S1 - Ep 379 - Paulpietersburg - Discovering the Captivating Kruger Bridge!
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- čas přidán 26. 08. 2024
- Our trip to Paulpietersburg was a peaceful journey filled with scenic views of lush forestry plantations and bustling logging activity. As we meandered through the town, we were pleasantly surprised by the well-maintained cricket oval, which brought smiles to our faces. Our exploration continued as we stopped by the train station and later the Natal Spa. We found the Spa a bit pricey for just a 15-minute visit, so we decided against that. However, our day took an exciting turn when we stumbled upon the magnificent Kruger Bridge, a National Monument. Discovering its rich history was truly captivating and added a special touch to our visit. To conclude our trip, we enjoyed a scenic drive through the picturesque eDumbe Dam Park, making our visit to Paulpietersburg a memorable and enriching experience. #DustBugs #adventuretravel #southafrica #southafricavlog #travelongravel #kwazulunatal #paulpietersburg #krugerbridge
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One thing I must say, if there's something to be seen, Dustbugs WILL find it. Hats off to you Curtis and Sonja. Thanks for the trip. 🚙🥰
I'm glad you enjoyed this one. We love exploring and finding the things most folks would not even think of checking out. That's what makes travelling exciting for us! 🚗🤩
Love your channel, and it's watched always by my family from Pretoria who immigrated to Canada. They feel like they are back 'home' when watching. You are such sincere, kind people, this come through on your videos. Watching from PE.
Thank you for your most kind comment. 😊 We appreciate you watching our videos and please pass our thanks on to your family abroad as well. We look forward to sharing many more of our travels with you. 🚗😁
Your drone footage of the Kruger bridge is awesome. Sad that it is in bad shape. Beautiful part of SA you in now. Love all the trees .
Stay blessed🚗💕safe travels💕🚗
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the aerial shots of that increcible bridge that survived even a tropical cyclone. 😳 That was all we needed to know to fall in love with it even more. I hope against all hopes that somehow it will be restored one day. 🚗🤞🏻
Thank you for sharing your travels through this beautiful part of the country and the towns in it. I overnighted at Natal Spa nearly 40 years ago. Your videos rekindle happy memories.
Lovely footage from the drone, amazing that the Kruger bridge is still standing , but it's a pity that isn't being preserved. Thank you for another interesting trip 🚙
The Kruger Bridge has certainly stood the test of time and so deserves to be maintained. It was a privilege to see it and to drive and walk on it. I'm happy to hear you loved it too. 🚗😍
Good day this areas I went many moons ago. Paulpietersburg, Vryheid, Magudu, Louisburg, Pongola, Jozini, Utrecht and Wakkerstroom. I like the way you and your wife explore the towns and cities of our country.
Thank you, I'm so glad you enjoy our videos. 🚙😁 I'm sure some of the places we visit remind you of some wonderful times in your own life.
The bridge brings back so many memories, my late grandfather used to take us to the bridge to have picnics next to the river , my great grandfather was one of the builders of that bridge.
Enjoyed your company thanks for the drive 👌 👌👌❤❤❤❤❤
Anytime, it was a pleasure to have you along! 🚗😁
Thank you so much guys, I skipped breakfast so I can watch the entire viddo in one go.
I've only been here for two days (new job) & I already feel confident about my getting around. I liked the " Kruger Super Bridge" & the white Church. I will surely visit these and the dam.
I hope this town is as welcoming and peaceful as it looks.
Thanks again 💯
I think in 1888 "Paul-Pete" would've still been part of the New Republic - with capital city at Utrecht, I think. Not the Transvaal, but it was a Boer republic for a while. They basically provided the Zulu king of the time mercenary services in a war he had against rebels, and in exchange, he gave them the lands of the New Republic. (I think these were the lands "at the headwaters of the White Umfolozi" that one of the first refugee tribes in Shaka's time was driven from by his early enemies. I had the story the other day, but have forgotten the finer details. They crossed over into what's now the Free State, spent some time with the Basotho, and finally ended up among the Mfengu peoples - also refugees - in the Eastern Cape - so they made 'n groot trek, themselves, in the opposite direction to the one the Voortrekkers made. The Matabele also came originally from approximately that area.)
