S1 - Ep 162-Graaff-Reinet-The Sixth Oldest Town in South Africa!

We were very excited to visit the town of Graaff-Reinet. We heard so many fantastic things about this place that we felt we had to come and see it for ourselves. The fact that it is the sixth oldest town in South Africa just added to that excitement. It has the most national monuments of any town in the country and is surrounded by the Camdeboo National Park on three sides. As we drove into the town, we knew we had entered an exploration overload zone! And it truly was. Driving down Church Street the first thing you see is the enormously impressive church. This building is absolutely stunning. After spending time there, we travelled through the town trying to see as much as we could. #dustbugs #adventuretravel #southafrica #southafricavlog #graaffreinet #camdeboo
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[@ThandekaJafta-zl6rg]

"I love you guys keep up the good work❤👍👌"

[@alexhill8150]

Favourite town in SA and much effort put into its heritage by the Rupert family. Overdue for a visit!

[@merciacloete9311]

This is beautiful. My husband was born in Graaff Reinet. Grew up there.

[@DustBugsTravel]

Thank you very much! 😊 It really is a beautiful town, your husband was lucky to have grown up there. 🤩

[@gregadams6827]

Dear friends, I promise this will be my last comment and don't want to be a pest, but I have a story about Graaf-Reinet. But with 25 years of travel history to Suid Afrika, I have many stories. After leaving Port Elizabeth and spending the day in the Addo Elephant Reserve my best friend and I spent the night in Graaf-Reinet, which turned into 3 days. I fell in love with that stunning Dutch Reformed Church in town. I walked the streets and marveled at the Cape Dutch Architecture and met many locals. We stayed out all night. The next day, a fellow we met the previous night introduced my friend and I to the mayor of Graaf-Reinet in a restaurant. She arranged a private tour of that beautiful building driving into town of the SAP training academy. My buddy was a Memphis Police officer (Tennessee, my home town). We had so much fun with the police officers and was one of the best experiences of my life!!!! My last trip was in 2020 to South Africa to visit one of my best friends who lives in a town called Henley-on-Klip. I wanted to immerse myself in an all Afrikaans environment, so I spent one week in the little town of Orania and had the best time of my life. I was going to spend the last 3 months of 2022 in Henley, but had a massive stroke. I am recovering and plan to make my 10th visit to SA next year on my 65 birthday. Thank yall for these wonderful memories, Greg Adams, Springfield, Louisiana, USA on a terribly, unusually hot, Louisiana day.

[@DustBugsTravel]

I'm so happy to hear that you're on the mend and planning to visit SA again soon. 👌 You're very welcome to continue commenting, we enjoy reading them. Your excursions to the places you mentioned all sound very jolly and so typical of the South African experience. My wife is very familiar with Henley, she worked in Vereeniging, a mere 30 minutes away, when we met 29 years ago, today in fact. ❤️ We're slowly working our way across the country and will eventually get to those areas too. Your week-long visit to Orania sounds super cool. We visited the town during our most recent trip and will upload our video of that visit within the next few weeks. I'm in the process of editing all the videos in-between work commitments. In the meantime, you can check out Episode 193 of our recent visit to the Addo Elephant National Park, you may recognise a few places. 🐘 We appreciate you watching our videos. 😁🚗

[@rorysullivan4913]

Only saw your post now. Enjoyed reading about your experiences in SA. Lived in Graaff Reinet all my life and my grandchildren are 5th generation at one of the local schools. My son is now a principal at a school in Columbus Georgia. Been to visit him a few times and coached rugby in the States in 2004 - just love America. God bless America

[@gregadams6827]

@@rorysullivan4913 Thanks Rory...that is very kind...I still love South Africa. I don't like who is sitting in the Union Buildings running the country. From a frigid and I mean COLD America. It rarely gets this cold in the south since I live in Louisiana. This is the coldest Christmas in history. Hope to return to SA for my 10th visit next year. Totseins vriend, Greg

[@leahjane8849]

I am looking forward to hearing your views on a beautiful town and people I was at school in graaffreinet finished there in 1960 and remember a RORY SULLIVAN at UNION HIGH SCHOOL THOSE WERE THE BEST YEARS OF MY LIFE when I I lived there I still have family there .your channel is extremely interesting safe journeys to you both

[@gregadams6827]

Hello dear friend. In the late 1990's I met many locals there in a Pizza restaurant that kept me out until 3:00 am. I had a blast and they loved my southern American accent. The next day I was introduced to the mayor of Graaf-Reinet, sorry I don't remember her name, who set me and my buddy up to tour the SAP Training Academy there in that beautiful building. My buddy was a Memphis police Officer. I was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. On my 3,000 mile road trip in 2020 on my 60th birthday I did not stay there overnight. But the Cape Dutch Architure is overwhelming. I was going to make my 10th visit to South Africa in 2022 until I had a stroke. I will be back as I love South Africa. Baie Dankie vriend, Greg Adams, Springfield, Louisiana in the good old USA. @@leahjane8849

[@munesumangava9751]

It is indeed a beautiful town 👏👏👏

[@debbiekruger9414]

The church is truly a wow factor when driving through.

