorts to protect you from the sun when your helmet is off

97

Camping gear:
sleeping bag First Ascent makes sleeping bags and it is hard to beat their quality; check out temperature

gradings for where you are going and consider a compression bag or squeeze straps to squash the sleeping bag down to its smallest possible size mattress even a thin camping mattress like the First Ascent Comfort Light mat can make for a comfortable nights rest without taking up too much space pillow a compact pillow like the First Ascent Pack Pillow can make a considerable difference to your sleeping comfort when camping tent for one person the compact, lightweight and spacious E3 Gear Eclipse tent (it weighs only 1.7kg) is hard to beat; the Black Diamond double-wall series caters for two, three or four coffee pot I always take along a Bialetti Moka Express two-cup aluminium stove-top coffee maker stove my MSR Dragonfly stove takes various fuels and even after ten years of use is rather indestructible as well as being compact, reliable and lightweight tarpaulin with eyelets for shade, shelter and groundsheet; this simple but bulky item can provide a lean-to alongside your bike or a tree, as well as being a large groundsheet

Bike stuff:
tool kit includes Leatherman Wave (Leatherman has a wide range to choose from, but this is my choice

based on a weight-versus-options decision)

tow rope CruzTOOLS kit includes everything you need, custom-made per bike Pratley putty for all those hard-core repairs where you need to bond metals together tyre-repair kit spare tube for tubed tyres; for tubeless tyres, bombs are a compressed

way to inflate your tyres (do beware, as they go ice cold instantaneously and freezestick to your fingers rather painful, I hear) air compressor good in remote areas as it allows you to reinflate your tyres anywhere (you will need an accessory power point to run this compressor, particularly on most BMW motorcycles; Wild@Heart Adventure supplies a complete kit for most bikes)

Emergency kit:
first-aid kit space blanket hand warmer tablets available at Cape Union Mart; also good to warm up a sleeping bag on a cold night painkillers personal medication water basic food snacks like peanuts, chocolate, biscuits

98

Essentials:
wallet with cash, drivers license, credit card cellphone waterproof bag for cellphone I find a zip-lock plastic food bag works well; a

policeman at a fuel station once recommended a condom for the job Im still not convinced about that but it does make sense, I guess cellphone charger dont forget the two-prong adaptor contact information always carry emergency contact information which is easily discoverable should you be involved in an accident (I like the ICE ID bracelet, www.iceid.co.za, or carry information in the visible section of your riding jacket sleeve should it have one); should you need to have a motorcycle recovered, whether it is a breakdown or accident, you can call Steve the bike trailer guy on 072 929 2198 he works nationally and is approved by many insurers; the other important number is the BMW Motorrad breakdown service number: call the 24-hour BMW Customer Contact Centre toll free on 0800 600 777 or 011 541 7970 should you own a BMW motorcycle still within its first three years of riding pleasure a great benefit offered by BMW

Stockists:
Wild@Heart Adventure (www.wildatheartadventure.co.za) Cape Union Mart (www.capeunionmart.co.za) First Ascent (www.firstascent.com) Oakley (www.oakley.com)

WOLFMAN LUGGAGE

99

BIKE
South Africa
BIKE Tar & Gravel Adventures in South Africa
Includes detailed atlas
Border crossings Camp sites & caravan parks Detailed distance markers Dive sites Ferries & bridges 4X4 trail positions GPS co-ordinates Hiking trails Historic battlefield sites Historic sites Lighthouses Major airports & airfields Mountain passes National parks & reserves National, main & minor route numbers Nature reserves & bird sanctuaries Places of interest Provincial heritage sites Selected accommodation Shipwreck sites Spot heights Toll plaza positions Whale-watching sites Wine estates

BIKE
South Africa
Including Swaziland & Lesotho

Tar & Gravel Adventures in

by Greg Beadle

I S B N 978-1-77026-294-2

Covers the regions best motorbiking routes On- and Off-Road Routes | Classic Scenic Routes | Mountain Passes What to see | What to do | Parks | Accommodation and much more

781770 262942
MAC/CPT/1111/TG/NB/RA