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South African (Off-Topic) Quiz

DamhuisClan

By DamhuisClan
in South Africa

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GlobalRat

+GlobalRat

Posted
Posted

OK - let me try - 1869 - perhaps a railway line across a mountain range - following a route the women trekboers took?

Let me say - from Natal into the ZAR (Transvaal)?

 

Starting to head in the right direction. Seems the Fynbos Finders are a bit rusty on their backyard history :D

cincol

+cincol

Posted
Posted

Du Toitskloof Pass

 

It cannot be du Toit's Kloof as the tunnel was only opened in 1988 [i think] and it took nearly 10 years to complete. With Sir Lowry's out of the picture that leave Franschoek Pass and Bainskloof Pass.

 

My guess would be Franschoek [?]

BruceTP

+BruceTP

Posted
Posted (edited)

Du Toitskloof Pass

 

It cannot be du Toit's Kloof as the tunnel was only opened in 1988 [i think] and it took nearly 10 years to complete. With Sir Lowry's out of the picture that leave Franschoek Pass and Bainskloof Pass.

 

My guess would be Franschoek [?]

 

 

By the way, some history on the du Toit's Kloof Pass:

In 1940 the National Roads Council decided to go ahead construction of a pass through the Du Toitskloof. The road would be 46km from the Berg River Bridge to the Goudini junction, and include a tunnel below the notoriously difficult Kleigat passage. The total cost was estimated at £750,000. The project would also provide gainful employment for the large number of Italian POWs interned in the Drakenstein Valley. Subsequently, a temporrary POW camp was built in Klein Drakenstein to accommodate about 500 men (some sources say 1,500 POWs). The POWs lived there until they were expatriated at the end of the war. Before returning to Italy in 1945 four of the POWs erected a T-shaped wooden cross on Huguenot Buttress overlooking the pass to commemorate their stay in the Drakenstein Valley. Local farmers in turn agreed to maintain the cross in their memory. The Italian Cross as it is known today has since been replaced with one of stainless steel. The Du Toitskloof Pass was completed in 1945. Construction on the Huguenot Tunnel began in 1984 and the tunnel was completed in 1988 at a cost of R125 m. Today the 4km Huguenot Tunnel from the Miaspoort Valley to the bridge over the Elands River shortens the distance between Paarl and Worcester by 11km.

 

Edit: Correct quote.

Edited by BruceTP
GlobalRat

+GlobalRat

Posted
Posted

Tradoux pass?

 

Well done, you're it. Those that haven't travelled it or done the caches, a worthwhile outing!

 

The Khoisan originally discovered this ancient route. The unusual word “tradau” means “the way of the women” and is believed to be derived from the Khoi words tra, signifying “women” and dau, denoting “way through”. Magnificent galleries of rock paintings in the numerous caves are all that are left from the Khoisan era. The Tradouw Pass is but one of thirteen passes that master road engineer Sir Thomas Bain built in the Southern Cape during the 1800’s and to fully appreciate the character of the Tradouw Pass you have to delve into its vibrant days of yesteryear.

 

The suggestion of a pass was first raised in 1858. The farmers wanted Port Beaufort (Witsand) at the mouth of the Breede River made more accessible for their produce. In 1867 the Colonial Secretary, Robert Southey, proposed in Parliament that the pass be built, using convict labour, “as soon as such was available”. (The Pass was first named after him, but the name did not achieve popularity and after a few years it reverted to the traditional “Tradouw Pass”.)

 

Thomas Bain was instructed to do the planning and estimating. The Bain family moved into a lovely old farmhouse, Lismore that belonged to the Barry family. Today the house still stands at the foot of the 14km 315m high Tradouw Pass and still belongs to the Barrys.

 

In 1869 a work force of many convicts was transferred from the completed Robinson Pass between Oudtshoorn and Mossel Bay. In the end of that year, four kilometers of difficult road, entailing a good deal of blasting, had been completed. The next year the number of convicts was drastically reduced and work slowed down accordingly. In 1873 Bain was transferred to plan and build the railway through Tulbagh Kloof. The qualified foreman, Mr Stephens, was left in charge.

 

The Pass was declared open on 27th October 1873 by the Governor’s wife, Lady Barkley. Soon after its completion the farming community built a church at the northern end of the Pass and the town that grew around it was named in honour of the Barry family. Barrydale developed into a productive fruit farming area.

 

In 1974, after years of planning, the Pass was rebuilt, widened in places, hairpin bends removed and completely tarred. 4000 aloes and 2500 indigenous trees and shrubs were planted. In 1980 the Tradouw Pass was re-opened. Look out for places with names like Drupkelder, Piekniekbos and Suurplaat where you can stop and try and spot the ruins of Anglo Boer War blockhouses.

