OUR TRIP TO KOSI BAY

But that will cause everything I put in the cupholders to spill!!

Great so far - really love these trip reports. Wish more members would post their experiences.

DAY 3: ± 675km

We got away at about 8h30. We decided to take it easy the last morning and not hit the road as soon as possible. You know, savour the last morning by the seaside. So we returned the keys, filled up with fuel headed on out.

We decided to take the shortest road from Sodwana Bay to the N2 highway, via Mbazwana and Ubombo. Only equipped with a map that doesn’t distinguish between tarred and gravel road, just out of Mbazwana the tar ended and our first off-road stretch together started. Just where the gravel started we stopped at some local pedestrians to find out if the road gets any worse, as it started out very sandy. I knew that this was about the worse I could handle with a pillion and our luggage strapped on the back. But the only information we could get out of the locals was them pointing down at the road and saying “Jozini” confirming at least that we are on the right road. Then there were some explanation in Zulu of which I understood nothing. So we decided to carry on straight.

We experienced everything from sand (not that thick though, but long stretches) to rocky bits, serious ruts and some more technical (but not too technical) bits. Our off-road experience lasted for about 70km and just under an hour. I could feel that we were a bit nervous at first, but we got more and more relaxed the further we went. We stopped twice to take a break and each time I gave Corlia a few pointers (the little that I knew). For example transferring your weight to the foot pegs as much as possible without standing up (we were not yet ready to ride standing together) and transferring as much weight as possible to the outside foot beg while turning and so forth. We stopped at the top of a hill. We could see the road we had ridden on from as far as the eye could see. I had no idea haw far the gravel road would last, but already it felt like an accomplishment. We were both much more comfortable and really enjoying the experience.

Gravel road in the distance


One of the two stops

At some stage we were behind two bakkies and I had to decide to either stay behind them in the dust (not nice) or find some way to pass them. I couldn’t see past them trough the dust and had to assume that no vehicles were coming from the front as they were driving in the middle of the road. I got closer, rode up beside them (keeping as close as safely possible beside them), and when I finally could see through the dust I went for it. I don’t think it was reckless as I believe I took what I like to call a “calculated risk”.

Just over the hill we reached the tar again and it really was mixed emotions. Relief to feel the stable tar underneath, but already yearning the excitement of the gravel road. On the other side of the hill we were treated to very beautiful scenery while twisting and turning downhill. Just as I got used to the tar again we turned right towards the N2 (to Pongola) and got another stretch of gravel road. This stretch was in very good condition though, not much worse than tar road. We then got onto the N2 and stopped at Pongola for breakfast.

Pongola

After breakfast I realised that our short “holiday” was at an end. From here on we pushed through to Pretoria via Piet Retief, Ermelo, Bethal, Kriel, Ogies, Balmoral, and Bronkhorstspruit only taking short brakes to take photos at town emblems and when our bums really needed a break. This last stretch felt quite sad and at some stage I just wanted to get home. I always try to fight this feeling and try to enjoy the trip all the way to the end, but as soon as you realise it’s over it really is hard.

It truly was a great trip and even before we got home I already started to wonder when our next trip would be? And where too? And the trip after that? We really do have a beautiful country with so much to see and experience. I hope I live to travel all over our country. I aim really travel our country extensively before travelling abroad. I’ll leave overseas holidays for when I feel I’ve seen everything in and around South Africa. So I will be travelling local for some time to come.

Ermelo


Bethal

That would be the end of our little trip. Hope you've enjoyed it. Till next time...

Happy riding!

Well done you two. Nothing (well maybe somethings not fit to mention here) beats the joy of the open road........not sure about the gravel and dust parts - see I'm a roadie - but just to go places one has never been before and doing it in a manner only on offer by the freedom of two wheels, is pretty special.

Looking forward to your next report..............don't take too long.

Thanks again for sharing your experience with us.

GR8 Report.

Keep 'em coming!

Value added:
To your biking experience and to the forum - Well done.

I dont know what I enjoyed the most... the trip or Sias' report

Aaawww, thank you!

Nice report. That lovely road between Jozini and Mbazwane has caught us on our first trip as well. We were three bikes travelling to Mbazwane on a Sunday afternoon. Had a puncture when we just did 10km of the dirt road. Could not fix the tyre after two attempts with the magic can and eventually we took the whole wheel of the bike and rode with two other bikes to Mbaswane to get it fixed at a Spaza shop. Had to do the Sandy bit on a Sunday night!!! Very interesting. The nice thing about riding on sand at night is that you are forced to look in front of you.

Nowadays I use the road as a warm-up for the very lovely sandy jeep tracks in the Kosi Bay area. You can actually spent a week in the area, riding all the lovely sandy roads.

Thanks Sias,

Great trip report and very nice pictures. I will have to try out that sandy road ASAP. I just need to organise a trippie down to Kosi Bay !!!!

Thanks again for the great report !!!

Hi Sias & Corlia,
You gave me such a good recollection of your trip. It actually felt as if I was doing it as well.
Keep well and DEFINITELY give us the story and photo's from your next one !!!!!

pdekoker wrote:very lovely sandy jeep tracks

I still have to get at the point where I’ll describe sand as very lovely. At this stage and with my experience I’d rather describe sand as freaking terrifying!

But hey, I’m sure I’ll get there one day...

You cannot get a better bike than a Dakar, or maybe the 800GS, to learn to ride sand.
It was MUCH easier for me on the 650 in Moz than it was for the guys on the Boxers. The Dakar is even better in sand than the 650, because of the 21" front wheel.

But once you rode, and fell, in sand, you like it more and more, it is like a weird, addiction - ask Pieter !!!

I heard there is a training session for the GS challenge at rhino park at the end of august. I was there over the weekend, and they have a beach there, probably 200m by 100m of soft sand, very similar to seasand. No better place to practice it!

And by the way, my body is kinda sore today after the weekend...

Sounds perfect! Dumb question…Where is Rhino Park

Just to the east of Pta, out on the Boschkop Road, then left on the Cullinan Rd for 3 or so Kms, entrance on the right. Lovely playground.

We drove past Rhino Park with the Tresure Hunt. It is on the R515, south of the N4 and north of the Donkerhoek Road.

S25.83218 E28.53699

The beach at Rhino park is just a bit too short for my liking, but it is as good as it gets in this part of the world.