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By the time you receive this travel mailer, Easter will be behind us already. Is it just me, or does it feel like somebody has put their foot on the year’s accelerator?

I have a road trip coming up to Steytlerville, Willowmore and hopefully Aberdeen, and the reason is twofold. Firstly, to explore, take photos and get content for the Karoo Heartland website and my social media channels; and secondly, to hopefully talk to some tourism products in those areas, show them the value of Karoo Heartland and get them to join. Holding thumbs.

Have a great April

Jonker

This month, we look at:

• A Boer War etching above Cradock

• The cannon of Cannonville… in Cape St Francis

• Crossing the Kei River by Pont

• Brag – A Fisherman’s Mate in Jeffreys Bay

• Karoo Heartland Routes Recommendations

If there is something that you would like to see featured in our monthly travel mailer or have any suggestions, please drop us an email at jonker@fireflyafrica.co.za

A Boer War etching above Cradock

The hill next to Cradock was used as a lookout spot by the British during the Anglo-Boer War, as it has a great view of the town and the surrounding area.

This panoramic view of Cradock and the Great Fish River is superb, but getting to the top means leaving your car at the bottom and walking up the washed-away dirt road. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as locals used to party at the top, and I remember the first time I was there, you could still drive up and there was a lot of glass and rubbish around.

Except for the view, Oukop is also known for the various etchings carved in the ironstone made by the British soldiers stationed on the hill. I imagine the days must have been long and boring and making these etchings must have been one way to keep busy.

The main etching is about 20 meters below the road, directly in line with the cross’s arm. The etching reads, “What avail a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul”.

There is another etching about 20 meters to the west of this one that reads, “For God so loved the world”- John3/16.

You’ll see in the first picture some bird sat there and did his deed while enjoying the view. I did a little cleanup editing on the close-up picture so that the streak doesn’t spoil the pic.

The cannon of Cannonville…

in Cape St Francis

A little cannon on display in the Shipwreck Garden in Cape St Francis actually has a close affiliation to the Sundays River Valley.

This 18-pound smooth-bore cannon once stood, with another almost identical gun, at the drift over the Sundays River near Colchester, close to where the present N2 road bridge crosses the river. This area became known as Cannonville, due to the presence of the two guns. The second gun is preserved at the Pearson farm on the Eastern heights overlooking the river.

The history of how these guns came to this position is lost. For many years, they were lying abandoned in the bushes close to the old drift. The guns, which date from about 1820, are what are known as “civil” guns, as they would have belonged to a private owner as opposed to the military. One of the theories put forward is that they were placed there to fire a salute in honour of Queen Victoria’s son, Prince Alfred, when he visited the Eastern Cape. His party crossed the river in August 1860 on its way to Grahamstown.

The gun was left lying in a yard in Cannonville until it was bought, taken to Port Elizabeth and restored. Today, it is on display in the Cape St Francis Anchor Garden and Shipwreck Display at the entrance to the village.

Crossing the Kei River by Pont

Crossing the Great Kei River by pont into what used to be the old Transkei is something on a number of South Africans’ bucket lists. It is one of only three ponts in South Africa, with the other two being one at Malgas over the Breede River in the Western Cape and the other one at Sendelingsdrift crossing the Orange River into Namibia.

The Pont began operation as a vehicle transport in its current form in 1990 and has become a vital lifeline for the communities living in the Centane area. Before the Pont, it was either crossing in a rowing boat or a 154km round trip via Butterworth, just to get a few hundred meters to the other side. In fact, travellers getting to the crossing point too late on their way to their holiday destination often have to do the detour to get to their hotel for the evening.

The Pont is in operation seven days a week, 365 days a year. They only close when the river is in flood or the tide is too low. There is usually only one Pont in operation at a time, but during holidays, there would be two, or sometimes three, in action. Each Pont can carry two vehicles at a time and the first crossing of the day is made at 7 am, when people from the old Transkei side make their way across to work in Kei Mouth.

Brag – A Fisherman’s Mate

Simonstown has the statue of Just Nuisance and there is one of Jock of the Bushveld in Barberton, but did you know that Jeffreys Bay also has a dog statue? Jbay’s dog is called Brag, and this is his story.

During the 1940’s, when Jeffreys Bay was still mainly a fishing village, Charles October Hammond served as the captain of the rowing boat “Poor man’s friend”. Hammond had a dog named Brag who was his best friend. Every day when Hammond, and his crew of eight, took to the waves to do the day’s fishing, Brag was seen on the beach with them. He would run up and down the beach watching their progress until they were out of sight. Brag would then position himself at the high-water mark, resting his head on his paws, whilst keeping a watchful eye on the horizon in anticipation of their return.

He would maintain this position until sighting them on their return, usually at about 14:00. Brag would again be running up and down the beach, barking and howling excitedly, with nothing or nobody able to draw his attention away from the crew returning home.

One day, however, during inclement weather, the crew got caught in a strong current and had to row very hard to reach the shore. A huge wave capsized the boat, and the captain and his crew were tossed into the stormy sea. They were fortunate as they all made to shore alive.

Upon sighting the disaster unfolding, Brag, without hesitation, rushed into the water, confident of going to rescue his master. Regrettably, the same current that caught them off-guard gripped the brave Brag and ripped him out to sea. Captain Hammond had to watch as his beloved friend Brag was pulled under, never to be seen again.

Source: Old Jeffreys Bay – “Lest we forget” by Bert Behrens

Karoo Heartland Routes recommend: