Reminded of my special time,, especially the railway stations we used to play there and y'all forgot my secondary school next to the swimming pool,,I love what u doing❤❤ please visit again❤❤ childhood memories
Another good one. So sad that the small stations were closed. They played such a major role back in the days. Thanks guys well done and much appreciated
Thank you. 👌 It's indeed very sad and we see it almost everywhere we go. When we chat to the local folks in places like these, they all say when the station closed, was the start of the decline of the town's economy and then people started to leave for the city in droves to provide for their families. Each of the stations must have such a rich history and so many stories to tell and sadly most of those will now be lost forever. 😥🚆
I'm glad you got to see it again. I'm sure it looks a lot different from when you used to travel through there. Hopefully it brought back some good memories for you. We appreciate you exploring with us! 😁🚆
When you walked into the little broken down house at Donkerpoort, you said that to think that long ago People lived there. Well, we were some of those People. I was born in Colesberg in 1974. My Mom and Dad lived in that little house next to the rail road and Dad had to drive Mom to the nearest Hospital (Colesberg). This was my very first house I lived in. My Dad worked at the Station. After we moved from Donkerpoort, we lived a year or so in Gariep before moving to Springfontein where we lived until I was 10. I swam in that massive swimming pool, and I can tell you, it was so lovely and beautiful and it was such a wonderful little town when I was little I have been living in New Zealand with my Husband and Children for 16 years. This video of yours has been a gift. It was so lovely to see everything, although it breaks my heart to see how everything has fallen appart. BUT, I can recall memories, and that is what is important. It is lovely to travel the dust roads with you through your channel. I miss South Africa!
I had to read your comment three times to make sure I read it correctly. Wow, wow, wow! Thank you for watching our video and for taking the time to share your personal experiences in some of the places we visited in and around Springfontein. That makes all the hours spent on editing these videos worth it a hundred times over. 😁 As you saw, we missed the Donkerpoort Station the first time we drove past and we are now even happier that we stopped there on our way back. To read that you personally lived there and specifically in that house, blows our minds. So that was the actual house in which you spent your first night once home from the hospital. Unbelievable stuff! I can only imagine the flood of memories that came rushing back when you saw some of the places which you must've once been so very familiar with, like the swimming pool. We so appreciate that you're travelling along with us to the places in our country which we would like everyone to remember, just like you did with Springfontein. 😊🚗
It’s amazing how many of the abandoned railway houses are still standing. We lived in railway houses for 30 years at various towns, and we were always impressed by how well-built these houses were. Never any cracks, etc.
I agree with you! As I walk through these railway houses, I often stop to think exactly that. That they're still standing, structurally sound and perfectly intact except for the damage caused by vandals. My wife again always gets a bit more emotional and thinks about the families who once lived in these houses. She always says if walls could talk, what stories they wouldn't be able to tell. We appreciate you driving to and through Springfontein with us. 😁🚗
I can confirm the one track is definitely operational. Actually saw. Train coming and stopped on the bridge (on your way in and out of springfontein). Local police approached us and asked us to please move along due to being a high crime spot. I found it ironic, as there was not a car or person in sight.
When ever you get to explore Bloemfontein, you must visit War Museum of the Boer Republics, there's an entire section dedicated to women and children that died during the war, and the count of children that died was an alarming number. Note the museum is huge and you'll spend an entire day viewing the various exhibits. Just as you think you've reached the end, there's a staircase leading to another section or another hallway leading to another section...
I lived in Bloemfontein for 15 years and knew the city very well at one point. I am familiar with the museum. Bloem is just too big for us to explore. When we visit, it's mainly to catch up with family and friends and to check out all my previous haunts, but not to explore as such. Thanks for the info. 👍🏻
Thank you so much, we appreciate that!! We just love exploring and we will continue doing so. We're happy to share it with everyone who might also enjoy seeing the places most know so little about. 😁🚗
As someone who left the country 25 years go and often travelled through or past many of the towns and areas featured, I am enjoying the sights of so many of the places that was part of my life in SA. From an ex PE boy then Pretoria and now Perth. These are indeed wonderful videos.
The gravel at the begining was so beautiful through those green trees. Donkerpoort station how sad so many places no longer used. Your story of your youth was so touching but can imagine the anxiety your family went through. Those things are in the past just as the station at Donkerpoort. Thank you.
I know my friend and I were super naughty to run away from home, but to be able to think back to that experience today, makes it all worthwhile. 😈 That gravel road through all the greenery must be one of the most beautiful gravel roads we've ever travelled on, anywhere in the country. Sonia still can't believe it was in the Free State of all places! 🌳💚 We appreciate you being on the journey to Springfontein with us. 🚗
You missed the best BNB in springfontein...called kuilsfontein...owned by people from coffe shop...best stopover between cape town and jhb....excellent lamb dinner...have stayed a few times...