[@DustBugsTravel]

Agreed! 😍🥰 It's well-deserving of the title of the grandest church in the Karoo, truly a show-stopper!

[@munesumangava9751]

Just the positioning of that church at the end of the road…..Wow!🎉 The view as you approach it, my oh my!!!!

[@KattyEgbo]

Been to Graff reinet and it is a nice place

[@rorysullivan4913]

Lovely video of my Home town. It is a town steeped in history and tradition

[@DustBugsTravel]

Indeed, the history almost feels tangible when one drives through the streets. 🏛️ You must've had some wonderful times there.

[@riagouws3211]

Whau dis n pragtige Kerk❤

[@sidneyza]

I was in Graaff-Reinet last week and it an amazing place. Beautiful town and buildings, friendly and awesome people. I will go back any time

[@walterfick157]

Must do.... great video Thanks 🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦

[@DustBugsTravel]

Agreed, absolutely a must-see. 👌🏻 A large Karoo town, but still surrounded by so much natural beauty and filled to the brim with history.

[@flodillon991]

Wow just loved those Aloes so many and so geogeous. The mountains in the background wherever you went in the town were so special. The dam where the three rivers is amazing, it would be great to see it full. Thank you so much. Thanks for the experiences you share.

[@DustBugsTravel]

There must've been thousands of aloes on that hill, we were just not able to get closer. 🌵We can't even to begin to imagine how mighty that dam must look when it's full. It was a splendid sight to see as we were leaving town. 🤩 Everywhere in this beautiful town, people can see the mountains, even the school rugby field has an astonishing close-up view of the one mountainside. Absolutely breathtaking. 😍

[@Neil1952100]

Good Video. Thanks for sharing. I worked there in the early '80s. I respectfuly suggest you go aai and, if you do, see Reinet House and the Drostdy Hotel. Really worth visiting. The Police Academy you saw used to be The Teacher's Training College. Your videos are great. Thanks.

[@DustBugsTravel]

We're glad you enjoyed our video of Graaff-Reinet. You must know the area quite well having spent time there in the 80's. We will definitely keep Reinet House and the Drostdy Hotel in mind on a future visit, thank you. 👌🏻 We absolutely loved the building which now houses the Police Academy, but had no idea it was a Teacher's Training College before, thank you for sharing that interesting info. 😊

[@DeotheLeo1]

You could have spent another 10 hours and not seen the town sites. The mountain with the round top ( Spandoukop) vally of desolation would blow your mind with its stunning beauty. You missed the furrows in the streets that feed water from the dam to the houses that people used to water their gardens. Laer Volkskool building is stunning. So many memories. Great video. Thanks

[@nerinemartin5901]

❤❤❤Insanely beautiful Graaff Reinett❤❤❤😊😊

[@munesumangava9751]

I’m in awe of the mountain backdrop…….just awesomeness👌👌👌

[@munesumangava9751]

Omg! The church is extra lekka👌👌👌👌👌 No words to describe it!!!

[@Neil1952100]

Lovely video, as always. I worked there in the '80's and love the town & the surrounding area. If you go there again, may I suggest a visit to the Drostdy Hotel. I often stayed there back in the day and really enjoyed the hotel. That Police Academy used to be the Teachers' Training College. Kind regards to both of you. 🌻🌺🌷

[@DustBugsTravel]

Thank you, we're always happy to hear you enjoy our videos. 😊 You definitely know the area well, we love that! We will certainly remember the Drostdy Hotel for a possible future visit. 👌 That Police Academy is really a gorgeous building, interesting that it was a Training College for teachers before. 🤓🏛️

[@kategalt1824]

Did you happen to meet David Rawdon when you stayed there? He owned both the Drostdy Hotel in G-R and the Lord Milner in Matjiesfontein, among other stunning properties.

[@angieshabraka7194]

Next time take the dirt road via Kendrew, from Aberdeen to Graaff Reinet. 🙂 Kendrew is another "forgotten" place with a very interesting history.

