2001 Biking South Africa

Day 07, Friday, June 22
Sizanani Village

We took today off – having changed our original itinerary to cater for my blistered and battered bum. And spent an hour or so looking over the Sizanani Home – one of the many projects funded in part by the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund. The home (for physically and mentally disabled children) is doing excellent work – caring for kids who require 24/7 attention. There is a happy atmosphere about the place despite the hopelessness and helplessness of the majority of its 200-plus care-needers. The Home was founded by the Catholic Mission in 1993.

Day 08, Saturday, June 23
Bronkhorstspruit (Sizanani Village) to Devon
77.1km @ 16kph

Today’s highlight was a road sign depicting a leaping cow – udder ’n all! Not exactly as sleek or fleet-footed as the springbok, but certainly eye-catching. There was a distinct chill in the air when we hit the R25 and turned onto the R42 to Delmas. But by mid-morning the sun was warm on our backs and we were back to shirtsleeves and summer gloves. Where we crossed the N12, a poignant cross marked the site of another life lost – and reminded us to take care. From Delmas a quiet back road brought us through golden grassland dotted with eucalyptus and poplars to Devon. A carefree, easy day.

Our much needed rest day yesterday included a visit to the doctor about my battered bum. He has given me a plastic bandage under which he says the blisters should heal faster than normal, but there isn’t really much he can do for me.

Soon after leaving Bronkhorstspruit we abandoned the R25, which took us past the Buddhist centre with its impressive gateway, in favour of the R42 Delmas-bound. Soon after which Charl told me I scared a huge owl up off the ground – I didn’t even see the damn thing.

Charl was very stubborn this morning and didn’t put on his warm ski gloves – resulting in frozen fingers! We got a real taste of the chill to come early on today: steamy breath, icy cheeks and fingers.

But we could tell it was going to be another beautiful clear day with not a single cloud in the highveld sky.

It was the start of the school holidays yesterday, so the road is slightly busier and we are taking a little more care out there.

We were much amused by this road sign depicting a leaping cow. Not quite as graceful as a leaping springbok, maar nou ja.

The R42 proved relatively quiet and the scenery relatively pretty. Long peaceful vistas, rows of eucalyptus on the horizon, a windmill squeaking and squealing on the wind, electric pylons marching stately across the veld.

At 09h45 we entered Mpumalanga.

We lunched at the Wimpy in Delmas and called Garth and Isobel whom we were expecting to join us for the day. They had just left the Wimpy, but came back to meet us. Isobel spent the day with the kids in the car; Garth joined us on the road with about 22km to go to Devon.

Joined us on a warm highveld day, with views of corn fields cut and dried, and coal mines, and men in a bakkie with a gun.

Off the R42 and onto the R548 past isolated graveyards on either side of the road (family plots), past a cross on the roadside dated 2000 (reminding us of New Zealand), past poplars lining the road, past veld all gold and cream, past an old man and young girl wheeling a bike with a puncture.

In Devon, mom and dad had set up camp on an artist’s property where we had the use of the ablutions in his partially built cottage. We showered and left them there to spend the evening at an unexpectedly good restaurant in Delmas with the Zietsmans. Where Charl was much admired by one of the locals – about which he felt quite chuffed!

A good day.