RULES

at Kruger Gate - Kruger National Park

at Voortrekker Monument - Pretoria

Dick King monument - Victoria Embankment, Durban

Queens Fort Military Museum Bloemfontein - 116 Church Street

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The story of Gerrit Dokter and Billy Willemse's 24 Point Redline Tour of South Africa.

It was always the wish of Gerrit Dokter and his brother-in-law Billy Willemse to undertake a long-distance motorcycle tour of South Africa. The question was always; which routes to take as there are so many.

After hearing about Redline's 24 Point Bike Tour around South Africa while on the 2008 Iron Horse, we decided to do the tour.

Date of tour:  9 January 2009 to 8 February 2009

Participants: Gerrit Dokter (aged 58) and Billy Willemse (aged 61). No pillion riders.

Bikes used: Both participants were on their own Yamaha V-Max – 1988 models.

Distance of our tour: 6 747 Km.

Day 1.

We departed from Polokwane on Friday 9 January 2009 for the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria. At the Voortrekker Monument we were informed that a religious group had been to the monument the day before and that this group had “anointed and blessed” just about every artefact and statue in sight with (believe it or not) old smelly cooking oil. There was a team of cleaners busy cleaning up the mess that these people had left behind. We took photo number 1 and moved on to Gold Reef City.

Gold Reef City was the same old same old and we did not spend much time there (had places to go). We took photo number 2 and skedaddled for Bloemfontein via Kroonstad.

Approximately 10 Km before Bloemfontein we experienced our first rains. Nou is ons nat.

We stayed at Emtonyeni Country Lodge in Bloemfontein (stunning place), with great people and absolutely 5 Star Lamb Shank on the dinner menu. Total distance on day 1 was about 750 Km which we were very casual about after a few stiff whiskies. Breakfast the next morning was again 5 Star stuff and we were almost sorry to leave the place.

Day 2.

We moved off to the Military Museum in Bloemfontein – which was closed due to it being a Saturday?! Jeez man; anyway, we took photo number 3 and left for Kimberley.

At Kimberley we visited the Big Hole. We took the official tourist tour option and overstayed our timetable a bit but we were confident that we could catch up the time lost. We met the maintenance foreman of The Big Hole and had an interesting chat with him about ye olden days. We took photo number 4.

Open Mine (Big Hole) - Kimberley

We then moved on to Augrabies Falls (420 Km leg) and had to really move it.  We saw a solitary albino Springbok alongside the road. We arrived at Augrabies Falls National Park at about 18h30 minus a number plate on Gerrits’ bike ...Oops, the number plate had got jammed under the mudguard. We strapped the battered number plate on to the back of the bikes’ carrier and got a “story” sorted for the local Gendarmes – just in case. Where on earth do we get a Limpopo number plate in the Northern Cape on a Sunday?  Total distance for the second day was about 780 Km.

We stayed at the Augrabies Falls National Park in a chalet and had our meals in the restaurant.

Day 3.

We took photo number 5 of the Augrabies Falls and left for Springbok. As the day was only a 421 Km breakfast run we decided to stop off at Pofadder to see what the place was all about. On a Sunday nogal?!  Heh.. Heh...We found a sports bar the “Boesmanland Cafe” with some really wonderful people, and we watched the SA Proteas get thrashed in the 20/twenty match against Australia on the big screen. We had a great lunch there, and swopped a Sharks shirt with the sports bar owner. This needs to be explained. Gerrit was dumping his shirts, socks and underpants every night – he has always done so because he does not believe in travelling with dirty clothes in his bags hence the reason for travelling with the oldest of gear. Anyway, the sports bar theme was all about rugby jerseys and shirts and flags and caps, and the bar was minus a Sharks shirt. Sheer sacrilege. Needless to say, when the bar owner spotted the Sharks shirt that Gerrit was wearing the game was on, and after some lubrication we sportingly handed over this “most prized” possession, charging him on pain of death to place it in that most prestigious position in his bar that the Curry Cup holders deserve. No mention was made of who won the Super 14, ‘cause we all knew and acknowledged fervently that the Sharks wus robbed. Yes they were!!

