Greetings from a lovely sunny Autumn Day,

Once again we have had a very hectic two months at  CTC Marketing. Quite a few day Tours
with clients from Canada, Bulgaria, Los Angeles USA, mostly from various Cruise liners that
visited Cape Town.  We have also been very busy putting new Tours together for clients for
the Northern Cape, and new Gauteng Anglo-Boer Battlefield Tours so you will be seeing
various new Tours being put onto our website shortly.

In between we have had Network workshops and of course the World Travel Market here in
 Cape Town, with over 60 different Countries promoting themselves. Now, everyone is busy
 preparing themselves for the Tourism Indaba in Durban with a few days in May 2019..

                       We have had 9 new Members join us:

African Vineyard Guest House – Kanoneiland – Upington District – Northern Cape
Aquila Safari Game Reserve – Touwsriver – Karoo - Western Cape
Ceres Tourism Information Centre – Ceres -  Western Cape
Cape Kingfisher Tours – 4 x4 Tours across South Africa and its borders – Cape Town
O’Kiep Country Hotel – O’Kiep – Northern Cape for Flower and Nature Tours
Rob Milne Battlefield Tours – Anglo-Boer Wars – Muldersdrift – Gauteng
Robertson Tourism Information Centre – Robertson – Western Cape
Tours-Ink – Country Tours towards the Northern Cape – Kotzerus – Northern Cape
Zuurberg Mountain Village – Addo – and elephant tours - Eastern Cape

To know more about these places or Tours please have a look on our website.

You will notice that we are now on Instagram, so please join us on all our Social Media platforms.

We offer an extra service for our Members at R750.00 per month to assist with your Social Media
Pages.  Chris will Market your Guest House, Activity or Tour to all the Tour Operators in various Provinces, at a special rate. Please contact him on adventure@ctcmarketing.co.za

       Cape Town to Kruger Park Tour – 14 to 20 July 2019 (Tour code: TK 2019/CTC)

Day 1   On this tour our guests fly from Cape Town to Lanseria airport west of Johannesburg.
The bus meets us there to transport us to Phalaborwa where we overnight just outside the
Kruger Park gate. We sleep there the first four nights

Day 2-4  We spend three days in the Kruger, enjoying nature and visiting some of the camps,
such as Letaba, Satara and Olifants.

Day 5   After breakfast we enter the Park again and drive all the way to the Orpen gate.
We overnight in Lydenburg.

Day 6   From Lydenburg the bus takes us back east towards Johannesburg. At the station
we board the Shosholoza Meyl train that transports us overnight back to Cape Town

Day 7   The train arrives at Cape Town station where we have to say a regretful goodbye.

                    Cost: R9 850 per person sharing; R1 500 extra as single supplement
                               Contact: gerrielouwrenstoere@gmail.com   079 381 9643

                     


We have another lovely flower tour to the Northern Cape in September which we will advertise
 next month, for those interested not to miss out this year.
I will tell you more about the other Tours which we are working on for 2020, in our next newsletter.

We are still looking for more Guest houses interested to be in our Garden Route and Eastern
Cape Tours which we are working on. If you something which is out of the ordinary or have a
really special activity, or hikes please do contact us as soon as possible. We are also waiting
some self-catering accommodation for our self-drive clients, off the beaten track not in the
cities.  We look forward to hear from some of you.


This month CTC Marketing is going to try and give you some more information about interesting
places or sites in our different Provinces.

1. The Free State – Jagersfontein Big Hole

Jagersfontein is an a typical small town proud of its 'biggest hole' status with no 'village people'.
Its charming community shows off the town's impressive lack of land that now sinks into the
earth where ground once lay. It is the World's oldest diamond mine of its kind and the world's
biggest hand excavated pit. With an area of more than 19 hectares, Jagersfontein Mine is the
world’s largest hand-excavated hole. It was an open pit mine (closed in 1971) in South Africa,
situated near the town of Jagersfontein and around 110 kilometres to the southwest of
Bloemfontein. This South African mine yielded two of the ten biggest diamonds ever discovered
on Earth and has produced approximately 9.6 million carats of jewel-quality diamonds. Diamond discoveries were so prized that no sophisticated equipment or the assistance of dynamite was
permitted due to the impact these artificial earth shuffling’s would have had on neighbouring
diggers claims, as well as the risk of injury. Open pit mining ensued for three decades from
1970 followed by underground mining with diamond hunting only being put on hold during World
War I, World War II and the Great Depression.

