S1 - Ep 259 - De Aar - An Important Railway Junction in South Africa!
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- Опубликовано: 15 сен 2024
- The excitement was high when we left Strand for our trip this time. We had not been on a gravel road for quite some time and we couldn’t wait to make some dust again! We were on our way to De Aar and we knew it was an important railway junction in South Africa. Unfortunately, like in so many other towns, the station was not fully-operational anymore. We were very happy to see that Excelsior Park, the old railway building and club, was still being used. We had a delicious supper at Pringle’s Pub & Restaurant and spent the night at Karoo Fountain Guesthouse. #DustBugs #adventuretravel #southafrica #southafricavlog #travelongravel #northerncape #deaar
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Once upon a time DE AAR was one of the biggest if not the biggest steam depot in railway history. It was home of the mighty 25 class locomotive. The last section that was steam worth was Kimberly to DE AAR until the early 80's. Now there is nothing left of those huge workshops. Thanks for this video it is really an eye opener what is going on in our country. Safe travel.
Monte Nell it's heartbreaking to see. My childhood memories of 3am on the steam sheds with my brother and dad....
I rode in a steam one in 1980 De Aar to Kimberly.
@Monte Nell We were rather taken aback by how many of those goods sheds there were! They just kept on going and going and even us who don't have any knowledge of the railway industry in the country, knew that it must've been a major junction (or depots as you say). It was indeed sad to see. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us, we appreciate that. Just the way you say the 'mighty 25 class locomotive' leaves me in awe, I so wish I could've seen one of those in action. 🚂😍
Not sure that section was ever electrified. Last time I travelled that line, possibly 1989, it wasn't.
Kimberley De Aar was worked by the class 25's until December 1992.
I have not seen the Country of my Birth in 23 years. I so enjoy your journeys. Thank you from the UNITED STATES 🇺🇸
@Catherine Davy Greetings to you in the US! Thank you so much, we're super happy to bring you to all these places in South Africa we also enjoy seeing so much, most of them for the first time! 🚗🇿🇦
Thank goodness for civil society in our beloved South Africa. Preserving precious history. Love driving with you folks. I'll behave and be very quiet.
No need to be quiet, go wild! 🚗🥳 You're so right, if it weren't for the Excelsior Club making sure that steam engine cab and bar counter were preserved, they both would've most probably been destroyed by now. 🚂😍
Is so hartseer om te sien hoe ons mooi dorpe so lelik en afgebreek is. Hoekom skraap hulle dan liewer nie die geboue plat nie. Dis net lekker om weer julle op die ver pad te sien. Ek is mal oor julle twee.
Thank you, we're glad you enjoy our videos! We were just as happy to hit the long road again and to be back on gravel, was wonderful! 🤩🚗 We were also sad by the decay we saw, but we're not too keen on the buildings being demolished. At least the remnants are still there to give a glimpse into the past, albeit a sad one sometimes.
Ag dankie tog. Wou al vir julle se kom ons gaan weer na die heerlike Karoo toe. Ek is n gebore Nataller. Ek weet nie wat is dit met my heimwee na die Karoo nie. Gordel is vas laat ons weg wees.😍
Believe me, we were just as happy to be back in the Karoo! I'm glad you're strapped in and ready to go, we visited quite a few places, so you're in for a treat! 😁🚗
I so love this youtube channel! Thank you for taking us with on your travels!
And we so appreciate you coming with us, thank you! 👌🏻🚗
Congratulations for getting past 10k Subscribers, you both create wholesome content that is easy on the eye. I loved your drone footage in this episode! Well done & Thank you!
I second that!
@Nick Pongratz Thank you, that's very kind of you! 🥳 I'm always happy if I hear someone enjoyed the drone shots, I love them too! 😁🚗
Good memoryes worked there 1970 greatings from Italy🌈🌈🌈
Thank you, I'm glad we could take you back to De Aar for a brief visit! 😁🚗
This was once a place where one could find all classes of steam engines and other locomotives on display. What a tradgedy.
Totally agree Clifford
@Clifford Slabbert Judging by the size and number of those goods sheds, it must've been a major junction. We were also saddened to see it diminished this way. I so wish we could've seen some of those steam engines and loco's you talk about. 🚂😍
I spent 24 hours in De Aar in early Sept. 1973 on my way to 6 SAI Grahamstown. Our train was shunted from pillar to post during that time, and from what I remember, it was a massive railway exchange/junction. Thank you for posting, as I always wondered what the town was like? - now I have a better understanding, albeit many years later.
