After the execution of Retief and his men at Mgungundlovu, King Dingane despatched his junior regiments to drive the remaining Trekkers from Natal. Many Voortrekker families had left the protection of the larger laagers in order to establish their farms…
April 1838 In April 1838 a Voortrekker Commando led by Uys and Maritz set out to recover the livestock stolen during the attacks on the laagers along the Bushman’s River was ambushed and Piet Uys was cut off from the…
19th June to 1838 Maritz built a defensive laager using sods to build a wall underneath the wagons. It is here that Andries Pretorius joined the Trekkers on 22nd Nov and it is from here that the Wenkommando left for…
This drift was used by many Voortrekker parties including those of Maritz and Uys when they first entered Natal and by the “Wenkommando” when it crossed the Tugela on 28th November en route to Blood River. While a marker indicates…
The story has it that Pretorius’ Commando stopped here on its way to Blood River and a Dance was held to cheer their spirits. This site is on private property and is difficult to find. There is no on site…
It is at this laager on the 7th Dec 1838 that Pretorius, Landman and Cilliers formulated the “The Vow” and it was made for the first time. The marker is on the side of the Wasbank Dundee road but the…
16 December 1838 On the 16 December 1838 the Zulu Army numbering some 12 000 warriors and led by Ndlela kaNtuli attacked the Voortrekker Commando of some 464 armed men laagered on the banks of the Ncome River. The battle…
Piet Retief and his party were executed here on the orders of King Dingane. The Memorial is near King Dingane’s Royal Residence, Mgungundlovu. Retief and his party returned to Mgungundlovu in early February 1838 after recovering cattle from Sikonyela. After…
27 December 1838 When the Wenkommando reached Mthonjaneni, they were deceived by a Zulu named Bongoza into believing they could recover much of their captured livestock in the oPhathe gorge. During their descent, they lured into an ambush by the…
After the British occupation of Natal in 1842 many of the Trekkers decided to migrate either back over the Drakensberg into what later became the Orange Free State and the Transvaal or north to the present Vryheid area where King…
17 February 1838 Marthinus became one of the heroes of the Trek when on the 17th February 1838, at the age of 20 he heard gunfire in the direction of the encampments of the van Rensburg, Pretorius, Loggenberg, and Harmse…
4 November 1873 Scene of first action by Natal Carbineers at Bushman’s River pass against amaHlubi attempting to flee into Lesotho. Visit involves a long, strenuous and steep climb into the Drakensberg escarpment. Entrance fee. Ezemvelo / KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife times…
Large “75” inscribed by 75th Regt. on boulder en-route to San cave. Entrance fee. Ezemvelo/KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife times of entry apply. Toilets, curios.
11 December 1878 On the 11 December 1878 the British Government in South Africa presented an ultimatum to King Cetshwayo’s izinduna (senior representatives). The conditions of the Ultimatum included inter alia the disbandment of the Zulu Army and Cetshwayo having…
22 January 1879 The British coastal column moving up the north coast towards Ondini via Eshowe, crossed the Nyezane River and was about to commence its advance up the track towards Eshowe when the Zulu army was observed. The British…
