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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We were up early as to be ready to hit the road at 06:00 when the curfew lifts and before the Karoo heat creeps into the day.  Our first planned stop was to have a champagne breakfast in Seweweekspoort to welcome some new things that we had worked hard on to get into place.  A first stop of many during the day to to capture some moments and moods.

The pass is approximately 17 km long and and crosses the river no fewer than 23 times. Almost all the bridges over the river have been upgraded and completed.  Do take care still, because you might encounter the odd roadworks in progress. 

First back to a bit of history.  The pass was completed in 1862 by Adam de Schmidt, brother-in-law of the renowned pass-builder Thomas Bain. The initial work was done by a team of Italian prisoners. Look out for the ruins of the original toll house on the northern entrance of the poort – that is the Laingsburg side!

From here on the scenery changes around every bend to reveal the vast expanses of the Great Karoo – impressive stone ridges, wide open roads and some dust devils on the horizon.  We even spotted a farmer’s creative artwork to mark his farm entrance. 

Arriving in Laingsburg the first thing you will notice is the rainbow bridge which was one of the causes of the Laingsburg flood disaster of 25 January 1981.  Trees and all sorts of debris brought down by the river got caught on the bridge causing a blockage and a dam wall effect. The water from the three rivers could not pass underneath the bridge fast enough and quickly raised filling the town with water and turning it into a dam.  Albeit a sad spot it creates beautiful photo opportunities.  The loss of life in Laingsburg was a hundred and four men, women and children.  A hundred and eighty five houses, a home for the aged, school hostels, four rondavels and twenty-three business premises were destroyed.

The most important thing for us is to make every road trip memorable, no matter how far or where you are going.   

How do we do it? Pack some interesting road food and stop at an unusual spot to enjoy our breakfast or lunch.  You may have been to the same spot before, but change something in your routine to get a different experience.  Put an effort in to make every road trip different to create a new memory.

What 2020 with all its difficulties taught us , is that life can be unexpected and short.  Live your life to the best of your abilities!

oOo

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