Ah! At last! The exquisite Hogsback. My very favourite part of the country. If its your first time there, then you have a treat in store. And the people who live there are so nice. What a lovely evening with that crescent moon. Hogsback Inn was one of our favourite haunts. I can still see Roger sitting there smoking his pipe and taking in the surrounding beauty. You couldnt have chosen better for your accommodation. Roger and I sat at that end table for a drink in the bar. Yes, BOGGOM! There are a lot of them around. I have been in Hogsback in midsummer, and also late winter. And every season is stunning. It snows in the later winter.Have you ever had pure chocolate, like pure cacao....with no sweetning. At first you think...Yikes!!! and then as it seeps in, you want more, en dit sit lood in jou potlood!!!! Baboon? On the wire? Are you sure it wasnt a monkey? There are lots of them around. We stayed at Applegarth nursery for three weeks in 1988. It was near The Edge, so we had beautiful views and walks. From Echo shrine one gets a lovely view of the three Hogs, the mountain ridges that gave Hogsback its name. The rocky ridge on top of the mountains looks like he bristle on top of a pigs back. Yes, its not really a different world, its more an open perception of our world. Oh goodness, we need men who are a little adventurous, otherwise life gets boring. OJinne, vanaand skryf ek n boek! Better that I finish to say that Hogsback vegetation and micro climate is very like that of New Zealand, where I live.
@@tonynz9954 Hi. Yes, we emigrated in 1993 from PE. My hubby (now ex) was from eastern Cape and his dad was headmaster at Muir College for a while. Jennings. We saw the writing on the wall back then and decided to provide a future for our children. I am in Canterbury. Rangiora, just north of Christchurch. I love New Zealand ♥️♥️
@@annawitter5161 I have been to Rangiora. A lovely place. At least you were not too badly affected by the earthquake there. I always pop in to SAFARI MEATS in Hornby for some biltong and Boerewors. The headmaster at Muir when I was there was sacked for being caught having an affair with one of the students mothers.Hope it wasn't Mr Jennings. He was replaced by Mr Paul Ellis in 1975 . Many of our friends in Uitenhage called us verraaiers for leaving SA. You were very wise to move when you did. Your kids should be grateful to you for making that move. Great to hear from you. When I went back to PE,Despatch and Uitenhage back in 1982, that road from PE to Despatch was very dangerous. Stones thrown at cars.
@@tonynz9954 I have a creepy feeling it was my father in law that got sacked. He was a very bad boy! I was in South Africa during earthquakes going through a few emotional earthquakes of my own. Yes my three children have had a decent start in life, they don't know SA, they were babies. I have never been sorry to make the move and those same people who may have called us verraaiers are themselves now in other countries.
I know what you mean! We're used to arriving and leaving, arriving and leaving all the time and we've gotten used to saying goodbye to special places, but it was even hard for us to leave Hogsback that morning. 😏 The place just wants one to linger longer and I so wish we could. I'm glad that you tagged along and enjoyed it as much as we did! 🚙🤩
21.05 *proud of you* 😋 Almost the shop!😁 Your Hogsback stopover is just as you say "truly enchanting". A beautiful place/area, I could happily retire in💕
I couldn't choose one type of fudge over the other, so had to get them all! 😝 The chocolate-mint was our favourite, it was divine! Hogsback really is an enchanting place, I think we could fill the village up pretty quickly with all of us who might consider retiring there! 🚙🤩
I'm glad you enjoyed Hogsback with us! 🚙🤩 It was a special experience which we're happy to have shared with you. The fudge was fantastic! I'm sure you could tell by the quantity we bought that we love fudge too! 😝
WOW what a great feeling it must have been to get up to a beautiful sunny morning stunning freshness in the air away from all the crazy busyness of CITY life really enjoyed the place ❤❤❤❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
You describe that morning absolutely perfectly! It was sunny, it was fresh and it was incredibly beautiful! 😍☀️ I wish we were back there and could wake up to that same feeling tomorrow morning! As always, we so appreciate your company on our travels. 🚙🤩
Hi guys I think Sonia hit the nail on the head I've run out of words to describe this place from the full English breakfast chocolate shop accommodation you know you're in SA when a baboon barks .loved the story of your adventures you couldn't make them up really loved Hog's back thanks for taking me along cheerio till the next one
Hogsback is a charming place, I'm glad you agree! Everything you mentioned and everything else were absolutely fantastic and we loved every minute! Of course my wife was rather taken with the chocolate shop, although we stopped there mainly for their fudge, which was delicious by the way! And all topped off by a troop of baboons, which didn't show themselves that day, but definitely made themselves heard! 🐒😍 Thank you so much for always jumping on board, we love it! 🚙👌🏻
I understand completely why it's your favourite town! 🤩 Safe travels in December when you visit again, I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time one again!
Late husband got work as teacher here as we fell in love with it!! No road, barely electricity, tiny school 4 handfull of kids!! Ive never 4gotten this place!! Totally besotted with it as cold loving flowers every where magnificent fires in gracious old homes !!dont recall church though, but must have been there!!!am 80 years so was just starting as married woman then. Maybe never took position as 2 far from widowed mothers!! but never 4got place I fell in love over ❤
Wow, what special memories you have of the village of Hogsback! It certainly sounds like it was a special place back then already! Thank you so much for watching our video and for sharing with us. 🚙😊
Wow I don't have the words to describe how beautiful Hogsback is, I think Sonia said it best at the end❤. I LOVE the trees and how each tree displays different sizes and beautiful colours
I used to teach at the University of Fort Hare Alice, spent good times every weekend there. That little church is something to see, the snow, the braais, eish you make me nostalgic, spent my best years there
I'm glad our video reminded you of some good times in your past. The church is really something else and it was fantastic to be able to get inside too! 🚙💒 I can only imagine how often you must've visited, Alice is just a stone's throw away. Thank you for sharing with us. 😊
A beauty it is for sure! 🚙😍 You know how much we appreciate your company on our travels and to hear that you enjoyed it too, makes it even more special. Thank you for watching! 👌🏻
Sonia would definitely have struggled with the inclines and uneven surfaces, so she was happy to be checking out the beauty from the car! 🚙🥰 I'm again happy to walk and film, so much beauty has to be shared!
