Three Provinces 2021

Long Weekend Trips (3 - 5 Nights)
 Registration Closed
 
20
ThreeProvinces2018
Date: 23 September 2021 06:00 AM - 26 September 2021 05:00 PM

Midlands 4WDC trip to Three Provinces

(Thursday 23rd to Sunday 26th September 2021)

 

 

The club is proposing a long weekend trip to 3 Provinces over the 23rd to 26th September 2021.

 

Would all members who wish to go please register in the normal fashion. This includes those members who booked and paid for last years (cancelled) trip; these members will have priority on the booking list since they have already paid.

 

The short itinerary is anticipated to be as follows (fuller details are shown further down):

Thur 23 Sep

0600

Leave Rotunda. Travel via Ladysmith, Newcastle and Volksrust to 3 Provinces

 

1130

Arrive 3 Provinces

 

1230

Leave for Wakkerstroom

 

1300-1700

Birding at Wakkerstroom

 

1745

Arrive back at 3 Provinces

Fri 24 Sep

0800

Depart 3 Provinces for all day Battlefields & History route

Sat 25 Sep

 

3 Provinces 4x4 trip

Sun 26 Sep

0800

Return home via Donkies & Mullers Passes

 

 

Costs and activities are shown below:

Item

Tariff

Assuming 1 vehicle & 2 people

Camping

 R220 per stand for 2 people per night. R110 per extra person per night. Max 1 vehicle & 6 people per stand.

660.00

Birding

R700 per guide with max of 10 people. If more people then extra guide and costs divided by number of people.

140.00

Battlefields

 R320 per vehicle & R145  person. Min 6 vehicles and 15 people.

610.00

3 Provinces Main trail

 R320 per vehicle

320.00

Donkies Pass

 R270 per vehicle

270.00

   

2000.00

 

Please would all those who are interested register ASAP and whilst doing so please indicate any preferences/concerns/comments in the comments box.

50% deposit will be required by 16th July whilst full payment will be due by 20th August.

 

The following is a more detailed description of the proposed weekend (as per website entry by Malcolm Brown for last year’s trip.

 

 Day 1 (Thursday 23 Sept 2021):

6am: Leave from the Rotunda at 6am sharp! On arrival we will set up camp and then go to Wakkerstroom.

1pm: Bird Watching @ Wakkerstroom:

Meet at the Three Provinces Farmhouse. Don't forget your Binoculars and a Birding books!

* Approximate duration - Half day from 13h00 till Sunset!

* Correspondents: Judy-Lynn Wheeler & Kristi Garland (Manager of Birdlife Wakkerstroom Training & Education Centre)

* Guides:

For a group of 20 people, two Field Guides will be provided. 10 People per guide.

a 3rd or 4th guide is available if needed, but at least 3 weeks’ notice is required (the more notice the better), because September is high season.

Guides accompany the group in their vehicles for the duration of the tour and they have permission to enter private properties where some of the endemic and special birds are found. These are not open to the general public.

* This is excellent Birding Routes where terrestrial bird species are monitored twice a year.

* With the guides, the group works in a 70km radius of Wakkerstoom, off the main roads.

* Some of these routes require high ground clearance 4x4 vehicles, but not all of the roads, unless it was raining. - * Wakkerstroom Wetland is World renowned. A List of possible bird species that might be seen at Wakkerstroom will be available.

* www.wakkerstroom.co.za.  

 

 

 Day 2 (Friday 24 Sept 2021):

8am: Battlefield- & History Routes:

We meet at the farmyard to complete the briefing session, and then leave at 8:30.

- Approximate duration:

Depends on the time you are willing to spend, we can arrange for a 10 hour day tour or less, but you need at least 9 hours. We drive long distances to visit the various points.

- Given this, please take enough snacks and drinks along on the route, as it can take a long time before we arrive at the museum where a light meal will be served.

- The Battlefields route is not on the 3 Provinces premises, but the start and end point is on 3 Provinces.

- Since we are arranging with several neighbouring farmers, to move across their land, it is not worth organizing the route for less than 6 vehicles and 15 people.

Therefore it is necessary to book 1 month in advance and to have a minimum number of 6 vehicles.

