We came across a brown sign at a turn-off that just says Karel Landman Monument.  That is it.  So this was the indication for us to put on your indicator and turn.

We were not quite expecting this type of structure for a monument!  Well maybe I am old school but a monument in my mind is sort of a subdued grey stone structure and not a huge ocean blue structure!

Now who was this Karel Landman, because I mean to have a famous architect like Gerard Moerdijk design such a structure and plonk it down here in the green scenery near Alexandria you must be quite well-known?  I was scratching my memory to find something familiar from my history lessons from school about Karel Landman, but nothing came to the fore. 

Landman was one of the key figures in the 1838 Groot Trek. 

He was a farmer in the area but clashes with locals were on the increase and he decided to sell his farm and head to the interior.  He led a travelling party of about 180 souls consisting of 39 families.   They trekked around Lesotho and met up with another trekker Gerrit Maritz – now at least I can remember him from my history lessons!  – where after they settled in Natal.  On our visit I have learnt that Landman later on became the administrator of Port Natal (nowadays Durban).   

Now as in many cases in the Afrikaner history there was disagreement. This time it was on where this monument should be located and the two Dutch Reformed Church councils who contributed to the fund raising agreed to place it on this koppie of the border of both councils which is why this globe sort of sit in the middle of nowhere.

Walking around this massive globe with a diameter of 5 meter it amazed me to see all the detail of very small, sometimes never heard of, little islands from the Pacific Ocean dotted on the map. Moerdijk, surely impressed me with his accuracy in geography.

On the day of our visit entry to the site was free of charge.

Coordinates:
33°34’42.89″ S 26°09’42.81″ E

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The reason for our visit today was to bring an American friend from the state of Texas to explain some of our history to him.  This massive granite construction (40 metres wide, 40 metres long and 40 metres high) is close to the heart of many South Africans -and it also impressed our Texan friend who can relate to the early Pioneers as America also share a Pioneering history.  The monument was built to honour the Voortrekkers (Pioneers) who left the Cape Colony to escape from British rule between 1835 and 1854.

As I climbed the steps up to the entrance I l noticed a circular wall engraved with 64 wagons.  This represents the laer (laager) when the Voortrekkers had to defend themselves against the Zulus at the fierce and bloody Battle of Blood River in KwaZulu Natal.

Interestingly on the day of our visit there were more foreign visitors present than South Africans and the multi-language guides had their hands full to escort all the various groups.  I even noticed some visitors from Japan listening to their mobile audio device to follow the full story on display. Inside, on the entrance level walls, you will find the world’s longest marble frieze depicting, important scenes during the trek.  I was quite amazed at all the detail of the frieze such as the shoe laces, etc.

As I looked  down towards the lower level I saw the cenotaph engraved with the words “ONS VIR JOU SUID-AFRIKA”.   You will ask what is the importance of all of this?  Well, only once a year on 16 December at 12:00 a ray of the sun shines through a small hole in the dome directly on these powerful words.  These words are also the last line in the first verse of our national anthem.

16 December 1838 was also the date of the Battle of Blood River, commemorated in South Africa since before 1994 as the Day of the Vow.

If history is your thing, read the full details of this National Heritage Site on Wikipedia.

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