I loved this episode. What a beautiful town. It reminds me a bit of Clarens in the Free State. That Church is so so beautiful. I can see you will be back soon.. ❤
I'm so glad you enjoyed this episode, the church was an absolute highlight for us too! 💒 Hogsback was a special, special place and we will definitely be back. But first we have to go and check out Clarens and many other places! 🚙😍
Wow your cabin was very nice. I suppose you did make your fire to heat up the cabin. Thanks for the drone footage - well done. Quite an interesting place to visit. The vegetation is spatacular. Thanks guys for this visit. It was most enjoyable. Seat defenately booked for the next trip.
I most certainly made a fire that evening, it was super chilly! 🥶🔥 I completely forgot to film it though! Our cabin was very cosy and it really felt like we were all alone in the woods. The natural beauty in this place is enough for 100 other places, I'm sure. 🌳⛰️ Your seat is ready and waiting for tomorrow's trip, I hope you enjoy that one too! 🚙
My son got married in the little chapel before it burnt. Rode on two white Clydesdale horses to the church. Been in NZ for 20 years now but still miss home.
Ja but at least we can sleep without fear and burglar bars. I too miss SA but when one sees how it has gone backwards over the years, it makes you almost want to cry.
Hi you two! What a fascinating outing. This is really a place to be seen to be believed, and you did manage to show it to us in its spectacular glory; from the scenic pass, the Mountain Retreat and the magnificent aerial views from your drone, to the intriguing Eco-Shrine. That thatched roofed church and its surrounds was a stunning surprise. I left t my heart in Hogsback! To add to it all you started your day with cuppas! I'll be on the roadside for the next trip. Keep safe!
You're right, and even when one visits, it's hard to believe one's eyes! The beauty is just so intense and actually quite overwhelming, but so incredibly wonderful at the same time! 🌳⛰️ The stone-and-thatch church was a highlight for us a well and the fact that it was rebuilt after a fire, really tells the story of rebirth in a very special way. 😍💒 I found it particularly amazing that the church is always unlocked, which was a fantastic surprise to me. I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed the drone shots again, it was every bit as spectacular from the air as it was on ground level. See you again kerbside tomorrow, bright and early! 🚙😁
Had a boarder at Muir College Boys High back in the 1970's who came from Hogsback. I think his surname was Elliott. I always thought Hogsback sounded like a funny name for a place.😂 A stunningly beautiful place is Hogsback. That little church was just so cute and different to a normal church design. Curtis never bought any of those lekker chocolates under the glass. Did you make a draai by the local Police commanders huis just to say "HI its me again ". Lol. Sonia how many more skeletons are there in Curtis' closet ? I loved that nice stew that Curtis was eating. So nice on a cold night !
Hogsback is a fantastic place with immense and overwhelming natural beauty! 🚙🌳⛰️ I actually did buy chocolate orange truffles, but Sonia was after the fudge, so I stocked up on that for the most part. I steered way clear of the SAPS offices this time around, I've had my innings with them! There was actually another skeleton or two in the closet, but all minor such as the runaway one, so all have been revealed and have been forgiven by my darling wife long ago. 💀
Thank you, I appreciate that! 🚙😍 It is certainly a magnificently beautiful place, from above and from below. The beauty just simply never ends. You're welcome to visit Hogsback over and over again with the two of us!
You're so right! And therein lies the beauty of nature! 🌳⛰️ Regardless of the season, it's just always beautiful, whether it be lush and green, the gorgeous colours of autumn or bare and barren. I'm glad Sonia's first experience of Hogsback was in autumn because she just loves the red, orange, yellow and brown colours that emerge amongst the green. 🍁🍂 I'm so glad you enjoyed coming to Hogsback with us two, I know you have very fond memories of this place too. 🚙😍
Hi Dustbugs, thank you for that magical visit, was there many yrs ago in winter, real artists village, Curtus we're very happy you're fit enough to go on those long walks to show us the beauty. Some of the old legs wouldn't make it so we're using yours😅. I enjoy sitting with Sonja in Kwiddie while you do the hard work 😂🚗🚗🚗
My legs get tired too after a while, but Sonia's would definitely not have managed those uneven surfaces and inclines too well. She's happy admiring the beauty from the comfort of the Kwiddie, with Dusty and yourself in the back to keep her company! This place was next-level beautiful, there's no doubt about that! 🚙🌳⛰️ (No worries about the spelling of my name, no correction needed! 😊)
Thank you so much, we so appreciate that! We were happy that you joined us in these three towns and hopefully you'll do so again when our next series starts, today in fact! 🚙😁
I'm so glad you enjoyed the drone shots! This is one place where I was hoping the weather would allow me to fly the drone and fortunately it did! 🤩☁️ The beauty is truly endless there, one can't help but be in awe. 🚙😍
Sprookjesachtig! Dat is mijn gevoel bij deze aflevering. De aankomst bij zonsondergang (met de vele lichtjes overal), het fijne ontbijt (met mocca cuppas), de heerlijke fudge (heel goed dat jullie alle smaken probeerden, ik zou ook niet kunnen kiezen😊), de sprankelende herfstkleuren (is even ‘omschakelen’ als je zelf in de zomer zit😅), spectaculaire vergezichten en drone beelden (wat is de Afrikaanse natuur toch weergaloos), het mooi gebouwde eco monument (waar de kaartjes met info netjes bij de schilderijen blijven liggen), de altijd indrukwekkende oude bomen (zeker die bij jullie lodge, met dikke stam en meerdere vertakkingen), zelfs een camouflage kip ! (de kip of het gelijk gekleurde grindzand, wat was er eerder 🐔?) en tot slot dat schattige kerkje ….. Dank voor de langste en zeker ook een van de mooiste afleveringen ❤
Our entire time in Hogsback actually felt like a fairytale to be honest! 🚙🧚🏻♀️ Your way of describing our natural beauty by saying 'how unparalleled African nature is', is spot on and makes me realise how incredibly fortunate we are to live here. 😍🇿🇦 You mentioned all the things we loved too, includingthe beautifully-camouflaged chicken, absolutely gorgeous! 🐔 And a church with two things we love dearly: stone and thatch. What a special privilege to have shared all this beauty with you, thank you for appreciating it. 😊
That must be a sight to behold! 🤩☃️ It was pretty spectacular without snow, but I can imagine it being even more of a fairyland all dressed up in white!
