Hammer Down to Mossel Bay…

My time with Rob Gush was way too short… We spent too little time getting to know each other better… He dashed around sorting out some issues I had with Google Maps and my GPS, taught me how to upload pre-determined routes on my Garmin 660, and even as I was leaving, took time to adjust my spotlights and set them up properly…. I have had trouble with the battery pack of my Head-cam, and after making every attempt to locate and fix the problem, he announced that it was beyond repair…  He made a few suggestions on what I should look out for on my trip and related many of his own experiences from which I could learn “how to” and in some cases, “how not to” !!! All this, while limping about with his bothersome Achilles tendon hassles… Good man, this…

Rob rides a F650 GS, and is rebuilding another… He is the quintessential do-it-yourself-er, and has loads of projects on the go in his back yard… There is a Ford Ranchero pick-up that he is building, as well as a few assorted trailers in various stages of completion. Good luck with those, Brother !!

On Saturday night, Margie cooked us a great meal and invited friends of theirs over to join us all for dinner. Mike and Charmaine Morris, and Charmaine’s mom, Val, arrived not long after Jock and I had, and after dinner we sat talking about bikes and biking….naturally ! Mike has just bought a F650GS and Charmaine, who has just started riding, has a Suzuki DR 250… Mike told me what a kick he got out of seeing his wife riding her bike, how much confidence riding had given her, and I related the self same feelings I once had… There is something special about seeing a girl riding a bike…they earn immediate respect, let you know that they are also willing to accept the challenge and the danger…. And of course, I think it’s just plain SEXY !!!! You go, Girls !!

By midday, I was ready to roll, and Jock was packing his kit onto his bike as well… After an emotional farewell, he got onto his bike and began the 300 odd km ride back to East London on his own…  I had enjoyed every moment spent in his company, and a more humble and kindhearted man, you will struggle to find… I salute you Jock… Maximum respect, my friend… See you on the “return leg”….

Then it was just Rob and I, who had made it possible for me to meet Jock in the first place… He watched as I fiddled about with the straps on the Duffel Bag and then with Diane, his daughter, waved me goodbye, a wistful look on his face… I’ll be back Rob, and we’ll ride the back roads together… Count on it !!

It was just after 1.00pm when I rolled onto the N2 again…, the latest I have ever started a days ride… I decided to put the hammer down and try and get to Mossel Bay before dark, and settled myself in for a hard ride… I opened the taps and gave the Big Fella his head…. No second invitation required…he pinned his side mirrors back and we took off Westward… With the Grootwinterhoek Mountains on my right, we thundered down the N2, the bike growling  under me…  On past Jeffrey’s Bay, home of the world famous Super Tube Wave; then Humansdorp and Clarkson, where the Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area nestles on the slopes of the mountains behind it. I stopped at a picnic site near the turnoff to Langkloof, having crossed the Gamtoos River and a short while later, the Van Stadens River Bridge.

Langkloof Rest Stop....

The weather had been reasonably kind to me so far… Low clouds kept the hot sun at bay for the most part, but now the wind picked up, as it usually does in these parts in the late afternoons, and began buffeting me… It was more of an irritation than anything else, and at the speeds I was riding, it did not bother me too much… It’s those “I’m trying to kill you !” kind of winds further down in the Southern Cape, that really get my goat… I should start making their acquaintance again in a day or two…. Can’t wait….!!!

The ride through The Crags, just before Plettenberg Bay is always a pleasure on a bike… The sweeping bends are gentle enough to be taken at almost flat out, without having to use the brakes, apart from the occasional feathering when traffic doesn’t clear out of the way quick enough !! I cruised through Plett, mindful of the camera that captured our picture for posterity, the last time we barreled through here…

The fuel light had blinked on long before The Crags, but I pressed on, sure that I could make Knysna before stopping… The Big Fella had sucked up almost 21 litres of fuel over the last 305 km… He can be a thirsty devil when you tie him loose !!!

I rode on through the picturesque Sedgefield and The Wilderness, watching Para-gliders hanging barely 50 metres above the road on the pass up to Victoria Bay and George… It was barely three hours since I had left Rob Gush’s home in Port Elizabeth, and I was only 80 kms shy of my intended destination… Yeah, it had been a sweet ride…

I got into Mossel Bay at a little before 5pm, plenty of time to locate a place to stay… I pulled over and sat the bike high above the harbour, while I consulted the GPS about “lodgings”… The first few places I tried were either full, or had satin sheets and caviar as part of their package…

“R550.00 for a bed and breakfast !!! You gotta be kidding me, Lady!” I said to the last one I called…

“Well that’s the going price !” she snapped back…

“Yeah, right…!! The World Cup only starts in June… It’s a bit early to be getting into “Rip Off” mode, don’t you think ?” I told her…

She was not amused by my comments, and the loud click in my ear confirmed this…

The Golf Inn, Mossel Bay...

I settled for the Golf Inn, in 17th Street, at R220.00 a night, which was still more than I had hoped to pay, but very good value for money, considering the lengths the owner went to make me comfortable… Every so often, a slice of pudding either appears magically in my room, or is brought to me by one of the staff…!! Breakfast this morning was more than I could put away… If you’re passing thru this area, and needing a great place to stay, I strongly recommend the Golf Inn….

It looked a lot neater before I arrived !!!

I spent the best part of the day getting my website sorted and planning the next few legs of my ride… I will tick off the most Southern point in Africa tomorrow, before going on to the West Coast to prepare for the long hot rides through Namibia and Botswana…

My room in the West Wing of the Golf Inn, Mossel Bay...

© GBWT 2010