BIGGER RHINO HERD
The Karoo National Park outside Beaufort West is preparing to receive some pretty hefty permanent residents. The first Bicornis michaelis, an East African black rhino bull, has arrived and is being acclimatised in a bouma. Staff at the park are busy constructing fences and more boumas to accommodate a herd of 10 animals to be delivered from Addo National Park early next year. The newcomers are slightly smaller than the five Bicornis bicornis black rhino that the Karoo National Park sent to Addo earlier this year. “We are delighted by the swop. The bigger herd will mean that tourists will now be able to see rhino more easily,” says park manager Leighton Hare. “There are many more exciting plans in the pipeline, all aimed at developing the tourism potential of the park and this part of the Great Karoo.”
TWEE MINISTERS KOM BESOEK
Twee ministers van die Wes-Kaap Provinsiale Regering sal in November in die Karoo besoek aflê. Hulle is mnr Hennie Bester, Minister van Handel, Nywerheid en Toerisme, en mnr Piet Meyer, Minister van Vervoer. Mnr Bester se vergadering op 6 November was ‘n opvolg vergadering van die een wat hy met die Streeks-Toerisme Organisasie in Junie gehad het. Hy het toerisme rolspelers in die Karoo op hoogte gebring met die werk van die Spesiale Bestuurskomitee, sowel as kort en langtermyn planne oor die Toerisme Wet en die Wes-Kaap Toerismeraad. Mnr Meyer sal die eerste verwelkomingsbord in die Wes-Kaap tydens ‘n kort geleentheid by Drie Susters op 16 November onthul.
QUIET PLEASE. YOU’RE IN THE KAROO!
Japanese scientists have now proved what many South Africans have known for a long time – the Karoo is one of the quietest places on earth. Using sophisticated equipment they actually “heard” the atmosphere scraping on the ground. Writing in Die Burger, Kobus Louwrens says Najoki Kobajasji and Kiwwamoe Nisjida, of the Institute of Technology in Tokyo, recently conducted tests at the South African Observatory outside Sutherland. They “heard” the minute vibrations in the earth’s surface caused by the gusty whirling of the atmosphere. The two scientists said these “nano-movements” were more clearly heard in the Karoo than at any of the other 13 sites they have studied. According to astronomer Dr David Laney, the Karoo is popular among such international researchers, particularly places such as the observatory which has support systems and equipment they can use. A recent study of the earth’s gravity was conducted using lasers and satellites. Air particles have been monitored through sunlight and evaporation has been studied. A team of German scientists now intends erecting a huge new geo-dynamic station at the observatory to monitor the slightest changes in the earth’s gravity, as well as vibrations.
GELUKKIGE NOMMER 13
Die 13de streekseminaar van museums in die Suid-Kaap/Karoostreek gaan op 19 en 20 November, 1998, in Beaufort-Wes gehou word. “Ons sien uit daarna om kollegas in ons dorp te verwelkom en weereens ons kultuur-historiese geskiedenis en pragtige ekologiese gebied met hulle te deel,” sê museum kurator Sandra Smit. “Baie van hulle het al in die Karoo gekuier, maar die soort vergadering bied ons die geleentheid om die wonders van die Karoo weer onder hulle aandag te bring.”
PRIMITIVE BUT PRIVATE FOR THE PICKY-PICKY
In far-off Murraysburg on one of the routes to the Eastern Cape, Paul and Jeanette Avenant, of Kay’s Cafe, a while ago decided to revamp an old stable on their historic property and create a new B & B. “The Stable is private and primitive, but professionally and personally managed”, said Jeanette. “So, like Pickfords, we decided to market it to picky people who prefer proper, neat and clean accommodation, with private parking,” she added with a smile. “Murraysburg is in a beautiful part of the Karoo and we can arrange farm visits, hunting trips, night rides and 4 x 4 outings from here. Accommodation costs R45 per person per day. Breakfast is R20 and we can provide full meals or take-away lunch boxes. So, phone us, please.”