Excellent guys. I love your channel and dont miss a post. Sad that we never see your wife but surely you have your reasons. Keep it up. Marius - Strand
Thank you so much for watching from our hometown! 🤩 My wife is super camera-shy, that's the only reason you only hear her, but don't see her. I'm trying daily to convince her, but no luck just yet. 😏
I stand corrected, but I think Springfontein is where railroads entered from the West, i.e. Northern Cape, to meet up with the central line used by TransOranje trains, nowadays ShosholozaMeyl that goes toe EL and QBHA, and its station may have been fairly busy even passenger-wise, but I guess freight required some shunting as well. The truck trains reflect the efficiency of road transport, as getting freight from the North to Table Bay Harbour usually took 14 - 21 days via rail, while I have experienced 18-hour deliveries from Pretoria area by road. Some truckers don't even work shifts and still cover 30k km per month, sleeping perhaps one night in their own beds per month. Much of this is illegal, but poor policing, ineffective traffic laws and other factors served to strangle what was once the world's #1 railway network. Like in America and Britain, the death of rail signalled the last tattoo to small dorpies (towns) in rural areas. The effect is also felt in major centres, perhaps just better disguised. Go see the death lurking at stations along the railway lines in Cape Town, especially at Maitland. There also is a much renowned Kuilfontein Guest Farm - never been, but bucket listed indeed. We never stopped at Edenburg or Springfontein, as we had a pet Shell stop near a nice dam nearby, which our children had preferred. We miss that highveld scenery, God's laser shows and the drum rolls afforded us by the weather. You must have sold all the dorpies along the way to afford your travels, as you seem to have been away from home for quite a while, in a rental car. Somewhere, estate agents need to get paid as well. Or did you sell all of Strand to developers? :) :) I was impressed by how neat those little facebrick houses were, and free of litter. We lived in the North Free State for about a decade, and the suburb called Maokeng (place of thirn trees) was where 125,000 people lived without having the Highveld Fynbos (plastic bags) stuck in barbed wire fences. The people even swept their dirt streets, then created beautiful art on the road surfaces. And they had the shiniest pots & pans in their kitchens. I miss the hospitality and orderliness of the Basotho. Here in Whine Berg, all we hear are salutations about someone's mom sending e-pos. (only Afrikaans people will understand that bit. It has to do with a 'de-cat-ed' Dutch tabby cat.) There is a Tannie at Fauresmith or Springfontein who is world famous for her daily baked meat pies, which are in a different league altogether. Much has been written about them in travel magazines, but my stroke damage doesn't help to recall the details. Something visitors can keep in mind, though. The sadness of babies dying in concentration camps is a part of our history that reminds us of how evil mankind can be - it was almost akin to post-natal abortions, and to me, just murder. They should have been born in the safety of farm homesteads, but these were all burnt to the ground in the 'scorched earth' activities of a few evil warlords. Many blame the British, but the real culprits were a few errant warlords and not Queen Victoria. I should visit some graves to do something nice there. Those supposed Lords still invoke a holy indignation in me for how cruel and corrupt they were, and then so easily blamed others, or made light of it. At Tempe, Bloemfontein, was a concentration camp called Dam van Trane (Lake of Tears). It seems that everyone tries to escape Bloemfontein. I was born there, and hit the ground traveling. It would take several strokes and some resulting disability to end that - but now we have Dust Bugs to take us to faraway places. Thanks for the most wonderful adventures with you guys.
We only recently started exploring railway stations and had no idea before the time what had happened to the railway system. I had an uncle who worked for the Railways in Bloemfontein, but I never really chatted to him about that at the time, so all of this is new to me. I have personally seen the decline in the small towns though and the locals often tell us it's because of the railways not operating anymore. That does lead me to believe that a resurrection of some them is probably not going to happen anytime soon. You mentioned Edenburg and Fauresmith, we visited them later during our trip too, so you'll be seeing them up close and personal in the next few weeks. 😁 I think you may be referring to Tom's Place where you favoured stopping close to Edenburg. If so, we also used to stop there often and even overnighted a time or two. Nowadays, we work for four weeks solid and take every fifth week off to travel, so whenever you see a video uploaded, it is of a trip that happened between one to four weeks prior to uploading. Editing is a huge amount of work and I can only do that in the evenings when we're back home. We really appreciate all your wonderful insight and your comments and, most importantly, that you've chosen to travel along with us. Thank you. 👌🏻🚗
They'd rather strip those old railway houses than actually stay in them !??? A good reason why I hate the N1, all those trucks......! That farm stall I have stopped at a few times. A worthwhile stop. Nice people.
Like you, the destruction of the railway and other buildings is something we still have trouble understanding. 🤷♂️ Those trucks just kept on coming! I wish there were a way to avoid the N1, but unfortunately that's not always possible. 😨🚛 The Kuilfontein Farm Stall is definitely an oasis off the N1.
I love your station visits. Donkerpoort gives me a really sad feeling. Each station has its story. I remember how as a little girl my dad would follow the Koffiefontein line to try and spot some steam locos. Jagersfo ntein road was another favourite. We actually did a ride on a steam engine from Faure-Smit to Jagersfontein. It was amazing! My dad so hated all the lorries on the N1we used to take the old road up from Colesberg to Kroonstad, the one that goes through Philipolis. Much quieter.
Visiting stations is a fairly recent activity we discovered during one of our earlier trips this year. Now we almost can't skip one, we're so fascinated by them! I remember one of your first comments was about your family chasing trains with your dad, so you've obviously been visiting them for much longer than we have! 😁🚂 How I wish there were still steam engines around! We've visited every single town in your comment during our last trip a few weeks ago, so I'm sure you'll spot many places and roads which you may be familiar with. There is one special place which I think you will be reminded of your dad more than any other, but let's wait and see if I'm right. Thank you for always jumping in the car with us! 🚗
Hi you two! Another very interesting trip. The gravel road made it for me, of course. It would do so much for the safety and condition of our roads if the railways could take up their share of the freight. These columns and columns of heavy trucks on the roads (as is well illustrated in this video) really makes driving there unpleasant. There, I am done complaining. The gravel road with its greenery in the beginning and your accompanying music made for a real treat. I really do hope that Springfontein could (re)develop some more. Maybe the Railways and SAPS could play a role in this? Thank you for not skipping the cemetary, sad though it may be. Keep going and stay safe!
