I met Chris and Hanli at church, where we park our bikes in the allocated motorcycle parking. We got chatting after a Sunday morning service, as bikers typically do. Chris had the top box on his BMW R 1200 GS Adventure open and was pouring coffee from a flask for the two of them, giving the post-service traffic a chance to abate. Chris’s BM is a well-used air-cooled model, and Hanli rides a Harley-Davidson 1200 Sportster on which she has done just over 100,000 km. It was obvious, given the significant km, that both bikes do a lot of open roads. Chatting some more, they shared that they had felt led to use their bikes as part of a ministry they started. “Come along on our next outreach, Dave, and see what it’s all about,” said Chris, and we left it at that before going our separate ways.
Fast forward a few months, and I indeed cracked an invite. We would meet up on a Thursday morning and ride to Wakkerstroom in Mpumalanga. We were booked into a very pleasant spot called Forellenhof, which we would use as a base for our activities: visiting three primary schools to distribute Bibles to the Grade 7 pupils.
The Bible says in Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” It’s a powerful sentiment, and as we prepared for the trip, I couldn’t help but think about how much a steady hand and a sense of direction can mean to a young person navigating today’s often confusing world.
So it was, on a pleasant Thursday morning, that we met up at the Rosehaven on the N4. I met up with Ewald, who had ridden through from near Bela Bela on a pristine BMW R 1250 GS, and Phil, who was in his SUV carrying a load of Bibles. Some had already been shipped to a church in Wakkerstroom, where we would collect them as required. I was riding my BMW R 1200 R LC. Hanli set the pace on her trusty Sporty, cruising at a healthy 120 “plus VAT.” We cruised past Middelburg and took the N11 turn-off to Ermelo and Volksrust. The first 24 odd k’s were a trifle dodgy, but then the road surface became splendid and made for brilliant riding.
The bikes ran in a tight phalanx of rolling thunder, with the Sporty impressing me no end. Having owned a 1200 Sporty Custom myself, I enjoyed that torquey V-Twin a lot. The Harley plays nicely with the BMs; rolling up behind slower traffic, you just roll on the throttle in top gear and that solid wave of mid-range torque punts you past effortlessly. In no time at all, we stopped in Ermelo at a quaint antique shop and café called Hoeka Toeka for a brekkie.
Back on the bikes, we dispatched the last 100-odd k’s and rolled into the rustic little village of Wakkerstroom. I found myself wondering why I had only been there once before when returning from Pongola via the ‘scenic route’ through Wakkerstroom. Like Dullstroom and Clarens, it comes alive over weekends when jaded city dwellers pull in, desperately trying to recharge before the Sunday afternoon rush back to the big smoke. Wakkerstroom is also a popular birding destination, endowed with vleis that attract various wetland dwellers.
Photo credit: Dave Cilliers / ZA BikersForellenhof, where we were staying, is about 6 k’s out of town on a rain-eroded dirt road. Ideal for an Adventure bike, but not so much my R. Taking it easy, it was no problem despite some skating around on some particularly muddy patches. We got settled in and also met up with a couple from Nelspruit, Johan and Magda, who had ridden down on their very impressive Can Am Spyder three-wheeler, endowed with a 1330 cc Rotax motor. What a beast!
We popped into Town for dinner at Thyme Out, an excellent local eatery where we got to know each other a bit better. Turns out a common faith and motorcycles make for good conversation. We had hitched a ride to town with Phillip in his Kia Sorento so as not to take on the mud in the dark, whilst Hanli hopped on the back of Chris’s Adventure. Watered and fed, we went back to our digs and bed, given that we had an early start the next day.
Up bright and early, I sipped on a coffee and watched the sun rise over spectacular countryside. I grabbed my camera, but as is so often the case, I ended up disappointed with the results. God does things on a grand scale that sometimes cannot be adequately captured through a camera lens. A quick breakfast, and we got on our way to town, where we collected more Bibles and then made our way to a school just outside town.
What ensued was an amazing and rewarding day. The learners soaked up the message of hope that we brought. Arriving by bike is an instant icebreaker; kids flock in their droves to see the machines, the excitement bringing a sparkle to their eyes. The Grade 7s listened intently as we shared our mission. At a cost of around R100, a Bible is simply not able to make it onto the priority list for a family eking out a hand-to-mouth existence. Chris and Hanli dig very deep to fund these themselves, and I stand in awe of people like this—people with such deep conviction that they will make personal sacrifices to live a life of purpose.
Deeply humbled and profoundly touched by the experience, I had much to ponder on as we rode back to Wakkerstroom for lunch, our mission completed. That evening, we braaied on the stoep of the guest house with rainstorms swirling all around us, then it was off to bed, given that we all needed to get an early start for home the next morning.
We rode out of Wakkerstroom the next morning with low cloud and cool air that had the bikes running ever so sweetly. Chris and Hanli were going down to Ballito for some R+R, whilst Johan and Magda returned to Mbombela. Ewald and I “jumped on the mainjet” and squirted the two boxers back to Pretoria, revelling in a day that held the promise of rain. Ewald lives near Bela Bela, so we waved our goodbyes near Bronkhorstspruit, where I peeled off to ride backroads to Pretoria East.
I rode home reflecting on a brilliant couple of days riding, made so much richer by the purpose of the ride. A huge shoutout to those who gave of their time and resources to serve those less fortunate than themselves. I salute you!
