Life of Brian-oz style

sorting out the trip ,packing ,carnets,licences,crating the bike.etc.are just part of the deal.Ive now got to learn how to do this computer stuff,not that im complaining, its all fun .Africa, what does that do to the mind,well i can tell u it seems to worry many of my friends and facinates others.Ive been on the move for over 3 years now sort of drifting from one place to another, never knowing where ill be next.The time has been used up travelling Australia,Vietnam,Canada,Alaska and a little of the USA.Now its time to do Africa.Ive learnt a lot,read a lot,chatted a lot and even seen some d

Not long now. The bike is actually going to Adelaide, South Australia to be sent from there. Seems that Sydney had to much on over the new year or something was amiss.

Recieved the Carnet documents just in time. Something ive learnt now is the Carnet must be signed off at the Customs House with/when the bike goes. The little things that need to be sorted, my hint to others is to get things done early so as to save on stress.

I saw something from the plane that ive not seen in a long time , RAIN .
After 22 flying hours , arrived in Joburg 6.30am to rain . Australia has been and still is in one of its worse droughts in 100 years so it was rather a shock and lovely for me to see rain .

At the airport i was meet by a local who i had been in contact over the net , a big thank u to u Ian .

Well for me getting around Joburg is a bit of a struggle . I have not figured out how top use the local transport system yet . I did a paid tour to Soweto the other day 31/2 - 4 hrs cost R330 plus tips which as an Australian i dont understand . I gess im wealthy by their standards but i dont have a never ending pile of cash . The joys of being a self funded traveller .

My bike arrives on the 23rd of Jan . so ill have lots to tell about the exact cost and details of how i got it from Australia to South Africa .

Somethings just dont go smoothly. No bike and when it does arrive (thurs. so im told) it will cost me over $3000.00 aus. to get it. The great thing is the guy at this end has said i can unpack it at their depot. This will be a great help to me.

While ive been waiting ive taken many walks. but the most fun was catching the local 'Black Taxi's' and the general 'Big buses'.

great, fantastic and lots of other words discribe Kruger Park. Took time out to go look and im very pleased that i did. I only saw a very small amount of the Park, but what a part i saw. I got to see all the Big 5 and lots more besides. I have now got hold of the bike, DR650. It was all there at the freight recievers in Joburg. The people at this end could not have been more helpfull, well actually they could have put the bike together for me.

The town of Potch (Potchefstroom) would go under the list of the friendliest towns i have spent time in. All the people that i spoke to and spoke to me where just great.I feel so pleased that i got to spend time with the people of Potch.

Canon Roadhouse is a nice place just out of the Fish River Canyon, a place of great gorges, views and hot springs. I spent 2 nites there under the shade of one of the many trees that are part of the campsite. A little on the roads and the bike. I find the roads(dirt and bitument) so far in great condition. Most people i meet ask me how the bike handles it all, its a little hard to explain to people who dont ride, but i do my best. The bike is a standard DR650 suzuki. I have a 33litr fuel tank and have not done anything to the front forks or handle bars.

Leaving Potch was hot hot. I took time out from riding to stop in at a bike pub about 100ks from Potch, but the noise from the music box put me off and i was on the road again. As it was so hot the towns between Potch and Kimberly had no real interest for me. Arriving in Kimberly i headed straight to the local B/P,GreatBatch Guesthouse and Backpackers. I fully recomend this place, has secure parking, swimming pool, pool table, bar, i could go on but its best to just go visit.

At the camp i had by myself at Sossusvlei, i was the one to be checked out. Owls in the tree above me kept a close eye on me during the nite and even came within a foot of my head in some closer inspections.At the camp i had by myself at Sossusvle, i was the one to be checked out. Owls in the tree above me kept a close eye on me during the nite and even came within a foot of my head in some closer inspections.

From the sand hills i headed nth for my meeting with Peter(duchman) at Solitaire. Now Solitaire is named so because of the, u gessed it, the Solitude.

I camped that nite at Aussicht camp. A spot about 5 ks off the main road, i was a little worried on going in as the sign at the junction said nothing about BEER. I was to arrive to a friendly greating and my first words where, 'all this way and no beer' i had a joyfull reply from the manager to say 'YES' we have beer.

I spent 2 nites at the camp, having a tour of the old gem stones mines and looking through the benoculas at the wonderfull hills and gouges that make up the area.

Border crossings, i dont know if its just me but i get a bit nervice. I have no idea what im doing, things seem to happen but not in any order. I had to pay to get me in, plus the bike plus the road tax plus the insurance. All up it cost some R350, to come and visit Zambia. For that u get to ride over a lovely Bridge into the country. Its all an experiance i gess.

At the camp south of Lasaka i meet a couple(Ernest and Astrid)that where down from the Copperbelt. Its just amazing how things happen. Id been talking to others about the Copperbelt, and felt it as a place id like to visit, and here am i meeting people who not only live there, but would like me to come and visit them.

The next morning i got their address/phone no. in Ndola, one of the main towns in the Copperbelt, and said id see them in the next week or so.

The nite out on the road seemed to revive me. I felt real good in the morning and had a great ride back to Mporokoso. On the road i meet some workmen with a broken down tractor. I stoppped as they waved to me, they asked me to tell their boss at the town of their problems. On getting to Mposokoso i found the boss of the boys id meet to relay the message, i also found the correct road and headed to Kasama, a day out but well and happy with my new tyre.

At the border post of the Congo is a little township, not that i stopped, but i had people yelling at me, staring, or just motioning for me to come to them. My gess is i would have been hasseled to buy something, well i never stopped.

Well we shall try again, i wrote a lot yesterday when i got to Muzuzu, all was great till the power went off and i lost it all.

