TAKE A WORLD-CLASS RIDE TO AFRICA’S SOUTHERN TIP
Adventure to Cape Agulhas merits a high spot on your checklist of life, writes Neil Vorano.
Cape Town, South Africa is one of those world-class cities on many people’s bucket list, and for good reason: its perfect location on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, its Dutch colonial architecture, its friendly people, a Mediterranean climate, all under the stunning backdrop of Table Mountain. But if you’re a dyed-in-the-wool motorcyclist, it can only be a home base for what could be the start of some truly magical bike tours that will leave you wishing for more.
The locals know it, too. There are many options for renting bikes or joining guided tours around the Western Cape. From Mike Hopkins Motorcycles, I put my leg over the seat of a new Triumph Tiger 800 XCx, a threecylinder adventure bike complete with a top box and two soft side cases, perfect for multiple-day rides. No matter where you rent, expect to pay around $100 to $150 per day, depending on the bike.
Just have a day? Then the best route to take would be south along the M6 Highway. As you leave the city, the road skirts the Atlantic Ocean on some exciting, twisty mountain curves; it’s difficult to keep your focus on the road with these high vistas of the ocean. Head down toward Hout Bay and enjoy tossing the bike from side to side along the way.
The road cuts through the peninsula toward the east, which should be your first real stop at Simon’s Town. Why? Penguins, that’s why. Boulders Beach is a natural habitat for the little birds, and it’s worth an hour or two for a bite to eat and some photo ops. The return trip to Cape Town is just as fun, travelling up the east coast of the peninsula on the M4, coming around the other side of Table Mountain back into town. In all, it should take around five or six hours, and it’s worth the trip.
But you didn’t fly more than 24 hours for just one day of riding. The Western Cape is filled with picturesque and challenging routes, but one destination should be the priority: Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of the continent of Africa.
I’m with a group of five bikes and two cars. From Cape Town, the first major centre is Stellenbosch, a university town surrounded with the wineries that make South Africa famous, with houses and farms — some still with thatched roofs — typical of the Dutch colonial architecture. From here it’s a winding road up the mountains, and on this dreary, damp day, the clouds come to meet us as we climb, until we’re surrounded in a thick fog with visibility of about 10 metres. Then it’s downhill into the green valley and through the small but picturesque town of Franschhoek, one of the oldest settlements in South Africa.
The winding roads continue until we reach the N2 highway and then our turnoff toward the southernmost cape. The terrain begins to change; it’s not just flatter with straight roads but it also turns from lush green to arid farmland.
Even before you see the ocean, the coolness and fishy smell tell you the ride is almost over. And then the little town of L’Agulhas appears. We see a large house facing the water and the town’s looming lighthouse. There are ample places to stay in this popular tourist spot and although we’re all a little road weary, we can’t wait for the morning to experience the bottom of the Cape.
Along a dirt road, a monument marks the continent’s southernmost point and, if you’re careful, you can wade in and have one boot touch the Atlantic Ocean, then dip the other into the Indian Ocean for it’s here where both bodies of water meet. A little bit down that dirt road lies the haunting remains of a shipwreck, one of hundreds that have fallen to the rocky shoals of the Cape.
The next morning, we’re back on the road going north, finally hitting the N2 again toward Swellendam, another picturesque Dutch settlement nestled in the Langeberg Mountains. There’s more green flora, more twisty roads; this particular area is known as the Garden Route. We continue on the N2 for a few hours, passing through Mossel Bay, where you can make arrangements ahead of time for some of South Africa’s famous shark-cage diving.
It’s a long day of riding, and again, as we roll into Knysna, a town on the northern shore of a large estuary, we have a house waiting in the gated resort of Thesen Island. Our group is staying an extra night, so the next day we spend a few hours puttering around the area, hitting the wet dirt road of the Prince Alfreds Pass to test the grip (or lack thereof ) of our road-bias tires. While we’re there, we stop to gaze in awe at the King Edward VII Big Tree, a towering Outeniqua Yellowood that’s estimated to be more than 700 years old. Getting there and back, we pass through one of the colourful slums bristling with people and ramshackle huts built of almost any scrap material.
The final day has our group travelling back on the N2 over the thrilling Montagu Pass, more whipping curves and jaw-dropping vistas amid the Outeniqua Mountains, a real, world-class treat for motorcyclists. We finally hit our western course, Route 62, and stop at the very flamboyant Smitswinkel Farm Village in Oudtshoorn. It’s a bar and restaurant littered with old motorcycles, where we have a quick breakfast on the patio overlooking the cages of birds and farm animals. Back on the road, there are more arid, sprawling fields, and it’s not uncommon to pass flocks of ostrich that are farmed in the region. Wide sweeping views with tall, rocky hills will have your helmet swinging back and forth, trying to take it all in.
Tackling the varying terrain — mountain passes, long highways, gravel roads — the Triumph was flawless. Its 800-cc three-cylinder engine is silky smooth, with nary a vibration at just about any rpm, while its 95 horsepower is more than enough for spirited twisties and passes in questionable situations. The seating position is comfortable and the suspension soaks up just about any pothole, speed bump or gouge in the road; it’s adjustable, but I never even touched it, not even for the hard cornering of the mountains.
Whatever bike you choose, you’ll be rewarded with views that will have your jaw dropping in your helmet and an experience you’ll not soon forget. And the riding can be as challenging and as rewarding as you want it to be. As far as ticking boxes on the checklist of life, the exotic routes of South Africa should be higher up on that list.