The First Seventy Years: Chapter 89 - The Little Karoo
During an eventful day in The Little Karoo Eric Biddulph visited a town which has a long association with the ostrich industry.
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Enjoying two bites of the cherry the Baz Bus took us on the road route to George. Switching to another minibus we were driven the 50km over the Outeniqua Pass to Oudtshoorn, the capital of the Little Karoo.
The town has a long association with the ostrich industry. Back in the 19th Century the feathers of the animal were in great demand. Today the emphasis is on the potential for meat although the farms seeks to encourage tourists to visit them. Ostrich eggshells are sold all over South Africa sometimes with intricate carvings cut into them.
There are a number of attractions on the Little Karoo. I took a trip up the Swartberg Pass by minibus complete with trailer carrying mountain bikes. I enjoyed an exhilarating descent on the un-metalled road back to Oudtshoorn. A short detour takes one to the Cango Caves. A guided tour takes one through a tremendous series of caverns. many of which have been fitted with lighting to show off their dramatic features to best advantage.
My final visit on this very eventful day took in the Wild Life Ranch, a conservation foundation for species at risk, not all of them native to Africa. White tigers in danger of extinction on the Indian sub-continent being a prime example. Most of the animals would eventually be returned to the wild. These included lion; cheetahs and crocodiles.
The backpacker hostel had provided the link transport with the Baz Bus. On the return trip to George I was able to sit at the front. Moses, our driver, told me that he worked seven days a week and never took a holiday. It appeared this was not uncommon on the Little Karoo. Employment was scarce with many potential applicants for every job. It was, he said, a brave man who dared to attempt to negotiate better terms of employment.
An hour back on the Baz Bus brought us to Mossel Bay. Booking into Barnacles Backpackers we were rewarded with magnificent views from its location overlooking the town. The Bartholomeu Dias Museum focused on the 1488 voyage of discovery of the bay by this Portuguese explorer. A replica boat had been built and used in a regatta to commemorate the 500th anniversary. A fine beach provided us with the opportunity to laze about and have a swim in the Indian Ocean.
An oversize armchair located outside the premises of a furniture manufacturer provided an opportunity to photograph Mary sitting in it, albeit with a helping hand to get up. Further down the coast Hermanus has a reputation for good whale viewing from the shoreline. The Southern Right Whales frequent the bay in abundance. We were blessed with superb viewing of these magnificent creatures over a two day period; five of them together on one occasion. Their gentle gliding coupled with that famous dive to display their tailfins together with the sight of air forcing water out of their blowhole is an experience to cherish. Unfortunately, upon returning to the UK I discovered that my camera had been malfunctioning and none of the photographs of the whales saw the light of day.