We were informed that Audi has purchased a farm at Pofadder, which they use for testing their latest vehicles to destruction.

We left Pofadder sometime after lunch and headed to Springbok. Do you know that there are no Springboks in the region? My oath on it. We did not see one. An interesting photo was taken just outside Springbok of a road sign that allows “authorised vehicles to travel at 250 Km per hour”. This sign was cancelled 160 Km later just as we entered Springbok. Audi was obviously at work here burning up the tarmac. If Audi can do it, so could Yamaha and our V-Maxes. Yeah!

Man, the area between Augrabies and Springbok is stark and dry, with mine shafts into the side of hills, and little scattered clusters of sheep and cattle hanging about the place. Not much for them to feed on but. Nothing to look at that was interesting so we made up our own items of interest; like rocks and bossies and wondering who all the crosses next to the road were for and for what, falling asleep or testing the limit of 250 Km / Hour?

At Springbok we stayed at The Masonic Hotel – nothing Masonic about it believe me. We were the sole patrons, in a room that reeked of smoke so badly that your eyes watered. We had our meals at the hotel. Not to be recommended.

The next morning we took photo number 6 of the Namaqualand Museum. Pity the place was closed even after the official opening hours, but you have got to remember that it was a Monday after the weekend. Eish. Anyway, it seems that the Namaqualand Museum was a church in the early days, which then became a Jewish Synagogue and was thereafter purchased by one of the Jewish pillars of the community (the Jowell family) who promptly donated it to the town as a museum.

Day 4.

We left Springbok for Lamberts Bay. Amazing how suddenly the scenery changes around you. Whilst it was not the season for the usual breathtaking displays of Namaqualand flowers that come around every September / October, we could immediately see the difference between the stark reality of yesterday and today. Suddenly there were irrigation canals, and fields full of grapes and such like. It was a relief to have something of substance to look at. Imagine what the area between Springbok and Pofadder would look like if they could just distribute the water over the mountain.

At Lamberts Bay we parked our bikes at the local restaurant on the wharf and walked via the breakwater to Bird Island. Interesting what these Gannets (sea gulls) are all about. Did you know that after hatching, the Gannet chick is fed until it leaves the nest...and then it promptly goes into the deep blue seas yonder – not to be seen again for 2 years!  It leaves as a young black bird and comes back as an adult white bird. Hey, how does it know how to land on dry land if it has been at sea all this time? We each debated this most bedevilling question with ourselves as we had by this time run out of tunes to sing. Make a note – bring along an IPod next time. Jeez – basic stuff man.

We took photo number 7 of Bird Island and then had a lekker fish lunch at the local seafood place on the wharf, after which we left for Saldanha Bay.

Make another note. Try to leave a bit earlier and make it to Paternoster and Tietties Bay before going to Saldanha Bay. At Paternoster you will find a most interesting shop known as “Oep ve Koep”, whilst Tietties Bay boasts the best sea frontage properties owned by the local fishermen and also the best sea foods restaurant that I have ever eaten at.  Right on the beach.

Arriving at Saldanha Bay we located the Slipway Restaurant and decided to first go for a swim at the Blue Water Bay Holiday Resort (where we were staying that night) and to come back later for supper. We were shocked to find upon our return that the Slipway Restaurant was closed for supper, but took our required photo number 8 in any case and then set off to find another eating hole...which was recommended to us by the local Gendarmes no less, and no mention was made of the missing bike number plate. Good man! We had a lekker sea food platter. Distance travelled was about 400 Km.

Day 5.

We left for Cape Town, and experienced our second bout of rain. By this time we were tough and Texan. We arrived at the Good Hope Castle to take photograph number 9 and moved on to Table Mountain. Even though it was covered with cloud we decide to do the mountain thing in any case, seeing as we were there. We had a beer in the clouds on top of the mountain and then left for Hout Bay for lunch at the Mariners Wharf. Perhaps this should be a Point on the route? We had a small fish n chips and wanted to do the Chapman’s Peak route when ...ah shucks, the route is closed. That blew our plans to do Cape Point, Simons Town and the rest of the Cape Peninsula, so we skedaddled out of there to Cape Agulhas and Struis Baai. Man, did the wind blow between Bredasdorp and Cape Agulhas! We felt like tying ourselves to our bikes, and could imagine sailors in high seas tying themselves to the mast. Perhaps the Cape Point Light House should be considered as a Point on the route?