100% true, it's as if one enters a fairyland and everything is brilliant in its magnificence. It was indeed freezing on the evening of our arrival too, but that quickly paled in comparison with the joy we felt at finally being there. Thank you for coming with us! 🚙⛰️🌳
For many tears during the 1980"s we used to stop over at Hogsback Cravan park on our annual visit to the coast.. Wonderful place. Many memories. In those days St Patrics was only a rondawel with seating for no more than 10-12 . On Christmas day there used to be an open air church meeting in the pine forrest with the conogregation sitting on logs. All the old places we used to know so well seem to be gone. I will have to be happy with my memories as age prevents me from going there now
Your memories sound pretty special to me and they will last you a lifetime! 😊 The church is certainly bigger than what you describe and an absolutely beautiful building. 💒 It was a special experience to visit the village and to have you accompany us! 🚙🤩
Thank you so much for the tour. I have been to Hogsback twice, many years ago. The only place where I have seen the holly trees grow and a shrub covered with fireflies!
@@DustBugsTravel We were a group of 5, all in our fifties and in fairly good physical condition. I would not recommend it for those who are unfit. On the first and last day of the trial it was raining with temperature around 5 degrees centigrade and even wearing ponchos, we were soaked to the bone. Unfortunately my hiking days are over due to foot surgery which went south.
Definitely the one episode that have been looking forward to the most on this trip, this one, Hogsback is such an enchanting idyllic place and this episode definitely didn't disappoint. A splendid episode showcasing splendour. How was the fudge? 😊
Enchanting is the perfect word for Hogsback! It's not only the beauty when one drives into this picturesque village, but also the feeling that magic, fairies and such have to exist there somewhere, for real! 🧚🏻♀️ The fudge was incredible, especially the chocolate-mint one. So much so that my darling wife has arranged for someone going through the area in the next week or two to pick up some more stock. Am I glad that that shop isn't in the Helderberg somewhere! 😝
It was rather chilly, but so incredibly beautiful, so we were happy to brave the cold. 🚙🥶 I do agree that this place is stunning all year round, so perhaps next time we'll pick a warmer time of year. 😁
Beautiful Hogsback! We were there for the first time in June (this year) and simply fell in love with Hogsback. We walked around in the lovely Arboretum and also hiked to the Big Tree and Madonna and Child waterfall ... as you said, one needs a week (or more) here 🙂. Thank you for showing us how incredibly stunning it looks in the autumn. Oh, and those chocolates - the best!
Hi Curtis, it will be nice to see Sonia's face as she sounds a lovely person. Please let us see her face. Love the journey you take. I did it when l was young, about 40 years ago, also on the dirt roads.
I am a great lover of trees, even more than flowers and this trip through Hogsback was Paradise to me, thank you. If I may call u by your name Curtis, I want to cmpliment you on your photografical skills. Not once dit I see the video shake, and MNR, you are well orgenized, what with the drone and all. Love u both
The landscape looks so much like Northern California, and interestinly there is also a Hogsback in N. California. There are several places in the English-speaking parts of the world that are named Hogsback. It's an old English reference to rolling hills, like the clumpy skin on a hogs back.
i have read up on the extra set of rails on the bridges and they are there to make sure that should a derailment occur they would keep the coaches running straight on the bridge to prevent damage to the bridge, it will not put the wheels back on the track but just keep the direction.😊
How interesting! Thank you for sharing that info with us. It's actually incredible to think how the engineers from back then already came up with ways to ensure that a train will keep going. 🚂🛤️
I've done a fair bit of hiking in the area and have seen the waterfalls before, but my wife isn't able to reach those places with her problematic knee, so we're happy to give those a skip and explore from the vehicle. 🚙😁 It's a beautiful area, that's for sure! 🌳🌊
Gooooooood afternoon to you both. How was your stay in Hogsback, and where did you stay? I am from East London and never had an opportunity to go andcstay over forca day or two. Loving your jour thus far. 😊😊
I've done some hikes in the area before and the natural beauty is indeed stunning! ⛰️🌳🌊 We weren't there for that reason this time around though, but still had an incredible time.
I'm under correction but, when I first saw these stone murals, I straight away thought of a similiar structure in England called. "HENGESTONE?" I hope that is the correct spelling, so forgive me if I forget a little, afterall I am your 82 yr old friend. I admire u and your lady SO MUCH for what you r doing. She is with you a 100% and THAT is admirable. She sounds like a lovely woman and I have "READ" heard through the lines and admiring you as her husband for not showing her. SONIA, GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU my good woman, you also ave a lovely husband who cares GREATLY for you. I hear the love between you 2. B/DORP😊
It's probably the question we get asked the most and the most difficult one too! We honestly can't single out any one place. We also know folks in almost every place now too and can't bear the thought of choosing one place above any other. 🤷🏻♂️ Other than Strand, our own hometown, of course! 🚙😍
Hogsback is nie 'n een-dag dorp nie. Ek was altyd gefassineerd deur die plek, maar ek makeer nou verseker 'n paar dae in die asemrowende tuine. Dankie vir die saamry.
Every place, except our National Parks of course, is a one-day place for the two of us! 🚙😁 We arrive, we explore, we see and we move on. We'd like to see as many places as we can in the times we have available to travel. Hogsback is without doubt a fantastic place where I'm sure most folks could easily spend a week and perhaps we will too one day.
Hogsback used to be known for the largest mycorrhizal fungal growth in the world, sadly this record is now held by the US, but the area is well known for its mushrooms
At 7:55 you say "this is our cottage:"" then there is a weird moaning sound that does not sound as if its from either of you 2, what made that noise just curious ?
