S1 - Ep 417 - Molteno!

Our journey to Molteno was a picturesque adventure marked by a bumpy road from Sterkstroom, navigating through potholes that slowed our progress. The highlight of our route was undoubtedly the Boesmanskloof Mountain Pass, offering great views from the top. Upon reaching Molteno, our leisurely drive through the main road provided glimpses of historical significance, including the site of the old mill. The Dutch Reformed Church, with its captivating architecture and the fact that we were offered the opportunity to see it inside, brought the town further to life. A particularly delightful discovery was seeing the factory where my beloved buttermilk Ouma Rusks were produced, adding a personal touch to our exploration. Overall, our time in Molteno was a fulfilling and memorable experience. #DustBugs #adventuretravel #southafrica #southafricavlog #travelongravel #easterncape #molteno #sterkstroom
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[@rudiekeyser2495]

Wat ñ pragtige kerk. Groete Strand.

[@DustBugsTravel]

That architecture blew us away! 💒

[@ajl1973]

Very unique architecture on that church. ZA churches are the best. So much history.

[@DustBugsTravel]

We always love visiting them for their incredible architecture. 🚙💒

[@ritameintjies]

The inside of the Dutch Reformed Church is awesome.

[@DustBugsTravel]

It is indeed, just like the outside. 💒

[@user-wk4po9tg9f]

What a beautiful church inside and out.

[@DustBugsTravel]

We loved driving around it and I was so happy to be able to get inside. 🚙💒

[@zinimountglobal]

Fun fact:This is the town where Ouma Rusks was produced.

[@DustBugsTravel]

They still are produced just outside of town. You should watch our videos before you share your fun facts because we usually share them in our videos too! 😁

[@ajl1973]

Ouma rusks... Yummy! Ha

[@dawnbarnes1361]

Wow that Church is beautiful for sure!! Love the houses in Molteno❤ It's a clean little town, which is great to see. Pity about the Biltong factory😢 Loved that stop over shop and that Loo was very impressive! I'd sit there all day checking the plates out 😅😊 Thank you again Curtis & Sonia 🎉 Take care, safe travels🙏❤

[@DustBugsTravel]

That church was so incredibly beautiful and we found the architecture so unusual. 🚙💒 You'll not get bored in that loo, let me tell you that much! 😁🍽️ The biltong factory is still very much a mystery to us or the Rand value we read on Wikipedia is way off the mark! 🤷🏻‍♂️🥓 Thank you for hopping on board again!

[@cornawiese1061]

Oh, the road! But thanks for showing us Molteno. Beautiful church and hooray for Ouma's rusks 😄.

[@DustBugsTravel]

Yes, I was hoping to get a peek at how they make my buttermilk rusks, but there was no chance of that happening. 🤷🏻‍♂️ The church is a beautiful building and I was so glad I could get inside. 🚙💒 We have to look past the roads or we'll stop travelling and that is just not an option. 😁🛣️

[@lulamantshephe5595]

Always wanted to see Molteno, thanks

[@DustBugsTravel]

Me too! But I waited for the warmer time of the year. 🚙😁

[@deonzar]

Yes I can attest to that claim of how cold Molteno is. Use to work there a few times in the late 80'ties and oh boy was it cold! I cannot remember a lot about Molteno, but one person that stood out that time was Piet Theron, the then Town Clerk...what a character...."Born in the Boere Rebellion and a Rebel I will die"....that he said about every day.. 🙂.If I remember correctly there was a museum next to the Municipal offices. Thanx for visiting Molteno...brought back some memories....some best forgotten... 🙂

[@DustBugsTravel]

There is still a museum in town, I think it's on the upper level of the George Vice Building if I remember correctly. The former Town Clerk of Molteno certainly sounds like a colourful character! 😁 Whenever you say memories are best forgotten, I shudder to think what you must've gotten up to in your younger days. I'm sure there are pretty fun times amongst those memories! 🚙🤣

[@deonzar]

@@DustBugsTravel Yes....I will just smile...🤣

[@emmerentiagroenewald3694]

Sjoe!! Die pad het meer slaggate as teer!! Hou motor hou!!

[@DustBugsTravel]

We have two choices: we stay at home or we look past the potholes and we continue travelling. We'll choose the latter every single time, so they clearly don't bother us that much! 🤷🏻‍♂️🛣️

[@mariusroos]

Beautiful town. The DR church is really very impressive architexture. The court with the tower is strange. Sad the biltong factory is gone. Thank youguysfor visiting Molteno. It was really rewarding. I am in on the next one

[@DustBugsTravel]

Yes, I agree with you. The Molteno Magistrate's Office could very easily be mistaken for a church. 🤔 The D.R. Church was an architectural masterpiece, I was so glad to be able to see it up close and inside. 💒 I gladly accept your reservation for the next trip. Departure date is Wednesday, don't forget! 🚙😁

[@fernandolatola1264]

Native from Molteno.... Sad really sad to see this most beautiful town run down the way it is now....