From everything we've heard, it was indeed a major junction and you seem to have vivid memories of your brief time in town. It's a large town that has clearly been affected by the decline of the railway system. The De Aariete are super friendly folks though and happy to welcome visitors to their home! 🤩🚗
@@DustBugsTravel Thank you for taking the time to reply. My memory really is of the time we spent there (I am sure it was a full day i.e. arrived at about 3 pm and left about 3 pm the following day) and of being moved around a lot, and to never the same place. What really amazed me is how run down the junction is, and I felt your disappointment when you guys got to the station/junction and saw that too. Anyway, I really enjoy your vlogs, thank you for posting them, and safe travels. Kind regards.
I was a teacher in a railway village South of De Aar for four years in the 1970's. Loved the sound of the trains shunting at night. So sad to see what's happened to the railway systems. No words to describe. But the Karoo is still lovely. I agree the ground roads have something special about them
Few things beat travel on gravel, so we agree! I can hear the trains shunting in my mind and the sounds always seem enhanced at night. I'm glad we could take you back to the general area you must've gotten to know well in the 70's. 😁🚗
Everybody wanted to fly. This then happened, worldwide.
I left SA for California in 1988. Your videos make me homesick. Ag ons verlang maar die videos maak n mens bly. Baie dankie julle. Toe ek kind was, het ek met die trein vanaf KWT, via De Aar, tot in Kaapstad gery. De Aaar was altyd die beste dorp vir my gewees. Al daai stoom ens. Maar as kind was ek bang om van die trein af te klim. Hulle het so baie ge-shunt dat ek bang was om my trein te verloor. Ek onthou n dag waar die trein gestop het, daar erens tussen niks end nerens en dit het begin reen. Jislaaik, dit was so warm dat ons almal het afgeklim om die koue reen to geneit.
What a memory! Thank you for sharing it!
@George Koen Greetings to you in the USA! Thank you for sharing that wonderful memory of De Aar in the rain! 🚉🌧 It's a pretty warm place, so I can only imagine the relief that provided! We appreciate you watching our videos! 🚗🇿🇦
Your excitement to be back in your preferred element came through loud and clear at the start of this journey to De Aar, right from the get go with your happy Hellohellohello 😁
The gravel road drone footage was superb and lifting us above the sadness of Dr Aar’s collapsed railroad network allowed me to take in a few deep breaths. Meeting the karretjiemense was a delightful encounter!
We were extremely excited when we left Strand that morning and to happen upon the Karretjiemense so soon ater we hit the first gravel road, was just awesome. So glad you enjoyed the drone footage! 🤩🚗
What a pleasant surprise this morning to find you on your way to the Karoo again! Hope your route from De Aar will follow gravel along the main railway line, passing Kraankuil which was the transport hub for all goods to the Vanderkloof dam and canal construction. And please do a lot!! of drone photography on the 1882 wagon bridge some 6 km downstream of Hopetown on the Orange River.
We were just as happy to be back in the Karoo and especially on gravel again! 😁🚗 We're back home already and I'm not sure we got to see everything you mentioned in your comment, but we had a super fun time and hope you'll enjoy the rest of the videos.
It's so sad to see once a beautiful station a hub across the Karoo now a waste but I love the video just waiting on the Laingsburg exploring much love
As promised, we shall most certainly explore Laingsburg on a future trip and hopefully we won't make you wait too long! 👌🏻🚗
Thanks appreciate it
Good morning, got so carried away that I watched a year old vid & commented then realized it was an older one, don't know how I missed it 🙈, referring to the Montague vid 😃. Thank you both once again for taking us along, now I'm going back to see what other vids I missed 👏
Go back to the beginning and watch them all! That’s what I did 😁
@Ronny Kenny I saw your comment on the Montaque video! 🤩 There are certainly enough older ones to keep you busy for a while. Happy watching! 🚗😁
Thanks guys. Not been to De Aar since my childhood days. My dad and us used to follow the steam from kimberley to de Aar. It's heartbreaking to see the decline and ruination of the infrastructure now evident since the demise of steam and train traffic in the early 80s. The land of the 25NC locomotives then, and always will be in my memories.
