Dagboek: Week 6 | Voetspore RSA
Hierdie week is dit bietjie heen en weer ry. Daar is die moontlikheid van ‘n witkruisarend kuiken wat gering moet word. Dit beteken ons moet aanpas.
Ons besoek eers Jagersfontein. Die dorp het die laaste klompie jare maar agteruit gegaan. Dis jammer, want eens op ‘n tyd was dit ‘n welvarende gemeenskap.
Ons besoek die katolieke kerk wat in 1881 gebou is, blykbaar onder direkte sanksie van die Vatikaan. Maar die kerk is gesluit. Nie net weens COVID 19 nie, maar ook omdat die kerk in die onlangse verlede gevandaliseer is. Die muurpanele met die lydingsweg van Christus is gesteel. Die kerk is eersdaags net ‘n bouval.
Ons besoek ook die myn. Die Groot Gat in Kimberley is na bewering die grootste mensgemaakte gat in die wêreld. Maar Kimberley se gat is net meer as 17 ha. Jagersfontein s’n is 19 ha. Jagersfontein het wel van die skoonste, mooiste diamante gelewer. Twee van die wêreld se tien grootste diamante kom ook van Jagersfontein.
Ons reis na Fauresmith – ‘n dorpie waar die treinspoor in die hoofstraat afloop. Dis blykbaar een van net drie plekke in die wêreld waar dit gebeur. Fauresmith, bekend vir sy jaarlikse perde uithourit, lyk goed. Beter as Jagersfontein.
By Koffiefontein stop ons by die ingang van die dorp waar daar ‘n fontein is waar reisigers saam ‘n koffie geniet het. Daar is ook ‘n muur tekening wat dateer uit die tyd toe Koffiefontein, tydens die Tweede Wêreldoorlog, ‘n interneringskamp was vir Nazi simpatiseerders soos John Vorster en die manne van die Ossewa Brandwag.
Ook Koffiefontein het in die laaste jare maar baie agteruitgegaan. Dis jammer.
Ons kruis die Rietrivier met die enkellaanbrug en reis 10 km in die rigting van Jacobsdal. Dis waar ons die plaas JaNee kry. Dis waar Etienne le Roux gewoon het, en as sestiger ‘n reuse bydrae gemaak het vir die Afrikaanse letterkunde met boeke soos Sewe dae by die Silbersteins, Die Mugu, Een vir Azazel, Magersfontein O Magersfontein en talle ander.
Die plaas behoort tans aan die Schreuders. Ons kamp langs die huis. Alhoewel dit bitterlik koud is, is die kamp heel lekker. Dit voel asof ons op heilige grond is.
Vroegoggend kom kuier Stephen le Roux. Hy is Etienne le Roux se seun. Hy neem ons na die koppie waar le Roux begrawe is. Hy vertel vir ons hoe dit was om in so ‘n huis groot te word. Maar nie hy of een van sy susters het sy pa se skryftalent ge-erf nie. Net een suster is wel kunstig, en skilder soos sy ma.
Ons gaan maak ook ‘n draai by Stephen se huis waar sy vrou vir ons heerlike tee en skons aanbied.
Ons vertrek, reis na Poupan en kruis die Gariep. Ronelle Visagie het laat weet die witkruisarend se kuiken kan gering word. Dis dalk nog net bietjie koud. Maar ons moet solank kom.
Ons ontmoet vir Ronelle en haar man Stoffel. Saam met hulle reis ons na Kaalpan. Daar wag Cornelis Oosthuizen, Anoulize Strydom, Tjaart van der Walt en Jonas Mthimunye vir ons.
Saam met die geselskap gaan ry ons eers ‘n draai op die pan. Ons gaan na ‘n punt waar die 30 en 24 breedte en lengte grade kruis. Daar is ook ‘n ander, eienaardige verskynsel van klippe wat ‘n vierkante kilometer aandui. Vreemd, en onverklaarbaar.
Kaalpan is groot genoeg vir ‘n Boeing om te land, en word so op die lugvaart kaarte aangetoon as ‘n nood landingstrook.
Ons gaan saam met die geselskap na die soom van die pan waar ons kamp. Tjaart braai vleis en Jonas maak pap. Nina is verantwoordelik vir die sous, en Anoulize maak ‘n heerlike slaai.
Toe dit nag word en almal gaan inkruip, skiet Gideon ‘n paar “star trails”. Dit is bitterlik koud in die Noord Kaap.
