3000 km across Natal - Now pics added

[Kradmelder]

Well I'm leaving tomorrow on my annual summer bike pilgrimage. This time the destination is Natal. I don't know it well. I once crossed the drakensberg, which I will do again, and take the kids to Kosi baai, and business trips and field work in certain parts, but never covered it in detail by gravel on a bike. It is just too crowded for my taste and so english.

Madchen spent the night chomping at the bit, eager to eat the gravel mud sand dust and green hills of what the english call 'the last outpost' of their empire. I think afrikaans is a foreign language there.


https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130105-00667_zps2efa67b3.jpg


In the eastern cape, we were separated from natal by the black homelands and Ciskei and Transkei. Travel across used to be dangerous and by daylight only, and it was a long tedious crossing, with people and cattle all over the roads. So contact was limited.

No she is washed loaded, lubed, checked over.

https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130106-00668_zps882feb74.jpg


https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130106-00669_zps1d97fd14.jpg

departure is tomorrow not at my usual dawn, but about 0830 after the maid cleans for me and I take my lap top to work for safe keeping while Im away.

The planned route is day 1

Tar to amersfoort, then hit the gravel to wakerstroom, down the escarpment on gravel tracks to Luneberg, then Paulpietersburg, gravel across zululand to Bloedrivier, where the zulus treacherously murdered Piet Retief and the treaty delegation, murdered 500 white women and children in their sleep, then lost 3000-0 against 450 white men women and children.

From there it is gravel to Rorkes drift, where a small unit of British soldiers defeated the zulu army when they once again broke their own treaties. The old movie Zulu! was based on the battle of Rorkes Drift. Then probably sleep in Dundee.

Day 2: to vryheid, across game areas to Jozini, across tribal areas to the mozambique border, then down the coast highway on tar as far as stanger, sleeping in Hluhluwe or St Lucia

Day 3 Inland to avoid durban and all the tourist beach resorts. Through Pietermaritzurg to Ixopo, then gravel through tribal areas to Port shepstone. Probably sleep there

Day 4. South to Port Edward which is as far south as the road goes. The other side is transkei. Then inland to kokstad, probably sleeping on a fram near there.

Day 5 Gravel across the edge of the drakensberg to Underberg, Himeville, loteni and tribal areas, coming out at Nottingham Road.

Day 6. Through bergville, skirt the edge of the drakensberg national parks up to the Free State border. To Harrismith the Verkykerskop. on to memel then home

I have 1 reserve day in case of bad weather and slow going, or a rest day if necessary.

Also Im not certain how much herds of darkies and the cattle and villages will slow me down, not to mention the hilly twiisty nature of the area. Not the open veld I usually ride. So Im not sure how many km I will do in a day.
____________________
2011 KTM 990 Dakar
2009 BMW 1200 GS

[Shaane]

Think this might be a great few days for you mate Look forward to seeing how everything goes for you
____________________
EMRA Roadstock #92 - Paperwork Permitted.
Previous: 1992 DT125R
Current: ~ 2005 ZX6R C1H

[Kradmelder]

[sidewinder]

Sounds like a amazing ride Krad..plenty of pics please and have a safe one

If you accept the challenge

A picture of your bike and a Zulu at Rorkes drift
____________________
"Nitrous is like a cheap hooker, you want to hit it but are scared of the consequences

[Kradmelder]

[sidewinder]

Quote from colour sargent bourne

A prayer's as good as bayonet on a day like this.

Alot of the troops were from the builth wells area not far from me
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"Nitrous is like a cheap hooker, you want to hit it but are scared of the consequences

[Kradmelder]

[Kradmelder]

Here is my planned route
____________________
2011 KTM 990 Dakar
2009 BMW 1200 GS

[_mjs_]

Sounds like an awesome trip! Just be careful, my mum says there's a lot of black people in Africa
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Previous Bikes: 2006 Honda XR125L > 2003 Yamaha DT125R > 1996 Honda CB500
Current bikes: 1997 Kawasaki ZZR 600 E5 > 2006 Honda Varadero XL125V

[Kradmelder]

[Highside_Hilly]

[Kradmelder]

[Kradmelder]

I'm in dundee. What a day. Only got out at 930 as our office got broken into last night. Just out of town I remember I forgot to turn the borehole pump off, so turn back. Second start at 10. I get 100 km out of town and realise I forgot my camelbak. Turn back. Third start at 1115 and added 250 km to the day. Going through the coal mining areas from ogies to morgenzon the road is so ripped up half of it is gravel detours. Horrible big trucks, stones, flying dust potholes everywhere.

But the road from wakkerstroom to paul pietersburg was awesome. Changes in short intervals from fast clay to sandy to loose gravel so you have to be on your toes or you will see your arse!

Didn't get to rorkes drift so will do it tmw morning.

