Skeerpoort, Nooitgedacht, Breedtsnek- A lone KLR through the Moot

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Armpie

Pack Dog
Joined
Apr 30, 2013
Messages
304
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Location
Pretoria
Bike
Kawasaki KLR 650
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.












 
Pragtig  :thumleft:
Het jy n gps track Armpie en dankie vir die bietjie geskiedenis en agtergrond
 
Nice man nice, lekker man lekker.

Hierdie paaie is op my voorstoep.
Ek waardeer elke keer as ek die bikes se kele oopmaak om die roete oor breedsnek te ry. Lekker halfway vir my by Sparkling water hotel.
Mens kan so maklik jou omgewing waar jy bly vir granted vat en dan kom iemand soos Armpie om ons net terug te bring na reality.
Thanx, en as jy weer hier rond is kom in vir koffi of bier.
 
OK, ek het 'n kaart bygesit. By die ou Poskantoor op Skeerpoort ry jy net reguit aan met die grondpad,  Die teerpad draai suid daar. Nooitgedacht is maklik om te kry jy ry tot onder die toring op die berg.  Die slagveld kan jy sien, maar die eienaar is bietjie taai.  Jy sien in elk geval beter vanaf die pad.  Daar waar die foto geneem is.  Die Britse kamp was net daar waar die rooihartbeeste wei.  Die Boere het eers die wagposte bo op die berg skoongemaak en toe die kamp onder verower.  Net na die ooste is daar 'n plek "Clements retreat".  Dit is waar die Engelse hulle ingegrawe het terwyl die Boere hule self aan die Engesle kamp met al sy lekkernye en whiskey, en ammunisie gehelp het.
 
Baie lekker Armpie.  Jy het 'n persoonlik band met die omgewing lyk my.  :thumleft: Ek ken daai omgewing goed, Sanders familie is goeie vriende van my.  Toe die Ouma nog geleef het, was daar familie van een van die Tommie gesneuweldes in Engeland wat elke jaar vir hulle 'n Kersfeeskaartjie gestuur het.  Ook met die verjaring van die Slag van Nooitgedacht die Sanders altyd gekontak.  Daai plaas Nooitgedacht (van sowat 5000ha) het die Sanders familie daai jare vir 'n span trekosse en 2 saals gekoop!  Ek het grappenderwys eendag vir hulle 2 spanne trekosse en 4 saals vir die plaas aangebied maar hulle wou nie byt nie.  Dis tog dubbeld hulle belegging!

Baie geskiedkundige omgewing daai.  As jy met die Breedtsnekpad van die suide kant opry sal jy sowat 2km na die Hekpoort grondpad se afdraai op regterkant,  op linkerkant in die bosse weggesteek, nog 'n Boere begrafplaas kry.  Reel met die eienaar vir toegang maar dis ook baie interessant. Baie skanse en diesulks daar rond.
 
Lekker man.  Ry daai roete myself elke nou en dan.  Moet nog die ox wagons gaan uitkyk.
:thumleft:
 
Mooi en ek het baie gehou van die geskiedenis wat jy so by werk. Ek like dit kwaai om te lees waar die Engelse pak gekry het.
 
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