Overnight Ride to Groot Marico on Saturday 22^nd to Sunday 23^rd January 2005.

After a week of rain, our group of BMW regulars, joined by a couple of new faces, departed from the Total Garage in Randburg en route to Groot Marico, under the guidance of Avril and Chris Malan.

The weather was kind to us and we had a cool ride to the planned breakfast stop at the local Wimpy in Koster.   We enjoyed a sizzling breakfast, and some of us had to wait for our breakfast – the Wimpy could not cater for our large group all at once.

Most of us had to top up with fuel, and across the road from the Wimpy was the local bottlestore where many visited and stocked up for the evening, as the place we were going to stay overnight, was not licensed, and this was kindly transported by Sandy and Nigel Goodliffe, who, due to Nigel having undergone a minor brain transplant, was unable to don a helmet and ride – thanks guys, much appreciated and we wish Nigel a speedy recovery.

Forging on ahead, we arrived at the Doornkraal Guest Farm in Groot Marico, where Maryna welcomed us, parked our bikes and booked into the various rooms and cottages, where we all unpacked and lazed around the pool, and yes, some were even brave enough to swim.

Santa van Bart, from the Groot Marico Information Centre, met us at 3pm, relayed a brief history of the Marico and Herman Charles Bosman, and then we boarded their vehicles on a mampoer Tour.  Thanks to Len van Dorsten too, for offering us his 4 x 4 bakkie to help with the transport.   What an afternoon!  First stop was at Johan, "bobaas stoker" of the Marico.  He had us rolling with laughter with his "Horse don't look so good" story, took up on a tour to explain the intricate process of distilling mampoer.   Samples were available for the brave and the "Off Sales" was open.

Santa had the difficult task of tearing us away and we were off to Bobbejaankrans, where we learnt about traditional healing creams and medicines of the area and had the rare opportunity of devouring regte, egte Melktert and Gemmerbier, made by Florrie-Ann Esterhuizen, in an old farmhouse, still the original, as the house was only at windowsill height when the war broke out and the "Redcoats" did not set fire to it.

Thank goodness for the shelter this house afforded us, as the heavens opened and we had to wait for the rain to subside before our journey could continue.   The house did not have electricity, only candles, plus an old stove and of course, the rain caused a bit of havoc and the ceiling in the kitchen started to leak.   Once the rain had stopped, we departed, not before noticing the beautiful colourful bougainvilleas near to the house.   We fixated on the absolutely beautiful double rainbow ahead of us all the way back to town.

On our arrival back to Doornkraal, it was a short period of rest and working up an appetite for the scrumptious traditional Groot Marico meal that awaited us, cooked in traditional African pots around the fireplace.   The meal ended off with freshly baked bread and homemade konfyt, with moerkoffie and koeksusters and watermellon pieces for dessert.    Thanks to the Herman Charles Bosman foundation for the superb catering.

The highlight was yet to come.   Egbert van Bart, Santa's husband, who certainly looked the part with his loooooong beard and hair, read amongst others, the Bekkersdal Marathon, from the works of Herman Charles Bosman.   A great evening was had by all and it was early to bed for most.

After a humungous breakfast prepared by Maryna and her team, a sad farewell was bid to our friends, old and new.   The group broke up into 2 groups with some going home back to Gauteng on dirt roads, and others went back the normal tar roads.

We first of all filled up with petrol in Groot Marico, and then we headed home, via Rustenburg, stopping off at the Waterfall Mall just outside Rustenburg, to once again fill up with petrol and also to quench our thirsts.   Then for the last leg home, we continued riding together and one by one, we broke away from the group to proceed to our respective homes.

 A great ride and weekend was enjoyed by all………………by Pat Jenkerson

HISTORY  ON  HERMAN  CHARLES  BOSMAN

GROOT  MARICO

According to the family Bible, Herman Charles Bosman was born on 3 February in Kuilsrivier , near Cape Town. No birth certificate could be traced anywhere. The date on the stone in Wespark cemetery, where he was interred, suggests that he was born on 5^th February 1905, and died 14 October 1951.   He spent most of his life in the Transvaal.

After qualifying as a schoolteacher, his first appointment was to a little two- man school in the Groot Marico on the farm Heimweeberg in 1926.   His stay was of rather short duration.   During the winter school holidays back at the family home in Johannesburg he got involved in a shooting incident in which his step-brother was killed. Bosman found himself sentenced to death.   The sentence being commuted to 10 years hard labour, after 4 years he was paroled and returned to Johannesburg in 1931, to live the life of a poet.

He subsequently, from 1934, spent some years in England as a journalist, returning at the outbreak of World War 2.

During his life-time, three of his books were published.   He died of a stroke aged 46 years, in the Edenvale Hospital.

Predicting that posterity would recognize him for the writer he was 50 years later, he has in fact become South Africa’s best loved author, with all his writings still in print, and for the first time, republished in a newly-edited and restored definitive form, known as the anniversary edition, to coincide with the centenary of his birth in February 2005.

The series include some 14 volumes, containing, apart from 3 novels, over a hundred short stories, many essays and a considerable body of poetry.   The majority of the short stories have the Groot Marico and its people as background.