Day 5
JP from Ganora Guest Farm had whet our appetite for fossil discoveries, and we were looking forward to the next set of insights from millions of years ago. Early the next day, we carved a path through the untarred streets of Nieu Bethesda to Kitching Fossil Exploration Centre on Martin Street.
Finding fossils, The Kitching Fossil Exploration Centre by Ian Mackay
Named after the world famous palaeontologist James Kitching, the centre provides a tour of pre-historic life in the Karoo. Kitching, a Nieu Bethesda native, began his work in this little town before heading off to the Second World War. Upon his return to the town, he continued his work excavating fossils, before he was snatched up by Wits University. Although most of his work has been moved to Wits University, the museum is an attempt to preserve his legacy and the impact it has had on paleontological research.
Gerhart, a tour guide at the museum, gave us a tour of the museum through Kitching’s ‘X-ray eyes’. Like other Karoo fossil sites, the word dinosaur is never mentioned. Nieu Bethesda, as part of the Karoo basin, only experienced pre-mammalian life: there are very few fossil remains of the creatures that roamed the area millions of years ago. The coolest thing about the place is the life-sized dictodon model. Our tour guide knew what he was talking about and made us even hungrier to find out more about fossils. So convincing was he that an hour later, we were in the veld near the river looking for them! Although we failed to uncover any fossils, the tour was a fascinating and informative journey into pre-historic life. (You can read more in the article by Dale Morris, in the September edition of Getaway.)
Our next stop was Frans Boekkooi Sculpture Studio. We peered inside the shop and there was no-one inside. Only in Nieu Bethesda does one find a deserted workshop with all the sculptor’s working implements inside! After a few minutes, the owner arrived. Frans began to explain how he landed up in the quaint town five years ago. The sculptor, who hails from Port Elizabeth, has some of his work stored in collections in Australia, the States and the UK. Fortunately, his greatest creation – Mama Afrika – still guards the artshop, with her roots firmly in the ground.
Karoo Lamb Pub. Image by Dale Morris
From Boekkooi’s workshop, we headed to Karoo Lamb for dinner. Owned by Ian and Katrina Allenman, Karoo Lamb is a gift shop, restaurant and pub. The pub, located behind the restaurant, looks like something out of a Western. Everything inside the tiny building except the television and fridge is carved out of wood. When we walked in Ian offered us free drinks: a sign of hospitality, and a trait found in the people of Nieu Bethesda! People are so kind to the weary city traveller. Most of the gifts inside the shop are made by local artists. We had a few drinks at the pub before heading to the restaurant, where Katrina served us Karoo lamb sourced from the area. After a long conversation with the Allenmans about their travels across the globe, we decided to call it a night.
Day 6
It was our last day at the Water Tower and the staff at the art centre offered to gives us a tour of their workplace. Supported by the National Lottery, the centre showcases the work of local artists. The tour guide took us on as trip through San mythology as reflected by the artworks on the walls. By 8:30 am, the tour was finished and we were looking forward to breakfast. We drove to Auntie Evelyn’s house in the township Pienaarsig. Evelyn has created a niche market for herself by selling homemade vetkoek. When we arrived at her place, Evelyn had already prepared a table for three. We nibbled on the vetkoeks, meatballs and eggs she had prepared for us.
The Owl House. Image By Rachel Robinson
- After breakfast at Auntie Evelyn’s, we visited Helen Martins’ world-famous Owl House. When we reached the house, we spent 30 minutes watching a documentary about Martins’ tragic life. Turns out Ms Helen survived a divorce and had to return home to her father who was a grumpy character. That’s when depression kicked in and controlled most of her life. After her father’s death, she employed Koos Malgas who was instrumental in constructing cement and glass statues in her yards. For the next 12 years, the two would fill up the place with bizzare artworks.
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- Watching the documentary prepared us for a journey into a sad world. We were amazed by the unusual character of her work, most of which tells the tale of her struggle for acceptance and her battle to come to terms with her tragic life. The Camel Yard, perhaps her finest work, is a collection of statues and camels, all facing East. Martins called this collection of artwork her “Mecca.” Some of Martins’ sculptures, like the little temple she created after she was banned from church, conjure up sadness. Obviously, art affects people in different ways. One thing for sure is that you cannot leave the Owl House numb.
We left the Owl House and headed to the Sneeuberg Brewery and Two Goats Deli. Andre Cilliers, the owner who brews the beer himself, offered us three of his inventions: the dark Roasted Ale, Honey Ale and the bitter Karoo Ale. The beer, accompanied by homemade bread, cheese and salami, was a filling lunch before our trip to Ware on Earth.
By 2:30 pm, we were at Ware on Earth gallery. Unfortunately, the owners Charmaine Haines, an accomplished ceramist and her husband Martin Haines were not there. However, their neighbour Annete agreed to open the place for us. The work we saw at the gallery was lot more cheerful than what we saw at the gloomy Owl House. Unlike Martins, Charmaine’s’ work is an abstract combination of Russian Orthodox inventions and post-modern beliefs, depicted by images of a female face. Her rose cheeks and lips went a long way in cheering us.
Down the road from Ware on Earth, sandwiched between Cloete and Murray Street, is a tiny bookshop called Dust Covers. We visited the shop expecting nothing but a few dust-covered copies of Charlotte Bronte. To our surprise, the bookshop houses books on just about any subject: from the history of lavatories to 50 Shades of Grey. I grabbed myself a copy of Steven Conner’s “Khayelitsha: Umlungu in a Township” which was written in Nieu Bethesda. Conner, like playwright Athol Fugard and poet Michael Wentworth, left the Mother City for the Karoo town in search of inspiration. The owner Victoria was proud to tell us that the bookshop hosted a reading by Fugard the previous night. We snatched a few photographs of the bookshop before we headed to And the Cow Jumped over the Moon, our home for the night.
And the Cow Jumped over the Moon is a three-star spot that looks like it’s been cut out of a 21st century magazine and pasted in Nieu Bethesda. The place has a three self-catering units with an open plan kitchen and bedroom. Between the units is a swimming pool. Owners Casper and Annete go the extra mile to make sure guests feel comfortable at their establishment. Each room has electric blankets, stove and fridge, microwave. Being the Information Age mortals that we are, we settled in very easily and jumped into our comfortable beds.
The blankets at And the Cow Jumped over the Moon have a way of trapping a person. I mea,n they remind one of the pleasures of city life right in the heart of Karoo. We had planned to leave the lodge at 6:30 am but were still in bed an hour later. Dale rose first and knocked on my door. I knew it was time to hit the road, and our next destination: Compassberg.
What I learned
Sometimes the best stories are found in the most rare places. Nieu Bethesda is a small town in the Karoo that I had certainly never planned to visit. However, the town possesses a wealth of art, good food and fossils.
Every journalist knows this one: it’s important to get as much background information about a subject as possible. Visiting The Owl House without an understanding of Helen Martins’ life would have been futile.
Main image by Maanskyn
Looking for a place to stay in Nieu Bethesda? Check out Getaway Accommodation.
Related: The great fossil hunt: Karoo National Park , The great fossil hunt: Ganora Guest Farm (Nieu Bethesda)
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