I did 500 km of the trip, but 750 km today. Tmw with be a bit long to make up what I left out today

Now sitting in the spur having a few beers and ribs he he. The table next me sounds like the daughter came back for the holiday from working in the UK. She is saying tellling her looks like single mom that tthere are no maids ansd she tried to cook but can't so just eats takeaways. And they all laugh drunkenly. Disgusting. bragging how she can't cook or look after herself. Typical. Why would women take pride in that?

The saffer bikers are jealous and wish they could have come with. But they have handbrakes (wives)

Fark there are a lot of indian here. It looks like london or calcutta
____________________
2011 KTM 990 Dakar
2009 BMW 1200 GS

[Spudly]

That looks like a fkn amazing trip. I'm so damn jealous!
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The Old Apprentice

[Kradmelder]

In louwberg having brekkie. Zululand was stunning! Great dirt riding and scenery.

Did rorkes drift as well. Left at 0600 this morning now I have gravel to jozini then towards the coast and the coastal lakes. Hoping to spend the night at lake st lucia

The zulus are respectful polite proud and their villages clean and well kept with fencing, all loose animals have a herdboy. Chalk ans cheese from other tribes
____________________
2011 KTM 990 Dakar
2009 BMW 1200 GS

[Kradmelder]

Got as far as hluhluwe. Over 500 km today. The stretch from louwberg to jozini Battling rocky roads and sand in 40 C heat did me in. 40 km of torture, not 1 cage and only 1 village. Last bit was very steep and rocky. Just loose rocks and rocks stickinng out of the road waiting for 1 attention gap to take you down. Or pop your tube. I was like a farkin yoyo sit and up on the pegs to go over the ruts and dips and rocks. Often down to 20 kmh. I was knackered then got here and saw a steep uphill twisty driveway of deep loose gravel. Fark. Well one more shot. Just give it throttle and spin up. Just don't stop or down you go. It won't be fun getting down that tmw but I will be fresh. It looked like the driveway from hell, but maybe only cause I was so exhausted and dehydrated I couild hardly stand. It may look better tmw. Fark it was a tough day. Got lots of pics, including zulus with my bike, a zulu kraal and stopping at a zulu shop most of my day was in zululand, and I'm staying in it. Didn't talk to a whitey all day and only saw a few in cages on tar stretches. Fark, am I still in SA or did I somehow cross into africa? Northern zululand is very remote and sparsely populated.

My arms and legs took a hammering and I'm sore. Now rehydrating with beer.
Tomorrow is an easy day with not much gravel as I head to st lucia, bypass durban and the beach resorts and get through the natal midlands to the south coast. Lots of brainn dead tar, but should be twisty


Katoom!

Owner just arrived. Finally white conversation again!
____________________
2011 KTM 990 Dakar
2009 BMW 1200 GS

[Kradmelder]

This morning rode stunning sand roads through the st lucia wetland heritage site. Then managed to do some tar before getting bored out of my skull. I had to cross the natal midlands which is densely settled and hated being back in civilisation. By stanger the tar and cages and trucks were to much so I turned up into roads through canefields. I got to ixopo and It was still early afternoon so I took a gravel road through transkei, a xhosa area, towards port shepstone. What a shock to cross from zulus to xhosas. No wonder zulus want to kill them. 40 km out side pt shepstone a hillslide blocked the road. I had to go all the way back.andit was heavy fog and drizzling. I did a bit detour to umvoti, tried to take a coastal road which had a road closed sign. I got past the first 2 washed out bridges, but the third was a big gully. All the way back to umvoti. Then tar to port shepstone, by now in the rain. A whole afternoon for what was 100 km of progress. And instead of an early day, another 700 km day. And way too much tar.

Port shepstone is a dump. Looks like the black hole of calcutta. Indians everywhere and filthy. Either curry shops or fast food. Only 2 restaurants by the waterfront and 1 closes at 7. Wtf?

This was supposed to be an easy rest day but was riding for 11 hrs. No stop for lunch. Maybe tmw will be short. Was a very frustrating day with all the tar and backtracking and big detours on tar. And to end up in a dump and can't even get a proper meal. I didn't dare risk a curry as none looked like nice places and I can't ride with gypo guts
____________________
2011 KTM 990 Dakar
2009 BMW 1200 GS

[Kradmelder]