Thank you for the video and safe travels x
I don't think we've ever seen one of those locomotives before, it would've been an awesome sight! 😍🚂 And yes, it was rather sad to see that this once-heavyweight junction is a mere shadow of its former self. 🤷🏼♂️🚗
@@DustBugsTravel the cab you sat in was from a 25nc 😊
Loved the view of those 2 kopjes…….absolutely stunning! Wildlife too👌
You know how we feel about animal life on the road, this was a great start to our trip! 😍🐂 Those two koppies made for an unbelievable sight in that landscape. And when Sonia saw them, she said I just have to fly the drone. I'm quite happy with how the aerial footage came out! Glad you've caught up and are now watching our current series! 😁🚙
The cloud ☁️ of the Karoo in northern cape is beautiful 🤩
Hi you two. Thank you very much for taking us on your road trip. Just so sad to see our once beautiful country going down the drain... I was born and bread in Boksburg on in the East Rand. I'm very scared to see how it must look by now. Have been visiting last in 2003...........
We appreciate you joining us on this trip through this part of the Northern Cape. We're slowly working our way across the country and will eventually reach Gauteng, but with the size of the places there, I'm not sure how we'll explore DustBugs-style. Perhaps we can show you a little glimpse into what it looks like today, we shall see! 😁🚗
9:20 My daughter is living in Barbados at present .She tells me about all the things that they don't have there that we in South Africa have.She said recently the place you come from is not as bad as you think.
Thank you for being back where you and your good lady are more relaxed. Thank you for the subtitles and the drone .....before it was very good ... now, as Sonia said with heart felt meaning .. STUNNING ...thank you Sonia.
You're so very welcome! I'm glad you find the subtitles of value, I'll always include them when I remember to do so! 😁🚗
I felt as sad you you were disappointed by the station. Traveling to and from Cape Town to the Eastern Cape for boarding school, De Aar was a very long stop over, I think 3-4 hours or something ridiculous. We'd get off the train, go to the cafe nearby, play games on the slot machines, look at the town a little, not sure what the naughty boys did though. I don't remember how many platforms they had (6 to 8?), but they were always busy and looked comfy.
Now, from what I could see, it is just derelict. No covering for the roofs, those buildings looking like they have been abandoned long ago.
Though, I think 86, we started taking a bus home, because the train schedule had changed and we couldn't sync it with the dates the schools closed. Maybe the start of things to come?
Whenever driving up in that direction, I've wanted to go look at the town, but it is quite a way off the N1, so never got there. I think I'll scrap this one.
Your comment on the name is spot on. Something I only learnt in the last few years. But you added a little to my knowledge.
Your accommodation looked awesome though. Great vid again.
I'm glad we could take you back for a look at De Aar. We could clearly see that this was a major junction. The station was tightly locked up and the palisade fence and trees made it difficult to film, but I spotted a good few platforms, not sure how many though. So interesting to read that you already started experiencing changeover from train to bus in 1986, that's quite telling I think. 🚆🚌 I didn't mean to put you off of Visiting De Aar, it's got many positives too, so swing by one day! 😁🚗
Hello again... Tbank you for bringing us the gravel roads, stunning churches and amazing scenery... I remember the train station very well,use to make use of it alot in my younger days traveling back and forth from cape town to de aar.. Really sad to see the state of the station. 😇🚉
We finally took you back to an area which you obviously know well from your past. We were hoping to still find a fully-functional station and were saddened too that this wasn't the case. It was fantastic to be back on gravel though! We hope you'll enjoy our videos of the other towns we also visited and explored. 😁🚗
That donkey/horse cart must be fitted with ABS brakes...lol ..it stopped so quickly.Thankyou Curtis and Sonia.
I am shocked by the dilapidated and deserted state of the once mighty and important De Aar Passenger and Freight Rail Hub. In the nineteen-fifties we travelled by train for three days four times a year from our home town of Windhoek in Namibia (then SWA) to boarding school in Cape Town and back. What has become of the immense rail network in South Africa? De Aar always provided a welcome break in the long hot boring journey.
Thank you for sharing your memories of a time when everything was thriving 😊
@Breitie We arrived in De Aar, hoping we could get a glimpse into the 'once mighty and important De Aar Passenger and Freight Rail Hub', but no such luck unfortunately. We were saddened by the decay and decline which was visible at the goods sheds and the station. 😥🚆 To you, it must be even more shocking since you experienced it in its prime.
