Moordenaarskaroo

(Murderers' Karoo)

With a name like that we just had to go and see what it was like. If you've got an adventurer's heart you gravitate to places like these like moths to a flame.



Dana Snyman, a famous Afrikaans journalist, once wrote in the WEG magazine that the Moordenaarskaroo is like the G-spot - everybody's heard of it, but no-one knows exactly where it is.

Well, actually, those in the know do know. The Moordenaarskaroo sort of lies between Laingsburg, Sutherland and Merweville, but it does not include any of these towns. Merweville and Laingsburg are in the Koup while Sutherland is in the Roggeveld. So the Moordenaarskaroo is just this townless area, a mysterious space, almost like the Burmuda triangle.

There are several stories about where the Moordenaarskaroo got it's name. None can be verified. The most popular story tells that the vast plains and endless blue mountains once sheltered escaped slaves, runaway soldiers, smugglers and the banished.

From Laingsburg there is a dirt road North named Moordenaarskaroo, the road used during the lawbreakers' great escape to what was then known as the "Karoo badlands", a dry inner heart where murderers and robbers could find refuge. The word "Karoo" comes from the word Korusa, which in Khoisan means a dry and barren thirst land.

Ironically, the stretch of the national road between Laingsburg and Beaufort West is today known as the "death stretch" because of the high number of fatal road accidents.

But I am getting ahead of myself.

When a friend suggested that we visit the Moordenaarskaroo it did not take much convincing. The next thing we knew a group of eight people from different directions were heading to gather at Op-die-Plaas, a campsite just North of Seweweekspoort.

And so this Ride Report begins...

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Amalienstein

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I needed to speak to some-one who has first hand experience. Some-one who can answer questions out of experience, not hearsay. And so our adventure led us to Amalienstein:



Amalienstein is a small town and Lutheran mission station right next to Zoar situated on the R62 between Calitzdorp and Ladismith.



Amalienstein is a mission station with a strong link to its past. It derives its name from Frau Amalie Von Stein, who provided the funds to Berlin missionaries who bought it in 1850 to accommodate the people who were involved with the Zoar Mission community.

A church was completed in Amalienstein in 1853 and was recently restored to its full glory. The historic graveyard was also restored.

The Lutheran Church:



In 1990, LANOK, a Land Development Company, was requested to develop and manage Amalienstein to the advantage of the community of Zoar.

On this occasion LGF, Dusty and Pad also joined me and I am not sure it they knew what to expect.

We came to Amalienstein to meet this man - Maans Fourie:



We were blown away by this man's humble friendliness. He invited four bikers into his home and had such a willingness to share.

He told us the most incredible story of how, when he was a young boy he'd been to collect wood for his parents in the nearby kloof, and had caught sight of a beautiful woman sitting on a rock at the foot of a waterfall. She had beautiful long black hair, blue eyes and a white skin, with the upper body of a woman, but the lower body of a fish! We asked him what she looked like? Like a white woman? He pointed at Dusty and said: "She looked like her, only prettier!"

He was trying to describe how this being was like the most beautiful woman in the world and Dusty took the comparison well. We did tease her a little about it later though - all in good fun.



Maans Fourie saw the Watermeid twice. The first time he was her while collecting wood he stopped and started to back up. His grandparents had told him about these Watermeide before and he knew not to go closer. As he backed up she waved at him and disappeared into the water.

He saw her again a couple of years later, again at the same spot.

I asked him if there are more of these Watermeide in the area and in fact there was one in the river right next to Amlienstein as well (he has not seen that one himself though) but she moved away because of the washing being done in the river. Watermeide don't like to be disturbed.

Look at all the reeds in that river:



She lived in the deep hole where the brown reeds are in the middle of this photo:



I asked Mr. Fourie why the Watermeid drowns people? He said that that is a misconception. She does not drown people, she takes them to her world under the water. That is why no bodies are found when some-one gets caught. I asked him whether there is a Watermeid in Seweweekspoort, but no, Seweweekspoort does not have one (I felt stupid later, riding through Seweweekspoort, for asking that question. Of course there would not be one. There are no really deep pools there). He said that Watermeide still exist today, but they seem to be few and far between. You'll find them in areas where there are few people.

The four of us there had several questions and he answered them patiently. He also showed us the booklet that Wendy Hardie sent him after her DVD was produced (he was interviewed in that program) and showed us a lamp some-one else had sent him as a present. He has become quite famous since that TV program and he sometimes acts as a tour guide in the immediate area.