Hello there! 😃 The gravel road past the Donkerpoort area with all the greenery was an absolute highlight of the drive to Springfontein, it was super beautiful. I am so glad to hear you thought so too. 🌳 We just feel completely free when we travel on gravel. We choose to focus on the positive as well, but I have to agree. The endless trucks on the N1 made for quite a stressful drive, especially for us folks who prefer to take things slow and take in the surroundings. There was not much of that happening needless to say. It was encouraging to see that the Police Station seems to be a major one in the district with all those vehicles from surrounding towns attending. I hope right alongside you that Springfontein can be uplifted again by efforts from the powers-that-be.
At 17:40 that was the hostel for the school. I grew up in Springfontein we used to play at the station when we were young and later played pull at the Hotel and played in the town hall at 29:12 used to be our house number 26 Van Riebeeck straat and the swimming pool was was clean
Thank you for the interesting info, you clearly know the town very well! 👌🏻While it clearly looks much different compated to when you were living there, hopefully you were reminded of some special times in Springfontein. We appreciate you watching our video. 😊🚗
Great video guys love these small towns hotel churches post office swimming baths so sad the little cemetery 🙏 Rip the story about hitchhiking sounds like one of my storys infact one of the guys lives in mossel Bay and I'm still in contact with him thanks for another wonderful video
I'm glad I found in you another former hitchhiker! 🤣 Thank you for exploring Springfontein with us, there was certainly a lot to see in this small town. The children's graves were really a sad reminder of how unnecessary any war is in my opinion. 😥
Hello there! 🙋🏼♂️🙋🏻♀️ Donkerpoort Station was quite a vibe. I could almost feel a train pulling in and passengers getting of the train. Wish those days were still around! It's great that you're still on the road with us! 🚗
Have you still encountered Karretjiemense (cart people) during your many adventures? I used to take back roads specifically to find them. Nice people to chat and share some padkos and coffee with, they will tell very interesting stories and a friendly face won't go amiss.
I can honestly say we've never seen Karretjiemense on any of our travels through the Karoo, unless of course we didn't identify them as such and therefore missed them. 🤷♂️
Thank you for all your videos. Its sad to see how so much of the infrastructure in many places has been destroyed or allowed to deteriorate. Saddest of all was your visit to the cemetary at what was a concentration camp during the Anglo-Boer War. My graritude and repect to you for showing that in your videos. Regards.
The children's cemetery was a bitter pill to swallow. I first had to get it together to be able to read some of the names and ages on that memorial. In fact, I still get emotional just thinking about it. There is simply no justification on this planet for babies passing away under such circumstances. 😥😥 We do appreciate you watching, all those lives that were lost so innocently, must be honoured and remembered. ✝️
I so enjoy travelling with you. I have only recently found your channel and have been binge watching from episode 1. After watching this one, I felt I had to make a comment about the children's graves. I believe totally that those little ones, even though not baptised, are in heaven. They are God's children and he loves them unconditionally. I'm looking forward to the next episode.
Concentration camp graves is on the SW side of Springfontein, best approach is to go back on the main road, the main cemetery is on the Westside. Kids graves are just before the main cemetery. When we look at the names you can see whole families of kids wiped out. Boers had large families, but to see 6 or 7 surnames all the same its must have been devastating for the parents if they survivied.
There is just no end to the sadness of those concentration camp cemeteries. 😥 We were hoping to find the one in Springfontein, but we could only find the one gentleman who had an idea and the road he showed us, was just not passable for our vehicle. I'd like to go and see the graves one day though. Thank you for the info.
I am so glad I discovered your channel a few days back. I have been binge watching since then. Next time you visit the town, ask the police to guide you to the ABW cemetary...SAPS members in those small towns are usually most helpfull...
3 of my Grandmother Oosthuizen’s siblings are buried in the childrens section of the concentration camp cemetery. We visited their once on the way to Cape Town…pretty emotional.
Curtis, your accent - or lack thereof - is interesting as it reminds of that Eastern Cape English that sounds so much Afrikaans-like. I am always interested in finding our how accents develop, such as Scouse, and found Germanic roots and Viking DNA spread widely across the globe. Sonia is the expert here; I am just a lay observer.
You are spot-on, I was born in the Eastern Cape and lived there for a while, but spent 15 years in Bloemfontein as an English Free Stater. Something most people still can't fathom because I have such a pronounced Afrikaans accent with certain words, especially those rolling r's! My mom's side has a strong connection to the Eastern Cape and that side of the family all speak 'Eastern Cape English'. 😁 Sonia says I must tell you she knows nothing about accents, she is a plain Afrikaans girl from Limpopo who could read English before she could her first language. She's always loved languages and has a natural knack for it. She insists that she has a strong Afrikaans accent, but I've heard stronger. Such interesting chats we're having. 😉
You are too funny! 🤣 I love Hogsback too, got some fun memories of that place. Some even while I was not running away! I was last there about ten years ago for a hike, so would love to see it again myself. Watch out for that Episode 560! 🚗😁
@@DustBugsTravel We used to go there, or to Stutterheim (I forget the name of the forest outside there) for end of year braai. Yeah. Great place to hike.