Die nag was baie koud. Na ‘n vinnige ontbyt val ons in die pad. Maar ons kom nie so gou daar weg nie. Die pan is nat op plekke. Eers val Gideon vas, en toe Streicher, ook in Gideon se spoor. Dis eers die wenas, en toe die kinetiese band wat nodig is om die voertuie uit te kry.
Ons reis na Poupan, of soos die plek eers bekend was, Paauwpan. Blykbaar weens al die gompoue wat in die omgewing was. Tans is dit ‘n stasie waarby die Trans Karoo verbysnel, en ook die plaas van Nico Bezuidenhout.
Saam met die hele geselskap, asook Nico, sy dogter en ‘n vriend, stap ons die kranse naby Poupan uit. Tjaart en Jonas het absail toerusting saamgebring.
Die helfte van die geselskap is tot bo op die rant. Die ander tot op ‘n punt net onder waar die nes van die arend is.
Streicher abseil eerste met al die toue. Dis sy eerste absail, maar hy doen goed. Jonas anker dit bo op die rant. Toe abseil Tjaart en Stefan tot binne in die nes. Die kuiken, wat ‘n paar weke oud is, word in ‘n sak geplaas en af laat sak tot onder waar Ronelle hom inwag. Die kuiken word uit die sak gehaal en gering. Sou die voël ooit iewers gekry word, kan hy terug verwys word na die dag wat hy op Poupan deur Ronelle Visagie en die Voetsporespan gering is.
Die klein witkruisarend kuiken is ‘n pragtige voël met enorme pote. Dit was ‘n voorreg om hom vir net ‘n klein rukkie vas te hou terwyl Ronelle die ring aansit.
Die kuiken word terug in die sak geplaas en Tjaart hys hom weer op na die nes. Ons verlaat die gebied so vinnig as moontlik sodat die ouers, wat vir ‘n tyd lank bo ons gedraai het, kan terugkom na hulle kuiken toe.
Ons stap terug na die voertuie, eet ‘n vinnige middagete en vertrek na Philippolis via die Vanderkloof dam. Dis reeds donker met ons aankoms, en ons gaan maak onsself tuis by die Kanon gastehuis. Stefan is op braai diens. Dis heerlike roosmaryn en rooi wyn gemarineerde skaaptjops wat ons op Jagersfontein gekoop het.
Philippolis is ‘n pragtige klein dorpie. Ook ryk aan geskiedenis. Dis soos Clarens en Dullstroom. ‘n Versamelpunt van kunstenaars.
Vroegoggend is ek en Stefan by die kerk. Dié is gesluit. Maar ‘n dame stap verby en vra of sy vir ons kan oopmaak? Sy is Nicolene Gibbons. Sy het vir jare in Engeland gewoon en gewerk as musikant, musiek onderwyser en komponis. Maar sy moes terug Afrika toe. Philippolis was die dorp waarop sy besluit het. Kort na haar aankoms is die plaaslike orrelis dood, en die predikant het haar gevra om oor te neem. Sy het nog nooit orrel gespeel nie, maar vir die uitnodiging, om een van die mooiste pyporrels in ‘n NG Kerk te speel, kon sy nie van die hand wys nie.
Die kerk is ook bekend vir die pragtige preekstoel van olienhout wat gemaak is sonder skroef of spyker.
Ons kyk ook verder die dorp rond. Sir Laurens van der Post is hier gebore en daar is baie verwysings na die man wat Prins William se peetpa geword het, en vir Prins Charles geleer het om met plante te praat. Hy was ook ‘n vertroueling van die koningshuis en Margaret Thatcher, het Nelson Mandela verafsku en Mangosuthu Buthelezi verafgod. Sy skrywes oor die Boesmans van die Kalahari moet mens met meer as ‘n knippie sout lees, en dan was hy bekend as ‘n man met ongelooflike sjarme – soveel so dat hy as veertigjarige ‘n 14 jarige meisie op ‘n boot na Southampton verlei en swanger gemaak het. Van der Post was ‘n enigmatiese figuur.
‘n Ander naam wat ons telkens teëkom op die dorp, is die van Adam Kok. Daar is ‘n kraal waar sy vee was, en ‘n straat wat na hom vernoem is. Dit is vanaf Philippolis wat Adam Kok III met sy geselskap vertrek het en hulle in Griekwaland Oos, in Natal, gaan vestig het.
Ons reis van Philippolis na Bethulie. Op die dorp, by die Ou Kar Restaurant wat aan Snotkop behoort, ontmoet ons vir Trudie Venter.
