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Explore<br />
Cathedral of the Mountain, Camdeboo National Park<br />
EcoPrint / Shutterstock- Shutterstock<br />
prehistoric animals, their fossils still to be found here. The Karoo is<br />
indeed South Africa’s Jurassic Park. At the Kitching Fossil Exploration<br />
Centre in the Karoo village of Nieu-Bethesda, you can view many of<br />
these fossils, and also the battered old hat of South Africa’s real life<br />
Indiana Jones, James Kitching, who discovered thousands of these<br />
important pre-dinosaur fossils as well as evidence proving the<br />
continental drift theory. At the centre you can learn more about<br />
Kitching’s fascinating life story. Here you can also visit the famous<br />
magical Owl House of the reclusive Helen Martins.<br />
Reaching the oasis of Aberdeen, the old-worldly charm of this small<br />
town with its old Karoo-style and Victorian homesteads, broad<br />
avenues, large tree-shaded burger erven, and irrigation furrows lining<br />
the streets, will seduce you to stay a while. Stay in one of the old<br />
homesteads-turned-B&B and enjoy a meal of succulent Karoo lamb<br />
chops in the garden, washed down with some good wine all the way<br />
from the Cape. Like Oudtshoorn in the west, Aberdeen was once home<br />
to a number of fabulously wealthy ostrich barons, their “palaces”<br />
remaining here.<br />
Then on to the next stop, Graaff-Reinet, South Africa’s fourth oldest<br />
town and once the capital of the Eastern Cape. It had also been the<br />
home of the richest Khoikhoi tribe in Southern Africa, the Inqua, ruled<br />
by the powerful Chief Hykon, while the town’s later rebellious citizens,<br />
led by Boer Commandant Adriaan van Jaarsveld had once declared<br />
the town an ‘independent colony”. The town was the scene of several<br />
rebellions including by San Bushmen led by Koerikei, the Van Jaarsveld<br />
and Prinsloo rebellions against Dutch and British colonial authorities,<br />
as well as clashes between local burghers and Khoikhoi people and<br />
free slaves led by European missionaries.<br />
It is also from here that one of the main Voortrekker movements started<br />
their quest for independence from the British, later establishing their<br />
Boer republics to the north. And during the Anglo Boer War the town<br />
MZANZI TRAVEL| www.mzanzitravel.co.za|ISSUE 4 | 49
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