[@flodillon991]

Thank you for showing me Molteno I have family that live at least now I can visualize where they are. Also love the Ouma rusks Buttermilk.!!!

[@YamkelaMatolengwe]

Finally!!!! Been waiting for this episode for the past year since you guys travelled to Steynsburg and Hofmeyer

[@DustBugsTravel]

There are so many beautiful places to see in our country, so it takes us a long time to get to them. I hope it was worth the wait! 🚙😁

[@YamkelaMatolengwe]

What you guys is wonderful and brings so many South Africans and sharet the history of the towns extenstively by the way I am here in Lwandle where I was born hope to bump into you guys as our new celebrities

[@davidthompson5963]

Thanks for showing us around . My wife and I will be caravaning at Valschfontein just near to Molteno and will take a drive to meet the Ouma . A man needs his rusks .

[@sandragrobler2957]

The music you use in your videos is of outstanding taste and always so appropriate to the moment and place. You bring so much joy to our lives. Thank you Curtis and Sonia.

[@1812nico]

Hi you two! What an interesting trip again! The rocky Boesmanskloof Pass with the mountains on the horizon was indeed a delight. The old stone buildings and homes everywhere, and that HUGE church building in its beautiful garden, really takes one back to days gone by. The Halfpad stall was an interesting place. Congratulations on finding the origin of the Ouma Beskuitjies! Pity you could not also find the biltong factory -- no doubt you would have taken quite a load. Thank you for a great outing! I'm ready for next time! Keep safe!

[@DustBugsTravel]

That biltong factory still puzzles me! We made enquiries in town and since, but no-one knows about it, so methinks Wikipedia is a little off here. 🤷🏻‍♂️ And you're 100% correct, we would've stocked up had they still been open! 😁🥓 The D.R. Church was a beautiful bulk of a building, the architecture was really stunning! 💒 I so hoped to be able to check out how they make my buttermilk rusks, but no chance!

[@lindaelizabethgreyling3895]

My dad was born in Molteno and we visited family when I were very young. Don't think there was a tar road then. The Ouma factory was called "Thys Beskuitjies se fabriek" by the family after the first owner Thys Greyvenstein. I enjoyed stumbling on this video. Thank you for bringing back memories.

[@tonynz9954]

Wow !! Thankyou Sonia for showing us the home of OUMA BUTTERMILK RUSKS. I am just working my way through a packet right now. Fancy those rusks travelling all the way Molteno to Invercargill NZ. Now we must please find the home of MRS BALLS CHUTNEY. What a stunning looking NG Kerk. The garden is also so well kept. What a shame that the Biltong Factory no longer operates. At least the trains are still travelling through Molteno. Another interesting visit.

[@DustBugsTravel]

I could literally taste the buttermilk rusks as we sat outside the Ouma facility. 😁 I'll have to stock up again tomorrow, you made me jealous with yours. Molteno was an interesting town. The church is a stunning building, we loved it too! 🚙💒 The biltong factory still puzzles us a little, we haven't been able to get to the bottom of that particular story. 🤷🏻‍♂️🥓

[@alanmarshall8665]

Good day to you travelling bugs. My family used to farm in the Molteno district from more than a hundred years back,and I had the pleasure of spending most of my school holidays on the farm. You can Google coldest place in SA and you will find that it is Molteno.I believe that the coldest temp measured is around minus 19.1 degrees Celsius which is about 1.5 degrees colder than Sutherland.An argument came about the fact this temperature was not measured in town but on a farm called Buffelsfontein owned by Mrs Stratton situated near the Molteno turnoff on the main highway to Aliwal North topside of the Penhoek pass. The farm had a registered weather station. I last visited the Ouma rusk factory in 1970. I also recall in the 60 s going to watch a movie with all the other townsfolk on a Friday night at that town hall you saw. There was always a battle to get closest to the coal fired stoves in the hall as the temperature would drop to around minus 5 degrees C by interval. I also knew the Vice family who used to farm pretty much in the area where you saw those wind generators. Lastly ,around 1965 one extremely hot day ( 43 degrees C ) a couple of friends and I were walking in the middle of the dirt road waving our disguarded shirts to try and clear a passage through millions and millions of locusts.There was a narrow bridge nearby and motorists could not see it due to the locust swarm. That day many cars overheated due to blocked radiators and had to bake in the heat until the locust swarm moved on. Now 5 years later that same stretch or road was blocked by a snow drift which covered the fence poles on both sides of the road. Well I believe the temperature at midday was around minus 4 degrees C. In those days we only used Farenheit as a measure to record. I enjoy your program emensly,keep it going ,Alan.