What a lovely surprise. I have never been to de Aar but always wanted to visit. When are you guys going to Hogsback? And New Betesda? Would love to visit Northern and Eastern Free State. I also thought they might be Karretjiemense. They are a whole culture on their own. Living their whole lives in a donkey cart. The cloudscapes are so beautiful. Such a magnificent station, now fallen into decay. Such a pity! But isnt it amazing how nature reclaims her own. I think the station should be restored and turned into a historical museum. Love all the trees in the town. Jolly nice place you found for overnight. I had to laugh, I thought the solitary gholfer had very bad asthma until I realised the noise was coming from the tractor! Oh! Oh! You found me a choo-choo! Or ...half a choo-choo, but fantastic! That really made my day. I think that hall was also a ballet studio, there are barres along the wall as well as in the corner. Lovely old pub. Yes I agree, Exelsior park is a must. Where are you going? Kimberley? I hope so. That mining museum is insane! I couldnt stop laughing when I was there many years ago.
We already have Hogsback, Nieu-Bethesda and Kimberley on our very long list of requested places, so we'll just have to wait and see if and when they all get a turn. 😁 It's incredible how tall those trees in the goodsheds are, we must be talking 20+ years at least. As much as we love trees, we'd much rather have found a fully-functional station in De Aar. I thought you might love the loco cab, it was fantastic to see so up close for the first time! 😍🚂
@@DustBugsTravel Ok I will be patient then. Yes, the station is a sad travesty of what it once was!
Hogsback holds so many precious memories for me!
@@desh7120 Me too
Hi you two! Thank you for taking me along on this interesting and historical trip; gravel road, cuppas, springbokke and all! It was good to see you welcomed by the karretjiemense.
The aerial view of the two flat topped koppies moved me, it was something special. So was the drone view of the town. with the wonderful music so fitting the view. (Your photography and editing are always so excellent. Is it your trade in Strand?)
The town was obviously developed around the now dysfunctional rail junction. I really hope they will be able to grow with tourist trade. You ably pointed out some historical places such as the steam locomotive control cabin, the Olive Schreiner house etc. And stay-overs such as Karoo Fountain and eateries such as Pringle are just waiting to treat more visitors.
Thank you for the effort you put in to display the beauty of our beloved country.
It seems you are now out on lengthy trips again --
Keep safe!
I'm glad the cuppas didn't go unnoticed! ☕😁 When Sonia saw those two hills, she said it would be the perfect spot for the drone, so I'm happy to hear you enjoyed that footage! We are both real estate agents in the Helderberg, so I only edit and film for fun and for our channel! I appreciate the compliment though! We've been back home for almost a week and we've got some pretty fantastic places to show you. Buckle up! 🚗🇿🇦
Hi. Cool video! We stay in Richmond and De Aar is our closest large town for supplies, banking, doctors, etc. Like most of the Karoo, the real charm lies beneath the surface, you have to dig a little to find it...first appearances of De Aar is not that great, but once you meet the people and experience the friendly service, the charm is undeniable...
I agree! And we met some fantastic folks who are very happy in De Aar and who welcomed us with open arms to their town. We include in our videos what we see and experience in any town or place in the time we visit and it was no different in De Aar. 😁🚗
Karretjiemense are fast disappearing. I love to interrupt them, break bread and share coffee with them. Excellent conversasionalists and storytellers.
They're indeed incredibly interesting to talk to, real salt-of-the-earth human beings! 😍🐎
I was surprised that they were using horses and not donkeys.
I left South Africa 40 years ago . It breaks my heart to see how different the country looks today.
wake up you left the country
@@mart9999999999999999 no need to be rude to him. Phil K yes South Africa has been looted, it changed a lot, unfortunately, life happens, and things can change for the better of worse over night.
@@mart9999999999999999 because I left doesn't mean I should stop caring.
It's been 35 years for me since I left Phil k. It's heartbreaking to see what has happened
There is still so much to be proud of, to appreciate, enjoy and celebrate in this beautiful country. No where is perfect in this imperfect world.
And yes, those of us who remain, have hope that things will improve. We choose to be part of the solution.
Nice video, thoes people on the horse cart was so friendly. Thanks for sharing!
