Mamre
Mamre is situated between Darling and Atlantis, within an hour's drive of Cape Town. It was first settled in 1701 when the Governor of the Cape, Willem Adriaan van der Stel decided to establish a military and cattle post in this area to protect the European settler's cattle from theft by the indigenous KhoiKhoi people.
In 1808, when the Cape Colony was again under British control, the region was transferred to the Moravian Missionaries, Kohrhammer and Schmidt from Germany. In time a thriving mission station was established and all of the buildings dating from this period have been restored and were declared National Monuments in 1967. Today the mission complex at Mamre provides a peaceful oasis under the oak trees.
Wittewater
The German Moravian missionaries established Wittewater (‘White Waters’) in the early part of the 19th century. The Westen Cape village nestles against the slopes of the Piketberg Mountain and was run as a single unit with the Goedverwacht Mission, which is situated close by.
The original whitewashed and thatched houses have fallen into disrepair but there are plans to restore them. The town is situated near the end of the Peerboom (‘Pear Tree’) Hiking Route, which starts at Goedverwacht.
Goedverwacht
Goedverwacht (‘High Expectations’), situated near Piketberg, is accessed by an excellent tarred road. It was established in 1881 as a Moravian Mission station and has a fascinating history.
The land originally belonged to a widowed farmer, Hendrik Schalk Burger. When the emancipation of the slaves was in sight, he asked his slave, Maniesa (originally from Bengal, India), and her five children and son-in-law to remain on the farm with him and care for him until his death.
In his will, he left the farm to Maniesa and her children with the instructions that when all her children had died, their descendants should sell the farm and divide the proceeds. The descendants decided that, instead of selling the farm on open auction, they would sell it to the Moravian Missionaries for 750 pounds.
Wupperthal
Wupperthal is situated about 74 kilometres from the town of Clanwilliam in the remote Tra-Tra Valley on the edge of the Cedarberg wilderness area. The town can only be reached by a gravel road that winds down into the valley via the Koueberg (‘Cold Mountain’) Pass. It is this isolation which makes it such a special place. Dating back to 1830, the town was established by German Rhenish missionaries.
The town became a Moravian Mission Station in 1965 after the Rhenish Missionaries withdrew from South Africa.
The Wupperthal 4x4 route is a popular off-road driving route and includes overnight accommodation in the mountain above the town.
Vanrhynsdorp
Vanrhynsdorp situated in the centre of the Nama Karoo provides a good base from which to explore the West Coast Mission Route as well as the Namaqualand and Karoo Mission Stations.
Vanrhynsdorp was founded as Trutro (Troe-Troe) after the area became known through expeditions made by Pieter van Meerhoff in 1661. The Troe-Troe Zending (Mission) dates back to the completion in 1751 of the Trutro Homestead which is still standing in the town.
Rietpoort
Rietpoort, situated 28km northwest of Bitterfontein in the Namaqualand region of the West Coast, can be reached via a good gravel road. It was established by a Dutch Catholic Missionary, Father Cornelius van't Westeinde who arrived in 1913. He spent his first 18 months in the area in a cave just outside the town, which can still be visited today. He began his ministry in the open air before a church was constructed.
The beautiful cathedral of Rietpoort was inaugurated in 1937 and Mass is still celebrated at 6pm every day.
Papendorp
The small settlement of Papendorp overlooks the Olifants River Estuary where the river enters the sea. It has a beautiful view over the wetlands and river, with a huge variety of bird species.
Papendorp derives its livelihood from fishing in the estuary and from salt-gathering at the nearby pans. Salt is still processed in the traditional way. Here, fresh harders can be bought from the locals for next to nothing. Remnants of the old reed-and-mud houses where the fishermen once dwelt can still be seen as well as the rustic little church overlooking the river mouth. Papendorp is one of the few remaining places where you can still see the simplicity of life in its purest form as it used to be along the entire West Coast.
Ebenhaezer
Ebenhaezer is situated about 55km from Vredendal on the banks of the Olifants River. Baron von Wurmb, (who was also involved in the establishment of Wupperthal), established a Rhenish Mission Station here in 1831. The community is linked to that of Papendorp, which is situated downstream near the mouth of the river. When the Rhenish Missionaries withdrew from the country, Ebenhaezer became part of the Nederduits Gereformeerde Sendingkerk (Dutch Reformed Mission Church).
Vredendal – Vergenoeg Mission Station
On 15 September 1935 Reverend Archambaud bought the farm Vergenoeg and established the first school on it. Four years later after secession from the Vanrhynsdorp congregation, the then Mission Station was handed over to Reverend H. Klein. Soon the school became too crowded for church services and funds were raised to build a church.
On 3 July 1953 construction started, and on 2 December 1956 the church was inaugurated. It is an architectural jewel, with towers that can be seen from afar. The windows, ceiling, square pillars and other structures all have classical significance to the Catholic religion.
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