The town is surrounded with fynbos, ericas and buchu is growing wild.  Fynbos  is also one of the main export products of the area.  Buchu is that  very distinctive smell that you get when you approach Riversdale on the N2.  The  natural beauty of the area is also  very popular with hikers and boasts several hiking trails at Boosmansbos and Grootvaderbosch.

To the north the Garcia pass (R323) links Riversdale with Ladismith in the Klein Karoo.  It is also a Thomas Bain pass where he used convict labour.  After Bain completed the Tradouw pass 107 convicts were transferred to the Garcia pass.  However, things did not progress without problems.  Most of the convicts were either old or sick and progress was slow.  This surely put Bain to the test as he had his hands and mind full with Cogmagnskloof and Pakhuis pass.  The pass was named after Maurice Garcia, an 1820 settler of Jewish-Portuguese descent.    The pass is about 17 kilometres with several bends.  It is not a busy road so take the time to pull over at the viewpoints to drink in the scenery.   You will not be disappointed.

We also discovered a little stone church designed by the famous Sophy Gray.  From my previous post you would have noticed that I am on a mission to tick the boxes on her church list.  Read more about her other churches in the Garden Route @ Day-trip-from-George-Sophy-Grays-footsteps

For the train enthusiasts there is a Class 7 steam locomotive parked in the centre of town in front of the municipality.  I always wonder how they get it there as it ways tonnes. 

There were a couple of famous people who either were born or grew up here and put the town on the map.  Who are they?  Dalene Matthee, author of several books on the Knysna forest attended the local High School.  She was also laid to rest in the Knysna forest where you can visit her memorial.  Willem Botha a younger singer and actor.  Dr Cecil Moss who was a qualified medical doctor (anesthetist) who was part of the medical team who removed the heart from the first heart transplant donor.  He was also vice-captain of the Springboks in1949 and head coach for South Africa from 1982 to 1989.  CJ Langenhoven, another famous author and father of the Afrikaans language, also spent two years of his school life in Riversdale. 

We ended our exploring trip at the old jail, now turned into a cute little coffee shop, (S 34° 05.490 E 021° 15.788) that has an interesting story.   During 1860 the government bought the the premises from the Barry family and turned the trading store into a police station, court and jail all on one site.  The jail warden also lived on site.  The only execution ever in Riversdale also took place in this complex.  Gilbert Hay of Heidelberg, who murdered his  mother with a hammer for some drinking money, met the end of his life here.  Today the gallows are displayed at one of the backrooms.  Go and have a look and do not just pass by, you might be surprised at what you discover.

We would love to hear from you if there are some other interesting places to explore in Riversdale. 

oOo

Make this year a year of discovery

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The church with its lovely setting is situated close to a grove of trees and overlooks the beach and ocean towards the distant Tsitsikama Mountains.

In 1848 when the Grays (Rev Robert and his wife Sophy) arrived at the Cape of Good Hope there were almost no Anglican churches in the diocese in Cape Town. Bishop Gray’s enthusiasm – the obvious need for churches – and apparent lack of architectural services as well as money probably encouraged Sophia Gray (a self taught architect) to design buildings to suit the immediate needs.

Saint Peter’s was built from a random selection of stones and boasts beautiful glass stained windows.  The church welcomes visitors, but please show respect when entering the premises.

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Waking up to a freezing but spectacular sunrise and after a hearty breakfast we set off on our long day’s ride.   First of all we had to get Daisy (for those of you who do not know – that is my GS) and Ogre (that is hubby’s GS) going in the chilly weather.   Like our cold and stiff fingers they were not used to these low temperatures of the Karoo.  Welcome in the heartland of the Karoo!

On our way out of town I was fortunate enough to track down another Sophy Gray church at 31°55′00″S 21°30′47″E which was built in 1870 – one year before her death  on 27  April 1871.  As it was still very early the church was  locked so no opportunity to take a sneak peak inside.   Today it had to be a “drive by shooting” snapshot of the church.

So happy  to add another tick to my Sophy Gray list.  The hunt is on for some more.

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Sophy’s stone churches stole my heart and now I am on a quest to tick them off one by one.  This quaint church with its tranquil garden is situated in the Main Road, but is easily missed when one is in a hurry.

