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Thursday 26th November. Hebe; Allison; Thelma and Peter --- We leave for a 7 x day tour of the Eastern Cape. We travel from Port Elizabeth through to Nanaga; and on past Alexandria and stop at Kenton on Sea. Here we drive down to the beach at the Joan Muirhead Nature Reserve. The ladies and I walk the short distance westwards along the beach to Butt's Bay. We find the Carriage Rock... A shape of rock sticking out from the shore at Butt's Bay. Peter drives there and meets us.
After our walk we stop at The House Kitchen for a cup of tea.
Looking across the Bushmans river to the Bushmans side of the River.
A stop on the road towards East London is a Curio and Supplies shop. Beautiful hand made rugs are slold here.
After a stop in East London for lunch we continue Eastwards and find the Jikeleza Route. This takes us on the old Transkei Road past Kwelerha where the Surfers marathon starts. Also past a number of East Coast resorts such as Cintsa.
We continue eastwards on the N2 until we find the sign showing us the road to Kei Mouth. We drive towards the Indian Ocean and on the road we find these Airplanes and other collections of bikes and vehiles. The big airplane was used by the Rolling Stones when they visited South Africa in about 1993. Now called Eish Airlines.
On the way to Kei Mouth we find Morganville farm with the Airoplanes.
Into Kei Mouth we stay at the Thatches. Self catering cottages.
The Thatches accommodation. Self Contained rooms.
Opposite the Thatches is a pathway up a Dune to the Cross that has been erected here.
The pathway is not at all difficult and only takes us a few minutes.
Milkweed Locust . Eat toxic plants and so become toxic themselves. Also known as the African Bush Grasshopper.
The cross at the top of the Dune. Solar Powered so that it lights up at night.
Looking back at Kei Mouth
Thelma is in our Group.
Peter and Allison walking up to the Cross.
Looking down from the Platform to the Wild coast below. The wind has been blowing all day and the sea is quite wild.
Hebe is a seasoned walker
Plants.
Bush Lilly; Natal Lily or Clivia. Poisonous. Likes shady areas.
Bush Lily seed; Clivia. Likes shady spots
On top of the cross dune is a viewing platform
Looking down to the Kei Mouth and the Ferries that will take us across on Saturday morning when we drive to Butterworth.
Bush Lily or Clivia.
Dotted Vooltjie?
Our Supper is at the Kei Mouth Golf course. Not very good.
Back at the Thatches we see the cross lit up.
Moth found at Thatches
I find this moth at Thatches accommodation. Could be a Cut Worm moth.
The Ferry comes to fetch our vehicle to take to the east side of the Kei River.
My Combi was the only vehicle on the Ferry
Looking to the East Side of the Kei river. The first part of the road is tarred. Then there is a section of about 20km which is bad dirt road. The final bit leading up to Butterworth is in good condition. In Butterworth with turn Right in an easterly direction all the way past Idutywa and on to Qunu .. The home of Mandela. We pass Veso which is where Mandela was born. We did not go there this time. But Peter advises we should do so next time. Just to see how the buildings and the Center has deteriorated; vandalised; No maintenance. A luxury 5 start venue and accommodation has been allowed to become derilict.
Met David the fisherman on the ferry. He walks to the Ferry each morning. Crosses the river and then walks along the east side of the river to find the best fishing spot. Looks for Bloodworm for bait. He must catch at least 4 x fish. Which he will sell for R60 per kg. I just loved talking to him. Simple man. But he has the best life. Doing what he loves. Look at his warm gentle face.
The Qunu ... Nelson Mandela Museum. Derilict. Near to Qunu where Nelson Mandela lived and died. The security man tells me that they are working on renovations. But they are not on the job at present. There is nothing to see. Just empty buildings that have been vandalised.
We were unable to secure a booking at this hotel. The only viable road to Coffee Bay is off the N2 for about 80km at Vigies Ville we turn south and past Mquanduli. The road is as bad as it possibly can be. The potholes are deep and vicious. We have to drive slowly to avoid hitting a pothole. We have to dodge and swerve to keep going. All the while wondering if we will have a puncture soon. 80km takes us nearly 2 hours. The stream leading down to the sea and where the Hole in the wall is situated is called the Isikhala Meaning a Gap or open space.
From where we park the Combi it is a short walk to the Hole in the wall. Probably less than 20 minutes.
We walk through the Forest to the Beach of the Hole in the wall.