[@DustBugsTravel]

I'm so glad you enjoy our videos. 🚙😁 I appreciate you sharing so much interesting info about Molteno and surrounds. I found it all fascinating and had no idea that the area was one of extreme temperatures! 🥶🥵 It certainly sounds like you have very vivid memories of your time here, it's great that you shared them with us.

[@terrimeyer3815]

I was on that road 7years ago. I dont remember those potholes. Road has deteriorated very badly. NGK nicest church I seen in a while. Very pretty architecture. Thanks I not been there in a while. Doubt I'll go back 🎉🎉❤❤❤🎉🎉glad you popped past dip n ouma....lol

[@DustBugsTravel]

Oh, yes. That Dutch Reformed Church was something else and huge! 💒 Seven years is a long time, I can only imagine what the roads will look like in another seven years' time. Maybe my wish comes true and they'll all be gravel by then. We'll all be better off then. 🚙😁🛣️

[@alanmarshall8665]

I have travelled the Sterkstroom / Molteno road about 6 times over the past 10 years and the road surface deteriorates more ever trip. This also occurs between and Gariep Dam and Molteno. A massive cost has gone into producing and installing Pothole signs.Why not fix them instead ..???????????

[@DustBugsTravel]

I wish I could answer that question for you. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@ingeborgvanderveer789]

Het blijft toch wonderlijk dat de western en actie films vooral in de USA zijn opgenomen terwijl het Zuid-Afrikaanse prachtige landschap zich er ook uitstekend voor leent. En die potholes daar weet een Tom Cruise vast ook wel raad mee 😉. Mooi dat het stukje gravelroad wèl van een uitstekende kwaliteit bleek te zijn, het leek even alsof ik de Kwid toen hoorde spinnen van plezier …? 😊 Ondanks het duidelijk verval der dingen in dit stadje weten jullie ook nu weer vooral de parels te vinden 👍 Zoals de vele schattige huisjes langs de brede wegen, dat boven de stenen muur zichtbare majestueuze witte bijna kasteelachtige landhuis en natuurlijk de NG kerk. Het verwondert mij in positieve zin, dat in de meeste plaatsen die jullie bezoeken, dergelijke kerken zo mooi onderhouden blijven van binnen & buiten. Dit terwijl er op straat geen ‘oorspronkelijke’ Boeren bevolking meer te zien is. Je zou bijna denken, ter compensatie van alles dat wel vernield wordt 🤷‍♀️? Aardig dat Moltena een nieuw treingebouw heeft, a pleasant surprise 🚂 Mmmmm beschuit, ook altijd favoriet op de Nederlandse ontbijttafel, de echte van Bolletje Beschuit met boter & chocolade hagelslag erop of de volkoren variant met kaas 😋. Al brengt de geur die jij beschrijft ook het water in de mond dus eet smakelijk van de Ouma beschuit!!

[@user-ve5yp3of8v]

Another one of my beautiful towns with loads of memories. Thankyou guys.

[@DustBugsTravel]

Appreciate you coming back to Molteno with us for our first-time visit. 🚙😁

[@amandamccarthy7827]

Hi Just came across this video and so.many memories came flooding back. I was born there and MOM grew up there. My grandfather was the mayor.of the town for.a.very long time and one of.only.2 people ever.given the freedom of the.town. JAN Daniel (daantjie) olivier. The tower you saw at the magistrate office is the same tower featured on the Borstol bottle, as.Borstol and Zinc.pyn Specific was.made.by.the local pharmacist mr Lomax way back.when. Thanks.for sharing this video.

[@annawitter5161]

This is one place I have always wanted to visit. Love all the old buildings. What a magnificent church! And even more impressive, the clocks are telling the same time!!Nice to see inside. Amazing set of organ pipes. The railway station is awesome. Such a pity when a stone building gets destroyed. Stone City....well better than stoned city, which goes for many modern cities these days. Would have been wonderful to see inside the old mill. Good old Ouma! We get Ouma buttermilk rusks here in NZ. Back in my youth, I had real karringmelkbeskuit made by my much loved ouma. Had a good laugh at the notice prohibiting the taking of leaks on the wall.

