The Ride Home

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Sunday morning and we rise early to get an early start. We're heading home today the long way round - via George and Riversdal and then heading back inland to avoid the roadworks on the N2.

This will also be the morning I photograph the Fat Boy on Outeniqua Pass with the view over George and all the way to the ocean.



So, Outeniqua Pass, where were we?

This pass was built as an alternative to the historic Montagu Pass, but with easier gradients and turns to cater for modern traffic. The original plans included two short tunnels, but in the end the pass was built over this neck, 60 meters higher than the originally planned summit, eliminating the need for tunnels.

Outeniqua Pass was officially opened by the then Minister of Transport, Paul Sauer, on 20 September 1951.



And my photo with the view:



I guess it just was not meant to be.

A quick refill before we hit the road!





Willie and I. Some people thought we might be brothers. I wonder why?



From Riversdal we head North back into the Klein Karoo over the Garcia Pass.



The Garcia Pass was built by Thomas Bain after he finished building the Tradouw Pass. It was opened on 31 December 1877 and named after Maurice Garcia, the Magistrate and Civil Commissioner in Riversdal at the time.



The pass crosses the Langeberg through the Goukou river gorge and connects Riversdale to Ladismith.

Riding over the Langeberg and back into the Klein Karoo heat:



We stop at Ronnie's for lunch where we see these restored beauties. They were participants in the Old Motor Show in George over the weekend.



A quick lunch and we hit the road again.



On the way home we said our goodbyes as every so often someone peeled off the group to head home. I still had to return my Harley to Tyger Valley Harley and in doing so I had to ride through the Du Toit's Kloof Tunnel. It was in this 3.9km tunnel that I geared down and finally heard it - the Fat Boy sang! And what a sound. No wonder Harley-Davidson wanted to register it as a trademark.

So what is my verdict about Rallies, Harleys and such?

Well, it is said that with a Harley it's not just about the bike, it's about the lifestyle. And it's quite a lifestyle. The Harley owners thoroughly immerse themselves in it. It's fun and funky and friendly and it's something that couples can do together. Harley (through H.O.G.) has all but perfected it and no other lifestyle brand in biking comes close to it.

Lot's of people have lots to say on the subject. When I mentioned I was going on a Harley trip I got my fair share of chirping. It seems it's one of those love it / hate it kind of things. I guess a passionate bike will trigger a passionate response. All I can say is don't knock it till you've tried it. You might just be surprised. I know I was. And that's quite something coming from a gravel traveller.

If I had the opportunity to do it again I'd would jump at it. Don't knock it till you've tried it!

Thanks to every single person that made my first Harley-Davidson Rally an event to remember.











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Route 62 - A Rookie's Rally

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This is a report with a difference, a report of firsts!

This is the first report on this website featuring a road bike. And not just any road bike - a Harley-Davidson.



I was invited to join the Breede River Chapter of H.O.G. at the Route 62 Rally in Oudtshoorn.  H.O.G. (the Harley Owners Group) is the world's largest motorcycle club boasting more than 1 000 000 members world-wide.

This was my first time riding a Harley and on top of that also my first Rally, although I am sure that there is a difference between the Harley Rally and other Rallies around the country.

Now I have never been one for Rallies, but the opportunity to ride a brand new Harley and get a first hand experience of what makes this group of motorcyclists tick was too good to pass up. Besides, I believe that if you approach things in life with an open mind you might just broaden your horizons.

So without further delay I introduce my steed for this ride: The 2011 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy.



The Fat Boy is a 1584cc Air cooled V-Twin sporting 125Nm of torque. It belongs to the Softail family, a line of motorcycles known for its hardtail look with hidden rear suspension. When this model was introduced in 1990 it was to be the "weapon" the American Motorcycle Company would use to wrestle back the market share the Japanese brands had at the time. To this end Harley-Davidson named the Fat Boy after Little Boy and Fat Man, the two atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively.

It was destined from the start to become a Collector's item among biking enthusiasts and the Fat Boy has reached iconic status since. In the movie "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," Arnold Schwarzenegger rides around Los Angeles on the original Fat Boy model. Other films that feature the Fat Boy include "Wild Hogs," "Bulworth" and "Renegade."

What an absolute privilege it is to have this iconic bike for this ride. It was generously made available by Harley-Davidson Tyger Valley. Feel free to visit their website:




So with all the formalities out of the way, here it is: A Rookie's Rally. This is going to be one hell of a ride!

Ride Report:

A special thanks to the guys and gals of the Breede River Chapter of H.O.G. What a great bunch of guys and gals.




Sources: e-how.com; Powerpassion

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Kleinbrak Station

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As previously stated there are quite a few caches around our area, but I am limiting the ones I am trying to find to the interesting ones. A friend of mine , Lonerunner, also took up geocaching recently and of the first eight he found he was most impressed with Kleinbrak Station, so Kermit and I decided to go and have a look.

This cache is very easy to find. You don't even need a GPS! The clues will lead you right to it. The reward here though is not in the hunt, but in the location.



This cache is placed at the beautiful old station of Klein-Brakrivier (Little Brak River). This station was actively used from 1932 to 1992.

The station has since been privatized and it currently operates as a restaurant called Vaaljapie. No trains stop at the station anymore though.



Kermit was quick to find the cache as usual.



What a nice spot. I never knew this place existed and it's a mere 13,5km from my home. A worthwhile find. Vaaljapie will definitely see us again.

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C4 eva

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When I first started looking into this Geocaching thing I learned that there's a Geocache a mere 500m from my home!

I looked for it for 20 minutes and found nothing. I felt pretty stupid let me tell you. Not a good start to the hobby.

I have since learned a lot more about Geocaching and also found out that that specific cache got stolen, so it wasn't that I could not find it, it wasn't there.

I had the specific cache on my watchlist and soon it started popping up again as it was replaced. Now this cache is nothing special, but since it's the first one I looked for this was unfinished business. Kermit and I set out to look for it:



Easy find. Kermit spotted it first:



People that's been here before:



I guess the idea of this cache is to get people to stop and admire the view.

C4 eva:

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