Zuks. He has studied and qualified to be a licenced guide. He is employed by the Hotel. He has two children of 9 and 7 months. A third has died at a young age. Zuks is 29 years of age. He is not with the mother of his children. "
Xhosa woman just want money" he tells me. The local community was invited to train as qualified guides. And he took up the offer. So he is now just waiting for his guiding badge. At the start of this short walk are a number of young men hanging around. Car Guards. Guides. But not qualified. He tells me that the Guiding Course was free and advertised all over the villages. But these young men decided that the training was too much like hard work. So now they hang around, unemployed and all that they can do is beg for Car Guard money. It is illegal to guide without a licence.
Walking to the beach of the Hole in the wall with Zuks
The gap -- Isikhala -- Hole in the wall. and the gape between rocks.
Our group with Guide Zukisa (Zuks).
The forest areas near to the Beach of the Hole in the Wall.
Huge neighbouring rocks.
This rockface is next to the Hole in the Wall. There is a pathway leading to the opening. We do not explore it.
The river coming downstream to the vehicle is called the Isikhala
Our group. Peterl Thelma; Peter; Alison and Hebe. On the lookout hill above the Hole in the wall.
After seeing the Hole in the Wall ... We find the Baby hole in the wall. A bit of a rough drive but we get there okay.
Baby hole in the wall. The hole is as big but the Rock is less massive
Looking down the cliff side to the Baby Hole in the Wall.
Peter and Hebe. Looking down at the Baby Hole in the Wall.
We stay at the Ocean View Hotel on our second night of the tour
The party starts. Friday evening. People come from locals villages to party, braai and have a socail gathering on the beach near to the Ocean View Hotel.
Beach walk at 5pm with Hebe. It has turned a little chilly with light rains. We see these crabs like holes in the sand. The crabs are tossing sand out. But we cannot spot them down in their burrows.
Our day ends with a beach walk from the East to the West side.
Saturday 28th morning. After breakfast we are ready to leave when we meet up with this group of lecturers and students from the Walter Sisulu University who are here to study the ocean bed for a research project. Oceanography.
Transkei Homes.
Authentic Transkei home. with Thatch roof; A tyre on top to stop the lightning igniting the roof; Cattle grazing around the home. Earlier on we saw ploughing of the land with a manual horse driven plough.
Take the R61 from Mthatha to Engcobo. Past the Airport for about 20km. There is this unknown road which takes you past the Xhosa village of Ncembu and the Langeni Forests up to a spectacular pass towards Ugie. This road is not found on any map nor did my GPS find it.
The R412 from the R61 to Ugie.
Driving past Ugie towards Elliot we see the Gatberg (Hole Mountain). Look carefully and you will see the peak of the mountain has a hole in it as a result of a geographical phenomenon. Peter tells us that a Helicopter is able to fly through the hole.
It is possible to drive to the base of the Gatberg and then to hike up to the Hole in the mountain.
We come into Elliot. From East to West you turn right at the Engen Garage. Coninue up this narrow, poor condition dirt road past the Bowling Greens until you see this sign. Turn left and you will arrive at the Airstrip.
This airstrip is at Elliot and was designed to allow a Boeing to land here. It is 2km long and certainly wide enough.
we find a wide variety of livestock on nearby fields.
Crossing the road in front of vehicles is not an unusual sight.
We leave Elliot and drive up the Barkly Pass. This is a highlight for Peter as he loves this area especially the snow in winter. Peter loves skiing
On the Barkly Pass we see the start of the Southern Drakensberg. Some quite magnificent mountains.
On the road between Elliot and Barkly East; Look out for the sign to Dinorben. Easy to miss as it is on a sharp turn on this road.
Sandstone carved and precariously balanced. Today we have rain; thunder; lightning and strong winds. Later this evening there is a heavy mist.
The Dinorben homestead is presently unoccupied. Behind the house is where we find the Rock Art Cave
The Rock art Cave.
Our Group looking up into the cave.
To be able to see the Rock Art you need to climb a short ladder and walk on platform.
Here there are a variety of life forms. Eland; people and other strange figures
A bushpig.
An antelope.
Our third night on tour is at the Mountain Shadows Hotel. Ria and her two children are our hosts.
The Mountain Shadows hotel. Heavy thunderstorms and a misty evening make our stay quite exciting
Before dinner we meet in the bar for a drink.
Our dinner table has a Christmas Theme. This evening there is a Business Function filling the dining room.
