S1 - Ep 150 - Victoria West - The Diamond Way between Cape Town and Kimberley!

After our stuck-in-the-mud experience on the Bokpoort road we took the tar road to Victoria West. It was interesting to learn that it marked the beginning of the Diamond Way between Cape Town and Kimberley. As we approached Victoria West, we saw beautiful pink flamingos on the dam just before town and they did a fly-by just for us. On entering the town, we could sense the rich history. Our stay at Merino Junction in the centre of town was fabulous. We rarely stay in hotels, so this was special. The food was amazing and not to mention our warm and cozy room. The next morning we were up early and ready to explore the rest of the town. #DustBugs #adventuretravel #southafrica #southafricavlog #bokpoort #victoriawest #merinojunction,
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[@vkaitakirwa]

You give life to the country’s forgotten dorpies.Thank you and wish you a million subscribers!

[@DustBugsTravel]

How very kind of you, thank you! 😎 We absolutely love visiting them, very often for the first time, and love it even more that people like you enjoy our videos. 🚗😍

[@tillabezuidenhout6460]

Flamingoes are such special birds!!!!!

[@delraedillon9955]

Victoria West is a lovely town and the formation of the flamingos was stunning

[@DustBugsTravel]

We loved the flamingoes too! 🦩 We were actually quite surprised at how much water there was in the dam, which just goes to show how much rain they had in the Karoo recently.

[@munesumangava9751]

The aerial view of the church 👌👌👌👌

[@vimilchar]

Ohhh the Flamingos were awesome!!!! 👌 Thank you for another amazing episode!!! 👏

[@DustBugsTravel]

I remember those flamingos over the dam as if it were yesterday! 😍 You reminded me again today of what a great time we had in Victoria West! 🤩🚗

[@annawitter5161]

Love all those old buildings. And the movie theatre. My dad had a projector and we used to have home movies when I was little. Before TV came to SA. Being a teacher, he could get the movies from the school. We saw some really cool stuff

[@DustBugsTravel]

Yes! Those old round reels in the big machine! 🤩📽️ Those were good times! Victoria West has fantastic buildings and we found it so incredible that when the staff at the Apollo Theatre opened up a room, they found all this old equipment and share all the history and info so generously with the public. It was an interesting stop, despite the loadshedding at the time. 😏

[@stuff0music]

I had a few friends who were involved in the movie industry here in California and I clearly remember them telling me that one day movies will be beamed across the sky which sounded far fetched back then because they still sent the reels by road or air back then. Look at us now, movies available at your fingertips in the comfort of your own home. I can just imagine the excitement of “Gone With the Wind” or the latest Laurel and Hardy flick rolling into town thru clouds of steam expelled from the train and the projector operator pacing anxiously on the station platform.

[@DustBugsTravel]

Absolutely! I can actually see the guy pacing anxiously waiting for the train to arrive! 🚂📽️ And then rushing back to the theatre because the whole town was waiting to see Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable on the big screen! Love it! 😁 You're right, look how far we've come. Scary sometimes, I often wonder if simpler weren't better.

[@munesumangava9751]

Lovely weather!!!!

[@amandacelliers5158]

What a lovely town - I never knew it was so big! Went through it a few times many years ago, but just drove through. Thank you for the lovely video!

[@claravanrooyen4131]

Thankyou I enjoy the video.

[@munesumangava9751]

You could sit there and do a video of those flamingos and their flying formations Lovely!

[@willieexplore]

That hotel has so much character and is so well preserved! The beautiful town of Mannetjies Roux

[@DustBugsTravel]

Yes! 🤩 When we saw the first pic of the hotel when looking for accommodation, we just knew we had to stay there. 🏨 It turned out to be a great decision, it really is a fantastic place and well worth a visit. Just be prepared for very cold rooms and passages during winter. 🥶

[@graemekruger5039]

Love the old carts

[@DustBugsTravel]

Agreed! And this particular one is in exceptional condition. We can just imagine the stories it can tell. 🐴

[@RyanDH]

The views between Murraysburg and Graaff-Reinet are amazing

[@DustBugsTravel]

We visited Graaff-Reinet in Episode 162, but that was our turnaround point also since we headed in the direction of Pearston. In a future trip, we approach Murraysburg from the other side. The scenery is spectacular no matter where in the Karoo one travels. 😁🤩

[@RyanDH]

@@DustBugsTravel whenever you decide to visit Graaff-Reinet again you must visit Nieu-Bethesda, there's so much to see there you actually need to book accommodation and spend a few days in the town

[@nonibbs]

Sonja, those church windows which are pointy are called Gothic Windows - very Victorian(1849- 1890ish).The windows in the Anglican church are called" Lancet Windows" being long and thin. It too is "gothic" - the era - circa 13 C though of course neither of these churches are as old as that. Architects Liked to use these window styles because they were fashionable. Its a lovely town , thanks for taking care to photograph it.