We did the Amatola Trail at Hogsback. ⛰️ Not sure if you're referring to the Kologha Forest near Stutterheim, but I was very young when I was last in that area and can't remember a single thing. 🤷🏼♂️
When visiting small Free State towns, you'll come across many English names, such as Earle, Keevey, etc. These people remained behind after the Boer War and married fair Boer girls, bought land and today, their descendants are among the most prominent farmers. If you want a black eye or miss a few teeth, just call any of these domesticated Kakies an Englishman. :D :D :D These guys clearly identify as Boers.
Interesting that you would mention that. We drove past some farms of which the nameboards clearly signal that these landowners are of British descent. For them to have made a home and built a life in SA, and specifically the Free State, is fantastic. 👌🏻🇿🇦
The railways once were the #1 globally, yet freight handling simply couldn't compete with road transport. Choose between 14 days by rail or 14 hours by road....... I have seen it and I have some expertise in the field. Despite the most elaborate software from IBM, and hardware to suit, the sheer laziness of staff made the railways a failure even before 1994. I have personal experience of we-staffed offices where eight or ten sat doing nothing, while invoices form millions of Rand remained unpaid, as these never got sent to the very large public client. Worse, still, is that THAT client would lose that money in the next year's budget, as unused money was taken away. Sabotage came from within, and, as I have said, from before 1994. One articulated truck with gross weight of around 100 metric tons, has the same effect on our roads as fifty passenger cars. No wonder our roads are becoming potholed - some trucks are overladen by many tens of tons and then still sometimes travel at well above 120km/h and, in some cases, hovering around 200km/h. That is common criminality. Govt errs in penalising the truckers, but the owners of the actual freight are the culprits. Top leadership in the transport dept is just inept, including the opposition. They are too myopic to see the real problem.
We kept on saying that to each other as we travelled. Not that we know the rail system or how it operates, but even we realise that. The roads are taking a beating, not to mention the hectic traffic. So totally different from even 20 years ago when we used to travel up and down between Gauteng and the Western Cape. 😨🚚
@@Afriqueleblanq I know that the old South African Railways were never arbiters of efficiency and that many governmental agencies were overstaffed even then, at times it was frustrating dealing with staff in the Post Office and other government departments.
I thought so too, but the local gentleman said that was not the war cemetery. Hopefully the gravel roads are dry when we're in the area next and I can check both out properly. The owner of the Kuilfontein Farm Stall also explained that it's on the other side of town, but difficult to find. 🤷🏼♂️
This is great content. All I know are the big cities and towns but there is much in South Africa. Beautiful little towns maybe villages as some would call them. Interestingly, they mostly seem abandoned. Why is this so? Is it lack of water or crime? Anyone who knows?
These small towns and villages are certainly not abandoned, although it may appear that way sometimes. With employment opportunities dwindling in the rural and outlying areas over the last 20 to 30 years, perhaps even longer, many people moved away to the bigger centres and to the cities in order to provide for their families. When we explore a town, we like to show as much of what we happen upon in a particular town, and buildings interest us greatly. A lot of the buildings we show, are now derelict and uninhabited. But fortunately there are still many others who are being maintained to preserve the history of the buildings themselves and the towns. We appreciate you watching! 😁🚗
Thank you for the info. I have no doubt that the building looks quite a bit different from how you remember it. 😏 Hopefully you were reminded of some good memories by our video. We appreciate you watching. 🚗😁
There are indeed so many wonderful towns and places to explore in this beautiful country. 🇿🇦 It's very sad to see how much of the infrastructure and how many buildings have fallen into disrepair. 😢
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Reminded of my special time,, especially the railway stations we used to play there and y'all forgot my secondary school next to the swimming pool,,I love what u doing❤❤ please visit again❤❤ childhood memories
When we travel like you do. We call it: "Going nowhere slowly". See the the world in slow motion. Thank you for sharing. Regards
Oh, absolutely! 😁 We like to say we're going places slowly. 😉 We appreciate you watching and hope you join us as we explore many more small towns. 🚗
Another good one. So sad that the small stations were closed. They played such a major role back in the days. Thanks guys well done and much appreciated
Thank you. 👌 It's indeed very sad and we see it almost everywhere we go. When we chat to the local folks in places like these, they all say when the station closed, was the start of the decline of the town's economy and then people started to leave for the city in droves to provide for their families. Each of the stations must have such a rich history and so many stories to tell and sadly most of those will now be lost forever. 😥🚆
Wow I haven't seen this station in years
Used to travel pass there by train from cape town to molteno town ❤️❤️
I'm glad you got to see it again. I'm sure it looks a lot different from when you used to travel through there. Hopefully it brought back some good memories for you. We appreciate you exploring with us! 😁🚆
When you walked into the little broken down house at Donkerpoort, you said that to think that long ago People lived there. Well, we were some of those People. I was born in Colesberg in 1974. My Mom and Dad lived in that little house next to the rail road and Dad had to drive Mom to the nearest Hospital (Colesberg). This was my very first house I lived in. My Dad worked at the Station. After we moved from Donkerpoort, we lived a year or so in Gariep before moving to Springfontein where we lived until I was 10. I swam in that massive swimming pool, and I can tell you, it was so lovely and beautiful and it was such a wonderful little town when I was little I have been living in New Zealand with my Husband and Children for 16 years. This video of yours has been a gift. It was so lovely to see everything, although it breaks my heart to see how everything has fallen appart. BUT, I can recall memories, and that is what is important. It is lovely to travel the dust roads with you through your channel. I miss South Africa!
