Well fixed a puncture, put on the new back tyre and new brake pads and machine ready for the road again.
Looking at a route North in Mpulunga for a few days but been having a problems with a stinking cold. Weather needs to clear up a well. Not what I expected for summer.
Joburg
Finally stopped raining, so got brave and headed North towards Hartbeestpoort Dam.
Fantastic ride through mountains with long sweeping bends and no surprises for 50 odd km, lake was really full and lots spilling out. Met a couple of others touring on the dam wall
Merry Christmas to one and all.Been here in Jo'burg a while, bought Christmas pressie's and caught a according to the doctor a severe upper respotory infection. I cough a lot.
Spent a fantastic long weekend with my sister in a guest house out in the countryside doing nothing and found a great little campsite. Saw some baby ostriches with big ones, really amazing, spiky top feathers that look like thorn bushes and are stiff. Once again no camera. Also saw some cactus flowers, they come out at night and die when the sun gets to them.
Weather great, cough nearly gone.Feeling better so went for a ride to a place Called olifantsnek, great roads, hot and no rain and met some nice people. Lake was low considering the rain we have had here. Really great ride, nice roads and with the bike unloaded great response .
Took a while but off sightseeing again.December sometime.
Had a brilliant few days away in a lodge with my sister, talking, drinking, eating and burning food outside 
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No tv or internet so just nature and my music. Went out for a drive in the Buki I hired for a few days to see the country side and buy more supplies, quite nice running out of drink. Then had Christmas and New year with the family.
Had some ride outs but left Joburg again on the 6th.
Sorry no pics but just taken 25 minutes to do one day with 3 pictures for the 9th. Photos will follow.10th Jan
Decided to head for Lydenburg or Mashishing as its now called. Got confused as the maps have the old names.
Sorry no pics but just taken 25 minutes to do one day with 3 pictures for the 9th. Photos will follow.10th Jan
Decided to head for Lydenburg or Mashishing as its now called. Got confused as the maps have the old names.
9th Jan.
Loskop Dam
Woke up to a pleasant 26 degrees at 7 oclock so decided to spend another day here sitting by the water watching hippos, crocodiles and some two foot lizards amongst other things.
My wet neighbour.
By mid-day it had got to 33 degrees and I decided to go shopping and set of for the supermarket some 30 km away.
Up and at em but slowed to a stop.15th Jan.
Well woke up at six still thinking about elephants, oh dear do my thighs hurt, elephants are big. Walked about like a cowboy, had breakfast and packed bike. Off to Sudwala caves, the oldest caves in the world????
Headed off along a rather pleasant road, filled up, carried on, got stopped by the police.
Good morning sir and how are you?
Good morning,I am good and you?
I am fine, saw your number plate, where are you from?
The UK?
Ahh good, is everything ok?
Yes I am just off to Sudwala.
Not what I expected at the top of the pass.
The war memorial where the British army underestimated the capabilities if the Afrikaaner farmers who had after all been shooting Zulus for years a feat not managed at Isanwalla by the brits.
Done 20,000 km and next service due.20th Jan
Well got up early and breakfast, ready to go by 11, not sure what the hold up was but sweating just standing about was part of it, tempted to ride in shorts and t shirt but then I thought of the hard shelled flying beetles. Common sense prevailed and I climbed into the gear. On bike and off for a circular ride of about 200km, gps now working (dirty contacts to cradle) refused to take me where I wanted to go and insisted there was no road so decided to just go and let it re calculate the route automatically.
Bought the bits needed for service, then filled the bike with petrol. Had to remove the tank to do tappets (some mothers do have them, tank was heavy and hard to maneuver, can't work out why), took 2 days to do the service and fix the usb port I had added that had packed up. Now done and back on the road.
Booked and confirmed flight home for mid March for me but bike end of February from Capetown .
Made up a camera bracket for bike and fitted it so may be able to video some of the roads.
Left looking for sunshine, found it and its hot.Tuesday the 4th Feb.
Woke at six and got ready then packed the bike. The owner and his wife came along to say goodbye and wanted a photo of me and the bike to go on the wall of shame or it could have been fame not sure. Did my posing bit and then went in and had breakfast, got an extra portion of voers, great. Said goodbye and paid the bill to the others, put gear on and headed out. There were the barmaid and Nico who also wanted a photo for the same reasons, famous now. Did that and headed off down the dirt, muddy road.
Would hate to be a man on and old ox wagon doing these, they were real men, I am a wimp doing it with a 4 stroke.Friday 7th Feb.
Up with the birds, 5-30, made coffee and watched the sunrise. Packed last night so loaded up the bike and left at eight. Resurfacing the roads all the way today. They do one side for about 5km and then have a one way flow.
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SundayWell went for a 150km ride, nothing to write home about (so you can have it in a blog). Found the campsite I was headed for , desperate measure only, it was dire, more like a working building site with tents, very lively. Had fish n chips and ice-cream for lunch and laid on the beach for a couple of hours, just for you in the UK and Joburg, thought I wouldcatch your sunshine as well. Everything else I went to see was shut except a shopping centre but at least I can do them tomorrow morning on the way south.
Did a whole 116km today and it took me 4 hours.Did a whole 116km today and it took me 4 hours. Left Paternoster at 9-30 in the fog, was hoping for sunshine but there you go. Headed for Vredenburg and the secondhand bookshop but realized I had all the gear on the bike and no where safe to park up so left it and headed on to Langebaan. Stopped for a cuppa and got chatting to a couple on pushbikes from Belgium, 3 years they have been peddling - respect. Say they have nothing back where they came from so no point in going back.
