Ivor Markman
Molweni Private Game Reserve
BEAUTIFUL ENTRANCE: The attractive stone house entrance to Molweni Private Game Reserve.
FLYING FARMER: Molweni owner, Chris Bush, takes off in his microlight to check on the staus of his farm.
FRIENDLY GUIDES: Well trained, friendly and helpful guides are on hand to make your stay at Molweni as enjoyable as possible. The reserve lies in the foothills of the Great Winterberg mountains, is situated 240 km from Port Elizabeth and 5km from Adelaide,
HEARTY BREAKFAST: Before embarking on their physically demanding trip, guests are served a nourishing breakfast.
By Ivor Markman.
For decades the American film industry taught us about the Wild West.
But why travel all the way to the United States to relive that way of life when we have our own fantastic history right here in the Wild East?
Entrepreneur Chris Bush, owner of the game farm Molweni has come up with an exciting adventure for gutsy outdoor nature lovers who love exerting their bodies to the ultimate physical extremes and who don't mind getting themselves, their clothes, and their wives, dirty.
“What better way to get folk here than to allow city dwellers to experience a four-day Nguni cattle roundup?” quipped Chris as he surveyed his new Eastern Cape game park, situated 9 km north of Adelaide or about 50 km north-east of Cookhouse.
Molweni is the Xhosa word for "Hello".
Day one of the weekend was spent acclimatising and settling down, but on day two the first group of “cowboys” and “cowgirls” keenly mounted the saddled “Boereperde,” and set off after a hearty breakfast, ready to “Get them some cows!”
Rounding up cattle is very different from your usual horse trail.
It requires constant alertness as you dart in and out of dongas, up and down steep gradients, and back and forth across undulating country.
After rounding up a group of cattle the cowboys later had to herd them up a narrow passage made of poles called a crush.
When the cattle are hemmed in the exits are barricaded, so they can't move out.
Before the cattle can be chased up the crush the calves have to be separated from the adults.
Some of the calves are only days old and they do their best to escape by ducking and diving around the kraal.
Standing your ground as a bull charges towards you is nerve racking, but as large as what they are, the cattle are scared of you so they’ll usually move where you want them.
Once secured, a rope is slipped around the Nguni’s horns and their heads secured against one of the solid wooden crossbeams.
Once the Nguni’s heads are securely tied the cowboys must ensure that the correct tags are clipped to the cattle's ears.
At the same time the horns are examined and if too sharp, a clipper is used to remove the tips.
BATTLEFIELD: The 74th Highlanders and the Xhosa nation came hand to hand in some fierce battles on the Waterkloof Mountain during the Eighth Frontier War, 1850 -52, as shown in this painting by war artist Thomas Baines. Molweni is situated in the valley to the left of the painting.
The Waterkloof was the setting for some of the most vicious battles of the War of Mlangeni, otherwise known as the Eighth Frontier War, fought from 1850 to 1852 between the Xhosas and the British.
Standing at the top of the mountain it was difficult to avoid thinking about the hot day of September 8, 1851, when Colonel John Fordyce led his 74th Highland Regiment up to the Kroomie Heights.
He was expecting an easy victory, but was in for a rude awakening.
After being ambushed the Highlanders had to move in a single file down the side of the mountain.
Maqoma, the Xhosa chief, had foreseen the retreat and had hidden his men in the thickly wooded bushes on the sides of the 'pass'.
As the 74th retreated the warriors emerged from their hiding places and vicious hand-to-hand fighting took place.
Eventually the Highlanders reached open ground where they were able to turn about, reform, and fight off the attackers.
But when the Xhosas eventually retreated back up the mountain, it was very clear they were the victors that day.
Fordyce was killed shortly afterwards, the most senior officer killed during the Frontier War.
CURIOUS COWS: Nguni cattle gathered around the 4X4 vehicle when Andrea Bocelli's music CD "Romanza" was cranked up on top of the mountain.
So back to the present.
After the riders had rested and watered their horses on the plateau, they rode off in search of the cattle.
One of the saddle-sore would-be cowboys drove up the Kroomie Heights in his 4X4, and while waiting for the riders, played an Andrea Bocelli CD.
The volume was cranked up and the doors opened.
Then to our great surprise, out of the bushes came the inquisitive cattle.
They were seeking the source of the music.
Cautiously at first, but then slowly, one by one, they stepped out of the bushes.
Quietly they stood around listening to the world famous tenor.
It was all so surreal.
Where men had once fought to the death, cows now listened to Italian music.
Some lay down with their calves and started chewing the cud.
On their return the riders complained that there were no more Ngunis to be found.
No wonder, 60 head of cattle were enjoying the music.
That night, as the light of the storm lanterns danced softly around the dinner table, somewhat cleaner, more relaxed, and definitely much cooler, the cowboys and cowgirls enjoyed the generous helpings of fabulous pie, medium-rare, “impi” (impala) venison and lamb in red wine and roasted vegetables followed by pap and melba pudding served in appropriate African design crockery.
The wine and beer flowed freely and no doubt, when the cowboys later hit the sack, for them it was curtains.
NGUNI CATTLE: A few of the Nguni cattle gathered around the car to listen to the music.
SWEATY WORK: (Above) Riding on horseback in the hot Eastern Cape sun in summer is hard work and requires plenty of liquid refreshments when you finally get to the top.
REFRESHED: (Left) Having relaxed and regained their energy, the revitalised guests prepare to herd the cattle down the mountain.
THIRSTY ANIMALS: The horses were taken to a nearby mountain stream to quench their thirst after the difficult uphill climb.
DUSTY TRAIL: Guests guide the herd of Nguni cattle down the mountainside to the kraal and then to the crusher to have identity tags clipped to their ears and to have their horns clipped.
GETTING THEIR HEADS WET: Nguni cattle are forced through the cattle dip to get rid of ticks which they may have picked up in the veld.
HOMEWARD BOUND: The Molweni herd of Nguni cattle slowly wend their way down from the top of the mountain to the kraal in the beautiful valley below.
NOVEL TRANSPORT: Molweni guests trot alongside a giraffe couple from an elevated position on the back of the "Boerperde" horses.
TERRIFIED: A Nguni cow tries to escape as she was forced into the crusher with the rest of the cattle.
SNIP SNAP: The sharp tip of a Nguni cow flies through the air as it is clipped off from the horn. This is done to make the animals safer and to prevent injury to people and other cattle.
DAY'S DONE: The wanna be cowboys stand around the campfire at the end of the day. Tired and dirty but bursting with enthusiasm, they are bound to enjoy a sound sleep later.
