Ready to ride
You don't need a big adventure bike or a month off work. Start with a weekend loop near Johannesburg, check your tyres and oil, and pack light. The rest is just miles and small towns.
This site is a personal record, not a professional travel guide. The routes, distances, and prices I mention are accurate for the time I rode them, but roads change, guesthouses close, and fuel stops move. Treat everything here as a starting point, not a promise.
I ride a small bike and prefer gravel and secondary roads over highways. My daily distances are modest, usually between 200 and 350 kilometers, because I stop often and take notes. If you ride a larger machine or travel with a passenger, adjust the times accordingly. Some of the roads I describe are seasonal; during heavy rains in KwaZulu-Natal, a few passes close without much warning.
When I mention a guesthouse, a farm stall, or a coffee shop, it means I actually stayed there or ate there. I do not receive free stays or sponsored meals, and I do not write about places I have not visited personally. Prices are what I paid at the time; they tend to rise, especially around school holidays and long weekends.
I include basic maintenance notes because I have learned most of them the hard way, usually by the side of the road. What works for my 250cc may not apply to your bike. Always carry a basic tool kit, check your chain tension before long rides, and know that cellphone reception disappears quickly once you leave the main routes. Riding in South Africa is rewarding, but it is not without risk, and you are responsible for your own preparation.
The posts about downsizing, remote work, and budgeting come from my own experience of moving between Johannesburg and the coast. I am not a financial advisor or a professional organizer. I simply share what worked for me, including the mistakes. Your situation will differ, so take the ideas that fit and leave the rest.
I write in English because it is the language I think and ride in. Some posts include Afrikaans or isiZulu words when they are the natural way to name a place or a dish. I do not translate everything, and I do not apologize for that. If a term is unclear, the context usually explains it.
I update older posts when I ride a route again or when a reader points out something that has changed. The date at the top of each entry shows when it was last revised. If you find a road that has been tarred, a guesthouse that has closed, or a farm stall that has moved, feel free to reach out through the contact page. I would rather fix a detail than leave it wrong.
Getting started with this kind of life was not a single decision. It happened in stages, each one forcing me to let go of something I thought I needed. Here is the rough timeline of how it went, with the dates and the small milestones that mattered.
March 2021
I moved out of a two-bedroom flat in Randburg and into a one-room studio in Melville. The goal was simple: lower rent, fewer things to look after, and more money left for fuel. I sold most of my furniture on local marketplaces and kept only what fit into a small trailer.
August 2021
I bought a used 250cc bike, mostly because it was affordable and light enough for gravel roads. A neighbour who rode for years showed me how to check the chain, change oil, and fix a puncture. I practised in the parking lot behind my building until I could do it without looking at a manual.
January 2022
A short ride out of Johannesburg to test my packing system. I learned that I did not need half of what I brought, and that a basic guesthouse with a secure parking spot was worth more than a fancy one. This trip set the template for how I plan every route since.
June 2022
I negotiated a remote arrangement with my employer, which meant I could spend longer stretches away from Johannesburg. The first test was a week in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, working from farm stalls in the morning and riding in the afternoon. It worked better than expected.
November 2022
My longest trip so far, and the one that convinced me this was not just a phase. I rode through Badplaas and Chrissiesmeer, broke a chain outside Dullstroom, and spent an afternoon learning from a local mechanic. I came back with a notebook full of fuel stops and guesthouse prices, and the first real draft of what this site would become.