The group will leave the Kruger Lowveld Tourism office at Crossing Centre in Mbombela at 07:00 in convoy to meet those coming from the Onderberg at the Matsulu turn-off at 07:30. Note that some considerable dirt roads will be travelled. Pack some refreshments for the morning journey as well as a picnic lunch and chairs.

The first stop will be the Ehlanzeni Cenotaph in the Matsulu Township, dedicated to all the fallen heroes and heroines in the Ehlanzeni District Municipality. This monument was recently incorporated into the new Mpumalanga Liberation Heritage Route.

The remains of the Tebe-Tebe or so-called Shaky Bridge will also be visited. This was a makeshift bridge on the outskirts of old Matsulu across the Crocodile River giving access to the nearby farms.

The next stop will be the enormous great stone wall on the nearby farm, Stentor.

From here the convoy will pass the old Kaalrug magnesite mine and follow the route to Mbuzini, the monument at the site of the Samora Machel plane crash of the 1980s. This has a new museum well worth visiting.

The 1885 Jock Trek way marker at Furley’s Drift over the Komati River as well as the way marker where the old wagon road used to cross the current-day N4, are also on the itinerary, from where the way will lead over the old Mkhonto’s Causeway to the town of Komatipoort. Here the group will visit the old part of town and the architecturally significant second railway station as well as the restored remnants of the old Selati line into the Kruger that used to branch off here (see main image).

On the way back a last stopover is scheduled at Hectorspruit to look at the old Nederlandsche Zuid-Afrikaansche Spoorwegmaatschappij-built siphon pit where clean water was gathered to fill the old steam locomotives that used to service the Eastern Line.

Attendees will all gather in the historical Buffalo Hotel for a drink and the usual ritual of kissing the buffalo.

For more information, follow the latest arrangements on the Laevelders Facebook group or contact Marius Bakkes at marius@lowveldmedia.co.za. Information on other places of historical interest in the area would also be appreciated.