That little squeal did in fact emanate from my other half. It was one of delight when she saw the fireplace, I think! 😁🔥 It was a pretty chilly evening.
I heard somewhere that the area was named after the Hunsrück region of Germany (which means Hogsback). I know a lot of the soldiers at the forts in that area were German mercenaries (just like a lot of the soldiers in the British Indian Army were German - or because if it, maybe, since I think some of the men stopped by in the Eastern Cape on the way back to Europe, and some even signed up for a soldier-settler scheme in the area (which is definitely how Stutterheim got to have a German name like that, for instance). The Hunsrück mountains/hills are forested, and can look quite spectacular in places. For instance in the valley in which the joint settlement of Idar-Oberstein lies, there's the "Felsenkirche" - or "Cliff church" - on account of it being built into a cliff. They would be lower mountains than the Amatolas, but because they rise up from quite a low altitude, they're very much proper mountains, just not Alps, that's all.
@@DustBugsTravel Sorry, I don't know where it was I heard this, so can't help. Also if it was named this way, you might expect it to have been called just "The Hunsrück", because the settlers would've been German in this version of what happened. I wonder if there's a Hogsback in the UK? I must go see.
The link you posted, must be the geological feature Sonia was describing in our video. (All links are held for review since I get some weird stuff sometimes, but if you post it again, I'll approve for publishing. I accidentally deleted it. ⛰️🤷🏻♂️)
Potholes are fast becoming a norm in South Africa. Many accidents are caused there because of them. Imagine what they do to your shock absorbers ? Thanks ANC.
@tonynz9954 We specifically keep politics out of our videos, it doesn't interest us in any way, shape or form. The potholes are there and we have two choices. We can stay at home or we can navigate around them and we choose the latter. I'm not sure that there are statistics to prove that only areas controlled by a certain political party have potholes. 🤷🏻♂️
It's so strange to me you talking of autumn colours in July, or is it late June? As I'm watching this episode now it's end of summer and the leaves won't be turning for a few more weeks, meaning mid to late September.
We were in Hogsback towards the end of June 2023. 🍂🍁 I know what you mean. Even although we lived in the Northern Hemisphere ourselves, we still struggle to understand how the seasons could be so radically different.
Thank you for watching our video and taking the time out of your day to only comment on what we could do better and not on a single thing you enjoyed in our video. So completely different from our outlook on life and on our travels. 🚙😁
South Africa still has amazing places to live in. Once you leave the large cities you have amazing small towns.
Ah! At last! The exquisite Hogsback. My very favourite part of the country. If its your first time there, then you have a treat in store. And the people who live there are so nice. What a lovely evening with that crescent moon. Hogsback Inn was one of our favourite haunts. I can still see Roger sitting there smoking his pipe and taking in the surrounding beauty. You couldnt have chosen better for your accommodation. Roger and I sat at that end table for a drink in the bar. Yes, BOGGOM! There are a lot of them around. I have been in Hogsback in midsummer, and also late winter. And every season is stunning. It snows in the later winter.Have you ever had pure chocolate, like pure cacao....with no sweetning. At first you think...Yikes!!! and then as it seeps in, you want more, en dit sit lood in jou potlood!!!! Baboon? On the wire? Are you sure it wasnt a monkey? There are lots of them around. We stayed at Applegarth nursery for three weeks in 1988. It was near The Edge, so we had beautiful views and walks. From Echo shrine one gets a lovely view of the three Hogs, the mountain ridges that gave Hogsback its name. The rocky ridge on top of the mountains looks like he bristle on top of a pigs back. Yes, its not really a different world, its more an open perception of our world. Oh goodness, we need men who are a little adventurous, otherwise life gets boring. OJinne, vanaand skryf ek n boek! Better that I finish to say that Hogsback vegetation and micro climate is very like that of New Zealand, where I live.
So do I. Live in Invercargill. Snow here yesterday just like Hogsback. I attended Muir College in Uitenhage . Left SA in 1978.
@@tonynz9954 Hi. Yes, we emigrated in 1993 from PE. My hubby (now ex) was from eastern Cape and his dad was headmaster at Muir College for a while. Jennings. We saw the writing on the wall back then and decided to provide a future for our children. I am in Canterbury. Rangiora, just north of Christchurch. I love New Zealand ♥️♥️
@@annawitter5161 I have been to Rangiora. A lovely place. At least you were not too badly affected by the earthquake there. I always pop in to SAFARI MEATS in Hornby for some biltong and Boerewors. The headmaster at Muir when I was there was sacked for being caught having an affair with one of the students mothers.Hope it wasn't Mr Jennings. He was replaced by Mr Paul Ellis in 1975 . Many of our friends in Uitenhage called us verraaiers for leaving SA. You were very wise to move when you did. Your kids should be grateful to you for making that move. Great to hear from you. When I went back to PE,Despatch and Uitenhage back in 1982, that road from PE to Despatch was very dangerous. Stones thrown at cars.
@@tonynz9954 I have a creepy feeling it was my father in law that got sacked. He was a very bad boy! I was in South Africa during earthquakes going through a few emotional earthquakes of my own. Yes my three children have had a decent start in life, they don't know SA, they were babies. I have never been sorry to make the move and those same people who may have called us verraaiers are themselves now in other countries.
Oh, and if you come this way, do pop in for a cuppa 😀
Yes , one could almost think you are in Europe!!!!🙃🙏👍
True! It does resemble some pics I've seen of Switzerland and those places. In our own backyard, incredible! 😍🇿🇦
Thank you sooo much for taking us to this magical place - it was totally captivating and breathtakingly beautiful. I didn’t want to leave!
I know what you mean! We're used to arriving and leaving, arriving and leaving all the time and we've gotten used to saying goodbye to special places, but it was even hard for us to leave Hogsback that morning. 😏 The place just wants one to linger longer and I so wish we could. I'm glad that you tagged along and enjoyed it as much as we did! 🚙🤩
On my bucket list 😉
Yup, it deserves to be! 🚙😍
Thank you. That's my home. I'll be there in a few days. Beautiful❤
Thank you for watching our video of your beautiful hometown! 🚙😍 Safe travels and enjoy your time back home!