John Rex., son of the legendary George Rex, laid the foundation stone in 1849 and soon after in 1850 construction started on plans adapted and provided by Sophy.  Her church, the first in Knysna, is standing in front of the newer, darker church building which was only constructed in 1926.

The gardens are well kept and the green grass, edged with white flowers, provided a good back drop for pictures.  According to the notice board at the gate it states no sleeping on the church grounds, amongst others, but some vagrants enjoyed a New Years nap in the shade of the church garden.

We spent some time walking through the old graveyard and noticed some more Rex graves and also a grave of John Benn in the gardens.  Can this be the famous skipper that served Knysna in the early days?  I think I have some research to do ….

Unfortunately the church doors were locked so we could not take a peek inside.  Maybe next time when I pass by this way.

From the 40 churches where Sophy was involved I have managed to tick off 10 from the list. I think this may be a good enough excuse to take more trips in 2016 to find the others dotted all over South Africa.

My ticked list so far:  

• St George, Knysna 1849
• School Chapel, Beaufort West 1849
• St Marks, George 1849
• Holy Trinity, Belvidere, Knysna 1851
• Christ Church, Beaufort West 1852
• St Pauls, North End, Port Elizabeth 1854
• St Judes, Oudtshoorn 1860
• St Augustine, Frazerburg 1869
• All Saints, Uniondale  1869
• St Peters, Plettenberg Bay 1879

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Arriving over the lunch hour on a sunny day I found the gardener attending to the lawn with love and care.  He only gave me a quick glance and carried on with his tasks at hand.

Today the little stone church stood out against the blue sky with picture opportunities aplenty.

This is another one of the legendary Sophy Gray churches. The design of the cathedral is based on the Littlemore Church near Oxford in England which was designed by Henry Jones Underwood.  Three stonemasons were used to build the cathedral and it was completed in only 13 months.  Without the modern technology and tools available that is not a bad accomplishment at all.

I could not take nice pictures of the stained windows, but it might be the oldest in South Africa as it dates back to before Van Riebeeck arrived in the Cape of Good Hope. This was apparently recovered from a church in Germany during the French Revolution, brought to England and then found its way to South Africa.

Wandering through the graveyard at the back of the cathedral I saw a number of historic graves; Bishop Sidwell, Henry Fancourt White – the builder of the Montagu Pass who died in 1866 – and Major H D Warden who founded Bloemfontein while serving as British Resident of the land beyond the Orange River.

Sophy Gray, who designed and built 53 churches in South Africa, was buried at St Saviour’s in Claremont.  This half an hour visit enriched my life as I learned something about our beautiful town which I can share with all of you out there.

After this visit I can tick another Gray church from my list!

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This is another one of the famous Bishop Gray’s churches dotted all over South Africa, but it seems according to the records that the Bishop was not that happy with the building process – goes to show that even in those early days architects were  hard to please.    Building work started in 1851 and lasted until 1854.

It is recorded that the church was not built in accordance with the approved plans as provided by the Bishop and his wife.  The cause of the dismay was apparently that the roof was lowered and the length of the church was decreased and some other nitty gritty stuff.  According to the Bishop this resulted that the Christ Church did not conform to the early English Churches, but stated that “still it is neat, well built and substantial”.

Although it is in desperate need of some paint and a bit of TLC and  whether it conforms to the standard of an English Church or not I still enjoyed finding it.

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King Williams Town started as a mission station on the banks of the Buffalo River in 1834 and boasts a number of old and interesting buildings.  This probably also explain the abundance of steeple chases that you can see when scanning the horizon.

 While having breakfast at the Spur I had a good vantage point to admire yet another Sophy Gray church.  When reading up on the history of the stone churches I became hooked on this remarkable and inspiring woman that Sophy Gray was and now try to find as many of her churches as  I possibly can.  It seems they just have the habit of popping up in the most unexpected places!

Built by prisoners garrisoned in King Williams Town this little gem’s foundation stone was laid in 1850 and officially opened in 1856.  As it was still early morning the doors were securely locked so I was not afforded a peep inside.   I am sure the inside, like all the other Sophy Gray churches, will not disappoint.