[@DustBugsTravel]

Thank you, Penny! 👌🏻 That is so interesting and I absolutely adore Gothic and Lancet (😍) windows, they just create this sacred atmosphere for me. It's incredible how far this specific architectural style goes. Churches remain one of the most interesting points of interest in these small towns we visit. And we agree with you, Victoria West is a very pretty and historic town, it certainly gave us a glimpse into the lives townsfolk must have led yesteryear.

[@flodillon991]

I loved the flamingos that was stunning. Victoria Wes is really a beautiful town really liked the theater still original, lovely.

[@DustBugsTravel]

The theatre is amazing, we would love to see it one day when the lights are on! 😁 They're doing such a wonderful job preserving the old equipment. We could hardly believe our luck when the whole flock of flamingos took off as one and gave us an airshow, it was very beautiful to see! 🦩🦩

[@rorysullivan4913]

This was excellent. My wife's hometown. We were married in that church. Fills me with nostalgia. Subscribed

[@DustBugsTravel]

How fantastic! Glad you could take a trip down memory lane. It must be a very special place for you. 💒 We're happy that you've joined our travels, welcome! 😁

[@colinparmanand3162]

Hello fellow Dusty passengers, Uber driver Chris and conductor/tour guide/info guru. I always say to towns like these "I want to live here ". Lovely. lovely pilgrims rest. Birth place of Francois Du Toit "Mannetjies" Roux I found out. He's 83 and I wonder if he still lives here. The hotel, the cinema , churches, the small road where the oldest hose is.....all simply charming and so alluring. Thank you, thank you.

[@DustBugsTravel]

Thank you, I'm glad to hear you also thought Victoria West was a very interesting town! 😁🚙 As far as I can tell from what I've read online, Mannetjies Roux still lives there with his wife, but I can't confirm that this info is indeed accurate. 🤷🏼‍♂️🏉

[@frederickmurray5766]

Interesting about the movies: The school principal in Murraysburg would phone Cape Town on a Monday, order a movie from a list and they'd ship it via train. Somebody would then drive to Hutchinson (Victoria West) station on a Friday morning, collect it and drive to Murraysburg to show it over the weekend in the school or church hall. Monday morning, someone would reverse the process to get the reels back to Cape Town. No wonder we only had movies once or twice a month...,🤣🤣🤣

[@annamariebecker510]

Pophuis Hoekie, self catering guest houses, lovely, quite and alwyse neat. Thanks to Mariaan and aunty Koeks Lubbe. ❤

[@DustBugsTravel]

Thanks for the recommendation, we shall certainly keep it in mind when we overnight in Victoria West next time. 🛌🏻👌🏻

[@dawnf6617]

What a lovely video of Victoria West. I used to live in South Africa. I have lived in the UK for 20 years now and I can't help but feel homesick. I have never visited Victoria West, but I stumbled across it a couple of years ago while I was looking for South African videos on KZbin. I instantly fell in love with this little rural town. I often look on the Property 24 website and view houses for sale in the area. I just find the old architecture fascinating. The town looks lovely and well kept.

[@61sunset]

Very nice guys. Love Victoria West. Actually it's a lot bigger than I thought it would be. Love those older style houses, they have so much character and were built to last. Drive safe.

[@DustBugsTravel]

We only really saw the true extent of the town when watching back our drone footage, much bigger than we thought too! The houses are so typical of the Karoo and built right on the street, we love that! 😍

[@alexhill8150]

Lovely, guys, and a wonderful town! One of my favourites. What can beat the spire of an imposing church as one approaches a country town!? This brings back memories...so much nostalgia. The snippets of info are entertaining, and the viewers' comments, too. Time for a road trip!

[@DustBugsTravel]

Oh, we loved Victoria West too! The Karoo has such a charm and those church towers in the distance always made us feel that soon we'll be able to experience the authenticity and warmth (people, not temperature) we've experienced in every single Karoo town, no exceptions. 🤩 We're not too big on research because we feel that burdens us, but we're happy to share little nuggets we happen upon. Glad to hear you enjoy them. There are still many Karoo towns amongst our videos which I'm sure you'll also enjoy. ⛪🚗 I hope you hit the road yourself too soon!

[@cocochanel6495]

I had to chuckle when I heard -1 and growing up in Bloem -8 I grew up in Saskatchewan and sometimes it went to -40 .. we also walked to school. It all depends what you are used to. We all have such different experien es and yet I watch your videos and there are many similarities with rural Alberta where I now live. Thanks for these great insights. Hope to visit SA in the near future. Western Cape and maybe Eastern Cape.