Is it still safe and quiet there?
Noooo! I don't believe it, you doing Hogsback, yay! Thank you Curtis and Sonia💕
It has been on my list for a long time and it didn't disappoint! Thank you for joining us in this special place! 🚙🤩
21.05 *proud of you* 😋 Almost the shop!😁 Your Hogsback stopover is just as you say "truly enchanting". A beautiful place/area, I could happily retire in💕
I couldn't choose one type of fudge over the other, so had to get them all! 😝 The chocolate-mint was our favourite, it was divine! Hogsback really is an enchanting place, I think we could fill the village up pretty quickly with all of us who might consider retiring there! 🚙🤩
@@DustBugsTravel 💝🍫👌😋
I really enjoyed this video. What a lovely town. I absolutely love fudge! Thank you so much for showing your viewers this beautiful town.
I'm glad you enjoyed Hogsback with us! 🚙🤩 It was a special experience which we're happy to have shared with you. The fudge was fantastic! I'm sure you could tell by the quantity we bought that we love fudge too! 😝
WOW what a great feeling it must have been to get up to a beautiful sunny morning stunning freshness in the air away from all the crazy busyness of CITY life really enjoyed the place ❤❤❤❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
You describe that morning absolutely perfectly! It was sunny, it was fresh and it was incredibly beautiful! 😍☀️ I wish we were back there and could wake up to that same feeling tomorrow morning! As always, we so appreciate your company on our travels. 🚙🤩
Hi guys I think Sonia hit the nail on the head I've run out of words to describe this place from the full English breakfast chocolate shop accommodation you know you're in SA when a baboon barks .loved the story of your adventures you couldn't make them up really loved Hog's back thanks for taking me along cheerio till the next one
Hogsback is a charming place, I'm glad you agree! Everything you mentioned and everything else were absolutely fantastic and we loved every minute! Of course my wife was rather taken with the chocolate shop, although we stopped there mainly for their fudge, which was delicious by the way! And all topped off by a troop of baboons, which didn't show themselves that day, but definitely made themselves heard! 🐒😍 Thank you so much for always jumping on board, we love it! 🚙👌🏻
My favorite town. I vist whenever I go to EC in Dec.
Will do the same this coming Dec
I understand completely why it's your favourite town! 🤩 Safe travels in December when you visit again, I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time one again!
Late husband got work as teacher here as we fell in love with it!! No road, barely electricity, tiny school 4 handfull of kids!! Ive never 4gotten this place!! Totally besotted with it as cold loving flowers every where magnificent fires in gracious old homes !!dont recall church though, but must have been there!!!am 80 years so was just starting as married woman then. Maybe never took position as 2 far from widowed mothers!! but never 4got place I fell in love over ❤
Wow, what special memories you have of the village of Hogsback! It certainly sounds like it was a special place back then already! Thank you so much for watching our video and for sharing with us. 🚙😊
Stunning place wow..
I have to agree with you, it was an absolute pleasure to visit Hogsback. 🚙😍
Wow I don't have the words to describe how beautiful Hogsback is, I think Sonia said it best at the end❤. I LOVE the trees and how each tree displays different sizes and beautiful colours
I remember the Hogsback Inn very well , beautiful part of the EC.Stayed over there for a week and while at junior school we had a camp there.
That must've been a stunning experience. 👌🏻🏕️ I can imagine nothing greater for youngsters than to spend time with peers in those woods and forests.
I used to teach at the University of Fort Hare Alice, spent good times every weekend there. That little church is something to see, the snow, the braais, eish you make me nostalgic, spent my best years there
I'm glad our video reminded you of some good times in your past. The church is really something else and it was fantastic to be able to get inside too! 🚙💒 I can only imagine how often you must've visited, Alice is just a stone's throw away. Thank you for sharing with us. 😊
Absolutely beautiful getaway place, love it🌺🙏🤗
The perfect getaway place! If you haven't been there yet, you absolutely have to go when you get the chance! 🚙😍
Yay glad to see you finally made hogsback, mystical magical oh so inspiring.
We did indeed! It was a long time coming and the place delivered on every single level. And certainly mystical, magical and inspring! 🚙🤩
@@DustBugsTravel ❤️
What a beautiful place. Heard about Hogsback but never thought it could be this spectacular. Thank u you 2 for showing us this beauty.
A beauty it is for sure! 🚙😍 You know how much we appreciate your company on our travels and to hear that you enjoyed it too, makes it even more special. Thank you for watching! 👌🏻
Magical place. Sonia you and I share a walking problem. Thanks Curtis for doing all the walking.🙃👌
Sonia would definitely have struggled with the inclines and uneven surfaces, so she was happy to be checking out the beauty from the car! 🚙🥰 I'm again happy to walk and film, so much beauty has to be shared!
I loved this episode. What a beautiful town. It reminds me a bit of Clarens in the Free State. That Church is so so beautiful. I can see you will be back soon.. ❤
I'm so glad you enjoyed this episode, the church was an absolute highlight for us too! 💒 Hogsback was a special, special place and we will definitely be back. But first we have to go and check out Clarens and many other places! 🚙😍
Wow your cabin was very nice. I suppose you did make your fire to heat up the cabin. Thanks for the drone footage - well done. Quite an interesting place to visit. The vegetation is spatacular. Thanks guys for this visit. It was most enjoyable. Seat defenately booked for the next trip.
I most certainly made a fire that evening, it was super chilly! 🥶🔥 I completely forgot to film it though! Our cabin was very cosy and it really felt like we were all alone in the woods. The natural beauty in this place is enough for 100 other places, I'm sure. 🌳⛰️ Your seat is ready and waiting for tomorrow's trip, I hope you enjoy that one too! 🚙
What a beautiful place, never been there. Thank you!!!🙃🤩👍🙏
But now you have! 🚙😁 It is an incredibly beautiful place and an absolute joy taking in all the natural beauty which is everywhere! 🌳💚
My son got married in the little chapel before it burnt. Rode on two white Clydesdale horses to the church. Been in NZ for 20 years now but still miss home.