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With the expansion of Port Elizabeth’s residential area to Westbourne Road and surrounds the need for another Anglican church was seen and in June 1882 the Town Council granted a piece of ground for the erection of a church in memory of Bishop Robert Gray.

Due to lack of funds the first building was of wood-and-iron, designed by Mr WT Miles, the municipal architect.

The new chancel (the area around the altar of a church for the clergy and choir) was built in 1889 and the original rectory in 1910 but it was not until 1932 that the present nave and vestries were completed and consecrated. In 1947, as a war memorial, it was decided that a chapel be built and that the great west window, (of stained glass), be installed.

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As with so many places near your home you tend to seldom visit them, because they will always be there, but as I slowly drove into the village at nine o’clock a Knysna loerie was spreading its red wings as it crossed the road in the tree tops.  What a welcoming sight!  This alone was worth the visit.

When I arrived at the Holy Trinity Church, designed by Sophy Gray, with its romantic setting and history there was a service.  So I strolled around the village to make up time, because I wanted to visit this historic church after reading its story.  Luckily the church is open from 08:30 until 17:00 every day (entrance free of charge) except when there is a service.  So time was on my side!

At the entrance gate

Sophia (Sophy) Gray designed no fewer than 40 of the 50 Anglican churches built during her husband Robert Gray’s bishopric. She was the first woman to practise architecture in South Africa, and one of the earliest to do so in the world. No mean feat for a woman who was a wife during the Victorian era, and a mother to five children.    Remarkably she was totally self-taught, with no training bar her natural ability to paint, and a propensity to observe the rudiments of architecture.

Most of Sophy’s churches are found in the Western and Eastern Cape, but since she was an adept horsewoman and accompanied her husband on many, if not most, of his extended journeys, her churches lie as far afield as Willowmore , Bloemfontein and even Pietermaritzburg.

 There is a bit of a love story attached to the church as it was built by Thomas Henry Duthie, who was the founder of the village of Belvidere, for his wife Caroline, a daughter of George Rex, the founder of Knysna.   The Duthies built their home on the farm on which Belvidere was established and decided that they needed a church to complete their happiness.  The church would be used to celebrate things like holy days and the baptisms of their future children.

Holy Trinity

During my wanderings I even saw a street and a lane in the leafy Belvidere were named after Sophy and Robert.  Before today and before reading the story of the church these street names never had any significance to me at all.

The street and lane named in their honor

On my way to do a nearby geocache I accidentally stumbled upon the original entrance to the farm Belvidere which formed part of the historical avenue of trees planted in 1852 to link Belvidere House with the Holy Trinity Church.

The original entrance

Near the church entrance, tucked away between the leaves, you will find a commemorative plaque in honor of one of the descendants of the three original stone masons (Alexander Lawrence and his brother James and Alexander Bern) whom helped to built the church way back in 1851.

The plaque near the gate

I am glad I took the time to revisit the church with my new found knowledge and spent some time in the beautiful leafy village of  Belvidere.  My life was enriched and I sincerely hope this village will keep its charm!

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 Laataand pak ons die bakkie en vat die pad met ‘n nodige padkossie, maak ‘n vinnige slapie in Port Elizabeth by ons dogter, dan weer vroeg die volgende oggend in die pad, want jy sien ‘n mens ry nie na donker in die Transkei nie.  Op die pad na Mazeppa  trotseer jy baie dinge – beeste, varke kinders, hoenders, bokke, onpadwaardige voertuie en onverskillige bestuurders – maar so elke nou en dan vir ‘n vlietende oomblik bewonder ons  die mooi natuurskoon van die Oos-Kaap.

 Vroegoggend is die verkeer nie te sleg nie met die gevolg dat ons bietjie te vroeg in King Williams Town gaan wees vir ontbyt.  Soooo, dit beteken ons kan ‘n geocache of twee voor ontbyt inpas!  Ons eerste geocache vat ons na die ou staalbrug oor die Keirivier gebou in 1879  deur Westwood Baillie  Terwyl ons soek na die geocache probeer ek myself indink hoe hulle die stukke van die brug daardie jare tot hier moes vervoer het met spanne beeste en waens – geen trokke met hyskrane, teerpaaie en alle moderne hulpmiddels tot hulle beskikking nie. Dit moes baie  tyd en geduld geverg het.