Saturday 28th November 2020
We had spent the night in Coffee Bay at the Ocean View Hotel. Our hotel is located right on the beach front and we hear the waves during the night. Saturday morning we have a reasonably leisurely start with a full breakfast in the dining hall. I meet a group of students who are going to spend a couple of days doing ocean research. They have metal squares which they place on the sand. They record and map out what happens within the square. This is part of a Walter Sisulu (University of the Transkei) research project.
We leave Coffee bay and drive back up towards Mthatha. The road is in a shocking condition. Potholes that make driving quite dangerous. A slow driving speed is neccessary to prevent damage to tyres and to your vehicle. Fortunately we do not have rain or other adverse conditions which may have made driving even more dangerous. The first 35 km out of Coffee Bay are the worst. Onwards to the N2 the road is not quite as potholled.
We stop off at the Shell Ultra City for a coffee and then take the Mthatha bypass road to the R61. Unmarked speed bumps are another potential road hazzard. We are heading west and past the Airport of Mthatha. We see the devestation caused by a Tornado in early November. Roof sheeting in particular is strewn all over the fields.
We are on the R61 between Mthatha and Engcobo. Peter knows of a road leading to Ugie that is not on the Map nor does it show on my GPS. We drive past this turn off and have a 40km added to our trip as we do a U turn back to this road called the R412. On the R61 there is no signage pointing to Ugie. It is little wonder that we missed it completely.
I put the name of Ncembu into the GPS and this takes us to this road which is a tarred / paved road up past the Langeni Forest. An overgrown area of plantations... Mainly pine and wattle. The road has been neglected with trees and bush encroaching on the road. There are no real stop off points to look down to where we have come from. Ugie has a massive saw mill in operation. This makes us wonder why the R412 had no log carrying trucks. Nor does it appear that the Langeni forest is being harvested.
As you leave Ugie -- keep your eyes open on the right hand side. The start of the Southern Drakensberg -- a mountain peak known as the Gatberg -- the peak has a hole in it which Peter has learned is big enough for a helicopter to fly through.
The Scots pronounces Ugie as “Oogie”. They derived it from the word “Oorie” of the Vikings in Iceland. It means to get cold. Literally to shiver of the cold. Ugie is the name of a River in Scotland where the Rev Murray came from. Ugie has a variety of hiking trails and rock art.
From Ugie we drive to Elliot. As we approach Elliot Peter tells us of the Airstrip that is long and wide enough to land a Boeing jet airliner. We find this unusual sighting by taking a right turn at the Engen Garage and continuing up the narrow dirt road past the Bowling greens; past fields of livestock (Cattle, Sheep and Goats) until we find the sign that indicates the location of the 2km long airstrip.
The weather has set in with black thunder clouds threatening heavy rains and a strong gusting wind bouncing our vehicle around. We continue towards Barkly East on the Barkly Pass which is another wonderful experience with some amaxing rock formations all around us . 10km pas the Mountain Shadows hotel is Dinorben where we find a wonderful example of Rock Art.
Our final stop of the day is at the Mountain shadows hotel where we spend the night. Ria tells us about the Sleutel Berg. There is a rock formation where you see an opening in the rocks looking like a Key Hole. The Barkly pass on the R58 is 1990 m at its highest point.
This bridge is the old bridge crossing the Unknown River as we leave Cacadu (Lady Frere)
A church in a valley not too far before we arrive at Queenstown (Komani). A catholic mission. As it is Sunday, there is a service in progress. Only a few congregants. Covid could be a contributing factor.
We drive through Queenstown. Coffee at the Shell Ultra. I purchase the provisions for our Braai this evening. We take the R68 towards Tarkastad. Not far on this road we find the turn off to Ntabethema (Bulhoek Massacre) and Tsolwana.
Bulhoek is the site of the killing in 1921 of 163 followers of pastor Enoch Mgijima by the Police who were trying to get them to move from this area where they were considered to be Squatters.
R61 from Queenstown (Komani) to Tarkastad.
A Heritage Site. Commemorating the massacre of 24.5.1921
In 1921 a number of blacks converged ot Ntabelanga (Ntabethemba) to hear the Prophet Enoch Mgijima. The Authorities viewed this as a Political drive for Black Liberation struggle. On 24th May 1921 1000 police and soldiers were despatched to Ntabalanga to remove the Israelites by force. The three mass graves are the consequences of that move.
The gate to this site was not locked so we were able to view the site which is in a state of neglect.
