Touws River South Africa (Touwsrivier)
Touws River (Afrikaans: Touwsrivier) is a small railway town of 6,800 people in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is located on the river of the same name, about 160 kilometres (100 mi) north-east of Cape Town. The Touwsrivier CPV Solar Project is located just outside of the town and supplies 50 MW to the national electrical grid
The town of Touws River owes its existence to the Cape Government Railways, and to the route that their founder, Cape Prime Minister John Molteno, chose for a railway line over the Hex River Mountains.
A railway was needed from the port at Cape Town, to service the newly discovered diamond fields in Kimberley. However, several seemingly impregnable ranges of mountains separated Cape Town from the hinterland of the Cape. The Royal Commonwealth Society (1898) records how the route was chosen:
When Mr. Molteno formulated his railway scheme he sent for his consulting engineer, who asked him what was the route he desired. Mr. Molteno asked for a map of South Africa, which was brought to him. Taking a ruler he drew his pen along it, in a direct line from Cape Town to Beaufort West. "But," said the engineer, "that means you go slap bang through the Hex River Mountains." "Never mind," said Mr. Molteno, "that is the way I want it to go." And that is the way it did go
It is now a sleepy town, surrounded by farms, mountains and game reserves, it preserves open-air displays of steam engines in memory of its history as a railway centre.
#Touwsriver #smalltowns #WesternCape
For more information:
0:00 Jonathan Deal Author of Timeless Karoo geckorock.co.za/timeless-karoo/
0:43 Chief Dr Aubrey Daampies from the United Aboriginal Khoisan Kingdom
1:01 Christiaan du Plessis Touws River Tourism touwsrivertourism.co.za/
1:20 Travis Deal Gecko Rock geckorock.co.za/
1:35 Neville Fourie Town Manager bvm.gov.za/touwsrivier/
2:00 Oom Willie Marais @williemarais1000
3:46 Elizabeth Mantambo Kroonplaas Padstal www.komkyk.co.za/
8:26 Sharon Deal Retreats geckorock.co.za/activities/co...
Пікірлер: 33
What a wonderful clip showcasing the amazing people of Touwsriver!
@AfricanTravelCrew
Жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for watching. We love the people of Touws. ❤️
I love the Karoo. And it’s people are pure gold.
@AfricanTravelCrew
Жыл бұрын
100% agree ❤️
Thanks Neil! So very special and professionally adorned with your signature African Travel Crew style. ❤️❤️❤️
@AfricanTravelCrew
Жыл бұрын
We love you guys ❤️ and now you're making me blush 😳
Next time I will stop!
@AfricanTravelCrew
Жыл бұрын
Fantastic.
The people of this town ❤️
Love the format of your videos . Enchanting and makes one want to watch more and visit these places.
@AfricanTravelCrew
Жыл бұрын
Thank you. You made our day ❤️
I grew up in Touwsrivier. My maats was Amanda, Jos, Spikkels etc..
@AfricanTravelCrew
Жыл бұрын
Where are you know? En jou maats?
@willemwalters
Жыл бұрын
Praha
@willemwalters
Жыл бұрын
Jos is NZ. Amanda in Paarl.
The first farm we had was in the Koo district and the last one was at Leeu Gamka. So we always passed Touws River and liked to stop at the BP where there was a large jungle bird of immensely rich gold and other colours with long feathers . Im nearly sure it was one of the birds of paradise perhaps from Papua New Guinea. Unfortunately it didnt have a mate. Yes , Touws River was a vital junction in our history. Greetings from Holland.
@AfricanTravelCrew
Жыл бұрын
Great memory, thanks for sharing it with us. . No bird of paradise at the garage anymore, but there were some ostriches.
Willie dit was nog die goeie ou tye
Lived there many years ago. Homesick now.
@AfricanTravelCrew
11 ай бұрын
Maybe a visit is in order. I'm sure Touws misses you just as much ...
Twice I have travelled right across the Karoo to Namibia the slow way, using only public transport. And I was struck by how my fellow passengers, although locals familiar with the backdrop, often fell silent and became irresistibly drawn, just as I was, to look out and take in the sheer immensity and haunting beauty of what we were passing through. Difficult to put into words, but it feels to me as though a journey through the Karoo is a pilgrimage to somewhere unspeakably old and deep within us, and that you are not a mere observer, but in some sense called upon as a witness.
@AfricanTravelCrew
Жыл бұрын
How beautifully put. Thank you ❤️
Beautiful, mooi
@AfricanTravelCrew
Жыл бұрын
Dit is.
Kan u my sê wat die naamval die kunstenaar is. Sy skilderye van die Karoo is pragtig.
@AfricanTravelCrew
Жыл бұрын
Mag ek asseblief vra dat u vir my die kuns wys waarna u kyk, en ek sal vir u uitvind
@daniellfourie
Жыл бұрын
Ek meen die man by 10:18 in hierdie video van Touwsrivier. Die skilderye lyk pragtig. Ek sal graag 'n besoek wil aflê om te gaan kyk.
@AfricanTravelCrew
Жыл бұрын
@@daniellfourie dis Kiwiet’s Art Gallery Briljante kunstenaar. Ek dink die beste sal wees om Christiaan die voorsitter van Touwsrivier Toerisme te vra thcs@touwsrivertourism.co.za
@daniellfourie
Жыл бұрын
@@AfricanTravelCrew Baie baie dankie! Dit is pragtige kuns.
die coloureds hier is niks khoi... is anners julle weet hoe
@AfricanTravelCrew
Жыл бұрын
Ons vertel net war mense van die gebied vir ons vertel.