 

The Tradouw Pass is renowned for its wild flowers in spring, clusters of blazing red aloes in late autumn, breathtaking waterfalls in winter and magnificent swimming pools in summer. As you drive along, enjoy this beautiful Pass and admire Sir Thomas Bain’s genius for carving a pass through such rugged terrain without the help of modern technology.

anlufu

+anlufu

Posted
Posted

Wow - lucky guess. Interesting bit of history.We'll have to make a plan to take the pass next time we go that way.

 

Here's our question:

Local legend says that this dam wall was built on the "wrong river". Claimed to be a flood control dam, it has the second biggest catchment area in SA. But's it's nearly always empty.

Which dam is it and where is it?

anlufu

+anlufu

Posted
Posted (edited)

No to Bloemhof. But it is in the Karoo - just not near Oudtshoorn and far from Calitzdorp.

 

And not obscure.

Edited by anlufu
anlufu

+anlufu

Posted
Posted (edited)

Yup - Beervlei dam built in 1953 on the Groot river. Locals in Willowmore say that the planners and the builders got the wrong "Groot" river, that's why you seldom see water on the right side of the wall.

Edited by anlufu
GlobalRat

+GlobalRat

Posted
Posted

Yup - Beervlei dam built in 1953 on the Groot river. Locals in Willowmore say that the planners and the builders got the wrong "Groot" river, that's why you seldom see water on the right side of the wall.

 

Quite amusing :blink: But I guess it's expected as it was built as a flood control dam. Recall it overflowing sometime in the early 2000's.

the pooks

+the pooks

Posted
Posted (edited)

Emailed my brother and he gave this reply. Thought I would add it even though it is too late for the prize.

 

The Groot Rivier, which is a tributary of the Kouga which feeds into the Gamtoos is dammed upstream by the Beervlei Dam. After the Gariep dam, the Beervlei Dam has the second biggest catchment of all dams in South Africa. Despite this, due to upstream abstraction for agricultural use, it is empty more often than it has water in it. At present the Groot Rivier is not flowing and has only pools of water. On the farm Glenmore this is an old water mill that used to function throughout the year. One wanders how the ecological reserve will be applied to rivers such as this.

In any case if it was built entirely for flood control it's perfectly normal for it to be empty (how often depends on the design flood - remember a 1 in 50 year flood appears on average once every 50 years but can also only happen in say 100 years time).

 

PS: Sorry, now I've posted after the next question.

Edited by the pooks
Carbon Hunter

+Carbon Hunter

Posted
Posted

I'll have a go that it is in the northern cape - it is a Anglo Boer War blockhouse - and it's unique feature is that the boers used it and not the Khakis (i.e. they captured it and used it against the builders).

 

It was not Kimberley or Upington - but I cant remember the location - I'll guess Kuruman.

 

I seem to recall this story - but not the specifics

GlobalRat

+GlobalRat

Posted
Posted

I'll have a go that it is in the northern cape - it is a Anglo Boer War blockhouse - and it's unique feature is that the boers used it and not the Khakis (i.e. they captured it and used it against the builders).

 

It was not Kimberley or Upington - but I cant remember the location - I'll guess Kuruman.

 

I seem to recall this story - but not the specifics

 

Got the right province, and yes it is an Anglo Boer War blockhouse.

cincol

+cincol

Posted
Posted (edited)

With a kokerboom in the foreground it is NOT Kuruman, Kimberley nor Upington. They just don't grow there. It is more likely to be in the Kenhardt/Brandvlei area where these trees grow rather prolifically. However, for the life of me I wouldn't know why a blockhouse would have been required anywhere near Kenhardt or Brandvlei! <_<

Edited by cincol
cincol

+cincol

Posted
Posted

Prieska and it is made entirely from Tiger's Eye.

 

Spot on!

 

Darn!!! ;) I lived in Prieska for many years - Copperton in fact. I have driven past that blockhouse literally thousands of times. It is at the golf course and adjacent to the airstrip and the main road to Douglas / Kimberley. I have stood next to it how many whilst playing golf there as well. It is within sight of the local high school hostel where my wife spent a few years of her life too! :D

 

Well done cownchicken!

cincol

+cincol

Posted
Posted

Where is the first private dwelling in South Africa to have electric lighting and water-borne sewage, SA's first flushing toilets were in this home.

 

Well of course it has to be that little gem of a place called in the Karoo called Matjiesfontein! Some English dude [gentleman] built himself a house that he thought was on an English Manor that was equipped with nothing but the best. I think it also had a "private" telephone system that was a first in SA as well.