The mine's working life came to an end in 1971 a hundred years after the discovery of the first
diamond in the area. Previously closed to the public until 1992, when a resident pair of Black
(Verreaux) Eagles were seen nesting in the hole walls, it now welcomes visitors at the small
Visitors Centre. Capture the spectacular site of the abandoned mine's nothingness from the
overhanging viewing platform that serves as a look-out deck, on mining history and diamond
digging determination. Explore the documented history of bling and samples of authentic tools
at the nearby Jagersfontein Mining Village Museum.

Contact details:  +27 (0) 51 411 4300  For further information and price.

             
                Jagersfontein’s Big Hole                                                         Kimberley’s Big Hole

With an area of more than 19 hectares, Jagersfontein Mine is the world’s largest hand-excavated
hole. Jagersfontein hole reached a depth of 275 meters justifiably securing a title in the Guinness
Book of World Records. Furthermore this world's biggest hand dug open hole is vertically sided
thereby giving it a greater volume than the Kimberley hole which is funnel shaped becoming
vertical at the pit.

Once believed to be the largest hole on Earth excavated by hand, the Big Hole in Kimberley,
Northern Cape is an underground diamond mine with a surface area of 17 hectares or a width
of 463 meters. It was originally 240 meters deep but has since been filled with debris that its
depth has now been reduced to 215 meters.

  2.          Anglo-Boer War Tour in KwaZuluNatal supplied by one of our Members.

               
             Zulu Warriors Memorial             British Graveyard            British Soldiers at Museum

Rorke’s Drift is the battle where the British soldiers invaded Zululand in 1879.  Visit the Museum
at Rorke’s Drift and see how 100 British soldiers prevented the Zulu warriors from invading
Colonia Natal and threatening Durban.  Learn how their feat of arms was recognised by the
award of 11 Victoria Crosses. Also cross the Buffalo River which was the resting place of the
soldiers and pioneers, walk to Matoscheni cemetery and follow the trading trails that were used
by the British soldiers or take a trail ..
to the bushman paintings that overlook the valley from the slopes of Shiyane Mountain for views
over the far reaches of Zululand to Isandlwana.
Stay over at the Rorke’s Drift Hotel and hear more about this amazing Battle from Paul their
resident Guide and also visit the Battlefield and Museum.

Contact: marketing@ctcmarketing.co.za to join us on our wonderful tours of Natal Battlefields.
Contact: info@rorkesdrifthotel.com for your accommodation. +27 (0) 34 642 1760

3. Western Cape  - Swellendam

Swellendam in the Overberg region approximately 230 km from Cape Town, is the 3^rd oldest
town in the Western Cape.  Visitors to this small town will find amazing restaurants
and wonderful Guest Houses on their way to the Garden Route.
Stroll through this Historic 18^th century town, view the wildlife in the Bontebok National Park,
just a short drive away and hike in the lush Langeberg Mountains or river-raft on the wide,
meandering Breede River.
Discover a peaceful, relaxed country quality living way of life.

For more information Contact: marketing@ctcmarketing.co.za  or call Elaine +27 (0) 74 709 2502

                      
                               Langeberg Mountain view from Wildebraam Estate

        4.  Gauteng   -  Van Gaalen Kassmakerij - Magaliesberg                               

Annelies van Gaalen – from the Netherlands, on a farm in the Magaliesberg, in the process
creating a new career for herself. She now turns out a 4 month old Gouda, which is very
popular with buyers, after 20 years in the trade, she has never looked back……..

Today Annelies makes 33 varieties of farm cheese, or Boerenkaas, on a small scale. The visitors
are very interested in the process, so that they now conduct tours of the factory which includes juice/coffee and apple cake.  Called Van Gaalen Kassmakerij, is situated in Skeerpoort, at the
foot of the Magaliesberg mountain where they now have a restaurant, in addition to enjoying the
country surroundings, you can indulge your cheese fetish with any one of the number of dishes
in which cheese is the star attraction.  Another favourite is Kroketten – beef rolls coated in
breadcrumbs and fried till crispy. Annelies targets the Gauteng Market as they are close to Johannesburg and many tourist visit them.  So how about our Members going to meet this
remarkable lady and enjoy her cheese.
They also have self-catering cottages accommodation and bike trails on the farm.

Contact: Annelies +27 (0) 12 207 1290  Mobile: 083 226 7834  www.vangaalen.co.za

      
      5.  Experience peace of mind by visiting the KAROO Centre – Western Cape              

In October 1899 the South African War (Anglo Boer War) broke out.  Although the Murraysburgers
were British subjects, the sympathy of most of them lay with the two Boer Republics. 
The government formed “Town Guards” to protect towns from threats by Boer commandoes.

Murraysburg was the only town in the whole of the Cape Colony where not enough men could
be found to form a town guard.  General Wynand Malan, a son of Murraysburg, said that
Murraysburg would always be known as a rebel town. The British military force ignored
Murraysburg because there was no town guard. 

