Page 4 - Business Sense

CYCLING THE

BATTLEFIELDS OF KZN

by Teigue Payne Dundee via backroads. Our and snafus which made up that
picnic lunch is at Maria Ratschitz futile battle.
ycling is a great way to Mission, at the foot of Hlatikulu On the last day of the tour, a
tour the Battlefields of (big forest) mountain. cycling development workshop
CKwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Another 10km on, our (optional for tour participants)
- as I discovered when I joined guesthouse that night is the is held for learners from
Spekboom Tours’ inaugural historic Wasbank Farm - allegedly underprivileged schools in
tour of the historic sites of the the only farmhouse in the area not the vicinity of Ladysmith. The
Newcastle-Ladysmith and burnt down by the British with workshop, which is attended
Spioenkop areas recently. their scorched earth policy. with great enthusiasm by the
That region is a combination The next day, Talana Museum pupils, includes instruction on
of the iconic rolling Zululand in Dundee, one of South Africa’s basic bike maintenance and
repairs, and a 20km ride-out to
grassveld with flat-topped thorn finest and most extensive one of the more neglected Anglo-
trees (Acacia Sieberiana) and museums, is a compulsory stop for
sometimes-ugly ex-mining and a few hours. But then we hit the Boer War monuments.
industrial towns. pedals for another 42km to reach One participant in a previous
Rorke’s Drift and our guesthouse, tour, Ingrid Macgregor, a
Finding the right backwater
routes for pleasurable riding has Gecko’s View at Elandskraal, late Pietermaritzburg practice
manager, wrote this about it:
that afternoon.
become a mission for Julia Colvin, “It changed my perspective of
founder of Spekboom Tours. The next day we store the bikes history and made hungry to
Howick-based Julia is a pioneer and do a full vehicle tour of the lean more. I am intrigued by
of the nascent cycle touring 1879 battles of Isandlwana and the individual stories of soldiers
“industry” in South Africa, having Rorke’s Drift. Isandlwana towers and the numerous battles. As for
so far opened up touring routes over us as our guide describes my cycling legs, I need not have
in the Battlefields, the KZN how a 20,000 strong Zulu force worried. The unhurried pace of
Midlands, and the George-Prince armed with traditional weapons the tour allowed for a relatively
Albert area of the Karoo. beat the British Empire. But that novice cyclist to comfortably
same afternoon, drunk with
Cycle touring in South Africa victory, another arm of the Zulu arrive at each day’s destination,
is normally done on a mountain army could not defeat 150 brave although a little worn out and
bike because it involves navigating Englishmen at Rorke’s Drift. thirsty for a sundowner or three.”
small district roads in order to Up to it?
reach relatively unvisited but often Another blue-sky day dawns
spectacular sites. South Africa against the golden fields. From Spekboom’s cycle tours
has a strategic advantage for our guesthouse near Rorke’s Drift generally cover 30-70 km per
cycle touring over, for instance, we ride down De Jagers Pass, day of riding – usually on good
European countries because it has surrounded by remote, flat-topped gravel roads, although some are
many thousands of kilometres of mountains. Around midday we corrugated. Where unavoidable,
quiet gravel roads – and excellent arrive at the washed out former the route includes sections of tar
weather to boot; they almost coalmining town of Wasbank. road. Participants always have
invariably have tar roads and less Then we ride down the railway the option of climbing aboard
favourable weather. service road - kilometre after the backup vehicle and loading
bicycles on its trailer.
Cycle touring is not to be kilometre of deserted two-track.
confused with singletrack The only hindrance as we speed What’s offered?
mountain biking, although along is the tall grass hanging over Spekboom Tours’ 8-day 7-night
they both use the same kind of the road which whips us. I call cycling tours of the Battlefields
bike. Singletrack and technical them bully-rushes because they costs R13,500 (excluding transport
mountain biking often do not stand in your way when you don’t to and from the start point of the
appeal to mature cyclists, probably really want to fight them. trail). All accommodation and all
because of the high risk of injury. Being a railway road, the but a few restaurant meals, and
Cycle touring by contrast meets gradients are slight, allowing the one-night stay in Nambiti, are
the demand for active holidays but the rider to build up speed. The included. A qualified professional
also emphasises appreciation of railway goes through countryside Battlefields guide accompanies
the countryside and its cultural/ which is today of minimal value – the tour giving insight into the
historical aspects. the kind of remote, economically- historical battles of Isandlawana,
irrelevant countryside that most Rorkes Drift and Spioenkop.
Cycling touring brings the rider
close enough to savour the areas battles of the Anglo-Boer war were Spekboom Tours also does cycle
tours to other destinations in
visited - to virtually taste them. fought in.
Maybe the endorphins from the The next stop is a night in South Africa and slackpacking
trail tours.
exercise helps the rider to see the Nambiti “big five” private
beauty in almost everything, nature reserve. Nambiti means Gear Needed.
including the towns en route! pampering with fine cuisine, A mountain bike with knobbly
luxury tented accommodation and
Spekboom Tours’ Battlefields tour sunset and sunrise game drives. tyres and puncture sealant
is made up about 50:50 of riding (essential in the thornveld).
and cultural/historical/rest time. The following morning, we Tubeless tyres are preferable
rejoin rural backroads to ride because they hardly ever puncture,
The tour begins at Ladysmith, back towards Ladysmith. Later but they are expensive. Your bike
where we ride to the Siege the bicycles are transferred by can be a basic one because roads
Museum to learn about the bitter vehicle to our next night stop, in the area are relatively good.
118-day ensnarement of the the Tugela River Lodge, fronted However a bicycle with front and/
British army by Boer forces. That on the river and overlooked by or rear suspension and a gel saddle
night we sleep in the Mawelawela another towering battle mountain makes riding more comfortable. n
bush lodge near Elandslaagte, - Spioenkop.
overlooking the white gravestones
of British soldiers. We rise to ride to the top of Spekboom Tours, Julia Colvin,
T: 076 819 0615
Spioenkop, where our guide tells
The next day we ride towards us stories of the conceit, setbacks E: julia.colvin@spekboomtours.co.za
W: www.spekboomtours.co.za

4