I had to read your comment three times to make sure I read it correctly. Wow, wow, wow! Thank you for watching our video and for taking the time to share your personal experiences in some of the places we visited in and around Springfontein. That makes all the hours spent on editing these videos worth it a hundred times over. 😁 As you saw, we missed the Donkerpoort Station the first time we drove past and we are now even happier that we stopped there on our way back. To read that you personally lived there and specifically in that house, blows our minds. So that was the actual house in which you spent your first night once home from the hospital. Unbelievable stuff! I can only imagine the flood of memories that came rushing back when you saw some of the places which you must've once been so very familiar with, like the swimming pool. We so appreciate that you're travelling along with us to the places in our country which we would like everyone to remember, just like you did with Springfontein. 😊🚗
It’s amazing how many of the abandoned railway houses are still standing. We lived in railway houses for 30 years at various towns, and we were always impressed by how well-built these houses were. Never any cracks, etc.
I agree with you! As I walk through these railway houses, I often stop to think exactly that. That they're still standing, structurally sound and perfectly intact except for the damage caused by vandals. My wife again always gets a bit more emotional and thinks about the families who once lived in these houses. She always says if walls could talk, what stories they wouldn't be able to tell. We appreciate you driving to and through Springfontein with us. 😁🚗
I can confirm the one track is definitely operational. Actually saw. Train coming and stopped on the bridge (on your way in and out of springfontein). Local police approached us and asked us to please move along due to being a high crime spot. I found it ironic, as there was not a car or person in sight.
Thanks very nice one
Much appreciated! 👍🚗
When ever you get to explore Bloemfontein, you must visit War Museum of the Boer Republics, there's an entire section dedicated to women and children that died during the war, and the count of children that died was an alarming number. Note the museum is huge and you'll spend an entire day viewing the various exhibits. Just as you think you've reached the end, there's a staircase leading to another section or another hallway leading to another section...
I lived in Bloemfontein for 15 years and knew the city very well at one point. I am familiar with the museum. Bloem is just too big for us to explore. When we visit, it's mainly to catch up with family and friends and to check out all my previous haunts, but not to explore as such. Thanks for the info. 👍🏻
I'm so in love with your channel! Keep showing the world particularly those who have the left the country how their home is
Thank you so much, we appreciate that!! We just love exploring and we will continue doing so. We're happy to share it with everyone who might also enjoy seeing the places most know so little about. 😁🚗
As someone who left the country 25 years go and often travelled through or past many of the towns and areas featured, I am enjoying the sights of so many of the places that was part of my life in SA. From an ex PE boy then Pretoria and now Perth. These are indeed wonderful videos.
The gravel at the begining was so beautiful through those green trees. Donkerpoort station how sad so many places no longer used. Your story of your youth was so touching but can imagine the anxiety your family went through. Those things are in the past just as the station at Donkerpoort. Thank you.
I know my friend and I were super naughty to run away from home, but to be able to think back to that experience today, makes it all worthwhile. 😈 That gravel road through all the greenery must be one of the most beautiful gravel roads we've ever travelled on, anywhere in the country. Sonia still can't believe it was in the Free State of all places! 🌳💚 We appreciate you being on the journey to Springfontein with us. 🚗
You guys are an inspiration ❣️
Thank you, that's very kind of you to say. 😊🚗
You missed the best BNB in springfontein...called kuilsfontein...owned by people from coffe shop...best stopover between cape town and jhb....excellent lamb dinner...have stayed a few times...
We didn't overnight in Springfontein. We supported the Kuilfontein Farm Stall though. 👌🏻
Excellent guys. I love your channel and dont miss a post. Sad that we never see your wife but surely you have your reasons. Keep it up. Marius - Strand
Thank you so much for watching from our hometown! 🤩 My wife is super camera-shy, that's the only reason you only hear her, but don't see her. I'm trying daily to convince her, but no luck just yet. 😏
I stand corrected, but I think Springfontein is where railroads entered from the West, i.e. Northern Cape, to meet up with the central line used by TransOranje trains, nowadays ShosholozaMeyl that goes toe EL and QBHA, and its station may have been fairly busy even passenger-wise, but I guess freight required some shunting as well. The truck trains reflect the efficiency of road transport, as getting freight from the North to Table Bay Harbour usually took 14 - 21 days via rail, while I have experienced 18-hour deliveries from Pretoria area by road. Some truckers don't even work shifts and still cover 30k km per month, sleeping perhaps one night in their own beds per month. Much of this is illegal, but poor policing, ineffective traffic laws and other factors served to strangle what was once the world's #1 railway network. Like in America and Britain, the death of rail signalled the last tattoo to small dorpies (towns) in rural areas. The effect is also felt in major centres, perhaps just better disguised. Go see the death lurking at stations along the railway lines in Cape Town, especially at Maitland.
There also is a much renowned Kuilfontein Guest Farm - never been, but bucket listed indeed. We never stopped at Edenburg or Springfontein, as we had a pet Shell stop near a nice dam nearby, which our children had preferred.
We miss that highveld scenery, God's laser shows and the drum rolls afforded us by the weather.
