S1 - Ep 166 - Waterford - A Tiny Village Losing its Fight for Survival!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.ย. 2022
- The drive from Somerset East to Waterford was amazing. The gravel road showed us the real beauty of the Karoo. The aloes were blooming and the bright red and orange colours were spectacular. Then we arrived in the tiny village of Waterford. We were so happy that we came to visit this little place because I don’t know how long it is going to be here. It’s a village losing its fight for survival. So many of the houses and buildings are destroyed and falling apart, but what is absolutely mind-blowing is the Dutch Reformed Church which is still in fantastic condition. It looks as if the congregation is still going. This was a truly happy-and-sad experience because it was such a thriving community back in its day. It even had a zoo! #DustBugs #adventuretravel #southafrica #southafricavlog #waterford #easterncape #sundaysriver
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My dad and siblings went to school in Waterford, then attended high school in Jansenville. They stayed at a boarding house in Jansenville during the week, and that boarding house is now "Die Ark", the coffee shop by the Sundays river bridge that you showed in your Jansenville video. Mom and dad got married in the Waterford church, my siblings and I were baptized there, attended church there, and funeral services for several family members were held there, so nostalgic... The 2nd building you mentioned when you entered Waterford, used to be the school. The white buildings next to the church are the church hall/town hall. Bazaars and steak nights are still being held there. The church is still operational, but numbers are dwindling. The church is so big, because it had a huge thriving community back in the day, even still when I was growing up. The beautiful white house across from the church entrance used to be the pastorie. I only knew two locals in Waterford, Oom Aalwyn and tannie Soekie. The shop was run by oom Aalwyn, he used to give us free sweets on Sundays after church😂
Wow! 👌🏻Thank you for sharing such a detailed account of all the buildings, we are now able to watch our video with a lot more background than what we had when we actually visited. It sounds like your family has such a rich history and association with the town and many special times were enjoyed there. We stayed over on a farm between Waterford and Jansenville the evening after our visit and our hosts told us they're members of the congregation and sometimes there are only 30 people at a Sunday service. ⛪ For us it was a good, yet sad, experience to drive through the village, imagining what it must've looked like when it was still a thriving town at one point in time.
Talana, ek is Gerald Rafferty, van PE. Ek het baie navorsing gedoen ivm die Rafferty geslagte . As jy dalk weet van enige Rafferty verwante van Waterford area, laat weet my asseblief, mans of dames. Sal dit regtig waardeer . Dankie.
Oom Aalwyn Nel was my pa se broer. My grootouers het in die omgewing geboer. Die winkel het ook 'n petrolpomp (wat jy nog met 'n hefboom gepomp het) gehad. Ek het baie vakansies daar gaan kuier. Dustbags ek dink julle is verkeerd met waar die laaste winkel is/was. Dit is by 7:29 die wit gebou met die vier pilare. Ek was seker so vyfjaar terug weer daar aan, toe was die winkel nog oop (natuurlik onder nuwe eienaars).
WATERFORD WAS NAMED AFTER A TOWN IN IRELAND WITH THE SAME NAME. RAFFERTY CAME TO SOUTH AFRICA IN 1818, THIS TOWN WAS ESTABLISHED BY RAFFERTY'S . I AM A DESCENDANT OF JOHN RAFFERTY THE IRISHMAN , SIXTH GENERATION. THANK YOU FOR MOST INTERESTING VIEWING !!
How kind of you to comment, thank you! 👌🏻We appreciate you sharing the additional information and are happy to hear that you enjoyed our video of Waterford. It was our privilege to visit. 😊
The church is soo beautiful!
The landscape reminded me of the Zambezi escapement!! So vast and never ending!
Beautiful blooms🎉
The aloes were quite spectacular, so coloduful . Waterford looks like a real ghost town really heartsore. Just going to dust, a pity. It has a feeling of desolation.
