Bikers take a ride through paradise

“There was some concern in Sabie when word got out that the rally had its eye on this pristine town that had never been besmirched by a rally before,” said organiser Simon Fourie.

“But all ended well, with rally happiness permeating the participants, the townsfolk and the authorities.”
And the men whose happiness was essential to the decision whether the rally would return to Sabie, Constantine Kazandjis, the owner of Floreat, and Fourie were happy.

The Paradise is one of three rallies organised through Bike SA magazine, the other two being the Impala at the end of February in Hartbeespoort, and the Rhino in Parys from September 4 to 6.

The first Paradise was in 1994 in Pilgrim’s Rest and then for seven years at the Numbi Hotel in Hazyview and 10 years in Graskop. Thereafter it meandered between Mbombela and Waterval Boven and now Sabie.
It got its name as many of the participants spend time touring through the bikers’ Paradise of Mpumalanga, with its winding roads, and it is also known as the “enthusiast’s rally”.

And the hills of the whole area, from Sabie to Hazyview to Graskop, Pilgrim’s Rest, Lydenburg, Kaapsehoop, Mbombela and Barberton were alive with the sounds of exhaust pipes. Buddy Beat was the permanent DJ, the popular local husband-and-wife duo that make up the band Havanna played during the day on Friday and Saturday, and the evening bands were the rollicking Clint & One on Friday night and the four-piece Conrad Cronje band on Saturday night.

There was a concours competition for the best bike on Saturday and fun and some hearty participation in games like tug of war and arm-wrestling for both ladies and gentlemen.

It was slightly bigger than last year, with 1 400 participants, but was one of the most enjoyable, with lots of the good-old word “vibe” applicable there.
“Everyone there has told everyone at home that they missed a good one and they are all going to Paradise 2016,” said Fourie.