You must have sold all the dorpies along the way to afford your travels, as you seem to have been away from home for quite a while, in a rental car. Somewhere, estate agents need to get paid as well. Or did you sell all of Strand to developers? :) :)
I was impressed by how neat those little facebrick houses were, and free of litter. We lived in the North Free State for about a decade, and the suburb called Maokeng (place of thirn trees) was where 125,000 people lived without having the Highveld Fynbos (plastic bags) stuck in barbed wire fences. The people even swept their dirt streets, then created beautiful art on the road surfaces. And they had the shiniest pots & pans in their kitchens. I miss the hospitality and orderliness of the Basotho. Here in Whine Berg, all we hear are salutations about someone's mom sending e-pos. (only Afrikaans people will understand that bit. It has to do with a 'de-cat-ed' Dutch tabby cat.)
There is a Tannie at Fauresmith or Springfontein who is world famous for her daily baked meat pies, which are in a different league altogether. Much has been written about them in travel magazines, but my stroke damage doesn't help to recall the details. Something visitors can keep in mind, though.
The sadness of babies dying in concentration camps is a part of our history that reminds us of how evil mankind can be - it was almost akin to post-natal abortions, and to me, just murder. They should have been born in the safety of farm homesteads, but these were all burnt to the ground in the 'scorched earth' activities of a few evil warlords. Many blame the British, but the real culprits were a few errant warlords and not Queen Victoria. I should visit some graves to do something nice there. Those supposed Lords still invoke a holy indignation in me for how cruel and corrupt they were, and then so easily blamed others, or made light of it. At Tempe, Bloemfontein, was a concentration camp called Dam van Trane (Lake of Tears).
It seems that everyone tries to escape Bloemfontein. I was born there, and hit the ground traveling. It would take several strokes and some resulting disability to end that - but now we have Dust Bugs to take us to faraway places. Thanks for the most wonderful adventures with you guys.
We only recently started exploring railway stations and had no idea before the time what had happened to the railway system. I had an uncle who worked for the Railways in Bloemfontein, but I never really chatted to him about that at the time, so all of this is new to me. I have personally seen the decline in the small towns though and the locals often tell us it's because of the railways not operating anymore. That does lead me to believe that a resurrection of some them is probably not going to happen anytime soon. You mentioned Edenburg and Fauresmith, we visited them later during our trip too, so you'll be seeing them up close and personal in the next few weeks. 😁 I think you may be referring to Tom's Place where you favoured stopping close to Edenburg. If so, we also used to stop there often and even overnighted a time or two. Nowadays, we work for four weeks solid and take every fifth week off to travel, so whenever you see a video uploaded, it is of a trip that happened between one to four weeks prior to uploading. Editing is a huge amount of work and I can only do that in the evenings when we're back home. We really appreciate all your wonderful insight and your comments and, most importantly, that you've chosen to travel along with us. Thank you. 👌🏻🚗
They'd rather strip those old railway houses than actually stay in them !??? A good reason why I hate the N1, all those trucks......! That farm stall I have stopped at a few times. A worthwhile stop. Nice people.
Like you, the destruction of the railway and other buildings is something we still have trouble understanding. 🤷♂️ Those trucks just kept on coming! I wish there were a way to avoid the N1, but unfortunately that's not always possible. 😨🚛 The Kuilfontein Farm Stall is definitely an oasis off the N1.
I love your station visits. Donkerpoort gives me a really sad feeling. Each station has its story. I remember how as a little girl my dad would follow the Koffiefontein line to try and spot some steam locos. Jagersfo ntein road was another favourite. We actually did a ride on a steam engine from Faure-Smit to Jagersfontein. It was amazing! My dad so hated all the lorries on the N1we used to take the old road up from Colesberg to Kroonstad, the one that goes through Philipolis. Much quieter.
Visiting stations is a fairly recent activity we discovered during one of our earlier trips this year. Now we almost can't skip one, we're so fascinated by them! I remember one of your first comments was about your family chasing trains with your dad, so you've obviously been visiting them for much longer than we have! 😁🚂 How I wish there were still steam engines around! We've visited every single town in your comment during our last trip a few weeks ago, so I'm sure you'll spot many places and roads which you may be familiar with. There is one special place which I think you will be reminded of your dad more than any other, but let's wait and see if I'm right. Thank you for always jumping in the car with us! 🚗
So enjoyed your hitchhiking anecdote ! That travel bug bit early.
So true! 😁🚗 I ignored the itching for a good few years, but I'm so glad to be back on the road again!
Hi you two!
Another very interesting trip. The gravel road made it for me, of course.
It would do so much for the safety and condition of our roads if the railways could take up their share of the freight. These columns and columns of heavy trucks on the roads (as is well illustrated in this video) really makes driving there unpleasant. There, I am done complaining.
The gravel road with its greenery in the beginning and your accompanying music made for a real treat.
I really do hope that Springfontein could (re)develop some more. Maybe the Railways and SAPS could play a role in this?
Thank you for not skipping the cemetary, sad though it may be.
Keep going and stay safe!
Hello there! 😃 The gravel road past the Donkerpoort area with all the greenery was an absolute highlight of the drive to Springfontein, it was super beautiful. I am so glad to hear you thought so too. 🌳 We just feel completely free when we travel on gravel. We choose to focus on the positive as well, but I have to agree. The endless trucks on the N1 made for quite a stressful drive, especially for us folks who prefer to take things slow and take in the surroundings. There was not much of that happening needless to say. It was encouraging to see that the Police Station seems to be a major one in the district with all those vehicles from surrounding towns attending. I hope right alongside you that Springfontein can be uplifted again by efforts from the powers-that-be.
I think the horse 🐎 has bolted in Springfontein.
