21 March 2008    to      24 March 2008

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This Easter we decided to take a trip to Kimberley and view some of the sights. There is a heck of a lot to see in the area and we only managed to get through some of it. After finding a nice guest house we set out to see the sights.

Our first stop was to a place about 10km before Barkly West which contains some interesting rocks with scrapings of an ancient glacier on them.

The San people had also left a few markings on them.

The area around the rocks with a thunder shower threatening.

After this, we had a look at the old bridge at Barkly West built in 1884 that spans the Vaal river.

That evening we decided to have a braai in the nice "Lapa" at the guest house.

Next morning it was off to the Big Hole for which Kimberley is most famous for. It had been many years since we last visited the place and a lot of changes had been made to the place, many of which were still in progress.

Most of the old buildings around the hole still exist.

The old Bowling Ally.

The Smithy.

The inside area is now separate to the old buildings outside and one pays an entrance fee that includes a tour of the area. Due to the danger of ground subsidence around the area of the Big Hole, a long suspended walkway has now been built from which one can view the hole.

The Big Hole.

Some details of the Big Hole.

Next was a visit to the McGregor museum. This was the place Cecil John Rhodes holed up in during the Siege of Kimberley in 1899 - 1900.

The main stairway.

One of the suites.

The battlefield site of Magersfontein about 35km south of Kimberley was next on our list of places to visit. At this site a force of about 8500 Boers defeated a 15000 strong British force in a three day battle between 11 and 13 December 1899.

Its a vast area of hills with an interesting museum and show that stretches quite a few kilometers.

The main monument on top of the hills.

A view of the area from the Boers positions.

Running along the foot of the hills markers have been placed indicating the Boer trenches.

This position held one of the Boer Krupp 75mm guns.

We decided to take a walk through the veld further west to the Scandinavian Memorial. A number of volunteer Scandinavians had also taken part in this battle.

At the foot of the Scandinavian Memorial a line of rocks was still visible that the Boers used as a defense.

The Black Watch Memorial in the veld opposite the hills of Magersfontein approximately where most of them fell.

The site where the Scandinavians where massacred by the British.

After Magersfontein we visited the excellent William Humphreys art gallery that contains a lot of artworks dating back to 1585 as well as more modern art.

The Siege of Kimberley Memorial.

Harry Oppenheimer house where the diamond sorting takes place.