Day 1
Well after the first day disaster of darkies breaking into our office, a late start, then 2 return trips home due to forgetting my borehole pump on, then forgetting my camelback, I hit the road after 11 and 250 km on the odo and back at home.
Then absolutely kak riding for 70 km on the motorway to make up time. I couldn’t take the mindlessness of good tar road; I don’t know how people can do it. No wonder they do 50 km breakfast runs. Any more than that is mind numbing boredom. So I detoured through the coalfields of Witbank areaf rom Ogies to Morgenzon, mindful of time due to my late start. It was horrible. Dodging big coal trucks, the road so ripped up half of it is gravel detours and the other half cratered like the moon. Horrible big trucks, stones, flying dust potholes everywhere. And high winds.
I planned on first hitting gravel at Amersfoort, but due to detours I hit gravel before.
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130107-00670_zps47504631.jpg
The gravel from there to Wakkerstroom was 50 km of fast gravel, and juts Highveld scenery. I didn’t bother to stop for pics as I was way behind time and wanted to get to Natal before dark. So I hammered it at 90 kmh+ sending gravel in all directions.
Late afternoon I get to Wakkerstroom then the first bit is tar, if you can call it that, as it is beyond potholed. At some places it is down to 20 kmh. Gravel would be faster
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130107-00674_zpsbc145f14.jpg
The descent down the escarpment to Luneberg was awesome.
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130107-00671_zps4e07a91f.jpg
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130107-00672_zpsdd7c705e.jpg
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A german settlement. Quite a few scattered about SA. Incredibly orderly productive farms, and next property is a darkie kraal with absolutely nothing going on and the man sitting under a tree busy with f all, to lazy to even wipe his arse.

https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130107-00675_zpsad3e1801.jpg
From Luneberg to paul pietersburg was fantastic technical riding. Changes in short intervals from fast clay to sandy to loose gravel so you have to be on your toes or you will see your arse! Here you see a switch from stony to sandy. Literally every few 100 m.
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130107-00677_zps9d8eb8bf.jpg

https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130107-00676_zps69e5bd00.jpg
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130107-00678_zps0a46456c.jpg

https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130107-00680_zpscd18acdc.jpg

I did 500 km of the trip, but 750 km in total given the false starts. today.

I found this place to stay in Dundee, the Warrior lodge.
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00682_zpsa7f95585.jpg

And had rib burgers for supper at the Spur
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130107-00681_zps41c0ef94.jpg

The rest of the trip to come
____________________
2011 KTM 990 Dakar
2009 BMW 1200 GS

[Spudly]

Is there any wildlife out there Krad? Perhaps not lions and elephants and so on, but what's about?
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The Old Apprentice

[Kradmelder]

Day 2.

I got up at 0500, did the usual morning SSS: shit, shower and shave, lube chain, check tyre pressures and oil, pack and load bike. I was gone by 0600, heading for Rorke’s drift in the Battlefields. Ai, Boer vs Zulu at Bloedrivier, English vs Zulu at Rorke’s drift and isindlwana, Boer vs English in the Boer war, darkie vs darkie in xhosa vs zulu factional fighting in the 1980s and 1990s. the area is drenched in blood, With the darkie vs darkie taking first prize for sheer numbers and brutality.
Rorkes drift is 30 km from the nearest tar road, and I came in from the zulu side, leaving Dundee, into Zululand, then across the path taken by the zulu impi after they slaughtered the brits at Isindlwana.

https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00697_zps4d6a6841.jpg

Zulus judge their wealth by the amount of cattle they own. This must be the property of a chief. I wonder if the Black ones are worth more than the white ones, sort of like an R200 noet compared to an R100 note. Cattle is also the currency of lobola, the tribute in cattle a zulu must pay to a father in law to marry his daughter

https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00698_zps786514ef.jpg

It starts off on high ground
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00683_zps26904204.jpg

And is well watered, and therefore very muddy as you drop down to the river

https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00684_zps2d13b37f.jpg

https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00701_zps0dfcb8c9.jpg
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00702_zps245817ec.jpg

Including water crossings

https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00699_zps31b5b612.jpg
Rorkes drift used to be an Irishman’s trading post. Now there is this
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00686_zps1c583c13.jpg

In a years time it will be Chong Ching’s trading. Yet it is only unacceptable when it is a white man. The hypocrisy of white liberals. Anything but support their own kind and undermine their race. The darkie will never get it together and will always need someone to provide for his needs. Even he doesn’t want to live the traditional darkie life: short, miserable, and brutal.
This is now around the site
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00687_zps9008ba9e.jpg

The sacrifice of the brit troops was in vain. The darkies crossed and settled. Rorke must be turning in his grave

Where the white man once produced something is now gone. He can fortify himself, but you cant live with darkie neighbours. Everything grows feet and walks away and you can get killed at any moment.
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00688_zps4b2e3598.jpg
The rorkes drift complex, now a museum
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00689_zpsff85df06.jpg
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00694_zpsc1ac6f6b.jpg
Now Zulus walk around without being shot
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00690_zps70c8c78c.jpg
And kaffir dogs
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00691_zps007a53c9.jpg
And you must pay darkies to show you around and tell you about history
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00693_zps5b07b384.jpg

https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00696_zps882eeacd.jpg

The view of the brit troops to the heights from which the Zulus came to murder
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00695.jpg
To be continued…
____________________
2011 KTM 990 Dakar
2009 BMW 1200 GS

[Skyblue]

Great pictures.I wish I could go on a trip like that it would be a holiday to remember .but I would go with a proper tour party which organised all the guides i know its boring but its safer.It's your country & you know the risks an outsider would not have a clue.I'm envious of you for doing it safe ride.