The aloes were fantastic to see. At times, we could see whole hilltops tinged in red. Too far too film though. A feeling of desolation. That's exactly what we felt while driving through the little place. 😦
I grew up in Waterford from 1949 to about 1956. My Father DS P F De Wet built the church. We lived in the parsonage next to the church. Every nagmaal all the farmers camped under the big trees as well as staying in their weekend houses. It was an amazing social and vibrant time. I went to school in the primary school. There were 2 teachers for everyone until st 2 ands another one from standard 3 to 5. My Mom was my teacher. Kate had the general store there. The congregation was very active and included the farms around. My Mom organised Koffiehuis concerts where we had a variety of stuff first Half and a Play the next half. That’s How my father got there money to build the church We always got Hans Lambs to feed with a bottle which we gave back when they were big. We had a bore hole and a dam where we swam. I thought Waterford was called that as meaning all the water was gone [in Afrikaans the water is vort. When it rained we played in the rain. Thank you for the video. It made me sad but was wonderful to see and revive the old memories I still have cine films that my father took of the activities in Waterford. My father was a keen Photographer. Bettie de Wet Hough
Love the old houses.i enjoyed this episode
They must've been spectacular at some point, but most have unfortunately gone to ruin, which is rather sad. Glad you enjoyed this trip into the past. 😊👌🏻
One can also say Putsondermense. Sad to see it is really empty and like you said would have been nice to see it when it was still functional. Thanks for going there now i was also there. Well done guys. Till the next one
Love watching this
Thank you so much, we appreciate that. 😊
Thank-you "Dust Bugs" for showing us Waterford, perhaps the most fascinating 🤔 place in the entire country. I cannot understand the need for a new community hall in a place surrounded by ruins and existing structures which could easily be converted into a hall (if its needed). How's that church, stunning design nogal too...in total constrast to the rest of the place. Incredible!
The church almost appeared in the landscape as if from another planet. ⛪ We found the entire village extremely fascinating and there is this atmosphere of total desolation which one encounters as one drives down its streets. 😦 We did subsequently learn that the church currently has about 30 members of its congregation attend whenever there is a Sunday service. Members drive from quite far away to attend these services too. ✝️
Gosh! Never heard of Waterford. Thank you. Aloes have amazing water conservation facilities. Probably a lot of neighbouring famers come to that church
We've never knew about Waterford either until I saw a tiny spot on the map. 🌍 But when I saw that there is a church, I knew there must be more. It was a sad visit to a place that once upon a time must've been a colourful and vibrant place. 😏
@afrika borwa Your comment means so much to us. If our videos can evoke emotion and bring back fond (and sometimes sad) memories of times past, we feel happiness beyond measure in our hearts. Thank you always for watching, your seat in the Kwid is permanently reserved. 😊
Love the African Sky
We love it too and experienced a few different variations this time. We've never travelled in the Karoo when it rains and this time we briefly did. Even the clouds looked more pronounced in the Karoo. ☁️🌨️
The old farms in the Eastern Free Statext, my grandfather's farms had many stone fence posts.
Looking forward to visit of Jansenville. The town I grew up in. Love these clips on the platteland towns. Sad to see how some of them are struggling to survive. Church in Waterford looks totally out of place but is there for the farming community I suppose.
Also Klipplaat..
It's fantastic that you also enjoy the smaller places. You are indeed correct. Our hosts on the farm outside Jansenville are members of the Waterford congregation and said about 30 people attend a Sunday church service. The looming building almost seemed alien in that landscape and in such stark contrast to the other buildings around it. ⛪ You don't have too long to wait now. Our visit to your hometown is coming up in the next episode, we hope you enjoy! 🤩
Can't wait for the cape Town episode
Cape Town is boring compared to this, just a mountain and some buildings...🤣
@@funkdunk yeah
It will come. 😁
@australis thank-you, this channel is about a couple in a Kwid taking the roads less travelled and allowing the viewers to go along for the ride discovering places such as this one. There are hundreds of videos on Cape Town from local and overseas TH-camrs. Let him view those. Cape Town on foot, for me, highlighted its not so great side, stench of urine, litter, grubby pavements, drug dealers, desperate people, opportunists, con-artists, overpriced bars and restaurants...and I have walked that city...
we went thru there yesterday. We came to Hogsback. 😁 Beautiful but the GRAVEL ROAD!!!! OH BOY. BUT the you would love that right😵💫😉
Have a fantastic time in Hogsback! 😁 One of us visited Hogsback regularly as a child and we look forward to exploring it together on a future trip. 😍 How coincidental that you just drove through Waterford yesterday. The roads are extremely corrugated in the area, but you're right, we LOVE them, no matter what! 🚗😉
Love your video’s and how you make a point of looking at the churches in towns. You should look at the graveyards of the towns as well and see the oldest graves to get a sense of the history of the towns.