We stayed at Struisbaai at St Mungos. We had supper at a local restaurant where the manager was an ex V-Max owner who sadly had his iron horse stolen from him in Richards Bay of all places. Distance travelled was about 400 Km.

Day 6.

We left Struisbaai in good weather but we soon hit rain again. By the time we reached Mossel Bay, the rain had stopped and we were looking for The Tidals Pub in order to take photo number 10. We eventually determined that The Tidals Pub had changed name and / or owner, and that it is now called The Deep Blue. We took photo number 10 of The Deep Blue and had some beer and oysters just to top it off. We then visited some family in Mossel Bay for lunch.

After Mossel Bay we headed for Knysna, where we looked for the Paquito Restaurant at the Knysna Heads, only to be informed that it had changed name and ownership. We took photo number 11 of the Cornuti Restaurant at Knysna Heads and also The East Head Cafe (they share the same parking lot) and then headed for what we consider SHOULD be a Point on the tour, and perhaps photo number 11... Which is the Knysna Oyster Factory? Of course we “snacked’ on more oysters and beer and then left for Plettenberg Bay where we took photo number 12 of the Plettenberg Bay Hotel on the island. We spent about an hour lazing on the grass at the hotel, watching the people fishing and sun bathing. I wonder what they thought of the scruffy looking ruffian bikers.

We left Plettenberg Bay for the Storms River Mouth Nature Resort where we had booked a Forest Hut for 2 days as we had planned a break at this stage of the tour. We had supper at the Storms River Restaurant – not to be recommended. Total distance travelled was about 600 Km.

The camp at Storms River mouth was chock a block. Clearly still school holiday time, with lots of campers and caravans.

Day 7.

The next day was a rest day and we went bungy jumping off the Bloukrans River Bridge – which is the highest bridge jump in the world. A mere 216 m fall. I never thought that I would willingly jump off a perfectly good bridge, but it was fun! Amazing what you are prepared to do when your wife is not with you huh? Got the photos, DVD and T-Shirt to prove it. Macho man... WOOHAH!

We returned to Plettenberg Bay as we wanted to do lunch at Thai Restaurant. During the trip there Billy misjudged a downhill turn and was forced to gently put his V-Max down. After he had picked up himself, his V-Max and his dignity it was determined the only the side stand foot had broken off which we had re-welded after a Thai curry lunch overlooking the beach. We then visited Woolworths afterwards and bought braai meat, salads and beer as we had planned to braai back at the Forest Hut. When we arrived back at the Forest Hut, we were lucky enough to have a Bush Buck ewe and her little doe pay us a visit. We took lots of photos of the Bush Buck. Very tame although we could not get close enough to touch them.  We then took a walk along the Storms River to the suspension bridge, which has now been re-built after the last storms destroyed the bridge. We took photo number 13.

Day 8.

We left Storms River Mouth for Port Elizabeth, and met our friend and fellow V-Maxer John van Nieuwenhuizen (who was accompanied by a friend) at Humansdorp. They accompanied us all the way to PE where John’s friend peeled off, and John then took us to the Alan Donkin Memorial to take photo number 14. Thereafter John guided us through PE and took us through to Colchester after which he returned to PE. It was great having Johns company on the road and good to see him back on his feet again. His bike is looking particularly bling, so watch out at the next V-Max concourse de elegance guys!

We continued to East London where we visited the Aquarium for photo number 15. It was not a particularly memorable photo occasion, as the weather was overcast and drizzling. Some serious maintenance work is wanting at the East London Aquarium. Eish.

We stayed at The Thatch Guest House in East London. A magic place, and quite frankly a dream home. If only we could get the plans of the place. Dream on.