After our visit to the Ntabelethu Heritage site we continue our drive to Tsolwana Game reserve which is owned and run by East Cape Tourism. It seems that Tsolwana is primarily a Hunt Lodge. A stretch of the road from the R61 is tarred. The rest appears to be under construction. The dirt road of about 25km is in poor condition.
l,
The last bit of our drive to Tsolwana.
Once we have settled in to our Lodge (The Tibet Lodge). We take a Game Drive with our guide, Morris, who takes us to see the newly settled in herd of 19 buffalo. They are wary of us and move off as soon as they see movement in the vehicle.
The road in the Game Viewing area is not a good road and a solid vehice travelling in first and second gear is required.
Morris was out guide.
Braai time. The Monkeys are a real pest and you cannot leave anything unattended for even a second.
Full moon on Sunday 29th November 2020.
Sunday 29th November 2020
After a good breakfast at the Mountain Shadows Hotel we load
up and drive down the Barkly Pass towards Elliot (Khowa) meaning Mushroom for the shape of the rock
formations In the Barkly pass.
From Elliot we drive onwards to Cala through a little known
pass and then to Lady Frere which is now called Cacadu. In Cala we look for historic buildings and
find the Old Post Office, a fine old building made of Sand Stone. As we exit Cacadu we find the Old Bridge. Perhaps called the Victoria Bridge. The River is flowing strongly after the
heavy rains of the previous evening.
Our next town is Queenstown (Komani) where we stop for tea
at the Shell Ultra. I make use of the
time to shop for our Braai Supper. We
leave Queenstown and continue on the R61 for Tarkastad. Shortly after leaving town we see the turn
off to The Battle of Bulhorn site. This
is also the road which will take us to our overnight stop of Tsolwana. Much of the road is tarred however the dirt
road is in poor condition. At the village
of Thornhill or Ntabethemba we turn left towards the Heritage site of the
Battle of Bulhorn.
In the early 1900’s a pastor named Enoch Mgijima broke away
from the Methodist Church and began a religious sect of his own. He settled in this district and by 1921 he
had an estimated following of 3000 congregants who he called the Israelites. Many of them settled (Squatted) illegally in
the area. This caused upset with local
farmers and the authorities who tried to persuade them to move off the
land.
The refusal of Mgijima to move resulted in a large Police
Force moving on to forcibly remove the sect.
The Israelites prepared for battle with sticks and other implements. The
Police had machine guns and once the first shot had been fired, within 20 minutes, 163 Israelites had been killed and almost
another 100 injured. This became known
as the Battle of Bulhorn. Mgijima and
his brother Charles were sentenced to 5 years in prison. They were later buried at this site.
A monument, grave
site and buildings were set up to remember the battle. This has been declared a Heritage site. It has however deteriorated due to neglect. The site is a way off the main roads and
difficult to access. This area was
known as the Ciskei and is occupied by local people many of whom live in State
built homes and who appear to have little or no source of income apart from
State Grants.
After the disappointing visit to the Battle of Bulhorn
heritage site we drive on to Tsolwana Game Reserve where we are given a
restored farm house to stay. There are multiple
bedrooms and exceptionally well appointed furnishings. Our afternoon game drive is in our own
vehicle as they do not have Game Drive vehicles. We have a guide, Morris, who takes us to see
the recently acquired herd of 19 buffalo.
We also find Kudu, a Steenbuck, Mountain Zebra, Eland and
Springbok. This reserve is a Hunt
Reserve and the animals are wary of people and vehicles so not easy to
find.
After our game drive we start our braai. We are plagued by monkeys watching our every
move and waiting for the slightest lowering of our guard to snatch anything
edible.
Tsolwana reception area.
On the morning of Day Five of our 7 x day tour we leave Tsolwana. On the road are all these State Built homes. RDP houses. They are spaced out from one another which is different to those built in Cities where they are built right next to each other to cram as many together as possible. Here is the Ciskei / Rural areas the owner will have sufficient place to start a small farm if neccessary. However, at this stage there is not apparent facilities such as running water nor electricity. Many of the houses have a water tank. The toilet is separate from the house. Although the houses appear to have owners with curtains in the windows. there is little to no movement of people around the houses.
The drive from Tsolwana to Wittlesea is about 45km and the poor condition of the road and corrugations means that we take over an hour for this section.
Arriving in Fort Beaufort our first stop is at the Museum which we learn has not been open since mid March when the Covid Lockdown first began
Further down the main street of Fort Beaufort we find the sign to Healdtown College. Turn westwards on Ordinance Road and then turn Right into Grey Street which passes the various cemeteries, the Cape College of Education and the Thubalethu High school before leaving the potholled tar road for a dirt road of about 8km out of Fort Beaufort for Healdtown.