Brilliant thanks as I am no longer able to travel to South Africa they remind of when I lived there in the 70s I was erecting TV attention went some very intelligent and quirky places and great people 👍 from Kent England
We're happy to hear that our videos bring back fond memories for you. You're always welcome to join us on our travels. 😊 🚗
Never knew there is a Waterford in South Africa! It's a popular tourist destination here in Ireland with a strong Viking heritage.
The Viking heritage is interesting! ⛵ I also never knew about Waterford in South Africa until I started planning our route for that trip. Interesting heritage also about the Rafferty brothers from your part of the world. 😁
@@DustBugsTravel There's a video on Waterford on our channel, short one, check it out sometime.
Will definitely do so! 👌
Wow interesting to see a all village. Thank you always and look forward to seeing the next video. PS You should watch the Cross Africa ladies on YT who also travel all over the Cape
Plus we also saw thousands of anthills travelling past the Windmills above Bedford to get to Grahamstown via Nature Reserves for miles no Cell Signal bit awesome scenery
We're happy to hear you're enjoyed our video, thank you! 👍🏻
Those anthills were just amazing and there was just no end to them! 🐜 Will check those out that you mention when we're in those areas. We've become so used to having no cellphone signal on most of the back roads. The scenery and wildlife more than make up for that though. 😁
A very sad little town. Would love to know more about it. There must be many family memories there.
We agree. At one point, it must've been a thriving little town and it's super sad to see it having basically been all but abandoned. 😢 It even had a zoo back in the day.
I realy like your videos.....I Live in Jansenville....those cactus are called a noors......this area is called the Noorsveld it is the only place in the world where the noors grows
It means so much to us to hear that you enjoy watching our videos! 😊 Thanks for helping us out with the name for the cactus. We loved seeing the noors next to the side of the road, we found them fascinating-looking plants! 🌵 Amazing that they only grow in your part of the world, we could see them starting to appear all of a sudden where there were none before.
@@DustBugsTravel it is also a very usefull plant in the dry times.....we cut then in peaces to give to the angora goats for food.....they love the noors
What an interesting place( I think if they found diamonds near by that might revitalise it, but otherwise its on its last legs). Clearly someone does do some gardening around some of the houses, and halls because some yards are tidy and weed free. I am always fascinated by what is taken and what is left when people strip these old abandoned homes, it seldom makes sense to me, but I suppose they take what they need at the time and leave some pickings for someone else too. There is a publisher author (in SA), who has plans to write about these small dorps, so one day we might know more...But your watchers are doing a good job too of finding the details for questions - we all ask ourselves.The flowering aloes on the road were probably Aloe striata, but there are something like 145 species in the Karoo so I might be wrong.They were really lovely - part of the spring flowers I suppose..
We love it that those who watch our videos, are able to provide interesting info and share that with everybody. The best way to learn is from one another. We agree that only a miracle can bring this tiny place back to life, it's rather sad. 😢 We imagine it would be fascinating for any author to do research on these small towns and write about them, before it is too late and they and their history disappear forever. The aloes were spectacular, some of them just too far away to film, but so many that some hills even appeared pink to the naked eye. 🌵😍
Thoroughly enjoying your detours off the main routes.
Any chance of a visit to Tesselaarsdal and surrounds?
Happy to hear you also enjoy the 'forgotten' places. 😊 Absolutely, we would certainly love to visit Tesselaarsdal. We attempted to earlier in the year when we were exploring the Overberg region, but the road was impassable at the time and we had to give it a skip.
Must be creepy at nightime. A veritable "Ghost Town" and just the right setting for paranormal investigations. Spread rumours of "sightings" and wait for the tourists to come. For such a revival take the cue from Roswell in New Mexico (just kidding) LoL.
😁 A very interesting thought, but I'm afraid that may just scare the last few residents away. 👻 Actually, as we were driving up to the Dutch Reformed Church, it loomed large in front of us as almost being alien, so out-of-place in the rest of the landscape. Extremely interesting structure and architecture though. ⛪
Well now there is a place I have not been...lol. I found this on Wikipedia..af.wikipedia.org/wiki/NG_gemeente_Waterford
Thank you for that link. 👌🏻 We were chatting to our hosts on the Vogelfontein farm outside Jansenville and they happened to be members of the Waterford congregation. It was good to hear that this stately church still has services. ⛪