[@DustBugsTravel]

We made sure to visit in the warmer months, I believe it gets freezing in this area. 🥶 The church was really impressive and we thought the architecture was rather unique with the stone and brick. I'm all good with Ouma's buttermilk rusks. When I'm in the mood for them, they are delicious with coffee. I thought I'd be able to see them make them and even sample a fresh-out-of-the-oven one. 🚙☕

[@annawitter5161]

@@DustBugsTravel mmm..that would have been so nice! I can only have one as a treat now as they are very fattening

[@em0_c4ts]

I lived in molteno for 12 years its a very cute little town, my mom used to work at the highschool!! glad you guys visited🙂🙂

[@kennethdshort]

Indeed it can get very cold in that region, Buffelsfontien , a farm north of Queenstown holds the all time record for the lowest temperature in South Africa -20.1 Centigrade measured in August 2013 ,

[@DustBugsTravel]

Interesting. There is so much conflicting info online that it confuses one. One source even says the farm Buffelsfontein is outside of Molteno. Be that as it may, Molteno remains a very cold place! 🚙🥶

[@kennethdshort]

I checked with the official South African Weather Service website now and even I as a retired Weather Service employee had erroneously quoted the online info . For the record Buffelsfontein is indeed near Molteno. Molteno itself recorded -18.6 C

[@alanmarshall8665]

This is Alan again.I did not know about the biltong factory because it was after the period when I was there. However the local butcher who is a Vermark ( not sure of the spelling ) supplies pretty good biltong. In the 1950 s Molteno farmers were very wealthy due to a peak in the wool trade. But recently ( last 20 years ) a lot of farmers turned to game farming, thus the the establishment of a biltong factory. Cheers and bye for now .Alan ( I still have lots of skinner stories about the local Molteno district. )

[@lulamantshephe5595]

❤❤🙏🙏🙏🙏😍😍

[@DustBugsTravel]

🚙😍

[@charlietreston4035]

Hi guys another intriguing town the history of the town was interesting I wonder where in London Molteno came from a good guess would be clerkenwell it was a big Italian community with the Italian church on Sunday morning everyone is very smartly dressed the guys look like they are in the mafia lol .so the town has the coldest temperature in SA I can see why its got a sky resort. The old mill looks great and you found where the wheel was attached. The bowls club always immaculate the high school still had the boys and girls entrance love it big sports fields soccer and rugby posts interesting the DRF church was stunning so decorative stone and red brick the inside was a surprise with the massive pipe organ. The wrought-iron chandeliers lovely old ironmongery of the big front door cute kids room it amazes me every time how these churches were built all that time ago .the suburbs had mostly older style houses my vibe and the ig colonial house was outstanding. Unusual magistrates Court with the big tower a picture of witch is used for cough mixture. Good news for the station that the old building has been restored and the railway is functional. Glad you found the station sign and also the old biltong factory it could have been a mecca for biltong lovers. Your favourite ouma rusks pity you couldn't get any samples lol .the old shop with the fancy loo and the sign opposite don't pee on the wall lol .loved the story about Sonia going to boarding school I can relate as I had a similar experience!!! A interesting video thanks for taking me along cheerio till the next one

[@DustBugsTravel]

I can't find online exactly where in London John Molteno was born, but I like your guess. 😁 Imagine churchgoers looking like they were from the mob. 😨 I agree with you about the Magistrate's Office, rather unusual that it has a clock tower that one could easily mistake for a church. 🤷🏻‍♂️💒 I told Sonia that you could relate to her stint at boarding school, she was just not happy there.

[@ziphozihle27]

Home ❤❤❤

[@DustBugsTravel]

Thank you for watching our video of your hometown! 🚙😍

[@alanmarshall8665]

Ouma rusk factory was established at Molteno because of the dry climate. You will notice all Ouma rusks are very dry and crunchy and loose that crunchiness if an opened packet is left around uneaten.

[@DustBugsTravel]

Another piece of info I wasn't aware of. Their crunchiness is one of the reasons I love my buttermilk rusks so much. Now I know why! 😁

[@virgilndlovu726]

It looks like an abandoned town. You can see the place used to have tar road but government is no longer maintaining the road, its just gravel.

[@tillabezuidenhout6460]

Taken over by Simba later by Nola.

[@tillabezuidenhout6460]

Lovely colour rose!!

[@jakeraptor1346]

Daar is niks oor van die eens pragtige dorp nie. Soos duisende ander.

[@DustBugsTravel]

We make a point of looking for the positives and find them in every single place we visit. If we don't, there is no point in travelling. 🚙

[@marktintinger7492]

Did the Europeans / settlers waste a hang of a lot of money building town halls because it seems none of the buildings were needed in these communities, always burnt and stripped.😢😢😢😢

[@DustBugsTravel]

Indeed. It is the culture of destruction that we find in our beautiful country today. 🇿🇦😢 Disgruntled citizens destroy instead of quitting their complaining and helping to build up. It breaks our hearts every time we see a piece of history destroyed. Those structures stood for many decades and it took only a few years to destroy so many of them. 🤷🏻‍♂️🏛️

[@bertrayner1000]

Afrikaans gekapte klip English hewn stone

[@DustBugsTravel]

Same thing. We still prefer hammered stone and will continue using that term. I appreciate your input. 👍🏻