I love the way you put that and sadly I agree with you. 😏🐎
At 17:40 that was the hostel for the school. I grew up in Springfontein we used to play at the station when we were young and later played pull at the Hotel and played in the town hall at 29:12 used to be our house number 26 Van Riebeeck straat and the swimming pool was was clean
Thank you for the interesting info, you clearly know the town very well! 👌🏻While it clearly looks much different compated to when you were living there, hopefully you were reminded of some special times in Springfontein. We appreciate you watching our video. 😊🚗
Great video guys love these small towns hotel churches post office swimming baths so sad the little cemetery 🙏 Rip the story about hitchhiking sounds like one of my storys infact one of the guys lives in mossel Bay and I'm still in contact with him thanks for another wonderful video
I'm glad I found in you another former hitchhiker! 🤣 Thank you for exploring Springfontein with us, there was certainly a lot to see in this small town. The children's graves were really a sad reminder of how unnecessary any war is in my opinion. 😥
Beautiful greenery!!!
Love your channel ❤
We appreciate that so much, thank you! We love that you're along for the ride! 😁🚗
Hello... i love those abandoned stations..just finished this episode now onto the new one. 🙂
Hello there! 🙋🏼♂️🙋🏻♀️ Donkerpoort Station was quite a vibe. I could almost feel a train pulling in and passengers getting of the train. Wish those days were still around! It's great that you're still on the road with us! 🚗
Have you still encountered Karretjiemense (cart people) during your many adventures? I used to take back roads specifically to find them. Nice people to chat and share some padkos and coffee with, they will tell very interesting stories and a friendly face won't go amiss.
I can honestly say we've never seen Karretjiemense on any of our travels through the Karoo, unless of course we didn't identify them as such and therefore missed them. 🤷♂️
Thank you for all your videos. Its sad to see how so much of the infrastructure in many places has been destroyed or allowed to deteriorate. Saddest of all was your visit to the cemetary at what was a concentration camp during the Anglo-Boer War. My graritude and repect to you for showing that in your videos. Regards.
The children's cemetery was a bitter pill to swallow. I first had to get it together to be able to read some of the names and ages on that memorial. In fact, I still get emotional just thinking about it. There is simply no justification on this planet for babies passing away under such circumstances. 😥😥 We do appreciate you watching, all those lives that were lost so innocently, must be honoured and remembered. ✝️
LEKKER , rond geloo saam met julle, Dankie baie!
Anytime, you're always welcome to join us. 😁🚗
@@DustBugsTravel En as ek dan wil huis toe gaan nie, wat dan? LMGA🤣🤣🤣🤣
🤣 If you join us on any TH-cam episode, you won't have that worry!
@@DustBugsTravel Safe Travel
I so enjoy travelling with you. I have only recently found your channel and have been binge watching from episode 1. After watching this one, I felt I had to make a comment about the children's graves. I believe totally that those little ones, even though not baptised, are in heaven. They are God's children and he loves them unconditionally. I'm looking forward to the next episode.
Concentration camp graves is on the SW side of Springfontein, best approach is to go back on the main road, the main cemetery is on the Westside. Kids graves are just before the main cemetery. When we look at the names you can see whole families of kids wiped out. Boers had large families, but to see 6 or 7 surnames all the same its must have been devastating for the parents if they survivied.
There is just no end to the sadness of those concentration camp cemeteries. 😥 We were hoping to find the one in Springfontein, but we could only find the one gentleman who had an idea and the road he showed us, was just not passable for our vehicle. I'd like to go and see the graves one day though. Thank you for the info.
@@DustBugsTravel I cant tell my west from east- concentration camp graves is on the south east side.
I am so glad I discovered your channel a few days back. I have been binge watching since then. Next time you visit the town, ask the police to guide you to the ABW cemetary...SAPS members in those small towns are usually most helpfull...
3 of my Grandmother Oosthuizen’s siblings are buried in the childrens section of the concentration camp cemetery. We visited their once on the way to Cape Town…pretty emotional.
Curtis, your accent - or lack thereof - is interesting as it reminds of that Eastern Cape English that sounds so much Afrikaans-like. I am always interested in finding our how accents develop, such as Scouse, and found Germanic roots and Viking DNA spread widely across the globe. Sonia is the expert here; I am just a lay observer.
You are spot-on, I was born in the Eastern Cape and lived there for a while, but spent 15 years in Bloemfontein as an English Free Stater. Something most people still can't fathom because I have such a pronounced Afrikaans accent with certain words, especially those rolling r's! My mom's side has a strong connection to the Eastern Cape and that side of the family all speak 'Eastern Cape English'. 😁 Sonia says I must tell you she knows nothing about accents, she is a plain Afrikaans girl from Limpopo who could read English before she could her first language. She's always loved languages and has a natural knack for it. She insists that she has a strong Afrikaans accent, but I've heard stronger. Such interesting chats we're having. 😉
As always "lovit" 😆🙌🏻🤝🏼
😁 One of Sonia's favourite sayings! Thank you for discovering Springfontein with us! 🚗
Yoh. Hogsback? Lekker little town that. Look forward to video 560 when you get there :-) Haven't been there since the 80's when I was at school.
You are too funny! 🤣 I love Hogsback too, got some fun memories of that place. Some even while I was not running away! I was last there about ten years ago for a hike, so would love to see it again myself. Watch out for that Episode 560! 🚗😁
@@DustBugsTravel We used to go there, or to Stutterheim (I forget the name of the forest outside there) for end of year braai. Yeah. Great place to hike.