Maans and "almost as pretty as the Watermeid" Dusty:



Eventually we had to leave, but this was an amazing experience. This is one of the most sincere people I have met in my entire life. These events are as real to him as you are seeing your computer screen right now.

He was quite willing to go show us the spot where he sighted her first just over 7 decades ago, but we were all on bikes and he does not own a car. I promised to return with my sons so he can show us the actual spot. I'll update this post when that has happened.

We left here enriched, having peeked into a much different world than our own. I started this project looking for the Watermeid, but I am finding so much more. The people of the Klein Karoo truly are special.







Source: Amalienstein

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Day 3

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On Monday morning we woke to a glorious day.



We had very bad weather forecast for today but Merweville at least seemed to be having a nice day.





Everybody was heading home today and Operator, Pmdb and R-O-V-Rat had especially long rides ahead. On top of that we'd be riding into a particularly nasty cold front.



Queuing for fuel in Merweville:


(Photo by fatb)

Operator, Pmdb and R-O-V-Rat refueled first and after we said our goodbyes they headed off direction Cape Town. We headed due South, but not before we stopped here:



On the outskirts of town is a signpost pointing the way to "The Englishman's Grave". Nearby in the veld is a tiny marble cross which marks the grave of a lieutenant from Australia, who served with the British forces during the Anglo-Boer War as a member of the 3rd South Australian Contingent.



He served with distinction, but died by his own hand on April 16, 1902. On a page, torn from his pocket book, Lt. W.O. Arnot had drawn a sketch map of the road and across it was written "This was not for the Boers". On the back of the page were the words: "I swear before God, whom I am going to meet, that I am innocent."

We were told that he committed suicide because he could not live with the terrible things the English did to the Boers in the Anglo Boer war.



He left behind his wife Nell and four children aged between 4 and 9. Rest in Peace Lt. W.O. Arnot.


The road South:

I believe that "Day 3" on any ride is one of the best days. On "Day 1" you still settle into the ride and try to forget about any problems the past week might have presented. The first night everybody parties up a storm. On "Day 2" you settle into the ride and usually on the 2nd night it's an earlier night because of a late night the day before and a hard day's riding. On "Day 3" the guys get up well rested and also by now the group dynamic is settled. On "Day 3" everything just seems to work out great and everybody is in high spirits. Today was no different. To bad this "Day 3" was the last day of this trip. We made the most of it though.



The tar road quickly turned into a glorious Karoo Gravel Highway. These are a pleasure to ride!



LGF approaching:



From here it's a short hop to Prins Albert. We stopped next to the road and had some of the leftovers from the previous evening for breakfast.

LGF, fatb and I doing our impression of the number "100"


(Photo by Dusty)

By now it was VERY cold already. We stopped at he Hotel in Prins Albert for some hot chocolate and they informed us that the Swartberg Pass was closed due to snow. Riding past the turn-off to the pass we saw some bikes exiting and decided to chance it.

The road in:






(Photo by LGF)

We rose higher and higher and soon we saw some snow.


(Photo by LGF)

Swarberg pass has had much heavier snow in the past, but this was quite an experience. It was the first time I rode on a bike while it was snowing on me.




(Photo by Dusty)




(Photo by Dusty)

Nothing turns adults into kids as fast as snow.




(Photo by Dusty)



The road down:



A cold and wet group stopped at Wilgewandel for some more hot drinks. We were in high spirits though and full of jokes!



After this we said our goodbyes and headed home.



What a trip. Lots of highs and lows for me. The highs were very high. Three things stand out: Maans Fourie, the man we interviewed about he Watermeid. What an experience, what a glimpse into a world different to our own. Secondly Rammelkop Pass - what a special road! One that will definitely see me again. And lastly crossing Swartberg Pass in the snow. It might not seem a big thing, but snow is not a common occurrence around here. Riding in that scenery with the snow falling around me was surreal.

The "lows", things like the extreme winds and temperatures and that horrible and very cold night, will be things that make this ride even more memorable. And doing such things with friends builds the camaraderie we share.

Thanks to each and everyone that shared this trip with me.


Die Temmers van die Moordenaarskaroo:
(Thanks fatb for the pics! )













Our route and statistics:

Moordenaarskaroo

Download the GPS tracklog here. Thanks to Garmin and Tracks 4 Africa for making this posible.



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