Mpumalanga Heritage Event - Though the visit to the Helvetia Battlefield will be a repeat of a previous outing a few years ago, our field guide for the day, Dr Tian Schutte has since done some remarkable research of the events and will be showing us previously unknown fortifications and other sites of interest.

The tour will also entail a visit to the remains of the old narrow gauge railroad that snaked between the station at Elandshoek and St Paul’s between 1915 and 1930.

The day will be rounded off with a picnic or braai on the farm of Dolf Botha at the top of the Schoemanskloof where we also have a peek at a few ox wagons he has under restoration. This route will be for high clearance vehicles preferably. Please contact Jan Minaar at 083 279 5579 if you need a lift or have a seat available in your vehicle.

• Meet at 07:00 at the current offices of KLCBT at Crossing. Follow the convoy into Schoemanskloof for several stops where the old railway line and its reminiscences are still visible.
• Stop over at Old Joe on Patatanek for a short talk on the history and tradition created around this remarkable man-like roadside stone sentinel.
• Follow the convoy past Bambi to the graveyard at Helvetia from where the group will be shown various aspects and sites of the battlefield.
• Stopover at the ruins of the old Helvetia inn and stage coach station.
• Travel back to Schoemanskloof to the farm of Dolf Botha for lunch.

Bring some refreshments and pack a lunch together with a hat and comfortable walking shoes. The costs is R150.00 per annum membership per family should you not be a paid up member.