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News - Date: 17 April 2009
A prominent tourist group from Australia expressed their profound disappointment with the absence of the information plaque at historical Fort Hendrina in Louis Trichardt.
The Australian 4x4-tour group, consisting of 23 members, started their South African tour last week with an informative visit to the Zoutpansberg Skirmishes Route. Fort Hendrina is a major relic in the history of the Bushveld Carbineers, and the prominent Australian “Breaker” Morant saga.
This was the third Australian tour group attracted by the Skirmishes Route. The present group is interested in visiting the more inaccessible parts of South Africa and were drawn to Louis Trichardt by the particular Australian connection of the route.
The tour group, organized in Australia by Ron and Viv Moon of Moon Adventure Publications, assisted by Anthony and Karen McDonald, catering and expedition experts of Red Desert Tours & Catering, were brought to the Soutpansberg by well-known local safari and travel guide Bertus Hanekom. A chance meeting between Hanekom and Charles Leach of the Soutpansberg Skirmishes Route at the Tourism Indaba inspired Hanekom to bring his Australian guests to the Soutpansberg.
At Fort Hendrina, they were welcomed and addressed by Brian du Plooy of the local Chamber of Commerce, which recently relaunched its Soutpansberg Tourism arm.
The Australians were disappointed to find the empty square on the fort, where the plaque was presumably stolen by copper thieves, under suspicious circumstances. The Australian tourists expressed frustration at not being able to read the historical background to the fort, which is a national monument.
Repeated requests to the Makhado municipality to restore the important plaque to this prominent tourist attraction have had no success so far.
The Australian 4x4 enthusiasts, however, thoroughly enjoyed the scenic beauty and typical hospitality of the “salt of the earth” region.
Frans van der Merwe is a freelance journalist with more than 40 years experience in the newspaper industry. Apart from newspaper reporting, he was also involved with radio news, news reading, training and marketing. He has been living and working in Louis Trichardt since 1991.
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