As we approach Healdtown we find this cricket ground. It is a well preserved stadium that could house a well attended match. The sign reads: Welcome to the home of Cricket and the HSRP. We never established what HSRP stands for. The cricket ground is completely sponsored by Mr Ngumbela and is called Ngumbela park. Inside the stadium is a sign which reads:
Our government is full of Promises. We are not waiting. We are carrying on. The Healdtown College hostel for both boys and girls. This building has been completely renovated. The rest of the school builings are in a state or neglect / disrepair. The older buildings were destroyed by fire as students rebelled against the white run government in 1976.
The school was attended by Robert Subukwe; Nelson Mandela and Raymond Mhlaba
The Healdtown High School. The Eagle is the symbol of the school. The staff of the school anticipate an upgrade of facilities. Students have been sent home due to the spread of Covid virus. Matrics will soon write their last exams before completing their high school years.
Back to Fort Beaufort we find the Martello Tower. A British fort built during the mid 1800's. There is another one of these at Simonstown.
The Martello Tower.
As you come into Fort Beaufort from either Queenstown or Grahamstown, you cross the bridge. Continue straight onto Bridge Street and on the far side of town is the Victoria bridge.
The Victoria Bridge. I speak to a local man who is sure that the bridge is under pressure from the trucks using the road and that once it collapses it will never be rebuilt and then there will be no access from the east side of the river.
Leaving Fort Beaufort for Alice. In Alice is this run down collapsed Fort. Built by the British. It is now almost unrecognisable as a fort.
In Alice we find the Fort Hare University. Inside the University is the remains of the Fort which has been completely restored. Historical Monuments Commission. Fort Hare. 1847 to 1883
These buildings formed part of the Military Establishment of Fort Hare.
The rebuilt fort is in reasonable condition.
De Beers Art Gallery. The building now provides an historical political record of the move from British Colonial rule to Elections in 1994 and beyond.
On the road to Hogsback is a sign Woburn Post and Chief Tyalis Great Place. Chief Tyali is best known for his donation of land to the British during the Fronteir wars.
There is nothing left of the Woburn Post except these ruins which may now house cattle. Woburn was one of the settlements attacked on Christmas Day in 1850.
During the Fifth Frontier War in 1818, after a two-decade long conflict, Chief Ngqika ka Mlawu and his uncle Ndlambe’s people clashed again in a battle called the Battle of Amalinde over several issues, including land ownership. The chief appointed his eldest son Maqoma (despite him lacking experience in battle) and the renowned Jingqi to lead the fight that lasted from midday to the evening. Ngqika was defeated, losing about 500 men during what is considered the bloodiest and most famous clash between Xhosa people in history.Sixth war (1834–36)
Cape responses to the Xhosa cattle raids varied, but in some cases were drastic and violent.On 11 December 1834, a Cape government commando party killed a chief of high rank, incensing the Xhosa: an army of 10,000 men, led by Maqoma, a brother of the chief who had been killed, swept across the frontier into the Cape Colony, pillaged and burned the homesteads, and killed all who resisted. Among the worst sufferers was a colony of freed Khoikhoi who, in 1829, had been settled in the Kat River Valley by the British authorities. Refugees from the farms and villages took to the safety of Grahamstown, where women and children found refuge in the church.
British campaign[edit]
The response was swift and multifaceted. Boer commandos mobilised under Piet Retief and inflicted a defeat on the Xhosa in the Winterberg Mountains in the north. Burgher and Khoi commandos also mobilised, and British Imperial troops arrived via Algoa Bay.
The British governor, Sir Benjamin d'Urban, mustered the combined forces under Colonel Sir Harry Smith,[9] who reached Grahamstown on 6 January 1835, six days after news of the uprising had reached Cape Town. It was from Grahamstown that the retaliatory campaign was launched and directed.
The campaign inflicted a string of defeats on the Xhosa, such as at Trompetter's Drift on the Fish River, and most of the Xhosa chiefs surrendered. However, the two primary Xhosa leaders, Maqoma and Tyali, retreated to the fastnesses of the Amatola Mountains.
The great Cattle-killing was a millennialist movement which began among the Xhosa in 1856, and led them to destroy their own means of subsistence in the belief that it would bring about salvation by supernatural spirits.