[@DustBugsTravel]

I'll keep that in mind. 👌🏻 Our accommodation arrangements and timeframes didn't allow for that at the time. We did travel the Kendrew road later on in our trip though as we were looking for the Kalkkop Crater. 🤩🚗

[@angieshabraka7194]

Did you find it? You pretty much need someone to show you, it's so secluded

[@DustBugsTravel]

Unfortunately not this time. 😏 A farmer in the area told us that he could arrange for us in the future if we let him know in advance since it's on private land. You can have a look at that failed mission in Episode 168. 🗻

[@angieshabraka7194]

@@DustBugsTravel fantastic channel, loving your uploads. Thank you!

[@munesumangava9751]

Like an aloe plantation! Beautiful orange flowers though👌

[@RyanDH]

A very interesting museum to see in Graaff-Reinet is the Rienet House, you'll spend several hours there. The art galleries are also impressive

[@DustBugsTravel]

Thanks, there is just too much to see in this beautiful town. 😁 We'll keep in mind for a future visit. 👍

[@RyanDH]

@@DustBugsTravel an even greater visit for your next trip is the Recollection Village. It's just as you're entering the town from the Cape Town direction. It's on both side of the road. The left side has a collection of vintage cars and the right side has a vintage petrol station, bar and various interesting things. Their shop has an interesting collection of items to purchase. LOL...they've even got funny and interesting socks 🤣

[@1812nico]

I'm still with you two. This video brought tears to my eyes. My late mother was a school teacher there in the 1940's. I do agree with a fellow commenter that some more effort should be put in to upkeep the historical treasures of the town. Only the citizens can actually do that. Ps. Have you noticed the form of the straight clouds during your visit?

[@DustBugsTravel]

We can feel the nostalgia in your comment, as well as the emotion that seeing the town again, albeit on video, evoked in you. Memories of our mothers do that to most of us. 🤗 It would be fantastic if the memorials could be maintained and kept in good shape. There is a lot of interest in the town, in the short time we were there we saw quite a few small groups of tourists, including foreigners. They seemed very interested in the history too. 🏛️ We did notice the clouds, especially over the dam! ☁️ Those long cloud banks were awesome and quite unusual in shape.

[@shafiekmoerat1063]

love your videos. would love to travel and explore with you guys someday as my wife and i share the same passion as you do

[@DustBugsTravel]

Thank you! We're so happy to have you along for the ride! 😁 It's fantastic that you and your wife also love travelling, it's such a blessing if you can do it together. 🚗

[@joshuasteenkamp3277]

Queen of the karoo so many well learned people and sportsmen and.women coming from this place including Elton

[@DustBugsTravel]

Interesting. A very historic town too with such beautiful buildings. 🏛️🤩

[@munesumangava9751]

Well kept grounds too for the church!

[@habibmasturakhan480]

Hi. Great video , Graaf-Reinet looks like a good option to stop over between JHB and the Garden Route. Can you recommend any accommodations. Also, any recommendations for accommodations in Mosel Bay.. Thanks

[@DustBugsTravel]

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed this episode! 🚙😁 We didn't stay over in either Graaff-Reinet or Mossel Bay, so have absolutely no idea. We mostly use lekkeslaap.co.za since we find they have a wide variety of budget-friendly options. Happy travels!

[@jeanpienaa782]

Love it

[@DustBugsTravel]

Thank you so much! 😃

[@61sunset]

How very sad that beautiful municipal swimming pool has just been neglected and left to decay, along with the monument that is illegible due to no upkeep or maintenance. I really wish South Africa would look after its historical sites and monuments. Loved the video though, it was amazing, wow and awesome ; ) ( sorry couldn't resist )

[@DustBugsTravel]

😁😁 The problem we have is that we find almost everything amazing, wow and awesome and the vocabularies sometimes fail us and we fall back on those few. 🫣 We agree with you. We were left saddened leaving the swimming bath, it must've been one spectacular place in its heyday, especially with that gorgeous mountain as backdrop. It was almost impossible to make out some of the names on those plaques on the war memorial, but surprised at the otherwise good condition it was in. 🏛️ It's still a fantastic place to visit though.

[@61sunset]

@@DustBugsTravel Yes don't worry those words go through my mind too, sometimes there are no suitable words to describe how beautiful our surroundings are.

[@deonzar]

@@DustBugsTravel I suppose you did not see the railway station...last time i saw it it was in a terrible state. I wonder if the railway lines are still there. In the 70'ties there was a teachers as well as a nurses college...but our government shut it down. Sorry for my negativity but I stayed and worked in the Karoo in the seventies and eighties...the good old days.

