In 2003 a United States spy satellite picked up something in the Robertson area of the Western Cape that caused them a momentary blip of alarm. It spotted a ‘suspicious site’ that initially resembled a ‘covert defense complex’. To everyone’s relief, however, this turned out to be a case of mistaken identity – it was actually Soekershof Walkabout, the fascinating complex of gardens and mazes that has been delighting tourists since the early 2000s.
Creative Collaboration
Soekershof Walkabout is owned by Herman van Bon and Yvonne de Wit, who left Holland in 2000 to settle in the Klaas Voogds area of the Western Cape. The district was named after Voogds, an old-time colonist who was trampled to death by an elephant ‘in so shocking a manner that scarcely the vestige of a bone was seen in his remains’, according to historical accounts. They say the red wine in the area is rich and deep because there’s a bit of Klaas Voogds – his spirit, if not his actual blood – in every glass.
Herman’s background is in technical journalism and Yvonne is an artist. With the c
ollaboration of people like horticulturalist Maart Geduld – who is now the manager of garden operations at Soekershof – they set out to build something natural and spiritual.
Inspired
Soekershof is Afrikaans for ‘Seekers Court’. When the Dutch couple arrived on their newly-acquired property, they took control of the large succulent garden which had been neglected. They began to build a series of mazes on the ‘seeker’ theme, each maze bearing a ‘life story’ and leading from one to the other. The Klaas Voogds Maze has been called ‘the world’s largest hedge-maze’ and in the course of a 3-hour tour of the propertyvisitors generally end up on the philosophical side of life.
Construction on the Klaas Voogds Maze began in October 2001. With active creative participation of the contracted bulldozer driver and other workers, the walled maze – covering 13 870 sq m – was built in 3 weeks. The height of the wall varies from 1 to 2 metres, allowing visibility in certain areas. The maze has been designed to allow visitors free rein for their imaginations. As the owners say:
‘Walk, wonder and imagine – or, in other words, get lost!’
‘We’ve written some thoughts and proverbs on concrete tablets and scattered them around,’ says Van Bon. ‘Not all are our own thoughts – quite a few are borrowed from people like Andy Warhol, George Burns and Kahlil Gibran.’
Mazes, Labyrinths, Stories
Global media reviews of Soekershof have been nothing but complimentary, for example:
‘Where else in the world is there a maze associated with so many nice stories and the alleys all named? Where else does a maze have two labyrinths inside it? Where else can such artefacts as a kayak belonging to an aboriginal who sailed to South Africa, and a pole thrown by Lazy Old McDonald all the way from Scotland, be found? Where else can you find a maze with its own ghost?’ – Caerdrola – globally published magazine about Mazes and Labyrinths, October 2004.
Caring for Succulents & the Environment
The succulent fame of Soekershof goes back to Maarten Malherbe, one of the ‘cactus kings’ of South Africa. He established the new succulent garden at Soekershof in 1965. In 1971 it was hailed by the Royal British Horticultural Society as the ‘most beautiful succulent garden in the Southern Hemisphere’. After his death in 1976 it lay neglected – until the arrival of Herman and Yvonne in the new millennium. Today the gardens of Soekershof boast more than 2 400 different species and varieties of succulents over an area of 9 500 sq m.
The nursery at Soekershof Walkabout distinguishes itself from other specialist nurseries by the fully organic cultivation of plants and by providing customers with information which is in line with their own local environment; even sometimes refusing selling a plant when there are doubts that the new owner would look after it properly.
Messina Mussindo’s One-wire Wonders
In the Visitors’ Centre there is a little shop where hand-crafted gifts made by local artists are on sale. The wire baobab tree at the entrance was made by the world-famous Messina Mussindo – whose work can be found in numerous galleries, museums and private collections around the globe. In a joint venture, Mussindo and Soekershof developed a range of one-wire birds and butterflies that are selling in all parts of the world.
Fair Trade in Tourism Recognised
The Fair Trade in Tourism in South Africa (FTTSA) organisation has an exclusive list of members that are deemed to promote ‘equitable and sustainable tourism development in South Africa’. These carry a special trademark which often sets them a notch above other tourism assets as far as international preferences go.
‘Soekershof is a unique attraction that is based on providing concrete benefits for its staff and other local stakeholders while also investing in the conservation of biodiversity,’ says Jennifer Seif of FTTSA. ‘The business has developed a workplace culture that is based on mutual respect and communicating with one another on an equal level. Training provided to staff members enables them to obtain national qualifications. This commitment to staff and social upliftment has led Soekershof to be certified by FTTSA.’
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© Photographs are courtesy and copyright of Soekershof