Natal Spa has been going for maybe 80 years, now? (Maybe less, bit if so it's more like 60 than 40.) It was always the big attraction of the Paulpietersburg area. I suppose their day visitor fees are just a way of keeping day visitors away, but maybe they've gone all fancy, and charge the Earth.
It's a pity you missed Luneburg. I don't think the village was much to see (one of these places that's just a police station and a very rudimentary cattle show ground, I think), but the mountains there have some lovely indigenous forest. (If you get to the Newcastle District on your travels - big town, so might be a bad idea - the Incandu State Forest up in the mountains/hills has the biggest Yellowwood trees anywhere on Earth, I think. Up to 40m tall, I seem to recall. It's quite a long way from the town, though.
Hmm ... no, in both cases (Luneberg and Incandu) the forests are probably a bit far from the roads for a short visit.
When we moved to inland KZN, we knew the history ran deep there and it was very interesting to learn about some of it and see some of the historical landmarks associated with that time. 💒🏛️ On the website of Natal Spa, I see Robert Henry Gooderson came up with the thought in 1958, so 65 years ago this year. It looks like a great facility, I would've liked to have a look around.
@@DustBugsTravel There used to also be another hot spring down in the valley thorn veld, more toward the Ulundi side, called Swartfolozi. I don't know if it's survived these years, though.
(If you ever do Namibia, you might find Rehoboth has an interesting history, and they have quite a big hot spring facility there. It was a bit empty when we went, many, many, many years ago.)
Hi First of all Loved your trip through our little town Paulpietersburg.... brought my young family here 30 years ago and my kids had a beautiful outdoors childhood.
Natal Spa was actually discovered and established shortly afterwards in 1888 and used to be run by the locals. We spent many good days with the kids there, locals would get in for free back then and other day visitors would pay R10 to R20 rand.
Unfortunately Gooderson came along in 2006 and bought it out threw a lot of money into it and turned it into Timeshare and redid the Old hotel. Which always reminded me of the holiday place in that movie dirty dancing.
But what an historic building, which is built around huge rocks which are incorporated into the building. Us locals also have to pay that huge fee now of R250per day. The only way to get around it is to go and have a meal in the restaurant then you allowed in for free.
One monument you missed was right at the end of the first road you drove in on that turned into a dirt road to Lunenburg, it is right by the small bridge as you exit the town, and is the monument of were Piet Joubert handed over some peace treaty.... can't remember the whole story it tells it all on the monument (I think it's time for me to another walk down there😂)
Also if you ever in the area again as you exit Paulpietersburg right before and next to the cricket pitch is a building called the Drosty, which used to be owned by Paul Kruger it is now a little museum of the the history of the area. ( another place I thing I going to make a another visit to as it's been a while too)
Love your channel you guys are so natural and a person can hear your kind heartedness.
All the best with your Adventures.
Sorry also the Train station was a beautiful historic building when we moved here, and it used to be on the opp side of the railway tracks from where you were, where the blank sign stands.
Sadly it was pulled down by the Municipality.
It was a station which ran from the coast all the way to either JHB or Nelspruit. And in the 1940s Queen Elizabeth then still a princess came through past us on that line stopping at the next little station just before Piet Retief called Moorriver, where there is a monument to her visit.
Just thought you might like to know.
The towns are mostly always cleaner and less littered than the cities. I live in Pietermaritzburg and it’s very messy and littered - the CBD anyway - which we used to live in the middle of until we’d had enough eight years ago and moved out the city centre into one of the suburbs, where at least it’s cleaner and a little safer & we don’t go to bed hearing the catcalls of the “ladies of the night”, cars hooting etc and it would would only quiet down well after midnight, even on weekdays! Thanks for your great videos, you are doing the travelling for those of us who can’t👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I grew up in Paulpietersburg and Vryheid until we left Vryheid in 1984 butalways went back to visit my family there, i was in Paulpietersburg primary school and in the school hostell which is a retirement home now. Next to the one dirt road that goes out of PPburg there is a monument next to a small river about a man that tried to cross the river with his horse to get to a doctor after his little daugter fell it but tragedy struck as he drowned while trying to cross the river.
