I've often driven down the shoddy streets of Stanger, dodging taxi's and people, passing by the white statue to Shaka and wondered where his origional capital was. Was it on the hills above the town looking down on the fertile valleys below or was it on the hills looking over the sea? How big was … Continue reading Finding the Maze
Dr Stokes for sickly folks
Saturday was one of those hot, humid and suppressing Maritzburg days, one of those days that needs an afternoon thunderstorm to not only cool things down but also wash away the dust. Climbing out of the car at Fort Napier Military Cemetery, one could feel the moisture being sucked out of ones skin. The grass … Continue reading Dr Stokes for sickly folks
What’s in a name?
A few weeks ago while looking through the old gravestones at Umhlali cemetary, I came across an old one with the name Balcomb. It innitially stirred my interest as I know there is a Balcomb Street in Stanger and wondered if there was a connection. After looking up information on Benjamin Balcomb, I found the … Continue reading What’s in a name?
Uncovering the Cavemen of the North Coast
I've heard stories of this cave near Tongaat where archeologists had found proof of people living in the area dating back to seventy thousand odd years. I've also often wondered where exactly it was and if it was accessible. A couple of clicks on my mobile and the co- ordinates were saved for future reference. … Continue reading Uncovering the Cavemen of the North Coast
Voortrekkers in Umhlali
It was another busy Sunday. We had spent most of the morning tracking down the exact site of Shaka's Kraal, Dukuza in Stanger and had found some really good places of interest. It was still quite early when we started heading on back to Ballito. While on the R102 going through Shakaskraal we started discussing … Continue reading Voortrekkers in Umhlali
Maybe that wasn’t such a good idea.
His name was Oliver Edward Veal. He was the eldest of three siblings and had spent most of his life in Wellow, near Bath in Somerset. He had married a young lady by the name of Alice Daisy at the Greyville Westleyan Church, Durban, in mid 1904 before moving up to Pietermaritzburg. A photo of … Continue reading Maybe that wasn’t such a good idea.
Trooper Knight and the Insuzi affair.
Well our next adventure started with an old, hand sketched map and a little curiosity. While looking for the Cannibals Cave, our map had a marker for a grave of a Trooper Knight. The map came from a book written by a man named Smail, an authour from the 60's and in it I found … Continue reading Trooper Knight and the Insuzi affair.
The Cannibals Cave
So Sunday was adventure day again. Brandyne had been talking about a cannabils cave not too far out from Ballito for a while so yesterday we took the boys, Tayne and Landon out to find the dreaded place. All we had to go on was an old map, two photographs probably taken in the 60's … Continue reading The Cannibals Cave
Home on the Range
It was January and the heat in Ladysmith was stifling. The sun burned down on the backs of our necks and there wasn't a breath of air to inhale. Charlie Company was excited. It was our first chance to test our weapons, our "girlfriends" as our corporal would say. The shooting range, as we soon … Continue reading Home on the Range
My first blog
This is the excerpt for your very first post.