There are few places imbued with more history, folklore and rugged beauty than the valleys of the Attakwasberge between Herbertsdale and Oudtshoorn. A good place to experience these charms is a farm whose first Scottish owner named it Bonniedale.
Millennia before the Scot arrived in 1860, hunter-gatherers lived in this valley for thousands of years and were joined by the Attaqua Khoi, originally from the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley near Hermanus, some time before or soon after Jan van Riebeeck landed in 1652.
It’s unknown why they moved from their original location to this distant valley that came to bear their name. It may have been pressure from their neighbouring Chainoqua or Hessequa tribes, or a sense of prescience of the troubles to come after the first Portuguese explorers started to arrive in the late 1400s and early 1500s.
Whatever the cause, the first European explorer to meet them was Hieronymous Cruse. He discovered them while trying to find an overland route to Mossel Bay in 1668. Yet the Attakwaskloof Pass route became well known only after Ensign Schrijver’s passage en route to his cattle-bartering expedition with the Inqua tribe (near present-day Aberdeen) in 1689.
While it was Schrijver who opened up this route, it was mainly after numerous other explorers and travellers such as Carl Peter Thunberg (1772), Anders Sparrman (1775), Joachim Baron van Plettenberg (1778) and Robert Jacob Gordon (1786) journeyed along this one-time old elephant road that it became the main link between the coast and the Karoo interior.
I was first drawn to the historical pedigree of Bonniedale many years ago when owner, Nico Hesterman, took me on a tour of the farm on the first of my many visits there. The representative San rock art he showed me and the anecdotes I heard presented a graphic timeline of recent and ancient SA history, a microcosm of all the forces at play.
From drawings of the now extinct quagga to depictions of warring chieftains from rivalling Khoi clans and hatted Boer horseman with rifles, these chronicles record the San’s view of the world before they were crowded out by pastoralism and their diehards exterminated.
I take our middle daughter, Ashley, on a short hike to the rock pools the morning after we arrive. Our route initially follows the Kamma River, which is flanked by numerous in-nature campsites, some with tented-camp options, caravan accommodation and private ablutions.
As a horse lover I tell her about the mystery of the horses that used to shy away from a particular section of the trail through Grootkloof, just to the north of us. Because of this, one of the farm’s old labourers refused to ride through this kloof, saying there were ghosts there. It wasn’t until two years after he’d left the farm that an explanation was arrived at. Archaeologists from the University of Cape Town excavated the site and found the remnants of an old Khoi village close by, and then a grave on the path at the exact point of paranormal disturbance.
In front of us lay the grounding view of real beauty in the real world. We’d reached the large farm dam filled with the purest tea-coloured mountain water you can find. Surrounding this dam are picnic tables and hammocks as well as swings, canoes and a foefie slide.
We reach the first rock pool after a kilometre of easy hiking along a narrow pipe track. But it’s the second one, dammed with a low concrete wall, that presents the perfect shrine to nature. Clear water trickles, dragonflies hover and the happy smell of mossy earth camps in our nostrils.
After lunch we take off on a scenic 4x4 excursion. One of my aims is to show the family some of the unique fynbos found here. as well as for them to take in the magnificent mountain tableaus. Luckily we achieve both these goals before our 4WD vehicle protests that the track I’ve chosen is too rough and we need to beat a precarious retreat by reversing down the hill.
We take the tamer, yet no less picturesque Woeska wagon trail that comes out at Vrederus farm, close to Cloete’s Pass outside Herbertsdale. It’s a relatively smooth yet still wild rollercoaster dirt track that provides epic views of the Fouriesberge in the north, the Rooiberge to the northwest and the barren leeward slopes of the Langeberge to the south. Just before we reach our designated turnaround spot at a copse of Kiepersol trees, a small herd of grey rhebok bounces across the road and makes light of the rugged terrain beyond.
With the braai fire crackling into life and an owl hooting its mournful lament, it’s the perfect atmosphere to reveal more prickly folklore to our small family gathering.
“Bloubaard” Swanepoel is buried in an unmarked grave near the Attakwaskloof hikers’ hut, a few kilometres uphill from our fire. He was the last man to be publicly hanged in George, a sentence that was carried out on April 28 1856. According to the laws of the time and the list of grisly murders he committed, it was the least he could expect. In short, his modus operandi was to get people to perform certain tasks for him, pay them, then later ambush and kill them and take his money back.
As he was so proficient in the disposing of his victims’ bodies, often throwing them into inaccessible ravines, it wasn’t until one of his intended targets got away many years later that the law caught up with Swanepoel.
A sudden gust of wind fans the fire’s flames towards me. I don’t tell the family it’s said to be a sign of “Bloubaard’s” ghost on the move, revisiting the graves of his many victims buried around the Attakwaskloof ; instead I wash away the prickles with a large slug of whisky.
Travel Notes
Getting there: It’s about 417km from Cape Town (via the N2, Robinson Pass and 26km of reasonable gravel road — achievable in a normal sedan with reasonable ground clearance in good weather. For the dirt road aficionados, buy a Slingsby’s Garden Route map and approach the farm from the N2. Take the Cooper’s siding road (follow the signs to Indalu), and proceed via Herbertsdale and Hagelkraal, or follow the old wagon track by travelling through the Cloete’s Pass 8km north of Herbertsdale and then turning right at Vrederus farm about 14km further on. Bonniedale holiday farm is about 20km distant.
Vehicle for the 4x4 tracks: You will need a proper 4x4 with low range, diff-lock, all-terrain tyres and be proficient in handling grade 2-4 tracks.
What to do here: Bonniedale holiday farm is the ideal venue for the family, or couples, who like to spend time in nature. There are hiking trails, 4x4 tracks, San rock art, a dam and pristine rock pools to swim in, canoes to paddle and a foefie slide for the more adventurous. A day drive to Jakkalsvlei Private Cellar for wine-tasting and lunch is recommended, as is a visit to the Cango Caves as well as the ostrich and wine farms around Oudtshoorn.
Where we stayed: We spent two nights in the chalet option (they range from rooms in the historic old farmhouse to caravans and camp sites). WhatsApp Dannette: 083 660 0227.
Suggested further reading: The Journey of Anders Sparrman by Per Wästberg and HIPSA reprint Series I, 12: Bergh and Schrijver: Journals.
Best time of year to go: August to April.
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