Expedition 'Trial' - Biking Adventures

With pannier boxes fitted to the motorbike, we can now explore further afield but first the arse needs to get acclimatized to longer distances so I find us what looks like a lovely Lodge with 360 degree views over the Drakensberg mountains, not too far from home. We start the day with a short mountain bike cycle and a hearty breakfast before packing our kit into the bike boxes

We head off on the R712 to Clarens and Golden Gate National park

The westerly wind makes for interesting cloud formations let alone riding

A coffee pit-stop at Cinnamon and Sugar restaurant near Golden Gate is in a fabulous location

Golden Gate is one of our favorite rides. We continue along the R712 past the liter-strewn outer suburbs of Phuthaditjhaba before turning onto the onto the R74

The Harrismith tabletop mountain extending in the background is a notable landmark for miles around

Sterkfontein Dam, a water addicts playground

We turn onto the S19 gravel road and become immersed in mountains and we follow the old water canal for 11km

The Drakensberg Mountain Resort is an old farmstead convert with the most extraordinary views over the northern 'Berg. It is filled with antiques and has wonderful staff to make your stay quite unforgettable

A spacious bedroom with...

an outdoor area filled with geraniums

What a special spot, a hothouse of flowering plants

A long enclosed veranda for lounging and soaking in the views on those cold and windy days

An ancient grand piano awaits the pianist and the more formal lounge

Waiting for lunch to be prepared for us, we enjoy the view with a cup of coffee

And after lunch we took ourselves off on 1 of the 9 hiking trails

Piet Retief descended the Drakensberg near here on their quest for freedom and land and the 66 wagons were the first ever wheeled vehicles to enter Natal. The Retief Pass is a view not to miss when visiting here

The kaalvoet vrou monument is another worthwhile visit. Her story is such that in 1837 she said she would rather trek back over the berg barefoot than live under British rule

Our feet took us to the edge of the presipice to photograph this wonderful specimen of the Natal Bottlebrush

After a 6km walk, we arrived back at the lodge to enjoy sundowners

The Tugela Falls can be seen in summer on a clear day. It starts as a stream on the 3050m high Mont-aux-Sources plateau. The river falls 947 meters and is the second longest in the world. Woodstock dam, photographed above, is one of the dams along the tugela river

Mountain layering in the sunset

Dining is a classy affair

Did I mention, the (extremely affordable) rates include dinner and breakfast and as you can see, nothing less than a 3 course meal. And what a delicious meal, we ate our fingers off

Last night, after dinner, rain fell and this morning we were fogged in. Instead of taking another hike, we slept in, took coffee next to a warm fire, chilled and watched the mountains slowly emerge

Rain to welcome spring day, what could be better?

The really superb Drakensberg Mountain Retreat. I can't blow it's horn any louder, it is a hidden gem

The indoor swimming pool

The birds came out to play and we are delighted to record 2 new ticks. This beauty and his mate are groundscraper thrushes

Time to enjoy a fantastic breakfast, totally unearned (but we did enough exercise yesterday)

Cape rock thrushes have a delightful song

Travelling home, we took the R74 to Harrismith and the N5 to Bethlehem

What an thoroughly enjoyable first weekend on the motorbike. Someone said "On a bike, you can't really think about more than where you are. There's a freedom that comes from that" (ah yes my hubby). Time to plan another weekend ride

#WalkingTrails #lodge #food