1.5MB - BMW Motorcycle Club of Pretoria, South Africa

Spoke & Piston Page 8
WHAT TO DO WHEN THERE ARE NO FLOWERS?
What do you do when you have planned to go to Namaqualand
and the West coast to experience one of nature’s wonders
– fields of wild flower in all the colors of the rainbow – but
they have one of the worst flower years ever and there are
hardly any flowers? You find scenic roads to ride, interesting
landmarks to look out for and all kinds of other attractions.
Go play in the sand! From the N14 just after Pofadder take
the turn off to Pella. Once in Pella visit the historic Catholic
Church and experience the wonderful peace and quiet of the
beautiful little church. You can also have a chat with the locals
and get all psyched up about the road lying ahead. Carry on
with the road in front of the church and this will take you to the
start of the Namaqua 4x4 route and also to Klein Pella. Don’t
DALEEN DUDLEY
be misled by the first couple of kilometers of nice tweespoor
track. Just as you get complacent the first sand is there to entertain
you. Be prepared to struggle through the deep river
sand, get very thirsty and sometimes frustrated but also to be
in awe of the rugged beauty and breathtaking scenery around
you! Once in Klein Pella you have to go and visit the date plantations
being the largest in the southern hemisphere with
around 4000 date trees. You can also have the best Coke ever
at the Klein Pella guesthouse.
Smell the ocean! From Kleinsee take the De Beers restricted
road all along the coast down to Hondeklip Bay. Here you
can see some lush vegetation, springboks, gemsbok and also
ostriches. Then go to the beach and watch the sun set with
your loved one before you have a great paella at the local
Fisherman’s cottage. From Hondeklip Bay take the road to
Kamieskroon via Soebatsfontein. It is a bit of a sandy
tweespoor road up to Soebatsfontein and from there a normal
dirt road to Kamieskroon, albeit still with some gravel and sand
on the road. This road provides stunning views over the Namaqualand
national park, especially as you go over the Killian’s
and Grootvlei passes. Make sure to stop for a nice bobotie in
Kamieskroon.
Go to church in Leliefontein! From Kamieskroon take the
Leliefontein road over the Kammiesberg pass toward Garies. It
is a nice winding and a bit of a rocky road and once again you
will have fantastic views from the top of the pass over Namaqualand
and also see some fields with flowers. Take the turn
off to Leliefontein and go visit the church, a national monument.
You can also have a chat with the local kids and maybe
even be dared into spinning or wheeling your bike.
Ride on the plateau! Take the road just outside Vanrhynsdorp
to Gifberg pass, named after the shrubby “gifboom”
trees that grow on the mountain. From the foot of the mountains
it is a steep, windy, uphill climb to the plateau, passing by
a small waterfall. Then ride around on the plateau before you
descend down to the valley again. Make sure to look out for
the many interesting rock formations and also the Vanrhynsdorp
waterfall. The road is rocky in some places and
thick sand again in other places, but definitely worth it. There
are just not enough adjectives to describe this little pass –
magnificent, breathtaking, spectacular, stunning, fantastic
views – a definite must do!
Peace and quiet in Nieuwoudtville! You can take a stroll
through town to the historic church, a national monument, go
have a look at the collection of old bikes at the local garage or
ride one of the many stunning roads around Nieuwoudtville to
some of the nature reserves. Just drink in the peace and quiet
in this little town where almost everyone still has a patch of
grass with sheep in their backyards. You will also find that very
elusive fields of wild flowers. There are many other attractions
in the area such as the glacial pavement and another waterfall
to name just two. A quiet place with friendly people, pretty
flowers and good food!
We have learned on this trip that Namaqualand and the West
coast are about much more than just wild flowers. There are
stunning roads to ride, very interesting and friendly people to
meet and overall a place to get away from everything, become
one with nature and completely unwind!