We did the Amatola Trail at Hogsback. ⛰️ Not sure if you're referring to the Kologha Forest near Stutterheim, but I was very young when I was last in that area and can't remember a single thing. 🤷🏼♂️
@@DustBugsTravel Kologha doesn't ring a bell. Maybe a name change or spelling difference. O'm going back to the mid 80's :-o
Watching it again tonight! When we lived at Gariep Dam and worked at the Eskom Hydro Power Station we had many picnics at Donkerpoort.
Although the town was established in 1904 [became municipal in 1912] there was a ABW consent ration camp. 200 women, elderly and children died there
So very sad, that list of babies' names and especially how old they were when they passed away, really got to me. 😥✝️
Seems like railway, consentration camp, then town.. was the sequence.
When visiting small Free State towns, you'll come across many English names, such as Earle, Keevey, etc. These people remained behind after the Boer War and married fair Boer girls, bought land and today, their descendants are among the most prominent farmers. If you want a black eye or miss a few teeth, just call any of these domesticated Kakies an Englishman. :D :D :D These guys clearly identify as Boers.
Interesting that you would mention that. We drove past some farms of which the nameboards clearly signal that these landowners are of British descent. For them to have made a home and built a life in SA, and specifically the Free State, is fantastic. 👌🏻🇿🇦
If the rail network was restored to service then many of those trucks could be removed from the roads.
The railways once were the #1 globally, yet freight handling simply couldn't compete with road transport. Choose between 14 days by rail or 14 hours by road....... I have seen it and I have some expertise in the field. Despite the most elaborate software from IBM, and hardware to suit, the sheer laziness of staff made the railways a failure even before 1994. I have personal experience of we-staffed offices where eight or ten sat doing nothing, while invoices form millions of Rand remained unpaid, as these never got sent to the very large public client. Worse, still, is that THAT client would lose that money in the next year's budget, as unused money was taken away. Sabotage came from within, and, as I have said, from before 1994.
One articulated truck with gross weight of around 100 metric tons, has the same effect on our roads as fifty passenger cars. No wonder our roads are becoming potholed - some trucks are overladen by many tens of tons and then still sometimes travel at well above 120km/h and, in some cases, hovering around 200km/h. That is common criminality. Govt errs in penalising the truckers, but the owners of the actual freight are the culprits. Top leadership in the transport dept is just inept, including the opposition. They are too myopic to see the real problem.
We kept on saying that to each other as we travelled. Not that we know the rail system or how it operates, but even we realise that. The roads are taking a beating, not to mention the hectic traffic. So totally different from even 20 years ago when we used to travel up and down between Gauteng and the Western Cape. 😨🚚
@@Afriqueleblanq I know that the old South African Railways were never arbiters of efficiency and that many governmental agencies were overstaffed even then, at times it was frustrating dealing with staff in the Post Office and other government departments.
Such a terrible sadness again to see those children's graves...
Indeed, one can't even imagine how helpless their parents must've felt, if they even survived. 😢
The ABW cemetery is about 200m east of the children's, on the same road.
I thought so too, but the local gentleman said that was not the war cemetery. Hopefully the gravel roads are dry when we're in the area next and I can check both out properly. The owner of the Kuilfontein Farm Stall also explained that it's on the other side of town, but difficult to find. 🤷🏼♂️
That was proper destruction of the public bath yhoooo🙆♀️
I know! It was really sad to see. 😥 It must've been a beautiful facility back in the day.
All those truck replacing one train… how sustainable for the environment!!!!
This is great content. All I know are the big cities and towns but there is much in South Africa. Beautiful little towns maybe villages as some would call them. Interestingly, they mostly seem abandoned. Why is this so? Is it lack of water or crime? Anyone who knows?
These small towns and villages are certainly not abandoned, although it may appear that way sometimes. With employment opportunities dwindling in the rural and outlying areas over the last 20 to 30 years, perhaps even longer, many people moved away to the bigger centres and to the cities in order to provide for their families. When we explore a town, we like to show as much of what we happen upon in a particular town, and buildings interest us greatly. A lot of the buildings we show, are now derelict and uninhabited. But fortunately there are still many others who are being maintained to preserve the history of the buildings themselves and the towns. We appreciate you watching! 😁🚗
@@DustBugsTravel Thanks for the clarity
Daai gebou wat in 1931 gebou was,was n koshuis. Ek was in daai koshuis in 1983
Thank you for the info. I have no doubt that the building looks quite a bit different from how you remember it. 😏 Hopefully you were reminded of some good memories by our video. We appreciate you watching. 🚗😁
Come on help these guys, it’s a lot of work to produce these, hit like and subscribe.
How kind of you, thank you! 😊 Editing is indeed a lot of hard work and very time-consuming, but I love it! Almost as much as I love travelling! 🤩🚗
So many lovely places to see. Too bad it's been allowed to deteriorate since A Nother Cemetery took over the country 🤦🏻♂️
There are indeed so many wonderful towns and places to explore in this beautiful country. 🇿🇦 It's very sad to see how much of the infrastructure and how many buildings have fallen into disrepair. 😢
Wellcome to the new RSA
Cool ride people . Go find that fountain ! And that is the truth a bout the British consentration camps that everyone ignored since.
😁 Next time! ⛲ Thank you for joining us in Springfontein! 🚗
Very beautiful and appealing!
A sad town, but has its own uniqueness. I was fixated on the forlornness of this town. Glad you visited. the churches were lovely.