[Kradmelder]

[Kradmelder]

From rorkes drift it was a ride across Zululand, township after township. The zulus are respectful polite proud and their villages clean and well kept with fencing, all loose animals have a herdboy. they dont harrass you and far less theft. They talk to me and ask what Im doing, always friendly and polite. The towns are as filthy as any African town. The darkie is not an urban creature. The Zulus are chalk and cheese from other tribes> tend their cattle and a subsistence garden. No litter everywhere like Xhosas and no cardboard and tin. Proper zulu rondavels. no wonder the zulu is not so keen on the other darkies
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00710.jpg

What is amazing is like a dividing line. Cross back into white farming areas and things are happening. A dam and fields of crops. That is why one man and his volk are successful, while the others sit under a tree and feel entitled.
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00703.jpg

A PhD archaeologist once told me the African has never diverted or impounded water. They continue to carry it on their head, and never reached the level of the ancient egyptians
Since the darkie never invented moving water, he can only exist where water is aavailable by his own 2 feet. The highlands which are fertile, and where the white man would put a dam to gravity feed water to his crops, remain empty
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00704.jpg
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00705.jpg
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00706.jpg

In louwsberg I stop for brekkie. Zululand was stunning! Great dirt riding and scenery. This old hotle is now owned by an indian.
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00707.jpg

But they fix me an English brekkie, his love of money greater than his hatred of pork. And boerewors!
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00709.jpg

Still more to come!
____________________
2011 KTM 990 Dakar
2009 BMW 1200 GS

[Kradmelder]

The afternoon took me into the wilds of northern Zululand. Not even white farms around. Just villages and game ranches
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00711.jpg

No bikes, no cages, no trucks…almost no people. None in between villages. Just zulu herds
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00712_zpsf16ef3cc.jpg

Stopping, a zulu impi gathers to see a bike, which I doubt ever goes by, and a white man, another rarer sighting in these parts. After all, the road doesn’t head to any white settlements> none speak English or afrikaans
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00713_zpse745bd12.jpg
Im heading towards Mozambique border. This stretch from louwberg to jozini consists ofling rocky roads and sand and is very hot. 40 km of torture, not 1 cage and only 1 village. Last bit was very steep and rocky. Just loose rocks and rocks sticking out of the road waiting for 1 attention gap to take you down. Or pop your tube. I was like a farkin yoyo sit and up on the pegs to go over the ruts and dips and rocks. Often down to 20 kmh. but it is stunning
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00714_zpsad26119c.jpg
From the top I overlook jozini dam
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00715_zpsb4ea90a3.jpg
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00716_zps0774147c.jpg

The Zulus leave me be. Maybe they figure this whitey must be nuts

https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00717_zpsca24a2c2.jpg

https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00719_zpsb657cfbb.jpg

I decide to stop at a shop to support local business. Inside the woman is sitting behind a steel grate, with all her goods behind. To prevent herself being robbed by her own kind.
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00720_zps778c1ddf.jpg

The temperature is a scorching 42 C
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00721_zpsc573b3a6.jpg

Between fark all and fark all but getting close to the sea
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00724_zps8dcca07c.jpg

The road stops at tembe elephant park, so I have to resort to the hated tar. But the scenery compensates
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00725_zps3d48a3b5.jpg

https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00726_zpsce836200.jpg

Somehow I seem to be riding in a lake. No wonder there are no gravel roads and swamps everywhere
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00727_zps097b27e1.jpg
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00728_zps4a2f516b.jpg
Fever tree. It got its name from the white settlers realisng where this tree grew you got fevers and died. Malaria. So they avoided such areas. The darkie never caught on and just bred more kids for those that die.
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00729_zps8fa2840c.jpg

I finally got the white town of hluhluwe. I was knackered then got there and saw a steep uphill twisty driveway of deep loose gravel. Fark. Well one more shot. Just give it throttle and spin up. Just don't stop or down you go. It looked like the driveway from hell, but maybe only cause I was so exhausted and dehydrated I could hardly stand. The next day it was a piece of piss.
The rough roads took a toll, as did the heat.
https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00730_zpsa7aeb2b0.jpg
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https://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m270/hvandermerwe62/IMG-20130108-00733_zps21d13496.jpg


will do more tmw
____________________
2011 KTM 990 Dakar
2009 BMW 1200 GS

[Pete.]

Cool pics, looks like you had a great adventure.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good