Armpie
Pack Dog
By now, just about everybody and his brother did this most traveled route. Here is a different perspective.
It is mid-December, the weather beautiful. A famous terrorist/communist/politician/president is to be buried today. It must be something with my eyes, but I could not see myself sitting in front of the TV looking at the only history some belief there to be. So I took the KLR and set of for some real history- with a family connection.
I set out west of Pretoria past Atteridgeville. At Saartjiesnek I stop to take a photo of the beautiful scenery with Hartebeespoort Dam in the background. In front of me is the Hendrik Schoeman memorial on a hill overlooking the dam. I was a year or two in the primary school carrying his name here in Schoemansville. My family said he was a traitor. As one of the most senior Boer Generals he made his own peace with the British. He died when a souvenir canon shell from the war, exploded in his house in Pretoria- “God’s finger” the Transvaal Boers said.
The road is beautiful and quite. At the tunnel at the Hartebeespoort dam wall, I stopped at the traffic light. There are 4 more bikers. They came from Middelburg and just came here for breakfast. They took a photo of me while the traffic light is red. This dam my grandfather with many other “poor whites” built with hands and wheelbarrows. And all the channels up to Beestekraal. That was from 1921-1923.
From the Dam wall I rode towards Kommandonek, where one of the opposing Commandos moved over during the Boer civil war of 1863. From Kommandonek I moved along the tar road to Skeerpoort. At Skeerpoort I stopped in front of the Skeerpoort shop.
Here at Skeerpoort during the Anglo Boer War, on 10 August 1901, my great grandfather Gert, and his brother Thomas were caught by the British. They were sent to India as POW’s. They only returned in 1903. They had to sell the farm here at Remhoogte close to Skeerpoort, and resort back to their other farm at the current Dikololo- where the old man was buried 53 years later.
The grave of Gert Bezuidenhout, Boer War Warrior and 1914 Rebel at Dikololo
The dirt road past Skeerpoort and Remhoogte is beautiful and the ride over the Magaliesrivier and past Remhoogte really enjoyable and scenic. Then I go with the Nooitgedacht road. Over the Rooisloot. In front of me the majestic Magaliesberg. Here at the tower on top of the mountain, is the highest point of the Magalies. Nooitgedacht. Here on 13 December 1900 a number of combined Boer commando’s under command of General Koos de la Rey over run the British under General Clements. It was a big and humiliating British defeat. Only one combatant remains buried here in the old cemetery. He is Field Cornet Mentz, one of Gen. Kemp's staff.
Grave of the last remaining warrior in the Nooitgedacht cemetary
Gen de la Rey chased Gen Clements down the road that day in December 1900
The farm is in possession of the owner, Sanders, since 1863. Today it is a game camp. Opposite is the game fence of Askari Lodge. They returned elephant, rhino and buffalo here. I do not see any rhino or elephant but on the return trip I see a few buffalo. But the trip down the dirt road to Breedtsnek is nearly one of nostalgia. How the old Africa was. The road up Breedtshoogte is bad. At the top I find a young man with a Citigolf he wanted to go town towards Buffelspoort. He asked me to go down and have a look. I turn the nose of the KLR north and when I returned the news is not good. “You can in an emergency, but do not think this is the day”.
Wildebeest bull at Askari. Unfortunately I do not have a picture of the baffalos.
I return to Askari lodge where I have a look at their ox wagon collection, then I have my traditional beer at their game seeing dam before I move back home. I have missed the funeral but I have gained much more. And the dirt road is never the same, but always beautiful.
It is mid-December, the weather beautiful. A famous terrorist/communist/politician/president is to be buried today. It must be something with my eyes, but I could not see myself sitting in front of the TV looking at the only history some belief there to be. So I took the KLR and set of for some real history- with a family connection.
I set out west of Pretoria past Atteridgeville. At Saartjiesnek I stop to take a photo of the beautiful scenery with Hartebeespoort Dam in the background. In front of me is the Hendrik Schoeman memorial on a hill overlooking the dam. I was a year or two in the primary school carrying his name here in Schoemansville. My family said he was a traitor. As one of the most senior Boer Generals he made his own peace with the British. He died when a souvenir canon shell from the war, exploded in his house in Pretoria- “God’s finger” the Transvaal Boers said.
The road is beautiful and quite. At the tunnel at the Hartebeespoort dam wall, I stopped at the traffic light. There are 4 more bikers. They came from Middelburg and just came here for breakfast. They took a photo of me while the traffic light is red. This dam my grandfather with many other “poor whites” built with hands and wheelbarrows. And all the channels up to Beestekraal. That was from 1921-1923.
From the Dam wall I rode towards Kommandonek, where one of the opposing Commandos moved over during the Boer civil war of 1863. From Kommandonek I moved along the tar road to Skeerpoort. At Skeerpoort I stopped in front of the Skeerpoort shop.
Here at Skeerpoort during the Anglo Boer War, on 10 August 1901, my great grandfather Gert, and his brother Thomas were caught by the British. They were sent to India as POW’s. They only returned in 1903. They had to sell the farm here at Remhoogte close to Skeerpoort, and resort back to their other farm at the current Dikololo- where the old man was buried 53 years later.
The grave of Gert Bezuidenhout, Boer War Warrior and 1914 Rebel at Dikololo
The dirt road past Skeerpoort and Remhoogte is beautiful and the ride over the Magaliesrivier and past Remhoogte really enjoyable and scenic. Then I go with the Nooitgedacht road. Over the Rooisloot. In front of me the majestic Magaliesberg. Here at the tower on top of the mountain, is the highest point of the Magalies. Nooitgedacht. Here on 13 December 1900 a number of combined Boer commando’s under command of General Koos de la Rey over run the British under General Clements. It was a big and humiliating British defeat. Only one combatant remains buried here in the old cemetery. He is Field Cornet Mentz, one of Gen. Kemp's staff.
Grave of the last remaining warrior in the Nooitgedacht cemetary
Gen de la Rey chased Gen Clements down the road that day in December 1900
The farm is in possession of the owner, Sanders, since 1863. Today it is a game camp. Opposite is the game fence of Askari Lodge. They returned elephant, rhino and buffalo here. I do not see any rhino or elephant but on the return trip I see a few buffalo. But the trip down the dirt road to Breedtsnek is nearly one of nostalgia. How the old Africa was. The road up Breedtshoogte is bad. At the top I find a young man with a Citigolf he wanted to go town towards Buffelspoort. He asked me to go down and have a look. I turn the nose of the KLR north and when I returned the news is not good. “You can in an emergency, but do not think this is the day”.
Wildebeest bull at Askari. Unfortunately I do not have a picture of the baffalos.
I return to Askari lodge where I have a look at their ox wagon collection, then I have my traditional beer at their game seeing dam before I move back home. I have missed the funeral but I have gained much more. And the dirt road is never the same, but always beautiful.