Trudie was haar lewe lank bibliotekaresse. Na haar aftrede het sy teruggekom na haar geboortedorp, en hier het sy nou reeds die dorp se geskiedenis opgeteken, versorg sy die museum en neem sy mense wat belangstel op toer.
Ons gaan eerste na die plek waar die Groot Trek Eeufeesviering plaasgevind het. Sy neem ons ook na die museum en vertel ons van Eerwaarde Pellissier wat hier kom sendingwerk doen het. Ons besoek die pragtige NG Kerk en Hervormde Kerk. Pellissier, ‘n Fransman, se nageslagte, sou ‘n reuse bydrae doen tot die stigting van die FAK en Volkspele.
Trudie neem ons na ‘n plek waarvoor Bethulie eintlik bekend is. Tydens die Anglo Boere-oorlog was hierdie een van die berugte Konsentrasiekampe . In net 13 maande sou 1 731 mans, vroue en kinders hier sterf en in vlak graffies begrawe word.
Met die bou van die Gariepdam is daar gevrees die grafte sou onder water wees, en is almal opgegrawe en herbegrawe. Die Meerkatdorp begraafplaas is teen die bult opgeskuif. Dit is ‘n roerende ervaring om die plek te besoek.
Trudie neem ons na die brug oor die Gariep. Dis die langste brug in Suid Afrika, en een wat deur beide motors en die trein gebruik word. Hier vertel Trudie ons die oorsprong van die naam van die Oranjerivier. Ons het al die jare geglo dis weens die kleur van die water. Volgens Trudie het Robert Jacob Gordon, die man na wie Gordonsbaai en ook Gordonia vernoem is, die rivier se naam gegee.
Gordon was ‘n Hollander van Skotse afkoms. Hy het gereis na die samevloeiing van wat ons vandag ken as die Caledon en Oranjerivier, en het die groot rivier vernoem na die Huis van Oranje – die Nederlandse Koningshuis.
Ons laat Trudie agter in Bethulie en reis na Oviston, die dorpie wat vernoem is na die 80 km lange Oranje Vis Tonnel wat water van die Gariepdam per tonnel vervoer na die Teebus rivier. Van daar vloei dit na die Visrivier, en bring water aan die droogte geteisterde Oos Kaap.
Ons ry oor die wal van die Gariepdam, voorheen die HF Verwoerddam, en kom na sononder aan by die Garingboom gasteplaas van Jan en Riëtte Griesel.
Vandag kyk ons wat gebeur op ‘n werkende Karooplaas.
Voor die son opkom, word daar eers ‘n koei gemelk. Dis vir huishoudelike gebruik. Nina kry die geleentheid. Dis maar vreemd vir kinders wat in die stad grootgeword het.
Vroegoggend is ons saam met Jan en sy seun Abrie om skaap bymekaar te maak. Dit is ‘n weeklikse proses. Die skaap word dan aangejaag huis toe. Op so ‘n koue wintersoggend is dit harde werk.
By die huis aangekom, en ons geniet eers ontbyt saam met Jan, Abrie en Riëtte. Terwyl ons eet begin dit sneeu. Dis bitter koud in die suid Vrystaat.
Nou word die skaap gedoseer en nagegaan net om te sien of almal nog gesond is. Die wat lyk of hulle swaarkry word eenkant gehou om spesiale aandag te kry. Die skaap word ook sommer gespuit.
Die middag gaan ry ons saam met Jan, Riëtte en Abrie ‘n draai deur die plaas. Riëtte is ‘n ywerige voëlkyker, en het reeds meer as 180 voëls op Cyferfontein, waar die gasteplaas Garingboom geleë is, geïdentifiseer.
Riëtte gaan wys ons die nessie van die kleinste voëltjie in Suidelike Afrika – die Kaapse Kapokvoëltjie. ‘n Grys tit (spesie van die familie Paridae) . Hy maak sy nes met wol en spinnerak. Toe ry ons na ‘n uitkykpunt vanwaar ons die hele Cyferfontein kon sien. Dis ‘n pragtige Karooplaas.
Die aand gaan braai ons by Abrie. Karoo tjoppies natuurlik.
Dis die einde van die sesde wees. Ons is amper halfpad met ons reis.
This week we have to shuttle a lot. There is a white-headed eaglet that must be ringed. That involves some adjustments.
First a visit to Jagersfontein. This little town has seen better days. Quite sad, since it used to be an affluent community.
