The road to beer: Mud and memories

04 March 2015 - 02:00 By Yolisa Mkele
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As Homo africanus we are genetically engineered to enjoy a good story.

This is probably because evolution found our weather is eminently conducive to sitting around a fire listening to tall tales filter through a pall of smoke.

In keeping with this spirit of narration, The Stanley Beer Yard's Adventure Tales evening lashed together a small raft of raconteurs and set them the task of regaling strangers with accounts of their exploits.

Among those taking centre stage are Kerryn-Lee Maggs and Jeff Tyser. At some point during their careers as freelance creatives the pair decided that a nature retreat was in order.

What followed was a five-month, 20000km drive through Southern Africa in Andy, the trusty Land Rover.

Along the way they discovered that axe wounds and calamine lotion are not friends, border guards can be extortionate and that Southern Africa is more fun and more beautiful than Madonna circa Like A Virgin.

Joining them are Instagram hero Roy Potterill, Koos Groenewald and Uno de Waal, who spent time zooting from Johannesburg to Cape Town via the Eastern Cape, Lesotho and the Garden Route making mud and memories.

''Our plan was to ride from Johannesburg to Cape Town fitting in as many passes as possible. It was great at first, but in the Transkei our bikes started to break down," said De Waal.

Potterill's motorcycle just limped over the finish line.

''Roy's bike was a little older than ours and by the end it was being held together by cable ties but all three bikes made it, which was a miracle," said Groenewald.

''The fact that the trip was a mix of highs and lows gave the journey more texture and made it such an amazing experience."

The video evidence of their shenanigans will be on display along with a chance to hear first-hand what happens on a road trip when the cameras are turned off.

Finally, attorney by day and cyclist by night Melvin Neale will give his account of his experience in the Tour of Arae, a six-day race that takes riders through a wintry Karoo on bicycles.

Neale is part of the brains trust behind Critical Mass, an often boozy monthly cycle through the streets of downtown Johannesburg.

The adventure bug often gnaws at even the most sober-minded, sensible shoe- buying individuals and spending your evening listening to stories about plans that have gone to pieces and bumping into strange folk in foreign lands is enough to spark grand ideas.

  • Adventure Tales takes place tonight at 6.30pm at the Stanley Beer Yard. For more information visit www.facebook.com/adventuretales#1
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