Ja but at least we can sleep without fear and burglar bars. I too miss SA but when one sees how it has gone backwards over the years, it makes you almost want to cry.
My wife and I lived in Wellington for a number of years . We left NZ to go back home . And haven on regrets .
@@davidthompson5963 Hope you like LOAD SHEDDING LOL. Stay safe.
@@davidthompson5963 Welcome Home .
NO MAN . Now you have broken my heart.
Wow, words fail me..loved every minute of it, such a beautiful place. The drone footage was 👌Thank you for taking us along. 🙂
Thank you, I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed the drone shots. I also thought it looked quite magnificent from the air. 🚙🤩 Appreciate you coming along!
Hi you two! What a fascinating outing. This is really a place to be seen to be believed, and you did manage to show it to us in its spectacular glory; from the scenic pass, the Mountain Retreat and the magnificent aerial views from your drone, to the intriguing Eco-Shrine. That thatched roofed church and its surrounds was a stunning surprise. I left t my heart in Hogsback!
To add to it all you started your day with cuppas! I'll be on the roadside for the next trip.
Keep safe!
You're right, and even when one visits, it's hard to believe one's eyes! The beauty is just so intense and actually quite overwhelming, but so incredibly wonderful at the same time! 🌳⛰️ The stone-and-thatch church was a highlight for us a well and the fact that it was rebuilt after a fire, really tells the story of rebirth in a very special way. 😍💒 I found it particularly amazing that the church is always unlocked, which was a fantastic surprise to me. I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed the drone shots again, it was every bit as spectacular from the air as it was on ground level. See you again kerbside tomorrow, bright and early! 🚙😁
Had a boarder at Muir College Boys High back in the 1970's who came from Hogsback. I think his surname was Elliott. I always thought Hogsback sounded like a funny name for a place.😂 A stunningly beautiful place is Hogsback. That little church was just so cute and different to a normal church design. Curtis never bought any of those lekker chocolates under the glass. Did you make a draai by the local Police commanders huis just to say "HI its me again ". Lol. Sonia how many more skeletons are there in Curtis' closet ? I loved that nice stew that Curtis was eating. So nice on a cold night !
Hogsback is a fantastic place with immense and overwhelming natural beauty! 🚙🌳⛰️ I actually did buy chocolate orange truffles, but Sonia was after the fudge, so I stocked up on that for the most part. I steered way clear of the SAPS offices this time around, I've had my innings with them! There was actually another skeleton or two in the closet, but all minor such as the runaway one, so all have been revealed and have been forgiven by my darling wife long ago. 💀
@@DustBugsTravel Love it !! To err is human, to forgive is divine. 😂
This is definitely breathtaking. I will be looking at this episode again and again. Thank you! The drone footage was amazing.
Thank you, I appreciate that! 🚙😍 It is certainly a magnificently beautiful place, from above and from below. The beauty just simply never ends. You're welcome to visit Hogsback over and over again with the two of us!
Absolutely stunning trees so majestic even without their leaves or especially without their leaves. Lots of memories there. Thank you.
You're so right! And therein lies the beauty of nature! 🌳⛰️ Regardless of the season, it's just always beautiful, whether it be lush and green, the gorgeous colours of autumn or bare and barren. I'm glad Sonia's first experience of Hogsback was in autumn because she just loves the red, orange, yellow and brown colours that emerge amongst the green. 🍁🍂 I'm so glad you enjoyed coming to Hogsback with us two, I know you have very fond memories of this place too. 🚙😍
Hi Dustbugs, thank you for that magical visit, was there many yrs ago in winter, real artists village, Curtus we're very happy you're fit enough to go on those long walks to show us the beauty. Some of the old legs wouldn't make it so we're using yours😅. I enjoy sitting with Sonja in Kwiddie while you do the hard work 😂🚗🚗🚗
Curtis not Curtus🙈
My legs get tired too after a while, but Sonia's would definitely not have managed those uneven surfaces and inclines too well. She's happy admiring the beauty from the comfort of the Kwiddie, with Dusty and yourself in the back to keep her company! This place was next-level beautiful, there's no doubt about that! 🚙🌳⛰️ (No worries about the spelling of my name, no correction needed! 😊)
Hello I really enjoyed your videos on Hogsback and Queenstown❤ Thank you so much😘 I also enjoyed your Cathcart video!! God bless you both always🙏🌻 xxx
Thank you so much, we so appreciate that! We were happy that you joined us in these three towns and hopefully you'll do so again when our next series starts, today in fact! 🚙😁
Hogsback is just so beautiful. Was there 2021 for a weekend. The walks through the forest and to the waterfalls are just so spectacular
Agreed! I've been on a few hikes in the area and the beauty of nature is incredible there and absolutely everywhere one looks. 🌳💚
The drone footage was out of this world unbelieveable the beauty there just cant get enough wish I could see it once again in person.❤
I'm so glad you enjoyed the drone shots! This is one place where I was hoping the weather would allow me to fly the drone and fortunately it did! 🤩☁️ The beauty is truly endless there, one can't help but be in awe. 🚙😍
Sprookjesachtig! Dat is mijn gevoel bij deze aflevering. De aankomst bij zonsondergang (met de vele lichtjes overal), het fijne ontbijt (met mocca cuppas), de heerlijke fudge (heel goed dat jullie alle smaken probeerden, ik zou ook niet kunnen kiezen😊), de sprankelende herfstkleuren (is even ‘omschakelen’ als je zelf in de zomer zit😅), spectaculaire vergezichten en drone beelden (wat is de Afrikaanse natuur toch weergaloos), het mooi gebouwde eco monument (waar de kaartjes met info netjes bij de schilderijen blijven liggen), de altijd indrukwekkende oude bomen (zeker die bij jullie lodge, met dikke stam en meerdere vertakkingen), zelfs een camouflage kip ! (de kip of het gelijk gekleurde grindzand, wat was er eerder 🐔?) en tot slot dat schattige kerkje ….. Dank voor de langste en zeker ook een van de mooiste afleveringen ❤
Our entire time in Hogsback actually felt like a fairytale to be honest! 🚙🧚🏻♀️ Your way of describing our natural beauty by saying 'how unparalleled African nature is', is spot on and makes me realise how incredibly fortunate we are to live here. 😍🇿🇦 You mentioned all the things we loved too, includingthe beautifully-camouflaged chicken, absolutely gorgeous! 🐔 And a church with two things we love dearly: stone and thatch. What a special privilege to have shared all this beauty with you, thank you for appreciating it. 😊
Love Hogsback, was also lucky to have seen in covered in a white blanket of snow.