KUNSTENAAR GAANDE OOR KAROO
‘n Bekende waterverf kunstenaar, Marcella de Boom, het onlangs ‘n spesiale besoek in die Karoo afgele om material vir ‘n uitstalling te versamel. “Dis ‘n pragtige wêreld en ideal vir die waterverf kunstenaar. Daar is so veel skakerings van sagte lug, kleure en skadus, veral in die vroeë oggendure en saans soos die vurige sonsondergang stadig uitbrand en met sagste pienk en grys stadig tot donkerte oorgaan. Enige kunstenaar sal vir ure in die Karoo kan sit en hulself verwonder oor die nimmereindigende veranderinge van kleure.” Marcella, wie tydens haar besoek ook beelde in die Loxton-gebied opgerig het, hoop om vroeg volgende jaar ‘n uitstalling van haar werk in Beaufort-Wes te reel.
ROZIES ACCREDITED
Rozies Cottages in Prince Albert has been accredited by Satour. Situated next to an orchard a block from the main road through the town, the cottages each have their own gardens. “From these tranquil, comfortable and spacious venues, each with old-world charm, we encourage guests to rest, relax and unwind,” said Penny Alder, one of the owners. “The cottages encourage guests to leave behind their busy business lives, recharge their batteries, sleep late and generally enjoy the magnificence of the Swartberg Mountains. The energetic can hike, cycle and explore the village, the Swartberg Pass and Gamkaskloof, the Hell, while the more laid back can simply snooze, read and enjoy the surroundings.”
VOORBRAND LEI DIE HARTFEES
In Beaufort-Wes het vanjaar ‘n heerlike en uiters suksesvolle voorbrandfees gereel as aptytwekker vir die Hart-fees.”Dit het met ‘n kooraand in die Mandlenkosi Gemeenskapsaal begin. Die idee was om alle gemeenskappe in ‘n feestelike stemming te bring,” sê toerisme beampte Wendy Antonie. “Daar was ook ‘n gewilde ‘Golden Oldies’ aand by Bastiaanse Hoërskool, ‘n sokkertoernooi, ‘n ‘Heart and Soul’ ope-lug sang-konsert en ‘n sokkie om fondse in te win vir ‘n gemeenskapsmuseum. Die idee was ‘n wenner.”
HELL ON TV
The recent reunion of Gamkasklowers (or Hell-dwellers as some call them) attracted many Mosterts, Marais and Cordiers back to The Hell after many years. Beaufort-West’s Johanna Spann (nee Mostert) said: “It was more than a simple get-together of people who hadn’t seen each other for ages. It was a step back to a special place in time when most of us were young and carefree children. None of us would have missed this for the world. Memories flooded back in a great wave of nostalgia. But there was much, much more. The valley came to life with homely smells of baking bread, bredies, braais and ‘doekpoedings’.” The reunion was filmed by independent TV producer John Parr, who at the time was working on a programme on Prince Albert and the Karoo. It was shown on TV’s arts programme Flux.
ONTSPAN OP ‘N PRAGPLAAS
Karooliefhebbers kan nou in ‘n groot, 120-jaar oue Kaap Hollandse-huis op Montana in die Nelspoort gebied oornag. Die pragplaas, net 15km van die N1 en op die grondpad na Aberdeen, was eers die eiendom van Sir John Charles Molteno, eerste premier van die Kaap. In die laaste eeu het volstruisvere vanaf hierdie plaas die wêreld rekordprys behaal. Naby is beroemde /Xam rotstekeninge wat op afspraak besigtig kan word. Eienaars Dawie en Sunita Keyser sê: “Die gebied is pragtige en geskiedenisryk. Agter die huis is ‘n monumentjie met ‘n plaatjie wat vertel hoe lief die Moltenos vir hierdie bergagtige gebied was. Juis daaroor is die plaas Montana genoem.”