And you’ve done it - 12K Subscribers 🎉🍾🥂
Thank you so much for celebrating 12k with us! I hope it's a pink one this time around! 🍾🥂
Good use of close and distant camera work..to me it adds so much...even to the familiar
I appreciate that so much, thank you! 😁🚗
Hi again, commented earlier on the Montague vid I'd missed, now I'm ignoring EVERYTHING that needs to be done today as I've discovered a whole bunch, didn't realize you guys have been on the road as long as you have, that's my Saturday taken care of 💃💃💃
Oh, yes! Very addictive channel. I binge watched for many days to get through them all. It was a wonderful distraction 😁
@Ronny Kenny Yes, we've been busy for a while now! 😁🚗 It sounds like your Saturday was filled with travels on gravel roads. I hope you enjoyed!
Long stretch from the Strand to De Aar. Many years ago, in the late 70's we always mentioned "the Bar in De Aar...mooi video
Yup, that first day was a long day on the road! 😁🚗 'The Bar in De Aar'! I love that and now I can say I've been there too! Cheers! 🍻
Leka comments & kuier there , remember De Aar station from border camptrain travels in the 70's & early 80's !! thank you for the reminders 🙏
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed our video of De Aar! 😁🚗 The station must've looked much different from what it does today. 🤷🏼♂️🚉
Thank you Sonja and Kurt...Brilliant !
Our pleasure, glad you enjoyed! 😁🚗
Thanks for a very good show. I feel like I need apologise to you for the De Aar experience. I used to live and work there many years ago. I was nogal a contractor for the Railways, my office was on that same Goedereloods yard you been to.
Sorry guys. Go with God.
Thank you so much, I'm happy to hear you enjoyed our video of De Aar! 🚙😁 There is absolutely no need to apologise. The reason we love travelling so much, is to find the beauty that still remains and we inevitably do and that's good enough for us! What threw us a little in De Aar, is that we were expecting the major operational junction and station we've heard so much about from viewers. We've become incredibly fascinated by stations and the like, and we had no idea that we would find all those abandoned structures and a very quiet station. Otherwise, all was good, and our experience in De Aar was a pleasant one. I hope our video reminded you of good times in the town! We appreciate you watching! 👌🏻
That cart with the horse's was so great. You two sound so happy to be back on the gravel roads, so glad for you. Pity the railways have gone so backwards, what a disappointment. Loved the old relic of the steam train it is awesome now its all electric or diesel if I speak correctly. Your drone footage was lovely. Thank you.
We were ecstatic to be back on gravel again, it's been a while! 😁🚗 And to be welcomed by the Karretjiemense was just fantastic! I'm glad you enjoyed the drone footage too, those two hills just had to be featured in a special way.
Quite a big place. Just so sad that all the memories have disappeared. I can hear the excitement in your voices. Enjoy
Pragtig verby 😂 en julle het n drone dit is fantasties❤❤❤ dit maak jul videos baie meer interressant. Wel gedaan julle hou so aan👏👏👏👏
I just want to cry when I see this utter dereliction . I have been through here a few times when the Orange Express ran from Cape Town to Durban and back. Heartbreaking!
So you must've seen the station when it was still fully functional! We were rather sad to not find it that way ourselves, especially having heard so much about what a major junction De Aar was! Thank you for sharing that memory of De Aar with us! 🚆🚙
Travelled from Steynsburg to de Aar often in the early 60's to visit friends. I remember the excitement of the trips in the steam trains...and falling asleep on the bunks with the rythmic chook chook of the wheels on the railway lines....
Was good to go there with you again ... thanks Curtis and Sonia....
What a wonderful memory that is, thank you for sharing with us! 🚂😍 It was our pleasure to take you back to De Aar again, albeit from a different direction. 🤩🚗
Lekker man lekker 🇿🇦
I'm glad you enjoyed! 🤩🚗
Hi guys back on gravel friendly people on the horse cart DE AAR LOOKS A big town shame about the demise of the railway but you had luck seeing the train townhall has a Bezantine look to me information about water supply crazy these towns had such good facilities swimming pool etc love the old house with museum sad to see swimming pool destruction. Uber modern accommodation. Pub and meal looks great bowling greens are popular in these towns golf clubs aswell love the old train that's what you call a proper pub I agree with Sonia the town has more than meets the eye. Thanks for the video cheerio till the next one
It was fantastic to travel on gravel once again! 👌🏻De Aar certainly has a lot to offer any tourist and, while the decay is evident, there are also some cool places and the people (they call themselves De Aariete) are so warm and welcoming. I'm glad you enjoyd this trip with us! 😁🚗
I definitely need to explore this road
Absolutely, you'll love it! 🤩🚗
This is great and brings back many memories. I worked in de Aar for 3 months in 1983. I stayed in the de Aar Hotel, opposite the station. I was getting used to the trains at the station, paricularly at night, when my stint came to an end. I once drove from Richmond to de Aar, I think along the same gravel road you took. Was there a railway line to your left as you drove to de Aar? If so, then I believe we took the same road. So sad to see the station looking so dilapidated. Thanks.