In April 1856 the 16-year-old Xhosa prophetess Nongqawuse began to declare that she had received a message from the Xhosa people's ancestors, promising deliverance from their hardships. She preached that the ancestors would return from the afterlife in huge numbers, drive all Europeans into the sea, and give the Xhosa bounteous gifts of horses, sheep, goats, dogs, fowls, and all manner of clothing and food in great amounts. They would also restore the elderly to youth and would usher in a utopian era of prosperity. However, she declared that the dead ancestors would only enact this on condition that the Xhosa first destroyed all their means of subsistence. They needed to kill all of their cattle and burn all of their crops.
At first no one believed Nongquwuse's prophecy and the Xhosa nation ignored her prophecy. But when Chief Sarhili began to kill his cattle, more and more people began to believe that Nongquwuse was an igqirha (diviner) who could communicate with the ancestors. They too killed their cattle and destroyed their crops. The cult grew and built up momentum, sweeping across the eastern Cape. The government authorities of the Cape Colony feared chaos, famine and economic collapse, so they desperately appealed in vain to the Xhosa to ignore the prophecies. They even arrested Nongqawuse herself for disturbance caused.
The return of the ancestors was predicted to occur on 18 February 1857. The Xhosa, especially chief Sarhili of the Gcalekas, heeded the demand to destroy food sources and clothes and enforced it on others throughout the country. When the day came, the Xhosa nation waited en masse for the momentous events to occur, only to be bitterly disappointed. With no means of subsistence, famine set in.
The cattle killings continued into 1858, leading to the starvation of thousands. Disease was also spread from the cattle killings. This gave the settlers power over the remainder of the Xhosa nation who were often forced to turn to the colonists for food, blankets and other relief.
The Edge is a restaurant and accommodation located on the edge of the mountain top with views across the valley below.
Standing on the Edge.
Rock faces and drops below
Looking northwards from the Edge
The Labyrinth. It is probably a 10 minute walk from the steps here to the center of the Labyrinth.
Day five of our 7 day tour of the eastern part of the Eastern Cape. We leave from Tsolwana game reserve. Nearly an hour to drive the rough dirt road to Whittlesea. Then to Fort Beaufort to visit the Museum which is closed; The Healdtown High School where Mandela and other political figures went to school. We find the school is needing a huge amount of repairs. The Hostel has been renovated. The old school was burned to the ground by students in 1976. Other buildings in the school and the grounds are crumbling due to neglect.
Near to Healdtown school we find the Ngumbela Cricket field and stadium. A private enterprise project to promote cricket in the area. This cricket stadium could host a major game --- interschools, club or even interprovincial. The ground itself may need attention prior to such a game. The road leading to Healdtown is pretty awful and local accommodation in Fort Beaufort could pose a bit of a headache. Nothing unsolvable.
We then visit the Martello Tower in Fort Beaufort. It is locked up so we are not able to see the insides. This tower was one of many forts built by the British in the period of the Fronteir wars. Another Martello tower is in Simonstown. Not easy to find or to access. We find the Vitoria Bridge which is in danger of collapsing due to heavy vehicles using it. Should it collapse there is no chance of rebuilding this historic structure. We leave Fort Beaufort and drive through to Alice and Fort Hare. Fort Hare is a University town. The site of the Original Fort is in the University grounds and has been rebuilt. The De Beers Art Gallery is a magnificent building which does not house any artefacts but does tell the story of the political move of black people to governance of South Africa.
From Fort Hare it is a short drive to Hogsback. On route we find the ruins of the Woburn memorial. In 1850 the black people of the area saw the settlement of whites in the Woburn and other districts as further land invasion so,. on Christmas day in 1850, they attacked and killed many white farmers and families. An estimated 93 people died on that day.
Hogsback roads are potholed and in poor repair. We drive up to the Arminel Hotel where we are staying for the next two nights. Our evening is at the Edge restaurant and view point.
Day Six
Hogsback
Our day in Hogsback is one of Hiking. We start off with an easy walk to the 39 steps waterfall which is adjaycent to the Arminel Hotel.
From the Arbouretum it is a five minute walk to the falls.
The walk is easy and flat
The falls are quite beautiful.
We did not count the steps but it is quite possible that someone has done so and reached the number 39
In this area there are a number of these maps showing the various walks.
The pathways are clearly visible and not at all difficult
This sign was broken and Hebe held it together for this pic. We think that we walked the Circular walk as we took almost exactly 1.5 hours.
From the Arbouretum the three Hogs are clearly visible.
