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LAST Friday at sunset, the Paarl "bokkiekar", which is travelling along the historic "Forgotten Highway" from Kimberley to celebrate Heritage Day in Paarl, arrived at Saamsuip in the Ceres Karoo.
This little cart, drawn by two Saron farm horses, left Kimberley on August 30 with support vehicles supplied by Toyota SA and McCarthy Toyota (Paarl).
The cart, driven by Viktor Kalis and Piet Lourens, is re-tracing the so-called Forgotten Highway along which many thousands of people in carts, coaches and wagons journeyed to and from the Diamond Fields more than a hundred years ago.
Saamsuip is a waterhole in the Doring River, which was used by travellers setting off to cross the Great Karoo.
A hostelry was built there to offer them a hot meal and a place to sleep. The waterhole can still be visited today on the Sadawa game farm.
At Karoopoort outside Ceres the same farm buildings, oak trees and extensive fig tree grove described two hundred years and more ago by travellers Lichtenstein and Burchell can still be seen.
On this site, the Togryers Museum and Tourism Office of Ceres welcomed Paarl's little bokkiekar with a festival.
On Heritage Day (September 24) "Promise" and "Try Me" will head a parade of horse-drawn vehicles and veteran cars along Paarl's Berg River Boulevard, up van der Lingen Street and then along Main Street from Pastorie Avenue to the De Poort site in Suider Paarl.
Paarl will have the chance to greet the little cart that undertook the journey this year that was taken by thousands of such vehicles before the railway line reached Kimberley in 1885.
At the De Poort site, there will also be horse riding events, kaskenades, a puppet show, live music and food stalls.
At the old tobacco store, there will be various crafters demonstrating lace and felt making, wood turning and much more.
At Clift stone masons in Concordia Street, a blacksmith will be at work and at Schoongezicht farm in Main Street, a farrier will shoe horses and there will be wine and olive oil tasting. These venues will be linked by wagon rides. |