The Eastern Cape is a fascinating place, literally a world in one province. We have a beautiful coastline, rugged mountains, the vast Karoo Heartland, fascinating forests, world-class game reserves, interesting towns and so much more. Not to mention the people, food, history and heritage.

2025 was a challenging year for me. Firefly the Travel Guy took a knock with clients lost that I haven’t been able to replace. Karoo Heartland Routes was formed and I’m working hard to try and show product in the Karoo Heartland how plugging into the bigger picture can benefit the region. Unfortunately, the monthly travel mailer suffered and only went out a couple of times last year, but this year I will correct that again.

Have a great 2026

Jonker

This month, we look at:

• The Dassiedeur Tunnel between Cookhouse and Cradock

• Jeffreys Bay’s Historical Fishermen Cemetery

• The Dias Cross at Kwaaihoek

• PW Vorster Museum at the Grootfontein Agricultural Institute

• 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

Dassiedeur Tunnel

The Dassiedeur Tunnel, built in 1879, is an old disused 271-meter railway tunnel between Cradock and Cookhouse. It was constructed as part of the railway line that was completed in 1880. The railway line used to run along what was a steep (40-1) track leading up to the tunnel, which made it necessary for an extra locomotive parked close to the tunnel to assist trains with power up the steep ascent and with braking down the descent on the other side. When the new line was built around the mountain, the old rails through the tunnel were removed.

You can drive right through the tunnel and the impressive stone-cut engineering can be seen all the way. The car does kick up a lot of very fine dust, so I had to wait a couple of minutes for it to settle before taking pictures.

The tunnel really is one of those attractions that very few people know about and even fewer will get to visit. If you can, though, you have to go and see it for yourself.

JBay Historical Fishermen Cemetery

Jeffreys Bay’s history is made up of surfers, fishermen, seashells and holiday makers. The town doesn’t really have a lot of historical sites or monuments, but between the Kouga Municipality and the Jeffreysbaai Dorp van Drome project, a lot of stories are starting to be told through heritage sites being created. One of these is the Historical Fishermen Cemetery, tucked away on Duine Street in Pellsrus.

Fishing played a very big part in the early history of the town, with fishermen bravely venturing into the ocean on row boats in the early days to provide for their families. Many of these brave souls perished in the tumultuous waters, their legacy living on through the stories passed down by their descendants. These fishermen were laid to rest in this cemetery.

Not a lot of the original grave stones are still visible, with the oldest one dating to 1937.

In 2022, the Kouga Municipality funded an upgrade of the cemetery that included the erection of 155 symbolic white concrete crosses, paving the walkway and adding an information board.

Dias Cross at Kwaaihoek

Bartolomeu Dias became the first European navigator to round the southern tip of Africa in 1488. After setting foot in Mossel Bay, he sailed on to present-day Port Elizabeth and planted a wooden cross on St Croix Island in Algoa Bay. By this time, the sailors wanted to turn back home, but he persuaded them to sail for another three days. On 12 March 1488, a little west of Bushman’s River mouth, they dropped anchor at a headland, formerly called False Islet, now known as Kwaaihoek. Here, Dias erected his farthest stone pillar, the padrão de São Gregorio and then started the homeward journey.

A replica of the cross was erected on the same spot in 1942. The cross is located about halfway between Boknes and Bushmans River Mouth, although the walk from Boknes is probably a lot easier than from the Bushmans side. Leave your car at the Boknes Beach parking area and take the 3km walk along the beach to False Islet (Fake Island), originally named so because it looks like an island in the distance. The best time to walk is at low tide, when you can walk on the wet sand.

PW Vorster Museum at the Grootfontein Agricultural Institute

The history of Grootfontein outside Middelburg Karoo dates back to the 1790s when Klaas van der Walt already lived on the farm Grootfontein. In those days, it covered 3,800 ha. The first official registration only took place in 1836, when it was awarded to Hendrik van der Walt and his brother Nicolaas as erfpagland. The farm Grootfontein was originally divided into two sections, with a dry river bed as the only separation. They did live on the farm long before that date, because the original homestead was already erected in 1827.

The PW Vorster Museum at the Grootfontein Agricultural Institute is housed in this original farm dwelling. It was extensively renovated in 1887, at which time an impressive gable was added to the building’s exterior. The museum collection consists of Anglo-Boer War artefacts and a post-war collection, as well as a large collection of farm implements. The Van de Walt family collections are also housed here.

On 1 December 1860, the Gereformeerde Kerk Middelburg was founded in the house.

Karoo Heartland Routes recommend: