Karel Landman Monument – the globe off the beaten track

Very few people driving along the R72 coastal route between Port Elizabeth and East London have ever seen or even know of the Karel Landman monument about halfway between Nanaga and Alexandria. The only indication that there is a monument up the dirt road is a road sign at the turnoff. A couple of kilometers … Continue reading Karel Landman Monument – the globe off the beaten track →

Karel Landman monument

Mens is so gewoond om monumente in dorpe en stede asook langs groot paaie te sien, maar daar is wel monumente wat min mense te sien kry weens waar hulle gelee is. Die Karel Landman Monument is een van dié en kan gesien word op 'n grondpad so 'n entjie van R72 tussen Port Elizabeth en … Continue reading Karel Landman monument →

Voortrekkermonument

Die monument wat seker die naaste aan die hart van meeste Afrikaners in Suid-Afrika is is die Voortrekker Monument net buite Pretoria. Die veertig meter hoë monument is in 1949 voltooi en is gebou ter ere van die Voortrekkers wat die Kaapkolonie vanaf 1838 verlaat het en noord na die Vrystaat, die ou Transvaal (vandag … Continue reading Voortrekkermonument →

Retief (Voortrekker) Pass

Driving up the Olivierhoek Pass over the Drakensberg in comfort only having to dodge the occasional pothole, I was wondering how tough it must have been for the Voortrekkers to get down this mountain during the Great Trek in 1837. On a visit to the Voortrekker Monument outside Pretoria I saw the painting above and I imagine it … Continue reading Retief (Voortrekker) Pass →

Retiefklip (Retief Rock)

One of the things I was quite anxious to see when I was in the Drakensberg area was Retiefklip. I asked at the resort where we were staying how to get there and was told that the road was very badly damaged in the rain that fell in the week or so before. Seeing that … Continue reading Retiefklip (Retief Rock) →

Kaalvoet Vrou (Barefoot Woman) Monument

At the top of Voortrekker Passstands a monument to a woman walking barefoot over the Drakensberg. After the Voortrekkers entered Natal, which was a British Colony in those days, in 1847, there was a number of trekkers who wanted to return to the Free State. Susanna Smit, sister of Gert Maritz, one of the Voortrekker leaders, declared that she … Continue reading Kaalvoet Vrou (Barefoot Woman) Monument →

Graaff Reinet Statues

I still had a couple of odd monument photos from Graaff-Reinet lying around and decided to put them together and do a "Random ..." post for today. This monument is in memory of Andries Pretorius, one of the Voortrekker leaders. It was erected in 1943 and can be found just outside of town on the … Continue reading Graaff Reinet Statues →

Voortrekker Monument

The Voortrekker Monument stands on top of a hill outside the city of Pretoria and can be seen from all directions as one approaches it. The monument was opened in 1949 and stands 40 meters long, 40 meters wide and 40 meters high. This massive granite structure was built in honour of the Voortrekkers who … Continue reading Voortrekker Monument →