THE ANATOMY OF A TOURIST
“What’s the difference between a tourist, a traveller, a visitor and a guest?” This question was posed by Peter Wood, Leeu Gamka’s own tourism specialist, in a recent talk at the tiny town’s information centre. Peter has studied the development of tourism from its earliest days in Europe. He once who wrote an intriguing paper on the subject entitled “Have Axe, Will Travel”. He believes the past holds many lessons for the development of tourism in the future. “The World Tourism Organisation defines a tourist as someone who spends time and money away from home. Taking this literally we find history peppered with a variety of fascinating ‘tourists’. The pilgrims, merchants, crusaders and missionaries all fit the definition. Looking back into history enables us to expand our vision and broaden our thinking on tourism. Even wars create tourists. They bring soldiers’ descendants back to commemorate events such as the Anglo-Boer War,” says Peter, who hopes to indulge his two great loves, history and tourism, in the Karoo. His first glimpse of this arid region was a case of “love at first sight.” “A line from Wordsworth’s Salisbury Cathedral passed through my mind: ‘Dull would be the soul who would pass by and not be moved by the sight of so much majesty.’ ” Peter has been involved in tourism as a consultant and lecturer since 1952. He has an MA Degree in the Sociology and Anthropology of Travel and Tourism. His majors included Third World and Society Tourism, as well as the rituals and myths of tourism. Before moving to South Africa he lectured on tourism and leisure studies at West Kent College and on heritage studies and sustainable tourism at Greenwich University. “Tourism in South Africa has almost not started, leave alone reached its full potential. People have been travelling through Europe since the 6th Century, so tourism in this country has a long way to go. Tourism is rather like water. It boils with enthusiasm, yet as the steam rises and people reach out to grasp it, they find it’s not quite there. Slowly their eagerness chills and their enthusiasm turns to ice. This swing of the pendulum is dangerous and damaging. The market must be developed so as to prevent this.”
WKTR MANNE OP BESOEK
Twee deskundiges van Wes-Kaap Toerismeraad het ook praatjies gelewer by Leeu Gamka se Inligtingsentrum. Hulle was Theuns Vivian, bestuurder, spesiale projekte, en Jurgens Schoeman, WKTR se ontwikkelings- beampte. “Mense is die mees belangrike komponent van toerisme,” het Theuns gesê. Jurgens het beklemtoon dat landboutoerisme ‘n groeiende sektor was en van groot belang vir die Karoo kan wees. Die vergadering is ook deur toerisme beamptes en rolspelers van Beaufort-Wes en Prins Albert bygewoon. Onder bespreking was ook die ontwikkeling van die Leeu Gamka stasiegebou in ‘n handwerksentrum, die opleiding van gemeenskap gidse, padtekens en die belangrikheid om jong mense by toerisme te betrek.
FARM STALL WITH AN INDOOR AEROBATIC SHOW
Star of the recent Leeu Gamka Information Centre meeting at Rietfontein Farm Stall was a high-flying mossie. He dived and banked among the guests, showing off his indoor flying skills, all the while screeching his nest-building plans to a demure spouse. This tiniest of flying aces only interrupted his solo act to perch on a wall mirror, vociferously admiring himself as speakers battled for attention. Then he swooped out the door and glided back with nest-building material to his staked-out corner in the rafters. “He’s a noisy fellow, greatly pleased with himself and not at all scared of humans,” says Rietfontein Farm Stall owner Hannes Botes. “The tourists love him and his quiet mate. They insist on taking up residence in their corner under the thatch. We’ll probably soon may have an indoor flying school here when they teach the chicks to navigate around the people, pillars and fittings.”
IDEALE PLEK VIR OORLOGNAVORSERS
Antjieskraal, die plaas waar Kommandant Gideon Scheepers aangehou is na Britse soldate hom gevang het, word nou in ‘n gasteplaas omskep. Dit is die tuiste van bekende sangeres Jacolese Botes. Omdat sy so baie navrae oor Gideon Scheepers ontvang en so baie mense wat wil sien waar hy aangehou is, het sy besluit om die toeriste mark te betree. Jacolese het ook Rudyard Kipling se gedig “Bridge Guard in the Karoo” getoonset en dit gaan deel uitmaak van ‘n Anglo-Boere-oorlog program wat sy gaan aanbied. Die plaas is net suid van die blokhuis by Ketting Stasie. “In die laaste eau was daar ‘n hotel op Antjieskraal en ‘n poskantoor. Naby is daar ook die oorblyfsels van ‘n klein Lutheraanse Kerkie wat uit sinkplate gebou was,” volgens Jacolese.
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE?