A Few interesting places we are visiting:

- Museum:

Unfortunately, the owner of the Roodedraai Museum has passed away and this museum is no longer maintained, therefore, it is no longer available on the Battlefield Routes.

However, we were able to arrange a visit to a new Museum of Mr. H. Nolte.

He and his wife are also willing to supply Lunch at around 13:00, as per schedule to arrive there.

Interesting at the Museum is the following:

* Front Muzzle Loader exhibition

* Exhibition of the item of the prisoners of war

* 3-Demensional Boer War photos

* Mr. Nolte is able to assist in Archive family tracking at an extra rate.

Alternative trail options are included to keep the Battlefield Trail interesting.

Below are some interesting things and places we can visit - you are welcome to mention your preferences.

However, it is not possible to visit all the attractions below in one day.

- Roelf se gat:

It is a 4-4.5-rated 4x4 route to get there - it takes 4-5 hours to do this part.

There is a tear/rift in the mountain where 3 families were hiding, for more than one year with a 3 month old baby, to avoid the concentration camps during the British-Boer-War.

We are unlikely to incorporate this as it will take up a lot of time and leave little time for any other viewings.

- Volksrust's Concentration camp:

You may take with some digging tools. You will certainly find some belongings/ possessions (which were thrown away there) of the woman and children who passed away in the concentration camp.

- Sandstone Railway Tunnel (not in use anymore)

We are driving through a 800m long railway tunnel, which has been blown up 50m on both sides by the Boer's and has been rebuilt by the British in 6 days.

- Crawling through Cave:

Please wear easy comfortable clothes and good gripping shoes. A Cave where a woman and her children were hiding to avoid the concentration camps. At some stage she had to cover the childrens’ mouths to prevent them from screaming (and giving away their hiding place), because of some burning hot rifle shells that fell on their arms through the cracks in the rocks of the cave, due to a battle that took place above those caves.

- Masoleum: Visit the Grave of Gnl. Piet Joubert - Commander of the Battle of Majuba.

 

Day 3 (Saturday 25 Sept 2021):

Another relatively early start.

8am: Three Provinces 4x4 Trail

The route is 34km in length and will take 4 – 6 hours to complete.

This is the longest and most spectacular route on the farm, taking you up to where the boundaries of Mpumalanga, Kwa-Zulu Natal and the Freestate meet. The meeting point is on top of a 100m high cliff, called Langkrans, at 2 253m above sea level. Apart from the spectacular views over the countryside, the cliff is also home to a breeding pair of Black Eagles. The difficulty of the route has been rated by Drive-Out Magazine as a 3-4 out of 5, however some obstacles have a 5 rating. One such section is ‘Helshoogte’, a 300m long steep incline with loose boulders and a stream running down the track. Only experienced drivers with a very capable 4x4 vehicle should attempt this obstacle! During wet weather the trail is very difficult to near impossible to drive, but dries out quickly in about 2 hours when the sun comes out.

 

Day 4 (Sunday 26 Sep 2021):

Today we return home via a few of the passes between Volksrust and home.

8 am: Donkiespas Route

- This morning trip will be done on the day everyone is going home.

- Approximate duration: 5 hours

- Experience two different worlds. Start driving under the mountain in the lowlands of Natal’s flaura through a climate change to the top of the mountain into the highveld of the Free State. Or drive it in the reverse direction.

- a Guide takes the group through Donkiespass plus several other farms till entering the Muller's Pass road.

- Doing Muller's Pass in the direction of Newcastle and heading home.

- If driving it in the reverse direction, Kranskop (whole in the mountain) can be viewed, but then Muller’ s Pass would be excluded.

 

 

All Dates


  • From 23 September 2021 06:00 AM to 26 September 2021 05:00 PM

 

List of Participants

caroline richards (1)
Kostiantyn (4)
John Buyers (2)
Richard Heathcote (2)
P Dillon (2)
Jelle MEINTSMA (2)
Ronnie Drew (2)
Willem and Sandy (2)
Gary Buitendach (1)
Otto Jen Kruger (2)

Powered by iCagenda

SCROLL TO TOP