We still saw the old faded 'Bar' sign painted on the one side of the hotel wall, but it doesn't look like it's a hotel anymore. It must've been a grand old building in its day! I think we drove the exact same road you did, there was a railway line to the left as we were heading to De Aar. 🚗😁
What an eye opener! Some gems thankfully being preserved though😁 Thanks again for taking us along 🤝🏼
It was indeed! We were so happy to be able to visit Excelsior Park while in De Aar, that was certainly a ray of bright sunlight! 🚂😍
De Aar is my geboorte dorp. Dis hartseer om te sien hoe die dorp agteruit gegaan het....Ek was in 1997 laas daar gewees...
Thank you for watching our video of your birthtown. While we were especially saddened to not find a fully-functional railway station, it was good to visit De Aar for the first time. I hope our video reminded you of some good times in the past. 😊🚙
I love this channel. I love your enthusiasm. It's a pity to see how some sites are left to ruin.
There will never be a shortage of enthusiasm from the two of us, we get excited about the smallest things! 😁🚗 We were also left a little sad by the decline of the railway junction in De Aar though.
Love die musiek
Always good to know when viewers appreciate the tunes, thank you! 🤩🎶
love the good food.. we boys ...what can we do..always will be cowboys?!!
Indeed, that cowboy steak was superb! 👌🏻🤠
That's better. Back in the Karoo.
I thought you might enjoy being back in the Karoo with us! 🤩🚗
I recall sitting in a Bub across from the station in 1975 waiting for the train from south west Africa so we could continue to Cape Town …
That must've been in the De Aar Hotel then. We still saw the faded painted 'Bar' sign on the side wall of the building, which we don't think is a hotel any longer. 🍻🚆
13:55 Apocalypse!!! 😱😪
It was sad to see the decline and decay of an once-important railway junction. 🤷🏼♂️🚆
I've never been to de Aar. Would love to visit one day
You should do that, the town offers a lot to a tourist if you just ask around. Definitely go and have a drink at Excelsior Club, you'll love it! 🍻😁
This must have been a massive railway operation its sad to see how railways have collapsed and how many ppl must have been employed there
You're right, I can only imagine how many people lost their jobs. From what we've heard from other viewers, it was indeed a major junction back in the day! 😥🚆
Great video. We used to visit family who stayed just outside of De Aar when I was a child, and I remember us standing outside watching the very long trains coming past. They were carrying iron ore as far as I can remember. Just sad to see how the town has deteriorated.
Thank you for watching our video of De Aar! I believe some of those long trains carrying iron ore from Sishen or another iron ore mine can still be seen in places. I would love to see one someday too! 🚆 It must've been quite a sight for you as youngster! We've wanted to visit De Aar for quite some time and glad we finally got the chance to do so. 😁🚗
"what a mess" is a sad understatement
I think a cleanup operation would do just nicely! 🗑️🚗
Jammer julle het nie die skole en koshuise gewys nie maar die res was great.
I'm glad you enjoyed our video of De Aar! 🚙😁 We like showing schools and hostels when we happen to drive by them, but don't always specifically look for them in every town or place we visit.
Went there for our honeymoon back in the 70s , EL to De Aar by train, back in the day when employees were given a free pass once a yeat😅
Wow, that must've been quite the getaway back in the day! 🤩🚆 You probably stayed in a fancy hotel too, sounds fantastic!
So sad to see the demise of the SAR - the once beautiful gardens and buildings, even the neglect of the town roads, municipal buildings and public areas. Seems to me as if there is a spirit of destruction and hooliganism on the loose in SA. Eish!
We were also saddened by the fact that this once-major railway junction has been reduced to a desolate station and abandoned goods sheds. There are also a lot of positive in De Aar though, like the De Aariete who are very friendly, warm and welcoming folks. They continue to live happily there. 😊🚗
Cry the beloved country.