Day 9

We left early morning and took the route through the old Transkei to Umtata, Port St John’s and then the R 61 to Port Edward. This was a crappy day with rain, mist, taxis, donkeys, cattle, goats, and mad truck drivers on the road. Muddy conditions wherever taxis had left the road to pick up passengers were commonplace. We had to keep our wits and pay attention.

We took photo 16 at the Wild Coast Sun and headed towards Durban where we took photo 17 of the Dick King Memorial on the Esplanade.

We stayed at The Breakers Resort in Umchlanga Rocks for a few days. Our wives had joined us from Pietersburg for the holiday and had also brought the bike trailers along.

Day 10

We left Umhlanga Rocks on Wednesday 21 Jan 2009 in very overcast conditions. We had booked to do a tandem parachute dive with Skydive KZN in Cato Ridge. We arrived at the airport at about 08h00 after Gerrit had to suffer the indignity of dropping the V-Max on the muddy track leading to the airport – this at about half a Kph! Jeez man the V-Max does NOT like mud. We waited until 11h00 before the organisers had to call it quits as there was no way a plane was going to take off in those overcast conditions. We had to still go to Greytown and Drakensberg Sun so we really had to move it.

At Greytown we visited the Greytown Museum and took photo number 18. We spent a long time there as it was a very interesting place with lots of the town’s history. We left for Drakensberg Sun and arrived just after 16h00 where we took photo 19.

Day 11

We left Drakensberg Sun for Newcastle where we visited Fort Amiel which is an old military hospital from the Boer war days. Unfortunately the place was not open even though we were there during the official opening hours. Eish. We took photo number 20 from outside the museum and we then returned to Umhlanga Rocks.

(A Break of 2 weeks; Billy and his wife Lettie left Umchlanga Rocks for Pietersburg on Sunday 25 January after having had a bit of a break. Gerrit and his wife Jenny stayed at Umchlanga Rocks for another 2 weeks holiday and returned to Pietersburg on 5 February)

The Bronze Donkey - Pietersburg

Day 12

We left Pietersburg on 7 February at 06h00 after having taken photograph 21 of The Donkey in Pietersburg, heading for Pilgrims Rest via Burgersfort and Ohrigstad. At Pilgrims Rest we took photo number 22 of The Royal Hotel and left for Hazyview via Graskop. At Hazyview we had breakfast and then left for the Kruger Gate at the Kruger National Park where we took photo number 23. We then left for Barberton via White River and Nelspruit. At Barberton we took the last required photo number 24 of the Barberton Stock Exchange.

The 24 Points tour was over for us and we had much pleasure in phoning Kenn Slater to report this fact to him.

All told we rode for 12 days for a total of just about 6 400 km, taking into account the return ride home to Pietersburg from Mpumalanga.

We lunched in Barberton and then decided to follow Saddle Back Pass to the Swaziland border post at Bulembu. This has just got to be the best ride that we have ever had – with 41 Km of twisties there and 41 Km of twisties back. We did not make it entirely to the border post as road works prevented us from doing so. There are some surprises on the road. At one stage there was a road sign that warned of dirt road commencing in 4 Km, but 30 Km further we were still on tar roads that were being constructed! As it was a Saturday there were no road works in progress and we saw only 3 Unitrans log carriers during the entire 82 Km run. Once completed it is almost a certainty that this route will become a “must do” for bikers.

After returning to Barberton we moved on to Kaapmuiden, Nelspruit, White River, Sabie and Graskop – where we stayed at a friend’s house (Same place where the 2008 Iron Horse was held - Greg Lewis bought the old post office building in Graskop and converted it into a 4-bedroom guest house that is very biker friendly - very lekker)

We stayed overnight at Greg’s house in Graskop and left for Pietersburg on Sunday morning taking the route via Gods Window and Bourke’s Luck, over the Abel Erasmus Pass to Tzaneen and to Pietersburg via George's Valley.

We arrived at home at 16h00 feeling quite chuffed with ourselves and in one piece.

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