Category: 29th Parallel SA 1999

Final minutes – I kept my eyes peeled for a glimpse of the Indian Ocean as I progressed down this road, but was not to be blessed with even a glimmer of it on...

Day 15 – The weather was kind to us on this, the last day of the trip. It was cool to start, warming fairly quickly when the sun came up, with no wind to...

Day 14 – The weather was really miserable when we awoke at 5am, by far the most miserable of the trip. We left Eagle’s View just 45 minutes later, with the wind already fairly...

Day 13 – A thunder shower in the early part of last evening left the air cool and fresh, but except for the occasional puddle on the road, there was very little evidence of...

Day 11 – The N5 out of Bethlehem moved on through the wonderland of the rolling eastern Free State countryside. Dawn brought another magnificent sunrise, with crisp, bright air, with a layer of mist...

Day 10 – Today’s route took us into the hills of the eastern Free State. We had moved away from the long, gradual uphills, downhills and the long level stretches of the last week...

Day 9 – We left Kimberly for the final time, with more than a little regret at leaving our B&B, just a few minutes after 4.00am. We would not be returning, having reached the...

Day 8 – Is there ever any change to this weather pattern? Cool when I started at 5.30am, with the sun rising into a cloudless sky and bringing with it an oppressive heat from...

Day 7 – We suffered the first real disaster with respect to our starting time this morning – we had to drive the 150km from Kimberley to Griekwastad, which meant that a very early...

Day 6 – We set off from Boegoeberg Dam well before 5.00am for the drive to Groblershoop and the spot where I had stopped cycling the day before, the turnoff to Griekwastad. We made...

Day 5 – Weatherwise, each day seems to be a carbon copy of the day before. I left Upington at 5.30am before first light and while it was still pleasantly cool. After just a...

Day 4 – According to my planning this was set to be the shortest and easiest day of the entire trip. Less that 85km in total. Nevertheless, I set off at 5.40am while it...

Day 3 – 5.45am in Pofadder. Think of the quietest place that you’ve ever been. The Namib Desert on a Sunday morning? Well Pofadder at 5.45am is right up there. You could hear a...

Day 2 – This was an extremely tough day. No, it wasn’t. It was worse than “extremely tough”. I rode the MTB the whole way, because I enjoyed it so much yesterday, but I...