21st October 1837 The Trekkers reached this site in mid October and stayed through till mid November, sending out parties to find ways down the escarpment. On 12th November that Retief’s daughter Debora painted his name on a rock to…
This monument stands on the top of Retief’s Pass and is the point where his party stood and gazed on what they believed was “their promised land”, the beautiful hills and valleys of Natal. Little did they know at that…
10th January Onwards – Chieveley Area near N3/R74 junction Retief arrived at this laager site on the 10th January 1838 with the cattle recovered from Chief Sikonyela and a meeting was held as to how they would be returned to…
12 February 1838 The Zulus attacked the Voortrekker laagers in the Bushman’s River area after the execution of Piet Retief and his men but were repelled. Restored Voortrekker house on site. Follow Alfred Street in Estcourt, across the Little Bushmans…
17 February 1838 Marthinus Oosthuyse 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…
The site of a three day attack by Zulus on the Voortrekkers’ laager (13-15 February 1838). The actual site is now beneath Wagendrift Dam. A Diorama explains battle and shows the Voortrekkers’ battle tactics. From Estcourt, take the Wagendrift road…
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…