That must be a sight to behold! 🤩☃️ It was pretty spectacular without snow, but I can imagine it being even more of a fairyland all dressed up in white!
Absolutely magical. Thank for showing us this beautiful place. I’m in love and Hogsback is now number one on my bucket list. A marvelous paradise.
We were there a year ago. You feel like you are entering another world as you leave the plateau below. Freezing but beautiful.
100% true, it's as if one enters a fairyland and everything is brilliant in its magnificence. It was indeed freezing on the evening of our arrival too, but that quickly paled in comparison with the joy we felt at finally being there. Thank you for coming with us! 🚙⛰️🌳
For many tears during the 1980"s we used to stop over at Hogsback Cravan park on our annual visit to the coast.. Wonderful place. Many memories. In those days St Patrics was only a rondawel with seating for no more than 10-12 . On Christmas day there used to be an open air church meeting in the pine forrest with the conogregation sitting on logs. All the old places we used to know so well seem to be gone. I will have to be happy with my memories as age prevents me from going there now
Your memories sound pretty special to me and they will last you a lifetime! 😊 The church is certainly bigger than what you describe and an absolutely beautiful building. 💒 It was a special experience to visit the village and to have you accompany us! 🚙🤩
Thank you so much for the tour. I have been to Hogsback twice, many years ago. The only place where I have seen the holly trees grow and a shrub covered with fireflies!
Our pleasure, we appreciate you joining us! 🚙🤩 A magical place Hogsback is and holly and fireflies sound absolutely like they belong there!
Pragtig
That it is for sure! 🌳😍
The Hogsback hiking trial is a must do for serious backpackers. A100 km hike over six days. Unforgettable experience.
I've done a part of the Amatola Hiking Trail through this area, but I won't manage 100km, I think. Sounds amazing though! 🌳⛰️🥾
@@DustBugsTravel We were a group of 5, all in our fifties and in fairly good physical condition. I would not recommend it for those who are unfit. On the first and last day of the trial it was raining with temperature around 5 degrees centigrade and even wearing ponchos, we were soaked to the bone.
Unfortunately my hiking days are over due to foot surgery which went south.
Definitely the one episode that have been looking forward to the most on this trip, this one, Hogsback is such an enchanting idyllic place and this episode definitely didn't disappoint. A splendid episode showcasing splendour. How was the fudge? 😊
Enchanting is the perfect word for Hogsback! It's not only the beauty when one drives into this picturesque village, but also the feeling that magic, fairies and such have to exist there somewhere, for real! 🧚🏻♀️ The fudge was incredible, especially the chocolate-mint one. So much so that my darling wife has arranged for someone going through the area in the next week or two to pick up some more stock. Am I glad that that shop isn't in the Helderberg somewhere! 😝
So beautiful! Very brave to visit in mid Winter it's incredibly cold there then, although stunning any time of the year.
It was rather chilly, but so incredibly beautiful, so we were happy to brave the cold. 🚙🥶 I do agree that this place is stunning all year round, so perhaps next time we'll pick a warmer time of year. 😁
Drone shot really showcased the stunning place👌👌👌👌
Thank you for taking us to Hogsback as always wanted to go there 'one day' and so far not.
Beautiful Hogsback! We were there for the first time in June (this year) and simply fell in love with Hogsback. We walked around in the lovely Arboretum and also hiked to the Big Tree and Madonna and Child waterfall ... as you said, one needs a week (or more) here 🙂. Thank you for showing us how incredibly stunning it looks in the autumn. Oh, and those chocolates - the best!
you guys are are tonic! It must be hard work doing all that traveling, thank you.
Hi Curtis, it will be nice to see Sonia's face as she sounds a lovely person. Please let us see her face. Love the journey you take. I did it when l was young, about 40 years ago, also on the dirt roads.
Absolutely Beautiful Church - .
I am a great lover of trees, even more than flowers and this trip through Hogsback was Paradise to me, thank you. If I may call u by your name Curtis, I want to cmpliment you on your photografical skills. Not once dit I see the video shake, and MNR, you are well orgenized, what with the drone and all. Love u both
The landscape looks so much like Northern California, and interestinly there is also a Hogsback in N. California. There are several places in the English-speaking parts of the world that are named Hogsback. It's an old English reference to rolling hills, like the clumpy skin on a hogs back.
That must be the geological feature we read about online then. Interesting stuff, thank you for sharing. ⛰️
Absolutely breathtaking
A part of me will always be in Hogsback
I know what you mean. 🚙❤️ I think we left little pieces of our hearts there too.
i have read up on the extra set of rails on the bridges and they are there to make sure that should a derailment occur they would keep the coaches running straight on the bridge to prevent damage to the bridge, it will not put the wheels back on the track but just keep the direction.😊
How interesting! Thank you for sharing that info with us. It's actually incredible to think how the engineers from back then already came up with ways to ensure that a train will keep going. 🚂🛤️
I really enjoyed your video. Thank you so much
Beautiful place
Ohhhh Hogsback
Yes, we say that too! 🚙🤩
I love watching your videos as a travel fanatic myself. You guys actually went past my village on the way to Hogsback from Alice😊😊
Fantastic....i also went there some years ago.❤
Lovely place one of my favorites visit some of the waterfalls next time if you can. Have fun.