[@altaappel4568]

beautiful place. So clean.

[@DustBugsTravel]

It is really a gorgeous town with such a fantastic setting! 🤩

[@ezrasarfati2527]

Just 3 weeks ago I also visited this city, it's nice, I stopped to shop at the supermarket you mentioned in Sherton, good luck tourist from Israel

[@DustBugsTravel]

Greetings to you in Israel! 🇮🇱 It's great to hear that you've visited some of the towns in South Africa. I'm sure you had a fantastic time! 👌🏻🤩

[@rorysullivan4913]

Town pool was only covered very much later on when it became a venue for weddings etc. Remember swimming there in the fifties prior to the two schools getting their own. Unfortunately vandalism is rife in our country towns. The house in Queenstreet was set alight by vandals earlier this year.

[@DustBugsTravel]

Such interesting info, thank you for sharing. We love that we can learn so much about a place from everyone who watches our videos. 👌🏻 We could just feel such a nostalgic vibe at the swimming pool, it must've been quite the facility in its day, even with no roof. Super sad to read about the vandals. The house has been completely destroyed. 😢

[@zinimountglobal]

The NG gemeente Graaff-Reinet is the 6th oldest church in SA.

[@DustBugsTravel]

Thanks for the info. ⛪

[@hanspisa]

That house has now being demolished. It burnt down 8 months ago. I live across the road from it. Enjoy your videos. Very interesting places you guys visit.

[@DustBugsTravel]

Thanks for the update on that house, we were wondering what happened to it. It was quite a sad sight when we saw it that day. 😢 We appreciate you travelling with us! 😁🚗

[@nonibbs]

Fascinating trip to Graaf Reinet - thanks for posting it. The church inside is very interesting as well. They have very long straight wooden pews with a bar down the middle of the church - giving stability (I presume). The congregation said( when asked) said it was to separate the sheep from the goats. We went to a series of lectures there during the Pentecost festival, which gave me plenty of time to study the interior and the congregation as well. My traveling companion spoke Afrikaans as her first language so she understood the talks fully, my Afrikaans skills are much more limited so I only understood 50% of the talks. The swimming pool was very interesting as it was clearly covered - in its heyday. In my experience covered pools in SA are rare. ( They do exist, there used to be one in Pmb too, but they are usually open air). I wonder if there are any photos of it in its working days.

[@DustBugsTravel]

Thank you for the interesting info about the interior of the church. I would've loved to film the inside, but a tour group from Germany was visiting and I didn't want to intrude by talking and filming, I hope to get another opportunity one day. ⛪ The swimming pool had quite an impact on us, simply because we could imagine it back in the 1930's as a fully-functional facility where townsfolk would come to exercise and socialise. It was clearly a magnificent establishment in its prime. We weren't able to source pics of the swimming bath in its former glory online, but I'm sure they must exist somewhere. 🤔

[@nonibbs]

@@DustBugsTravel I found some info about the DRC Church which might interest you: The first church was in Church Street; the second burned down in 1799 before completion; the third church was completed in 1800 but demolished and the fourth church built in 1823. This too was demolished and the present church completed in 1887. The church seats 1,250 people. Then the congregation split(sadly) over the question of which language to use, and a New DRC was built in 1927. I did manage to find a photo of the swimming pool when it was in use,(posted in FB on Google images) but only taken in about 1982. Probably if I went to their local Social history Museum, I might have more success; ,I might do that when I am there next year.

[@matlalampho4304]

Beautiful place. I’m planning to visit the place in September or October. Your videos are so beautiful and clear;which phone,camera or equipment are you using?

[@DustBugsTravel]

You'll enjoy your visit to this part of the country, it is certainly very beautiful. 🤩 I appreciate your compliment about the clarity of our videos, thank you! I film with my regular everyday cellphone, a Samsung S22 Ultra, mounted on a regular selfie-stick. That does the job for me! Happy and safe travels! 🚙😁

[@MrElhabib123]

And niew Bethesda is near by … hope you can show us a video of nieu Bethesda? Thank you 🙏

[@DustBugsTravel]

We haven't visited Nieu-Bethesda just yet, but have a trip in mind on which we'll include the village. We're just not sure when that will be yet. 🚙😁

[@debbiekruger9414]

This is really a lovely place. Sad about the young man dying so young. I don't even want to try to imagine the life he had.