Badsfontein is a historic, 6th generation Merino sheep farm situated just 20 minutes outside
the town of Murraysburg. Situated about 124km from Beaufort West.  A beautiful garden
sheltered amongst old tall trees creates serenity and peacefulness. At Badsfontein, with its
natural splendor, you feel  at one with the surroundings. Come and relax on the historic Karoo farm.  Badsfontein Guest Farm in Murraysburg, while your hostess Susanna and Chef Erika
will take you on a culinary journey through old classics & modern twists.
Late afternoon, as the sun sets behind the Karoo koppies, you can enjoy sundowners in the
veld and listen to a lamb calling for shelter during the night. The glittering stars above will
show the way home to a candlelight dinner which includes Karoo lamb,  good wine and
homemade dessert.  The Karoo will clear your mind and energise your spirit. You may think
you have seen the world, but the Karoo has a beauty of its own. Taste Karoo Lamb the way
it should be, learn to prepare a springbok loin to perfection and pick your own organic produce.

‘When I admire the wonder of a sunset or the beauty of the moon my soul expands in worship
of the Creator' - M. Ghandi.

For bookings please contact Susanna: Tel: 049 844 9622 or badsfontein@vodamail.co.za www.karoocuisine.co.za

    6.   Free State -  Fauresmith’s Street Train  

There are few towns in this world that are bisected by a railway line – Fauresmith in the southern
Free State is one of them. In fact, the central icon of Fauresmith is an old loco fixed to the rails
outside the town hall.

Someone once managed to drag the train a short distance with his bakkie and it has
subsequently been firmly attached to its moorings. The farmers’ parties around here can get
quite hectic. In fact, the only recorded accident involving the rail line running through Fauresmith
was the death of a hapless rooster that crossed at the wrong moment.

Approximately 11km away from Jagersfontein is Fauresmith, a picture-postcard dorpie
(small village) where, until about 20 years ago trains rattled and clanked their way down the
middle of the Main Street and one of only 3 towns in the world where this happened.  As to
prove it, the tracks are still there. A beautiful maintained steam locomotive stands proudly in
the centre of town.

Fauresmith is the second oldest town in the Free State and it very nearly became the capital of
the province instead of Bloemfontein, in fact when the choice was made, Fauresmith lost out
by a mere 2 votes.

Fauresmith is well-known in the equestrian circles because of its annual National Equestrian Endurance Race, which was started in 1973 with 17 riders and the numbers have now grown
to 500 in 2018.  The 3 day event in which the riders and mounts cover 205 km is considered
one of the toughest in the world. The ride is a huge success, with the Arabian breed emerging
victorious.

Contact: Endurance Race +27 (0) 83 624 8516  info@fauresmith.co.za


We end our monthly letter by visiting The Company Gardens here in Cape Town last month,
when I was able to fit in a Tour for myself and be led by another Guide for a change, Landscape architect and tree conservation advocate, Clare Burgess.

The Company’s Garden has played an important historical role in the development of Cape Town,
in fact it is the reason Jan van Riebeeck settled here in 1652. The Dutch East India Company
(VOC) needed a refreshment station to supply fresh produce for European sailors travelling to
and from the East. Along with edible and medicinal plants, The Company's Garden was
instrumental in growing hedges and creating wind breaks for successful farming. Since there
were very few trees available to plant locally, exotic species from elsewhere were introduced.
Clare focused on trees that had both cultural heritage and culinary significance. This included a European pear tree planted during the VOC era, which now has been propped up with metal poles.  Other trees were species from the Far East, and elsewhere around the World which were planted. Many of the large trees like the Norfork Pine towers above the rest of the trees in the
Garden, as well as an enormous Yellow wood trees.  A new vegetable and herb Garden was
laid out a few years ago.

We were also introduced to a display of fynbos tea tasting and apothecary workshops, being part
of the Cape Town Fynbos Experience based next to the Information Centre. The Cafe/Herbal
shop is run by Ansia Jonck who introduced us to the various herbs and where lunch was
also served.

This tour can be booked through Culture Connect, who also offer Art, Historical, Parliament,
Bo-Kaap and Art Deco walks to name but a few.

Contact:  kate@cultureconnectsa.com  or call/WhatsApp Kate on 072 377 8014..

              
            
 

We hope you have enjoyed our travels around the various Provinces in South Africa and that
some of it was new to you.  We look forward to hear from you in the near future, about some
towns, or perhaps you are looking for some special activities that you would like to know more
about. We look forward to your emails and send you warm greetings from sunny Cape Town.