We visit the catholic church, which was built in 1881, apparently under sanction of the Vatican. The church is closed. Not only due to COVID 19, but it was recently vandalised. The wall panels depicting the Passion of Christ have been stolen. The building is in ruins.
We also pay a visit to the mine. The Big Hole in Kimberley is claimed to be the deepest hole in the world excavated by hand. This open pit has a surface of 17 hectares. The one at Jagersfontein is 19 hectares. Jagersfontein has however not only produced the clearest and most beautiful diamonds but also two of the world’s ten biggest diamonds.
We travel to Fauresmith – a town with its railroad running next to the main road through town. One of only three in the world. Fauresmith, known for its annual equestrian endurance races looks good – better than Jagersfontein.
At Koffiefontein we stop for coffee at the town’s entrance where travellers have a cup at the fountain. There is a mural dating back to World War II when Koffiefontein was an internment camp for Nazi sympathisers like John Vorster and the men from the Ossewa Brandwag.
Koffiefontein has also retrograded over the years. A piteous sight.
We cross the Riet river with a single lane bridge and travel 10 km in the direction of Jacobsdal. Here we locate the farm JaNee where Etienne le Roux stayed. He was an Afrikaans author and made an enormous contribution to the Sestigers literary movement with books such as Sewe dae by die Silbersteins, Die Mugu, Een vir Azazel, Magersfontein O Magersfontein and many more.
The farm is currently owned by the Schreuders. We pitch camp next to the house. Although it is terribly cold, a lovely experience. Seems like we are on holy ground.
Early in the morning Stephen le Roux pays us a visit. He is the son of Etienne le Roux and takes us to the hill where Le Roux has been buried. He relates his experiences of growing up in such a home. Neither he nor his sisters have inherited his father’s writing-talent. One of the sisters, however, is an artist like their mother.
We visit Stephen’s home where his wife serves us delicious tea and scones.
We depart and travel to Poupan, crossing the Gariep. Ronelle Visagie messages us that it is time to ring the white- headed eaglet. Although still a bit cold but we have to head that way so long.
Ronelle and her husband, Stoffel, takes us to Kaalpan where we are met by Cornelis Oosthuizen, Anoulize Strydom, Tjaart van der Walt and Jonas Mthimunye .
We all first take a roundabout on the pan. We go to the spot where the 30 and 24 degrees of latitude and longitude cross. There is also an odd feature of rocks in the form of a square. Strange and inexplicable.
The size of Kaalpan is big enough for a Boeing to land and is indicated as an emergency landing-strip on aviation maps.
We all go the edge of the pan where we set up camp. Tjaart braais the meat and Jonas prepares porridge. Nina is responsible for the gravy and Anoulize for the salad.
That evening when we go to bed Gideon takes a few “star trails”. It is extremely cold in the Northern Cape.
That night is unbelievably cold. After a quick breakfast we hit the road. But our departure is not as planned. The pan consists of a few wet areas. First Gideon gets stuck, then also Streicher in the same track. We initially try the winch, but finally succeed in getting the vehicles unstuck with the kinetic band.
We travel to Poupan, or formally known as Paauwpan. Apparently as a result of the number of kori bustards in the area. Currently a station which the Trans Karoo passes by, but also the farm of Nico Bezuidenhout.
Everybody in our party as well as Nico, his daughter and a friend, take a hike up the cliffs of Poupan. Tjaart and Jonas brought abseiling equipment along.
The one half of our group reaches the top of the ridge. The others to a place close to the eagle’s eyrie.
Streicher abseils first using all the ropes. Although it is his first attempt he does well. Jonas anchors it on the top of the ridge. Tjaart and Stefan abseil right into the eyrie. The few weeks old eaglet is placed in a bag and lowered to where Ronelle awaits it. The eaglet is taken out of the bag and ringed. If this bird will ever be found elsewhere it can be tracked to the day that it was ringed at Poupan by Ronelle and the Voetspore team.
The small white-headed eaglet is a beautiful bird-of -prey with enormous claws. It is surely a privilege to have held him for the time it took Ronelle to fit the ring.
The eaglet is returned to the bag and hoisted up to its eyrie. We leave the area swiftly so the parents, who were for the time being circling above, can return to their young.
We walk back to our vehicles, have a quick lunch and depart for Philippolis via the Vanderkloof dam. We arrive in the dark and settle in at the Kanon guesthouse. Stefan’s turn to do the barbeque. On the menu is rosemary and red wine marinated mutton chops that we bought in Jagersfontein.
