This is part of the Sixth section of our around the world trip.
Complete Trip Overview & Map

Coming from  Zimbabwe
 

31/3/00 Again a step up immediately to a western society. Shops everywhere full of goods like home, almost no street sellers. Bankomats everywhere and easy telephone calls. Our first non white majority western society. Camped 250 km short of Johannesburg.

1/4/00 Rode directly to the H-D dealer, the first in about 20,000 km's, and a large showroom and workshop with the essential coffee and friendliness. Saturday being a great day to arrive and meet the local riders. Oils, filters and a couple of spares, a few questions to the mechanic and a drink in the upstairs bar over a game of pool or darts. An invite to Paddy's pad to stay the night, greasies for dinner and we are home in civilization.

2/4/00 As we have said before if you travel long enough you will see everything. By chance today was Johannesburg's turn to host the World Super Bike Race. After an early breakfast ride with the local chapter we headed for the track. Some of the guys had been there since dawn grabbing the best spot overlooking a sweeping and a tight corner. With Castle beer and boerewors (the local sausage) on the braai (barbecue), (they speak funny here) we watched two bike races and one side car event. H-D's have only officially been in the country a few years with the German and Japanese bikes been here longer and in the majority. The culture here is growing fast. Sunday rides generally have more than 60 bikes, they ride in tight formation with side roads blocked to keep the pack in one group. Because of their recent arrival they receive disdain from the other bikers and cars unlike in Australia where H-D riders demand respect from both, and are usually given it, because of the patch clubs history of violence.

3/4/00 Our front tyre had lasted all the way from Turkey, and was pretty dead. We were going to collect a new tyre from the Dunlop guys in Durban but they arranged for us to have one fitted by the H-D dealer here today. H-D also said they could store the motorcycle for the three months while we will be back in Australia (June to September) and with our flights booked, internet, and a great steak at "Spur's", compliments of our host Paddy, we were stuffed.

4/4/00 Dead fish, relatives and visitors go off after three days. We had a great three days of civilization, use of a spacious house and great company. Headed east towards Swaziland. H-D had generously washed the motorcycle, this hadn't happened for a while, so it was certain to rain, which it did.
 

Move with us to Swaziland , or go to our next visit to  South Africa .
 

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