A Day Quading on Rich Ranch

We have lived on Rich Ranch for more than a decade now and we still find avenues to explore.

With technology now as it is we were able to track a back road route all the was from Rich Ranch to the Middelburg airfield which is just 5 kays from Middelburg town.

Packed And Off On Our Trip

Using Google Earth we planned a route through farmlands and villages to get to our destination.

We decided on Friday to set off at about 9 am on Saturday but our weather has not been the best and the wind has been howling this past week. Saturday morning was no exception but by 11.30 it was a go for us.

It is really dry this year. We have not had rain since December so all you saw was two dust balls on the road. 

Collecting Wood For The Week

We went through villages where the locals where busy with their weekend chores. It's a time when they do their washing, collect wood for the week and see that all is neat and tidy in the yard. 

Going through the different farms we have to hop on and off the quads every few kilometers to open and close the gates. The farmers keep feeding their herds by rotating them between different fields. It has been real difficult to feed the cattle through this winter so it is good farm etiquette to ensure that the gates are secure each time we pass through. We know how bad it is to have cattle wandering off and having to round them up again.

Heritage Lies Deep on Neighbour's Farm

What was also interesting along the way was to see the heritage that lies in out land. Some of the farms we traveled through have graveyards neatly fenced off and neatly kept. Some headstone dating back to the early 1800 with the same family name on the stone as on the farm entrance gate. 

Rough Terrain

WE stopped at the airfield but except for a helicopter owner who had just come in from a flight and was really not interested in talking to a pair of dusty rider, there was nothing happening there. I wonder if his wife missed this grumpy pilot.

Round turn at the airstrip and back home. What a fabulous trip. We have been mulling over the idea of does the Johannesburg to Durban trip and this has just confirmed that it is a really good idea.