Soos wat ons King Williams Town binne ry staan die jakaranda bome in ‘n tapyt van pers blommetjies en is ek opnuut dankbaar dat ek kan reis en sulke klein dingetjies kan beleef.   Die Wimpy is gesluit vir restourasiewerk en so moet ons mej Garmin vra wat is die volgende opsie op haar lys in King (soos wat die dorp ook deur die plaaslikes genoem word).  Sy kom op met die Spur – nie ‘n slegte keuse nie, juffrou.  Sy neem ons na ‘n mall in die middedorp maar ry ons eers verby ‘n paar pragtige ou geboue en die mooiste kerke, onder andere ‘n Sophy Gray klip kerkie.

Maar voort met ons reis.  Die pad is nog lank tot in Mazeppa.  Dinge raak nou interessant.   Die landskap verander omtrent onmiddellik wanneer jy oor die Keirivier ry.  Tradisionele en moderne huise skuur met mekaar skouers op die heuwels en ding met bokke, varke, beeste en honde mee.  Welkom in die Transkei!  Van hier af gaan dit stadig.  Die paaie is nie meer in so ‘n goeie toestand nie en uitdagings is daar in alle moontlike vorme – ook in die vorm van wetstoepassers wat jou met ‘n spoedkamera inwag en vra:  “Sir, why are you in such a hurry?”    

Ons is net betyds in Mazeppa vir ‘n middagete van vis en tjips met slaai en poeding.  Dit voorspel ‘n lekker ontspanne naweek wat wag.  Dit is nog nie te laat in die jaar vir walvisse nie en hulle groet ons onverwags maar vriendelik met ‘n spuit en ‘n wuif van die stert.   In stilte vaar ‘n vragskip op die horison verby en ons verlang sommer skielik terug na die ver paaie van Freetown in Sierra Leone waar ons elke dag die skepe sien in- en uitgaan het in die hawe vanaf ons woonstel se stoep.

Saterdagoggend vroeg word ons deur die voëls wakker gemaak om ‘n ongelooflike sonsopkoms te aanskou.  Hoe bevoorreg kan ‘n mens nou wees!  Na koffie stap ons af na die eiland by Mazeppa.  Die vissermanne is al vroeg aan die gang en dit is tyd om ‘n paar foto’s te neem.

Hierdie is ‘n vakansie hotel en visvang paradys waar jy sommer met kaalvoet en kortbroek jou ontbyt kom eet.

Almal  is vriendelik en lag en gesels heerlik deur die dag en ook by die seekos buffet Saterdagaand.  En helaas, dit klink asof die see leeg gevang is aan die Transkei kus – niemand het ‘n byt gehad vir die dag nie.  Oom Jan van Winkelspruit meen dit is as gevolg van die trawler bote wat alles vernietig met hulle sleepnette.  Dit maak vir my sin.

 Google Mama het gesien daar is ‘n cache in die omgewing en ons besluit om hom te gaan soek.  Dit is nog net een keer gekry en dit was vyf jaar gelede.  So wat is die kanse dat hy nog daar sal wees?  Dit draai toe uit te wees ‘n  lekker 4×4 rit na die mooiste plekkie langs ‘n riviermond.  (Dankie, geocaching dat jy ons hierheen gelei het )  En ja, die cache was na vyf jaar nog steeds daar en ongeskonde!

 Dit is Sondag en tyd om huis toe te gaan.  Na ontbyt vat ons die grondpaaie na die pont by Keimond.  Vir R70 per voertuig neem die pont twee-twee motors per keer jou na die oorkantste wal.  Jy besef jy het die Transkei verlaat wanneer jy in Keimond aankom – dit is die beskawing aan diekant van die rivier …  

 My hart is effe seer, want die hele naweek het ons nie eens een dolfyn gesien wat in die branders baljaar nie – die see is regtig leeg gevang.  Daar is nie meer kos vir die dolfyne oor nie. Hulle moes seker ander vis velde gaan soek.

Oom Jan van Wineklspruit se teorie lyk my is toe reg oor die visse …

Another smiley added to my travel bucket!

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