The people in Ndola where fantastic to me, i stayed around over a week. They took me to a game park with a lake, went to a lodge and when we got there it was closed and flooded, went out riding, with Ernest on his Quad bike. Did so many things it was great.

The town near the Ntumbachushi falls is Kawambwe, i stopped at the local servo to fuel up. No power said the attendant, but we sell from a 20 ltr plastic container. Ill have one, and when i came to pay i realised id used all my money getting across the border. Of to the bank i go with the attendant in tow. No ATMs here, well that was an interesting morning. Me sitting at the very clutered and small office of the Bank manager, changing South African Ran for Zambian Kwacha.

Karong is by the Malawi Lake and this is where i was camped, very close to the waters edge. Unfortunatelly the locals running the camp/lodge had no idea about rest at nite. On the second nite there i was that upset at their noise - voices and music at 2 in the morning i got up and said my peace, and thats what i got. In Karong i did find an internet cafe. Cafe in the Africa ive seen has nothing to do with coffee and cake. One lonely computer in a vacant room is the norm.

From The Fat Monkey i moved down to Zomba. I meet and chatted to 2 AIDs Volenteer workers at Fat Monkey, who told me that the Mt. at Zomba is very lovelly. The winding road up the mountain and the views over the plato? where some of the best ive seen since i was in Alaska, fantastic.

From Zomba its an easy ride to Blantyre, the major town of the area.

Wow, Vilankulo, is amazing, ive never seen anything like it. A cyclone or 2 came through a few months before i got there and its rather flatterned. I did not see a straight or undamaged building on my ride through town.

Love border crossings,LOL. I actually feel that the people at the borders do bad service for their country men and women. If only they would be a bit more forthcoming, helpfull and smile all would go better. To me, im that wound up after leaving the border post, it takes me quite a time to calm down enough to actually be human again, thats me anyway.

Well in to Mozambique i went, rather wound up. every one was hassling to sell me money, said i needed it to cross some bridge, i didnt.

After Breakfast with Peter at the lodge. i took of for Tofo. 20klm out a flat rear tyre. Turned out a small steel pin, 25mm long went straight through my new tyre tread. This was a bit amazing in its self but even more so when i had a brain blank and pinched the tube 2 times before getting mobile again. But now that was not the end of my day, id done badly with my patching. One of the patches came loose, so there i was fixing another flat. But me being the smart traveller, decieded to fit my new tube.

In Tofo(well Inhambane realy) i borrowed a spanner to adjust the headstem bearings, unfortunately i did them a little to tight. The bike road as it was on tracks, bit of a bother. So in getting to Maputo i found a steet vendor selling tools, he had exactly what i wanted and a good price also. I re-did the bearings there and then on the side walk.

Love Kimberly, even more so as they had tyres for the bike. The tyre id had on the rear that i bought in Lasarka in Zambia, was throwing of the knobs and running very badly indeed. This combined with the wearing-out front made the bike do some very weird things, rather dangerous actually. A more reasonable person would have changed them there and then but this is me, i just tied them on the back, feeling comfort in knowing i had spares. Well i figured, what could go wrong.Had u there, u thought some thing went wrong, well it didnt, thank god.

All roads headed north, well they would if only id follow them. My plan was to leave Potch and go directly north to cross the main hwy.N4 at Rustenburg. But no Brians that silly he just follows his nose and gets himself bush wacked for half the day. Mind u i did get to where i wanted so u could say i did OK.

GOD BUY ME A GPS.
I think that would make a nice song. LOL.

I know ive said it before, but its funny how things happen.

Was in a small town just north east of Vrendenal, taking a break from the heat. There i was just sitting out side a shop drinking my fanta. Car pulls up a couple get out. Where are u from the say, i go into the usual story, gee they say do u know theres a Bike Rally just down the road. Funny how it goes.

After the great time i had in the Graskop area it was a bit of a shock to hit the high life of Pretoria. I booked into a local B/Packers, but it turned out to full of the younger set, not a lot of sleep or rest for me. The second nite it got that bad that i moved my gear to the driveway where my bike was and slept there, rather nice. Was even better when the owner didnt charge me for the nite.

After the race meeting i arrived in Potch taking a room near town to sort out some washing etc.
Back in Potchefstroom, i caught up with the locals id meet 3 months previous. I took time with Anton at his bike shop 'Bikes Paradise", to do a general service on my bike. Was great to have a place to work out off and chat bikes, drink beer, read bike books and generally just hang.

Thats my cruze control, actually not my idea, stole it of a mate, thanks Chris. Its so simple and cheap, one hose clamp, one 4" nail, one small washer, little hit with welder, and one cruze control.

Heading east it was rather windy and rained slightly, nice mountains and mist was the order of the day. Talking about mist, i was having a bit of a problem with my motorcross goggles, they had lost most of their foam and the lenses where rather scratched. Try finding googles in George, i went to every bike shop and where where they, yes the last one in my search. At the bike shop i was served by a very helpfull lad, he even did an add-on sale of tear-offs for the googles. Great invention but i personally found them a bit noisy.

Windy and cold as i moved on from Bloomfontein. I kept to the side of Lesotho, going through Brandfort, Ficksburg, Bethlehem to find a motel in the coldest town yet, Clarens. I meet a local who took me out on a drive, in his warm 4x4, along some back roads, it was a very pleasurable morning but very cold.

I spent the other part of the day going to every shop in town, very touristy but nice enough. Seems im in the place at the correct time of year as its not high season, they tell me u can not move for people in the peak times.

Thats me at the southern most tip of Africa.

From Hout Bay its a great great ride east along the coast. I made for Cape Agulhas, the southern most tip of Africa and where 2 oceans meet. One ocean is cold water and the other warmer, so they tell me, i did not jump in to test. The weather was rather cold and very windy, im not sure if thats quite normal, for that part of the country.