A map of the district that we are exploring this week.
We find the Samango Monkeys. This is a rare fine. In South Africa all you will see is the vervet monkey. Except in two places known to us.... One is the Mpumalanga district and the other is here is Hogsback. This monkey is unique to Hogsback.
After a tea break we decide to walk to the Madonna and Child waterfall. We start at the Away with Fairies backpackers and restaurant. Peter Joseph takes the Combi to the falls where he waits for us. As we leave we take a wrong turn and miss the trail. We double back and start again. this time we begin the steep descent into the valley. It is Hebe, Thelma and I who brave this trail.
Near to the backpackers is this bath on the edge of the cliff. There is a Donkey geyser so you can bath in the open with a view and hot water.
This trail is a steep and long descent and while the trail is not that technical, it is also not easy and not well marked.
At this stage we have no idea what we are getting into
A=
as we descend into the forest some of the trails are reasonably flat. But not well marked and time is moving on.
The Big Tree of the Hogsback area. 800 years old and 30 m tall. By Comparison, the Campanile in PE is 50 m tall.
Our initial plan was to walk to the Madonna and child falls. After a slow start, I suggested that we take the option of the Swallow Tail falls and to the top on the road where we could ask Peter to meet us. I had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. It was, in hindsight, the wrong decision.
Details of the Big Tree.
Some of the signage is old and faded. And there is little or no indication of how long or how difficult the trail is. Soon after this sign we find the Big Tree and then we find a sign -- to the right is Madonna and Child falls and to the left 700m is the Swallow tails falls. This is where we make a huge mistake. Not realising how difficult the Swallow Tail falls climb will be, we decide on this option. As we reach the bottom of the falls we begin to experience the level of difficulty of the climb out of this forest. Not only is the path difficult to find and we contstantly take wrong turns, this climb is technical and requires strength and agility.
Fortunately both Hebe and Thelma are resilliant, no comlaints when I make a wrong decision and we finally reach the top of the falls after what must have been about 2 hours. Peter meets us and we drive back to the hotel. I am pretty much exhausted. I twisted my foot and it is a bit swollen. Peter Joseph takes the ladies to see the Church while I have a nap before we go to supper of Pizza at the Away with Fairies backpackers where we meet Dan who arranges the Amatola Hiking trails.
Wednesday 2nd December 2020
Day seven of the 7 x day tour of the Eastern part of the Eastern Cape.
Leaving Hogsback on Wednesday 2nd December we find this sign which leads us to the Memorial of the 1850 Christmas Day massacre.
In memorty of those who fell in this valley on Christmas Day 1850
He was a man of intelect and eloquence. Striving to maintain Traditional social structures and the Power of the xhosa Royalty. in The face of Colonial deprivation and dispossesion.
He led Xhosa forces against the British ruled Cape Colony. Now the Eastern Cape Province. In the 19th Century colonial forces occupied land in the Rharhadebe kingdom. To gain control over the land and Livestock as well as the freedom and sense of being.
The Taba Ka Ndoda memorial.
Another landmark that PJ finds for us is this one on the side of the road. Erected in memory of Lt Charles Bailie. Together with 30 men, At age 25, killed in battle.
Erected in 1951 by TocH. Toc is the letter T in the British army. Talbot House was established as an international Christian movement in 1915. Difficult to maintain; the movement is presently (2020) a voluntary operation. Talbot house was originally established to welcome all ranks of Soldiers and to Promote healthy productive living.
The Kings Great Place. This turn off is on the R63 and almost opposite Dimbaza industrial area.
Unfortunately run down and neglected. No electricity. The Museum has been plundered .
In Kingwilliamstown is the Memorial to the Cattle Killings of 1856 / 1857
Nongqawuse, (c.1841–c.1898), was a prophetess of the great Xhosa cattle-killing of 1856–1857. Nongqawuse was an orphan living with her uncle Mhlakaza at the Gxarha River in independent Xhosaland, close to the border of the recently colonized territory of British Kaffraria in South Africa. One day in April 1856, she informed her household that she had encountered two strangers, spirits from another world, who told her that the entire nation would rise from the dead provided that the Xhosa slaughtered all their cattle and destroyed all their corn. The reason given was that people and animals alike had been defiled by witchcraft, and that the living must cleanse themselves from all contamination so that new people and pure cattle could rise.