In the last century intrepid explorers criss-crossed the Great Karoo to discover the secrets of the hinterland. But their spirit of adventure seems to have gone to the grave with them. These days, market analysts tell us, travellers and tourists do not like travelling too far. The vast plains of the interior, these experts say, hold no attraction, and passes we plattelanders call awe-inspiring terrify city folk. Analysts would have us believe that the modem tourist does not like to venture far from the Mother City, where his greatest desire is to dangle in a cable car to the top of Table Mountain, shop at a famous centres, like the Waterfront, toast himself on a “sun-drenched beach” and, in the evening, enjoy a “nightspot” and “international” cuisine. This prompts us simple souls in the Karoo to ask: “What happened to the traveller’s spirit of adventure? Has it perished? Has the magnetism that drew the aristocrats of Europe and people from virtually every country in the world to places like Matjiesfontein dissipated? We don’t think so. The magic of the hinterland which once intrigued flamboyant hunters and adventurers like Gordon Cummings and Robert Gordon, the first white man to see the Orange River, is still there. It’s easier to explore today. In their day there were no tarred roads, cars or buses. Explorers of old strode boldly into the interior on foot or rode a horse, while their provisions trundled along behind them in wagons. No highways led them forward. They followed rocky tracks. But the essence of their enjoyment remains. The clean, fresh air and clear night skies, vast plains and misty mountains are still there. So, in the Karoo, we aim to convince the profilers of modern tourists of the eternal enchantment. Most of them write the area off as arid and uninteresting. Thankfully early explorers had enquiring minds and were made of sterner stuff, otherwise the great romance of Africa would have been stillborn and Cape Town would have remained a refreshment station for victualling passing ships.
GIDEON SCHEEPERS SE PRAGTIGE ALICE
Die Round-up storie oor Kommandant Gideon Scheepers se agtenyer het ook in die Woonburger verskyn onder die opskrif “Hendrik Wynbek treur lewelank oor Scheepers”. As gevolg daarvan stuur Neels Loubser die volgende inligting oor Scheepers se perde. “Toe ek die berig lees was ek toevallig besig om Generaal Manie Maritz se boek, ‘My Lewe en Strewe’, te lees. Hierin skryf hy: ‘Die tweede nag nadat ons van Generaal de Wet af weg is, val ons Phillipolis aan, en daar is een van ons manne geskiet. In die rigting van Aberdeen getrek, was ons slaags met ‘n patrollie van 25 onder Lt Tidbitts, wat ons aanstonds kafgeloop het. Gedurig was dit maar ‘n botsing met die Engelse. Van Lt Tidbitts het ek ‘n mooi swart Irish hunter merrie gekry, wat ek later aan Kapt. Scheepers gegee het toe ek na die Noordweste is. Haar naam was Alice. Sy was ‘n pragtige dier.”
ON THE TRAIL OF A FAMOUS BOER
Interest in the Anglo-Boer War and a browse through the diary of Gideon Scheepers has inspired Fanie le Roes of Calitzdorp to research the route ridden by this famous Boer Commandant. “The diary interested me because of its close ties with the Central Karoo and Calitzdorp. I soon became quite captivated by this man and I feel many tourists may be interested in following this route. With this in mind, I appeal to anyone interested in helping to contact me.
IN DIE VOETSPORE VAN ‘OOM GIDEON’
Myra Mostert het onlangs besluit om die voetspore van haar oom deur die Karoo te volg en onder andere het dit haar na Prins Albert gelei. En oom, in Myra se geval, is niemand anders as Kommandant Gideon Scheepers nie. Sy is die dogter van Hendrik, die kommandant se jongste broer. Myra is besig om meer inligting oor haar oom se doen en late in die Karoo te probeer inwin. “Ek was bale beindruk met die spesiale Gideon Scheepers uitstalling in die Fransie Pienaar museum en was baie bly om meer inligting aan hulle te kon stuur. My oom was geen Kaapse rebel nie. Hy was in Middelburg in the ZAR in 1878 gebore. Ek het altyd ‘n groot belangstelling in hom gehad omdat ek op daardie plaas groot geword het. My pa het ons vertel hoe lief Gideon vir sy ma was en wat ‘n skok die terregstelling vir haar was. Sy het altyd geglo dat sy hom weer sou sien en was baie seergemaak deur mense wat vertel het dat hy hier en daar bespeur is. Twee jaar na sy dood is Gideon se dagboek aan sy ma terug besorg. Dit was aan die destydse Rand Daily Mail verkoop en Edgar Wallace het dele daaruit gepubliseer. Dit het vir my ouma baie beteken toe die koerant se bestuurder, J Andrew Cohen, dit aan haar terug besorg het.”