 

I remember having one of the best breakfasts that I have ever eaten at the Lord Milner Hotel when we stayed over in the Annex a few years ago - mid 70's I think it was. Matjiesfontein is a place that you can visit a hundred times and each time learn something new about the history of the country and the Anglo Boer War. I just love it there - the London bus included. Is it still there? Haven't stopped off there for many a year now.

cownchicken

+cownchicken

Posted
Posted

Well done! Do you know the name of the home?

More interesting facts about the town are:

 

James Logan spent over £1 000 finding a source capable of delivering 50 000 litres an hour and piping it to Matjiesfontein. With more water than he needed, he developed an elaborate "water world" which was opened in November, 1889.

Logan built a large wind-powered mill to crush wheat and to generate electricity.

He also built a mineral water factory and bottled soda water, lemonade and ginger ale for sale to thirsty travellers. He laid a 20 km telephone line, then the longest in South Africa, from his house on Tweedside farm to his residence at Matjiesfontein.

Matjiesfontien was South Africa's first health resort.

cincol

+cincol

Posted
Posted

OK, how about one with a 5* rating? :D

 

Let's go back to the Prieska area. About 80km west of Prieska was the Prieska Copper Mine. Although copper was mined there and it was called a copper mine it produced more - in tonnage - of another mineral. What was that mineral? ;)

MouseZA

+MouseZA

Posted
Posted

OK, how about one with a 5* rating? :D

 

Let's go back to the Prieska area. About 80km west of Prieska was the Prieska Copper Mine. Although copper was mined there and it was called a copper mine it produced more - in tonnage - of another mineral. What was that mineral? ;)

 

Going to take a guess at malachite ?

anlufu

+anlufu

Posted
Posted

OK, how about one with a 5* rating? :D

 

Let's go back to the Prieska area. About 80km west of Prieska was the Prieska Copper Mine. Although copper was mined there and it was called a copper mine it produced more - in tonnage - of another mineral. What was that mineral? ;)

 

Iron ore?

Carbon Hunter

+Carbon Hunter

Posted
Posted

OK, how about one with a 5* rating? :huh:

 

Let's go back to the Prieska area. About 80km west of Prieska was the Prieska Copper Mine. Although copper was mined there and it was called a copper mine it produced more - in tonnage - of another mineral. What was that mineral? ;)

 

Going to take a guess at malachite ?

 

Good guess - except malachite is one of the main sources of .... Copper. Was one of my immeadiate thoughts too - until one sees one needs the non-copper mineral. :D

cincol

+cincol

Posted
Posted

Blue Asbestos

 

OUCH!! Thank goodness not! Thankfully all the asbestos mines in the area closed a number of years ago. The main asbestos mining area was about 80km north of Copperton in the Marydale area. There are still people who live in Prieska itself who are being diagnosed regularly with asbestosis - a terrible condition that attacks the lungs. ;)

 

The beautiful tiger's eye is also a metamorphic derivative of bue asbestos, hence its abundance in the greater Prieska area. Prieska is also renown for its salt mines - mainly in the area between Prieska and Britstown. There is a small settlement called Sodium about 40km from Prieska.

cincol

+cincol

Posted
Posted

Seeing that Lead is taken, will take a flyer, Zinc?

 

Well done GR. :D

 

Prieska Copper Mine, although known as a copper mine, actually produced more zinc than it did copper. Normally in massive ore bodies such as the one found at Copperton [similar to those on the Zambian Copper Belt as well] copper is the predominant mineral, although zinc is always present in a substantial amount. After the mine became operational it was realised that in fact there was more zinc than copper in this particular ore body. [Yes, some geologists obviously didn't do their homework correctly.] The name was never changed to Prieska Zinc Mine, but the emblem of the company, PCM, bore the symbol for zinc prominantly.

 

Other metals produced by the mine in substantial qualtities were gold, silver, antimony and obviously large amounts of uranium as well. PCM sent all its "cake" concentrate to Rossing Uranium for further processing. A dedicated railway link was built from Prieska to Copperton in order to transport the concentrate to Rossing.

 

Perhaps this was not deserving of a 5* rating? ;) 3.5* perhaps? :huh:

GlobalRat

+GlobalRat

Posted
Posted

One for the history buffs...

 

Doctor Alexander Cowie and Benjamin Green set off from Albany in the Eastern Cape on a trading expedition to Delagoa Bay in 1828, but died of malaria on their return journey in 1829.

 

On their trip they crossed the Sao Christovao River. In their time the river was known by two names on maps, one being Sea Cow Kraal River and another more popular name which was changed in more recent times to it's current name. The river has also carried the name Wijd in the past.

 

Which river is this?

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