Nongqawuse’s prophecies were embraced by the overwhelming majority of the Xhosa people. They had been militarily defeated by the British during the long and bloody Eighth Frontier War (1850–1853). Even worse, they had seen their cattle herds decimated by the alien disease of bovine lung sickness, thus giving credence to the prophetic message that “they have all been wicked and everything belonging to them is therefore bad.” A small minority of Xhosa, known as the amagogotya (stingy ones), refused to slaughter, and this refusal was used by Nongqawuse to rationalize the failure of the prophecies over a period of fifteen months (April 1856–June 1857). By the time hope was finally abandoned, the Xhosa had lost over 400,000 cattle, as well as all their corn and seed corn for the coming season. An estimated 40,000 people starved to death, and the survivors streamed into the small colonial towns of the Eastern Cape in search of food and work.
The catastrophe was aggravated by Sir George Grey , the colonial governor, who took advantage of the cattle-killing to break the power of the Xhosa, which had checked colonial expansion for more than eighty years. Grey dispersed the starving Xhosa to slave-like labor among the white colonists and imprisoned the Xhosa chiefs on the pretext that they were trying to incite war against the colony. More than 600,000 acres of Xhosa land was alienated for white settlement in the immediate hinterland of the South African city of East London.
A final stop at Nanaga for tea ends our Eastern Cape Tour.
We leave from Hogsback Arminel Hotel and on the way to the R63 we find the turn off to the small church and the monument which remembers the Massacre of Christmas Day in 1850
From there we go to Keiskamma Hoek to the Monument of Chief Maqoma.
As we leave we are able to find a monument honouring British Soldiers
Dimbaza was to be a stop to show the way that the current Government regime has messed up by handing out grants and gifts to the population. Creating unemployment as a form of Employment standing in long lines to collect a pittance each month. Whereas the previous Government may not have got it all right but through support of industry in places such as Dimbaza they created employment and a sense of Dignity inWork.
We find the Kings Palance or Great Place. This too has run into disuse and disrepair. The museum has been emptied of all the displays. The Accommodation is not longer viable. There is no power. The man who shows us around describes Covid 19 as the contributing factor in the deterioration of the facility.
Our final stop for the day befoere we leave for PE is to find the monument to the Cattle Slaughter of 1957.
This tour has taken us 7 days. We left on Thursday 26th November and ended on Wednesday 2nd December 2020.
We have explored across the Eastern part of the Eastern Cape of South Africa.
We visited the Sunshine Coast; The Transkei and Wild Coast; The Southern Drakensberg and Barkly pass area; We saw the Ciskei and the Tsolwana game Reserve; the Karoo from Elliot (Cacadu) to Hogsback and the historical areas of Fort Beaufort to Kingwilliamstown. An area which is said to have more British forts than anywhere else in Africa.
We discovered places of interest and of beauty; We had adventures and we had History lessons. Overall a successful tour which taught us all a great deal about the district.
SA Guided Tours and Peter Giddy Guided Tours -- Shore Excursions -- Addo Elephant and other Wildlife Reserves -- Garden Route. Flowers of Namaqualand --
0027 (0) 82 55 03 714 Whatsup
peter.giddy@gmail.com
Addo Elephant Park Day Visit and Night drive.
- Kragga Kamma Wildlife Reserve
- Daniel Cheetah Project
- Pumba; Shamwari; Amakhala; Kariega -- Day trips Private Reserves.
- Three day tour of Mountain Zebra Park. Graaff Reinet, Nieu Bethesda and Addo.
- City Historical and Cultural Tours,
- Horse riding for both experienced and inexperienced riders
- Hikes and Walks around Port Elizabeth (2 hour Nature and Coastal walks)
- Garden Route Adventure Tours (Zip Lines; Segway in the Forest; Adventure Quad Biking; Bridge Walks; Bungy Jump; Knysna Elephant Park; Monkey Land and Birds of Eden; Big Cats Sanctuary; Oudtshoorn Cango Caves and Ostrich farms)
- Shore Excursions from Passengers ships
- Transfers. Airport; Hotel and Wildlife Reserve.
- Flowers of Namaqualand. Seven days of adventure and exploring places and sights you never even knew existed. History and natural beauty of the South West of South Africa
- Karoo to Garden Route. Six days of fun and activities. Prince Albert; Swartberg Pass; Die Hell; Oudtshoorn; Prince Alfred pass; Plett and Tsitsikamma.
Website -- petergiddyguidedtours.wordpress.com
For tours and bookings.. email me at. peter.giddy@gmail.com
Contact me on Whatsup.... 0027 082 550 3174
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