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My David is an avid reader. He has rather a lovely collection nonfiction South African based books. I have often suggested we incorporate the battlefield routes of Kwazulu-Natal into our travels but this thought of mine remained just that, a wish … until recently.
On a journey to the Eastern Free State, at the end January 2018, we took the turn Exit 230 off the N3. Our plan was to travel via Geluksburg up the Middledale Pass into the Eastern Free State following the dirt roads until we popped out near Sterkfontein Dam. While travelling along I was glancing at a Northern Drakensburg tourist when I spotted it …. Spionkop!
We took the off ramp – Exit 230, paid our bit at the toll, turned left onto the R616 when not far from the N3 we spotted a tired sign Spionkop. My David wanted to continue on .....
We turned left onto the dirt road. From the tyre tracks there was only one fresh set ahead. It appeared we were the second vehicle to venture on the road that morning.
We drove on .. eventually passing a tour vehicle parked on the side with tourists gazing into the veld while the tour guide set the scene.
Finally reaching the gates. As we were chatting to the young woman who was taking our entrance fee the tour group arrived - very business-like the Tour Guide sorted out their paperwork and they were off. We followed them and the road .... up and up. Shoo, quite a climb. (Part of the steep road is just visible on the hill in the photo above)
From the Entrance Gate the road takes you right up to the top of Spionkop. The signboard at the beginning of the dirt road indicates 8km, that's to the gate, then it's another 2km to the top
The views from the road leading up to the top of Spionkop are wonderful ... but I'm sure that's not what was on the soldiers minds in 1900.
Finally reaching the top I was amazed. We found a well-documented part of our history. On entry we were given information to do a self-guided tour.
Even though we'd not done any prior research the information boards were very helpful.
However, I think that going with a tour would bring history right in your face; I'd like to sometime do that. Our short visit and just spending time there I got the "feeling " the place.
As the tour group set off - the guide had told me earlier that the walk-about takes an hour and a half or so - I set off to capture my thoughts and photographs ......
" Gandhi’s formative years were in South Africa and many don’t know this, but he even took part in the 2nd Anglo Boer War. He was also present at the battle of Spionkop, fighting for the British Army as a stretcher bearer and medic." Extract from: South African Military History
The mass graves of the British soldiers brought a heaviness to my heart
The sadness of war right there. It so happened that we were there 118 years to the day of when it began .... left a chill.
We visited on the 23 January 2018
"..... the Battle of Spion Kop (Dutch: Spionkop; Afrikaans: Slag van Spioenkop) was fought about 38 km (24 mi) west-south-west of Ladysmith on the hilltop of Spion Kop along the Tugela River, Natal in South Africa from 23–24 January 1900 ....." Extract from: South African Military History website
https://samilhistory.com/2016/04/10/spionkop-shaped-3-future-leaders-churchill-botha-ghandi/
Thanks to the South African Military History Society