[@DustBugsTravel]

It is a stunning town and one can't even begin to scratch the surface of its history. 🏛️ We sat in silence at that memorial next to the road for a few minutes, it was quite surreal to imagine that he was shot a mere 100m away from the actual site where the memorial was erected. ✝️

[@RyanDH]

@@DustBugsTravel a lot of boer soldiers lost their lives in similar ways during that time. If you ever visit the Boer war museum in Bloemfontein you'll read countless names of boers that were shipped to far off places for just being in the boer war.

[@jacostrauss13]

Did you guys have a chance to visit Nieu-Bethesda, if not please put on your bucket list. Also Valley of Desolation in Graaff Reinet is a must see.

[@DustBugsTravel]

We've been close a couple of times, but we've never visited Nieu-Bethesda. We'll certainly include it in a future trip to the Eastern Cape. 👌🏻We visited the Camdeboo National Park and included some footage of the Valley of Desolation in Episode 163. It is astonishingly beautiful in that area. We appreciate you watching our video. 😁🚗

[@annawitter5161]

So busy catching up on all your vids as I have just discovered you! Having a ball! Did you visit the Owl House? Its super creepy!! Andrew Murray was a wonderful minister and dienaar van die Here. Have read much of his works.

[@DustBugsTravel]

We haven't been to Nieu-Bethesda yet, but will certainly try and include it on a future trip. We have seen video's of it though and it looks very interesting to say the least. 😱 We've come across the names of Andrew and Charles Murray so often on our travels, they were clearly very prominent figures in the religious environment of the day and it's fantastic that they're remembered and honoured in all the congregations they served. ✝️

[@vry3555]

I'm not sure how Andrew Murray reconciled being a freemason and a "Christian" at the same time. The two are polar opposites.

[@ChrisHobson123]

I thought Graaff-Reinet was the fourth oldest town in South Africa. Cape Town, Stellenbosch and Swellendam are older

[@DustBugsTravel]

You may very well be correct, we're certainly no history buffs. 😁 Wikipedia lists it as the sixth-oldest after the three you mentioned, Paarl and Simon's Town. I guess when Simon's Town was still a town on its own and not a suburb of Cape Town. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@ChrisHobson123]

You are correct. I think Graaff-Reinet is the 4th oldest magisterial district in South Africa. Simon's town would have been part of Cape Town's magisterial district and Paarl part of the Stellenbosch magisterial district. I was taught Graaff-Reinet was the 4th oldest town and never questioned it. I've learnt something today.

[@jeanpienaa782]

Beat

[@DustBugsTravel]

Your message was cut off somehow. 🙂

[@altaappel4568]

The church is amazing. if I here the word Graaf Reinet I think of the church.

[@pieterbeukes1411]

Was nou die dag daar deur, oppad Addo, PE en deur Knysna Kaap toe, Moet tyd maak om stadiger deeu die lewe tegaan LOL

[@DustBugsTravel]

Indeed, all of us have to. There is so much to see. 😁🚗

[@andriesdejager3777]

And this is what 30 years of democracy looks like.

[@burgerettiene]

Sorry you guys you are wrong Graaff Reinet is the Fourth oldest town in SA

[@DustBugsTravel]

We're no history experts and you may very well be spot-on. Wikipedia lists it as the sixth-oldest after Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Swellendam, Paarl and Simon's Town. I guess when Simon's Town was still a town on its own and not a suburb of Cape Town. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@reinettetewaternaude8993]

It is the 4th oldest town not 6th...your facts not correct.

[@DustBugsTravel]

We were certainly not going to argue with what we read up on Wikipedia that day. 🤷‍♂️

[@reinettetewaternaude8993]

@@DustBugsTravel I live here....check the info and correct it pls.

[@DustBugsTravel]

Check Wikipedia and correct it for us. We don't live there.

[@reinettetewaternaude8993]

@@DustBugsTravel you should check with the tourism office and get more correct info before you broadcast this.

[@breitie804]

I welcome expressions such as 'wow', beautiful',' amazing' and 'great', and many others, instead of the dreadful 'cool' that seems to have replaced about 100 perfectly good descriptive words lately, thanks to our American friends, who never were very imaginative. Please don't fall into that same lazy trap, in order to appear trendy!

[@DustBugsTravel]

😁 We love all those words, but we love 'cool' just as much, so you'll hear that one too! 😎 Perhaps you just haven't gotten to those videos yet. Being trendy doesn't matter to us in the slightest, there are way more important things than that in life, and one of those is to enjoy our travels, which we hope you're doing with us! 😁🚗