The sun was starting to set on us and we still had some way to go, but to get to the top of the pass and not marvel at the beauty of the surrounds was simply not an option. So we pulled up, took some pictures, had a look at the varying landscapes. it was amazing, but we had seen so much of all of this already and time was pressing and then headed on off to Sutherland. It had been a long day till now and we were pretty worn out. We were also glad nobody had come to grief along the twisty loosed rocked bits of the pass. We'd had one or two worrying moments but made it out ok.

Up top looking back down

Once we had ridden through all the long and flat roads to reach the Skurweberg pass, it was time to climb up and get onto the plateau higher up as we moved in-land. Looking at ridge it didn't seem to daunting, but once we got going it turned out to be an excellent ride up and quite steep and sharp at some points, with a bit of loose gravel for good measure.

Heading up the pass

This is the daily blog from Africa4Adventure.com. A short series on the Karoo Motorbike tour we took on during September 2011. See the plans for the trip blog here: Planning a 6 day 2500km route through the Karoo maximising dirt

We continued on for a while and then came upon one of the most secluded holiday cottages we've ever seen. Actually there seemed to be a main cottage and then a smaller adjacent cottage a little way away. They were in idylic location for getting away from it all! We had done the best part of 200km and only seen about three or four farm houses until now. Ok we were still only about 50km from the next town Sutherland, but this was real seclusion. We stopped and took a few pictures.

One of the best places I've ever seen if you want to get away from it all!

This place starts putting life around you into context. It makes you feel just how small and insignificant we are as humans in the universe. This place shows you just how lonely we could be should we choose to live in wide open places like these. See the house in the middle of no-where. It was certainly a long road, but an extremely pretty one with flows still everywhere. 

See the road back behind us

Further down the dusty road we stopped to take some pictures and next minute from down some side little track came a little orange coloured van and pulled up next to us. This very friendly farmer came over and we started chatting. We asked him questions about the size of his farm and living life out in the middle of this vast open space.

We stopped for a picture

These pictures only begin to start describing just how bright and colourful the desert was that day after we had been to Inverdoorn. The part that one cannot see from these pictures is just how much of it there was mile after mile. Also there were patches of yellow and patches of this purple.

On our way past, we decided to pop into the Cheetah conservation and game reserve called Inverdoorn. This proved to be an amazing place! We got to see Cheetah walking around while we had a few drinks under the shade. See pictures below.

One of the things you notice very quickly out in the semi-desert is how big the sky is! it seems to go on forever. The cloud cover also seems much higher and thinner. We were half way to approaching the destination of Sutherland, which is where they have the Sutherland astronomical observatory, so it makes sense that you would need a big sky to be able to look out at space.

Wide open space

This was becoming more and more amazing the further we got into the flowers. What one must realise is that this is wide open countryside for miles and miles and miles, and as you ride it just keeps coming, flowers for Africa!

We kept stopping and marveling at it as its not something you see everyday or possibly even once in a lifetime.

As we got out into where the real Karoo starts we were greeted with the most amazing display of colour. Colour in the form of endless small yellow and purple flowers for miles and miles. This had been the result of the most rain this part of the dessert had had for something like 30 years.

One farmer told us they had seen flowers on bushes that they didn;t even know had flowers. In all their farming career they had never seen anything like it. So we timed it perfectly, only in Spring and only once in many decades. it was incredible, check out the pictures and there is more to come.

Closer up

Once we left Ceres, it was immediately noticeable how quickly the scenery changed from a much lusher greener vegetation to a more sparse arid type vegetation. We had purposely picked some back roads to begin maximizing the dirt riding, but hadn't quite reached the dirt roads yet. We went through quite a few twisty turny bit of tar which was pleasant.

Parked up in front of the Karoo type arid bush

In no time we were in the Worcester wine valley heading towards Ceres on the R43. We could have found a few more dirt roads in the area, but wanted to hit the dirt roads after Ceres to keep the journey slightly quicker.

When you get to the Du Toitskloof pass, one can either take the old road which is about +/-10km longer and goes up and over the mountains, or you can pay the toll fee and ride through the tunnel.

Stopped high up on the pass looking out

On a misty morning in Cape Town during September 2011 it was time to fire up the bikes and head off into the Karoo for a six day epic journey. The goal was to get to Bloemfontein over three days via Sutherland, maximizing dirt road, and then head back on the other side of the main N1 back down through the Karoo to Cape Town in another three days via Prince Albert.

Good morning! Richard on his 800GS

After lunch where we had eaten Impala off the spit, it was time for a few people to take a ride out to the low level bridge some 15km from the venue for a little ride. Not everyone went, but for those that did they really enjoyed the ride. before heading out however, we were looking at some of the old bikes that had made their way to the rally.

A whole selection of bikes parked out under the trees

A chap called Howard from SA Bike Magazine was at the rally and he was collecting pictures for an article in the magazine, so he wanted all the KTM riders to line up, and then all the BMW riders in a separate picture.

The giraffe was such a friendly chap, that I wanted Klaus to see it. We had been chatting near the pub. We went down to find it and one of the farm workers who knew where it was offered to go and call it for us. he wondered off and came back later with Toddy the giraffe. Once it was there other gathered around and patted it's head.

Boyz will be boyz! After the sunset, and after a few beers, the boys playful nature came out. Now it was time to rev the bikes until they popped, screamed, smoked, turned red-hot or died completely. Luckily none did!

After the first few beers when we had arrived, we decided to look around the place and see what was around. Todds Motel had one of the most African feels to it. The smells of the bush and the firewood. The diesel from the generator, the old trucks and wood used for the fire, everything about this place was very African.

Within no time, we arrived at Todd's Motel, for the much spoken about Giraffe Rally 2011 - actually called the Giraffe Run 2011. Welcomed at the gate by a huge poster confirming we had found the right place (from the main road it was not that obvious).

Today was Friday and we were now going to be staying here for the next two nights, heading off back to South Africa on the Sunday morning early. This was a typical African venue with loads of dust, bush, animals and of course music and beer.