Karoo

Read more about the article In search of the Aberdeen bed grave
Firefly the Travel Guy

In search of the Aberdeen bed grave

I would like to believe that I am a true ambassador of the Eastern Cape and know a thing or two about what this beautiful and diverse province has to offer visitors and explorers. Would I go as far as to call myself an expert? Mhe... Not sure. I still have a long list of places I still want to visit and things to see. Until recently one of these was the bed grave between Graaff-Reinet and Aberdeen. The site…

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03/08/2023
Read more about the article A French Huguenot memorial in the Karoo
Firefly the Travel Guy

A French Huguenot memorial in the Karoo

When you think of the French Huguenots you automatically think of Franschhoek surrounded by mountains, greenery, and vineyards. And wine, let's not forget the wine. So try and imagine then a memorial to the French Huguenots in the Karoo Heartland town of Graaff-Reinet. On 31 December 1687 the first group of Huguenots set sail from France as part of a large-scale emigration of Huguenots to the Cape of Good Hope due to religious persecution. About 350 Huguenots eventually settled at…

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28/07/2023
Read more about the article Remembering the Independence of Graaff-Reinet
Firefly the Travel Guy

Remembering the Independence of Graaff-Reinet

Did you know that Graaff-Reinet declared independence from the Cape Colony at the end of the 1700s? Or that there is a monument commemorating this event in town? I knew about the shortlived independence but even though I have been to Graaff-Reinet many times before I didn't realise there was a monument to it. On my last trip I knew what to look for and finding it really was a facepalm moment. If it was a snake it would have…

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24/07/2023
Read more about the article The Union Monument pyramid in Graaff-Reinet
Firefly the Travel Guy

The Union Monument pyramid in Graaff-Reinet

The Pyramids of Giza in Egypt are one of the most famous monuments in the world. At some stage in history, pyramids also became very popular grave markers. Probably the best-known pyramid monument in South Africa is the Donkin Memorial in Port Elizabeth, erected by Sir Rufane Donkin in memory of his wife Elizabeth in 1820. Imagine my surprise when I found out that there is a pyramid monument in Graaff-Reinet as well. This monument overlooks the town from the…

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19/07/2023
Read more about the article Looking north with the Andries Pretorius Monument
Firefly the Travel Guy

Looking north with the Andries Pretorius Monument

The Great Trek had a number of leaders that will always be remembered in the Afrikaner history of South Africa. In 1836 Dutch-speaking settlers started moving northeast into the interior of what is today known as South Africa away from the Cape Colony. They were traveling in wagon trains made up of ox wagons and horses seeking to live beyond the Cape's British colonial administration. One of those leaders was a man named Andries Pretorius from the Graaff-Reinet district. General…

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07/07/2023
Read more about the article Spotting the little things
Firefly the Travel Guy

Spotting the little things

We tend to always just notice the big things in life. The ocean or mountain in front of us, the forest or vast plains around us, and the blue sky above or coming rainstorm. Often we don't see the little things around us, looking right over it to something bigger. It's important to stop every now and then, look down or around and find that little something that we overlook most of the time. A walk in the Karoo veld…

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23/02/2023
Read more about the article Finding yourself in the middle of nowhere
Firefly the Travel Guy

Finding yourself in the middle of nowhere

In this day and age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the internet, connectivity, mobile phones, social media and everything electronic, it's important to do a digital detox every now and then. What is a digital detox, you ask? It is when a person refrains from using electronic devices such as smartphones or computers for a period of time. This is regarded as an opportunity to reduce stress or focus on social interaction in the physical world. I found the perfect…

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11/02/2023
Read more about the article Steynsburg, the small town with a big church
Firefly the Travel Guy

Steynsburg, the small town with a big church

The town of Steynsburg in the Eastern Cape's Karoo Heartland developed around the Reformed Church which was established in 1872 and was administered by a village management board controlled by the church.  Steynsburg is named after Douwe Gerbrandt Steyn, grandfather of President Paul Kruger. The members of the Dutch Reformed Church from the district had to travel long distances (64km) to Burgersdorp by horse, horse cart and ox wagon to go to church and there was a need for their…

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25/01/2023
Read more about the article The Moederkerk in the heart of Cradock
Firefly the Travel Guy

The Moederkerk in the heart of Cradock

The first Dutch Reformed congregation (and also the first church) in Cradock was established back in 1824, 10 years after the town received its name.  The present Dutch Reformed Mother Church building, situated on the upper end of Church Street, was completed on the original site as the first church in 1868 at an apparent cost of some £24,500.  The building’s design was based on St. Martins-in-the-Field on Trafalgar Square in London.   At the opening ceremony, the builder refused to hand over the door…

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20/01/2023