I've done a fair bit of hiking in the area and have seen the waterfalls before, but my wife isn't able to reach those places with her problematic knee, so we're happy to give those a skip and explore from the vehicle. 🚙😁 It's a beautiful area, that's for sure! 🌳🌊
Gooooooood afternoon to you both. How was your stay in Hogsback, and where did you stay?
I am from East London and never had an opportunity to go andcstay over forca day or two.
Loving your jour thus far.
😊😊
You'll get the answer to both of your questions if you watch our video! 🚙😁 I do hope you get the opportunity to visit Hogsback yourself one day soon!
Hi your wife has such a kind voice we would love to see you face
Pity you could not take hiking trails the waterfalls there are fascinating!!
I've done some hikes in the area before and the natural beauty is indeed stunning! ⛰️🌳🌊 We weren't there for that reason this time around though, but still had an incredible time.
I'm under correction but, when I first saw these stone murals, I straight away thought of a similiar structure in England called. "HENGESTONE?" I hope that is the correct spelling, so forgive me if I forget a little, afterall I am your 82 yr old friend. I admire u and your lady SO MUCH for what you r doing. She is with you a 100% and THAT is admirable. She sounds like a lovely woman and I have "READ" heard through the lines and admiring you as her husband for not showing her. SONIA, GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU my good woman, you also ave a lovely husband who cares GREATLY for you. I hear the love between you 2. B/DORP😊
Stonehenge is the one! 👌🏻 Thank you for joining the two of us in Hogsback, a wondrous place! 🚙🌳⛰️
More more baie mooi dorpie , is daar dalk al n dorpie wat julle bo almal verkies as opsie om weg te hardloop na vir rustigheid ?
It's probably the question we get asked the most and the most difficult one too! We honestly can't single out any one place. We also know folks in almost every place now too and can't bear the thought of choosing one place above any other. 🤷🏻♂️ Other than Strand, our own hometown, of course! 🚙😍
Hogsback is nie 'n een-dag dorp nie. Ek was altyd gefassineerd deur die plek, maar ek makeer nou verseker 'n paar dae in die asemrowende tuine. Dankie vir die saamry.
Every place, except our National Parks of course, is a one-day place for the two of us! 🚙😁 We arrive, we explore, we see and we move on. We'd like to see as many places as we can in the times we have available to travel. Hogsback is without doubt a fantastic place where I'm sure most folks could easily spend a week and perhaps we will too one day.
Dit lyk lekker daar
Suddenly I am so happy that I don't have to go there again.
And suddenly I'm so happy that we went there! 🚙😁
0:48 I studied my high school in this boarding school some years ago.
Hogsback used to be known for the largest mycorrhizal fungal growth in the world, sadly this record is now held by the US, but the area is well known for its mushrooms
Interesting info, thank you. 🍄
Renault Kwid 👌
A little superstar of a car! 🚙😍
@@DustBugsTravel that's for sure 😊
My heart and one day my ashes?
You will certainly be at peace forever in this gorgeous place! 🚙😊
At 7:55 you say "this is our cottage:"" then there is a weird moaning sound that does not sound as if its from either of you 2, what made that noise just curious ?
That little squeal did in fact emanate from my other half. It was one of delight when she saw the fireplace, I think! 😁🔥 It was a pretty chilly evening.
I heard somewhere that the area was named after the Hunsrück region of Germany (which means Hogsback).
I know a lot of the soldiers at the forts in that area were German mercenaries (just like a lot of the soldiers in the British Indian Army were German - or because if it, maybe, since I think some of the men stopped by in the Eastern Cape on the way back to Europe, and some even signed up for a soldier-settler scheme in the area (which is definitely how Stutterheim got to have a German name like that, for instance).
The Hunsrück mountains/hills are forested, and can look quite spectacular in places. For instance in the valley in which the joint settlement of Idar-Oberstein lies, there's the "Felsenkirche" - or "Cliff church" - on account of it being built into a cliff. They would be lower mountains than the Amatolas, but because they rise up from quite a low altitude, they're very much proper mountains, just not Alps, that's all.
I can't find the Hunsruck connection to Hogsback online. 🤷🏻♂️
@@DustBugsTravel Sorry, I don't know where it was I heard this, so can't help. Also if it was named this way, you might expect it to have been called just "The Hunsrück", because the settlers would've been German in this version of what happened.
I wonder if there's a Hogsback in the UK? I must go see.
The link you posted, must be the geological feature Sonia was describing in our video. (All links are held for review since I get some weird stuff sometimes, but if you post it again, I'll approve for publishing. I accidentally deleted it. ⛰️🤷🏻♂️)
CHRISTMAS in July Hogsback
Granny mouse house is the place to stay ♥️♥️♥️
We were totally happy at King's Lodge, we loved it there! 🚙🏡
Hello potholes
Potholes are fast becoming a norm in South Africa. Many accidents are caused there because of them. Imagine what they do to your shock absorbers ? Thanks ANC.
@siziwedakada-mkosa I hope you noticed some of the beauty too! There's always more of that than potholes. 🚙⛰️
@tonynz9954 We specifically keep politics out of our videos, it doesn't interest us in any way, shape or form. The potholes are there and we have two choices. We can stay at home or we can navigate around them and we choose the latter. I'm not sure that there are statistics to prove that only areas controlled by a certain political party have potholes. 🤷🏻♂️
It's so strange to me you talking of autumn colours in July, or is it late June? As I'm watching this episode now it's end of summer and the leaves won't be turning for a few more weeks, meaning mid to late September.
We were in Hogsback towards the end of June 2023. 🍂🍁 I know what you mean. Even although we lived in the Northern Hemisphere ourselves, we still struggle to understand how the seasons could be so radically different.
That stone monument (Stonehenge) I wonder what history says about it
If you're referring to Eco-Shrine, their website contains a lot of cool info. 😎
@@DustBugsTravel will check it out. Thanks👏
no explanations of your walks, please walk and talk tell us where you going what the place is and the name of mountains etc. Thank you
Thank you for watching our video and taking the time out of your day to only comment on what we could do better and not on a single thing you enjoyed in our video. So completely different from our outlook on life and on our travels. 🚙😁