[@DustBugsTravel]

Oh, yes! In South Africa Bloemfontein and -8 are quite chilly and not quite the norm, but we clearly have no idea what cold is, compared to you guys! We can't even fathom -40! 🥶 You live in a beautiful country too! A good few years ago, the two of us decided that we were going to drive across Canada in two weeks. So we started out in New Brunswick and got to Winnipeg, but sadly had to turn back to Toronto to catch our flight home. We knew Canada was big, but we quickly realised it was HUGE! It was a fantastic experience though and we're planning a repeat, but we'll give ourselves three months if we can. Have fun planning your trip to our sunny shores, it will be super exciting for you to visit South Africa, I can guarantee you that! Greetings! 🇿🇦🇨🇦

[@cocochanel6495]

@@DustBugsTravel thank you for the response. Yes South Africa is a place I have wanted to visit for sometime. It is also a large country with so many things to see. I am planning for at least a month. Joburg, Capetown, Free State and parts of Eastern Cape are were I hope to go. I really love your channel. You are all about South Africa unseen. Do take care and keep making your wonderful videos. Kevin in Edmonton AB

[@neilarmitage6632]

This town I know well. A long way from anywhere. I had a farm here for a short while

[@sandrasassman-qw4hb]

Saw mannetjies roux in strand five years ago at flea market

[@wendygreeff205]

I travelled the R63 in the opposite direction and just outside Victoria West on my way to Loxton I came across a roadside cairn monument to the same Maria Prinsloo wagon which formed part of your Loxton video.

[@DustBugsTravel]

We must've missed it somehow. 🤷🏻‍♂️ Thank you for sharing the info though. 👌🏻

[@peterkoning21]

You did't get to visiting the "airport" which used to be on the CT/JHB route. They had their own tower and air traffic controller. It used to be a main stop for refueling as well.

[@DustBugsTravel]

It is simply impossible to visit every single place of interest in every town since we have limited time and opportunity to travel. Interesting info about the airport, thank you. 👍 We hope there was something in our video which you did enjoy. 😁🚗

[@randellpetersen1593]

In sutherland you will find alot of fossils at the star gazing even the same one you just saw in victoria west

[@DustBugsTravel]

That is very interesting, thank you! 🦖 We will certainly remember that when we're in Sutherland again.

[@gretabester4110]

my grootword dorp!

[@rorysullivan4913]

47 yrs ago and still going strong!!!!

[@DustBugsTravel]

Wonderful stuff, that's how's it done! 👌🏻

[@jossiesteenkamp9317]

Hometown of oom Koos Loft friend of David Kramer

[@aydinsmith8051]

Glad you guys are ok.... Why dont you try the Jinmy 4x4 for your trips... Its feul efficient and io ow youll enjoy it

[@DustBugsTravel]

We love the Jimny! 😍 We're not in the market to purchase a vehicle though and they're unfortunately not cost-efficient to rent. So, for now at least, we're happy with the pleasant surprises, the fun, the challenges and sometimes the discomfort these little vehicles with high ground clearance provide. 🚗 Thank you for joining us on our travels!

[@Elize-s1j]

Beautifull and thanx for taking us on all the journeys but why all the adds,this is to much.

[@DustBugsTravel]

Thank you, I'm glad to hear you enjoy our videos! 😁🚙 The few cents we earn from ad revenue go straight towards our exorbitantly high fuel bill. Entirely your choice to watch! 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@peterkoning21]

It would be nice, on entering a town, if you could just say from which direction you are enering the town. I 'know ' a lot of these towns but get disorientated because one is used to entering and leaving from the same direction.

[@DustBugsTravel]

Thank you for your suggestion. 👌🏻At the start of each video, we include a few seconds entitled 'Last Time' in black-and-white which should provide you with the information you're looking for. This time was slightly different though, so I completely understand why you're unsure. We left Loxton in the morning, planned on going to Victoria West on the Bokpoort gravel road, but got stuck in the mud and had to turn around to go back to Loxton and head to Victoria West on the tar road. I hope this provides the context for this video. Thank you for watching! 🚗😁

[@rogerconroy217]

To make up for the loadshedding when you were at the Apollo here is a short doccie we made a few years ago. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gITah414q8egrbc

[@DustBugsTravel]

Wow, that was fantastic, thank you for sharing! 👌🏻 It's great to see that there are people who care about the preservation of history for future generations. 📽️

[@anhofanhof8133]

Anybody know the name of the hotel?

[@DustBugsTravel]

Yes, Merino Junction. 👌

[@anhofanhof8133]

@@DustBugsTravel Thank you 👍

[@kosherchessandphotography4139]

Wow, that flock of flamingoes was amazing! You said you have a hard time to believe that dinosaurs existed. Believing the popular narrative about them is indeed something we should reject. However, there's no question that they did exist, but not millions of years ago. They lived contemporaneously with humans, around 4000-5000 years ago and most of them were herbivorous. For fascinating insights about dinosaurs, I'd recommend this series by Prof Walter Veith: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p364Yqalh9engM0