
Transkaroo
Hiking Trail
Near
Middelburg, Eastern Cape
The small town of
Middelburg (Eastern Cape) is situated about 97km south of
Colesberg on the route that most people take when travelling by
car to Port Elizabeth. At first glance the area has very little
to recommend it but, as has
happened so often before, this little farming community
has a real gem of a trail hidden in its 'backyard'.
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You report to the main farmhouse where you are given
brochures and a good 1:50000 map ( photocopy ) with
each days routes clearly marked in different
colours. You also get the keys to the various “huts”.
Base house at Wilgerfontein was huge. With gas stove and
fridge and hot shower, big braai under cover with plenty
of wood. With an indoor fire place candles and gas
lamps, a big lounge with so many chairs etc that you
are spoiled for choice!
Photos
from the trail, interesting stones and artefacts
provided interesting decor. Secure parking was provided
in a barn at the back of the property. |
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Luxury but in homely and
rustic surroundings |
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Day 1- Wilgefontein to Uitsig
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Day one from Wilgerfontein to Uitsig starts on the
dirt road for a short distance, then veers off to
follow a stram up Visserskloof. Here are magic pools
and rock formations. Eventually you reach the “top”
and enter the Stone Desert………a more barren but still
attractive and interesting area. You do a circuit in
a sort of “bowl” before cresting at a ' beacon’ from
where there are good views and a view of Kompassberg
in the distance.
Then there is a long and very gradual descent which
in the last stages enters a shallow , dry , stream
bed ……more like a “sloot’….which leads virtually to
the doorstep of Uitsig “hut” |
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Uitsig is magic. Its an old barn/cowshed divided
into two. You open a gate which comprises the whole
of one end wall of the structure. This reveals a
stone flagged floor. Old shuttered windows with bric
a brac on the windowsills. A large indoor fireplace
and braai grids and wood. A massive central table
made from the end of a cable drum. Seats and benches
are tree stumps and poles. The entire place is
decorated with “hikers graffiti’ burnt into planks
and poles (purposely left there for that
purpose) with branding irons supplied by the
farmer. |
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Sleeping was on foam mattresses on stretchers in
the inner section of the structure which has
candles, a wash hand basin!!......the old wooden
feeding trough still in place on the far wall
and swallows nests on the ceiling. There is a
gas lamp , toilet paper and even curtains. But
its all rustic…………..so nothing is spoiled. There
is a shower and a long drop with a view.
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Nearby the
hut there are some derelict old buildings that date
back more than 150 years. As you wonder through
these relics from past eras, try to picture some
scenes that must have taken place within the walls
that are now only broken down shells. |
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Windows that
have been looked out of by successive generation
with very little change to the view. |
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Day
2-Uitsig
to Weltevrede
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Up the jeep track, past more ruins,…..wind around in
the veld,…collect porcupine quills,…pass an old
kraal,…..pass ox wagon tracks,…….and ascend gently
to a beacon where there is a great “totem pole’
consisting of planks with hikers names etc branded
on them. (You do this at the overnight stop
and then if energetic, carry your plank up here )
Then its more relaxed traipsing through the veld
until you drop to another ruin surrounded by pepper
trees. Close to this you enter a stream with a big
clump of shady poplar trees.
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Leaving the trees you now do about 4km up a
stream bed with lots of pools, frogs and
wild mint. Not what you would expect from
the Karoo at all!!
You then exit to the
gentle rolling hills at the top, to be gazed
at in wonder by a herd of cows and
eventually we arrived at the house at
Weltevrede. |
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Another magic old place with all the facilities you
need and a bucket shower that is properly designed ,
well constructed and really works!! |
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Day
3-Weltevrede back to Wilgefontein
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The last day back to Wilgerfontein leads past 2
small dams, then after a gentle up and down which
passes a well preserved bushman painting, you are in
another stream bed.
Along this part of the route you pass some lichen
and mosses in damp patches by the stream
On this day we spotted the occasional buck.
You ascend to a plateaux with views and this
warranted 2 loooong breaks just relaxing and
enjoying. Later you pass a fossilised stream bed.
All too soon you see base in the distance below and
after winding you down n round a koppie and through
more poplar saplings, you reach the end.
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Conclusion
A well laid out trail with a surprising variety of scenery and
vegetation. The trail is well marked and the facilities are
excellent. Winter can be extremely cold while summers can be
very hot and there is little shade along the way. The trail is
certainly worth doing especially as an add-on to a trip to the
Cape. Total trail distance is 42km over 3 days but a shorter
route is possible.
Thanks to Robin MacDonald for the use of his photos and comments
Bookings
Telephone/Fax +27 (0) 49 843 1506
E-mail
Footprint
Hiking Club
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