The First Half of the Day
Distance: 68 kilometres From: Blood River To: Rorke's Drift Grade: Moderate distance, riding moderate to strenuous Overnight: Rorke's Drift Lodge The first half of the day you head more or less South East, then from Nqutu swing South West to the Nyathi River.
When you head out the Blood River battle site area, you turn left and loop around to the south, crossing the river heading East for a few km, then swing South again through village-dotted grazing lands. The first 12 kilometres is all along gravel road, where you'll see everyday village life, donkey carts, women with pumpkins or water buckets on their heads, goats and cattle.
The route then takes a right turn, along a footpath, down to cross a vlei and then up the opposite slope where it again joins a gravel road after about 3 kilometres. You ride through a village, then into open, well cultivated lands, cross the Batshe River and then reach the the built-up outskirts of Nqutu town which straddles the R68 route. This is reached about 21 kilometres from the start.
You'll find small and large shops here, including some large chain stores. From Nqutu there's a fast and straight downhill run, to again cross the Batshe River on a well-surfaced road, moving again into more and more rural lands. Keeping the river on your right, the road climbs steadily up towards Talantala hill, skirting around its western flank.
At the Tip of the Hill
At the South West tip of the hill, as you've been riding quite hard up against the cliff line, you take a sharp right, West, turn downwards to cross Batshe River yet again, then climb up the other side of the valley. The gravel road turns from North West to South West as it crests the rise, and then takes a rolling descent down to the Nyathi/Buffalo River.
Along this stretch, way over to your left, you will see the sharp outline of Isandlwana breaking the skyline. To include the Isandlwana battle site on your ride, instead of taking the previous right turn, carry on around the back, South side of the hill, and then bear East for about 10 kilometres.
Return to Nyathi/Buffels bridge crossing along the bridle path that follows the northern bank of the Ngxobongo River to Fugitive's Drift, then continues from the confluence of the Nyathi/Buffels, to the low concrete bridge. This marks the spot where the Zulu impi, freshly blooded at Isandlwana, crossed the river to meet its Waterloo at Rorke's Drift.
Across the River