There is fortunately still a lot of beauty left to enjoy! 🚙🇿🇦
70s train trip to cradock from Cape town via de aar
South Africa has pretty much eliminated intercity passenger rail over the past 30 years, correct? Just the commuter and regional networks in the major cities now. So De Aar is strictly a freight hub at this point. Whole town looks pretty run down, a lot of pride but hanging on by the fingernails and with the stuffing knocked out of the rail operation. Nice job on the video.
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed our video. 🚙😁 We've seen some stations where it was clear that the demise of the railway system, especially the passenger side of things, has been coming for much longer than 30 years. There are only isolated lines still operating for passenger traffic as you say. Sad, sad state of affairs. 😥🚉 At this point, we're just too happy to see freight trains on our travels.
Damn who knew there was an entire country outside of joburg and cape town.
Indeed! And we intend to see as much of it as we possibly can! 🚗🇿🇦
@@DustBugsTravel In that case we'll be right here to see the next destination.
De AAR De AAR. Maar heart bleeds.🙄😔
It was sad to see some of the decline, agreed. 😥🚗
When are you dipping your toes into Namibia? 🤞
Only once we feel we've covered as much of our own country as we can do safely. 🇿🇦🇳🇦
One de Aar, many de Arses. Lol.
Those you will find in every single place on this planet, not only De Aar! 🚗🤷🏼♂️
@@DustBugsTravel Dude, I died laughing! You are too funny! 😂😂😂
it would be so lekker if the karretjie mense could have one of those bokkies for dinner tonight . i mean where is their land do you know ?
We may not have been able to give them a springbok, but we did give them some Western Cape produce which we thought thay could use. 🍒🌰 We asked them where they live and they pointed in the direction of where we were headed, so we didn't want to pry any further. 😊🚗
Another lovely journey. Can you tell me if you use a hired car or not....I am concerned about the scary prices for hired cars at airports [so I am told] so could you recommend a company. I could taxi in to CT first.. any ideas welcome. Thanks.
It's their own vehicle I believe.
@Mark Duncan-Brown I'm glad you enjoyed the first leg our trip! We rent a vehicle every time as we explain in our bio on RUclips and have done so for every trip since the start of our channel. We pick up from an airport too and have found prices have increased rather sharply over the past three or four months. We attribute it to the high demand, it's very clear that tourists are once again flocking to South Africa. It's great to see, but it does have an impact on vehicle rental rates. 🤷🏼♂️ I'm not keen to recommend any one specific car rental company, I suggest you shop around online for the best deal. 🚗😁
Who was the writer in the house? I just saw your video by chance and really loved it. Thank you!
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed our video of our visit to De Aar. There are 400+ others for you to enjoy as well. 🚙😁 I'm not sure what you mean by your question though. 🤔
You went to a museum/restaurant where a author used to live. But you did not mention the name of the writer. Was it Olive Schreiner perhaps?
I haven't watched that video in a long time, but I thought we did mention that it was Olive Schreiner's old house. If we didn't, you are indeed correct. 👌🏻
While the rest of the world is investigating in faster, efficient trains,we watch as ours get criminally neglected and decay.
Sadly that appears to be the case. 😪🚉
Steak met 2 eiers was my pub lunch gewees toe ek nog geleef het, nou eet ek nie steak of eier nie.
So hartseer om elke keer gesien hou ons dorpe en die infrastruktuur verval, eendag is hul almal net die ''dop"' wat staan.....
Ek dink altyd aan Johannes Kerkorrel se liedjie - Daar is geen... ruclips.net/video/IkfW4TXgQrA/видео.html
Steak and eggs have also always been a favourite meal for me, I just love the combination! I assume you're staying away for health reasons. 😖 It was rather sad to see the remnants of what we believe was a major junction back in the day. 😥🚆
@@DustBugsTravel jup for health reasons. Ja baie sad, maar weereens dankie vir die lekker trip.
Which language did you speak with that mane?
I'm not sure what clip you're referring to, but most probably Afrikaans. 😁
Always carry your own food for periods like this, so that you can soak up the alcohol while soaking up atmosphere
I'm not entirely sure what you mean and why you posted this under our De Aar video, but okay! 🤷🏼♂️
I think you visited this town 40 years too late.
Yup, that sadly seems to go for most of the small towns we get to visit. 🤷🏼♂️ Better late than never though, no matter what we find when we get there. 🚗