Philippolis is a quaint little town rich in history. Similar to Clarens and Dullstroom. An assembly point for artists.
Early in the morning Stefan and I go to the church. It is closed. A woman passes by and asks if she can open it for us. She is Nicolene Gibbons. She lived in England as a musician, music teacher and composer. But she had to return to Africa and she chose to stay in Philippolis. The local organist passed away shortly after her arrival and the minister offered her the position. She has never played an organ before but could not refuse the offer to play on one of the most beautiful pipe-organs in a Dutch-Reformed Church.
The church is also well known for the beautiful wild olive wood pulpit, made without a single screw or nail.
We take a stroll through town. Sir Laurens van der Post was born here and he is referred to as Prince William’s godfather and the one that taught Prince Charles to communicate with plants. He was confidant to the royal house and Margaret Thatcher. He despised Nelson Mandela and idolised Mangosuthu Buthelezi . His writings about the Bushmen of the Kalahari must be read with an open mind as he was known to be a real charmer – at the age of forty he seduced and impregnated a fourteen year old girl on a ship to Southampton. Van der Post was an enigmatic figure.
Another well-known name in this town is that of Adam Kok. Here are the remnants of a kraal where he kept his cattle, and a street that is named after him. Adam Kok and his followers left from Philippolis to resettle in Griekwaland East, in Natal.
We travel from Philippolis to Bethulie. In town, we meet Trudie Venter in the Ou Kar Restaurant which is owned by Snotkop.
Trudie has been a librarian all her life. She retired in her hometown where she recorded the town’s history, looks after the museum, and acts as local tour guide.
We first visit the place where the Great Trek Centennial celebration took place. She also takes us to the museum and relates the missionary work of Reverend Pellissier. We visit the beautiful Dutch Reformed and Reformed Churches. The Frenchmen Pellissier and his progeny made a huge contribution to the founding of the FAK and Afrikaans folk songs.
Trudie takes us to the place that puts Bethulie on the map. Here was one of the most notorious concentration camps during the Anglo Boer-war. Over a period of 13 months,
1 731 men, women and children died and were buried in shallow graves.
With the building of the Gariep dam and the possibility of the graves been flooded, all the bodies were excavated and re-buried in an area against a cliff. The Meerkatdorp Cemetery was also moved there. A touching visit.
Trudie takes us to the bridge across the Gariep. It is the longest bridge in South Africa and is used by both train and vehicles. She also relates the origin of the name of the Orange river. We thought all along it was due to the colour of the water. According to Trudie the name of the river was given by Robert Jacob Gordon, who also named Gordons Bay and Gordonia.
Gordon was a Dutchman of Scottish descent. He travelled to the confluence of the Caledon and Orange rivers and named the big river after the House of Orange – the Netherland’s Royal Palace.
We leave Trudie behind in Bethulie and travel to Oviston, a little town named after the 80 km irrigation Orange-Fish River Tunnel that diverts water from the Gariep to the Teebus river. It alleviates the situation in the draught stricken Eastern Cape.
We cross the wall of the Gariepdam, formerly known as the HF Verwoerd dam, and arrive after dark at the Garingboom guest farm of Jan and Riëtte Griesel.
Today we shall observe the activities on an operational Karoo farm.
Before sunrise we milk our first cow. It is for domestic use . Nina gets the opportunity. A strange affair for town-bred children.
Early in the morning we accompany Jan and his son Abrie, to gather sheep. A weekly process. The sheep are urged to the house. A labour- intensive task on a cold winters morning.
Back at the house we have breakfast with Jan, Abrie and Riëtte. During our meal it starts to snow. It is extremely cold in the southern Free State.
Next, the sheep are dosed and each one gets a health check. Those suffering are kept aside for special attention. They also receive injections.
In the afternoon we go for a drive on the farm with Jan, Riëtte and Abrie. Riëtte is a keen birdwatcher and has identified more that 180 species in Cyferfontein, where their guest farm Garingboom, is located.
Riëtte shows us the nest of the smallest bird in Southern Africa – the Cape Penduline Tit. A grey tit – a species of bird in the family Paridae. It makes its nest of wool and spider web. We then go to a lookout for a view of the entire Cyferfontein. A beautiful Karoo farms.
That evening we have a barbeque. Karoo chops, for sure.
This is the end of week six. We are almost halfway with our journey.
Dagboek: Week 5 Dagboek: Week 7