@@corneliusnienaber9475 wow, I never heard that story and I grew up in Vryheid. Time to go back home for a visit again... I think I will not recognise the area anymore, been away too long😒 but have the BEST memories🤩
In 1985 I was posted to Newcastle as an apprentice with Telkom and I went to Paulpietersburg one day. We travelled a long way on a gravel road. Was quite an adventure because it was wet and I remember the coombie slipping and sliding.Just love those small towns!🤩
Yup, those sound like good times. It's not much different today on those gravel roads when they are wet. That's all part of the fun though. The small towns definitely have this magnetic pull for us, we just cant' stay away. Thank you for coming back to Paulpietersburg with the two of us! 🚗👌🏻
I couldn't wait till later, just had to watch it now! Thanks for the drone footage of the Kruger bridge! You just surprise us every time!
The Kruger Bridge was a great find and you know I just had to send up the drone! 😁 What a spectacular bridge, I'm glad you enjoyed it too. 🌁😍
Never been there but always intrigued by the name. Is it Paul Kruger and Piet Retief? Lots of cattle...only this afternoon while driving home from my daughter I g0t stuck behind a herd of calves being herded along the road...only in New Zealand! I love it!! I would say sweet potato. I think patats grow well out there.The church is so pretty, and I havent heard a hadida for years! I do love puttering around these little towns. Good to find the station even if its not longer extant. Looks like it must have been really busy in its day.Kruger bridge is so beautiful. What a pity it has been so robbed.
The town was named after Paul Kruger and Piet Joubert, 'Commandant-General of the South African Republic from 1880 to 1900. He also served as Vice-President to Paul Kruger from May 1883 to October 1884 and from May 1896 until his death. He served in the First Boer War, the Second Boer War and the Malaboch War'. (Quoted from Wikipedia.) He was quite the hero in Voortrekker circles. 🎖️Kruger Bridge was quite the find and absolutely awesome to see! I do wish it was in better shape, but it still stands and that's more than we can say about many other structures that came long after it. 😍🌁
@@DustBugsTravel I had forgotten all about Piet Joubert. History is coming alive once more!
I’m glad you touch South of Mpumalanga, can’t wait to watch you explore roads and towns of Mpumalanga. I love your channel so much
Hi guys back on the gravel in rural SA the town is old style but busy with the Afrikaans name it has that vibe to me the amazing amounts of forests and timber stacks .loved the cricket oval and the sports facilities at the country club the Voortrekker gates amazing stunning church so now I can say I've been on the Rainbow route! Always a surprise in these small towns boat up a tree and massive chainsaw the huge cylos again farming on a industrial scale you found the old station the amount of tracks it must have been a busy place with the red brick houses the spa sounded cool till the prices not expensive on uk prices but I think its a bit strong anywhere in the world for 15 mins !!! You also found the Kruger bridge I bet it was some sight back in the day the drone is topnotch especially flying under the bridge just goes to show how the old guys could build still stands proud when the new one collapsed. The park was nice and obviously the party area with the birthday party braaing I could imagine the smell open for 24 hours crazy!!fantastic video thanks for taking me along cheerio till the next one
The boat up the tree was a new one for us! 😁🛶 That entry fee at the spa we thought was very steep, especially for our purposes, and of course we think only in terms of South African Rand. For folks like yourself from the UK, almost everything here is dirt-cheap, but for us locals it's not quite the same. It's sad that a lot of places have become unaffordable to us as South Africans and that the tourism industry mainly gears for folks who come with their pounds, euros and dollars. 🤷🏻♂️ Kruger Bridge is an absolute masterpiece which has stood the test of time, even a tropical cyclone! I could've stayed at that bridge for a good time longer, it was awesome to admire such incredible workmanship. I'm glad you enjoyed the aerial shots! 🌁👌🏻
I am enjoying your channel, ideal way to see areas in our country I will most likely never get to see personally.
Most of my working career was spent in Ermelo. While based there I traveled quite regularly in a vast area in all directions around. Ermelo.
Passed the turnoff to the Kruger bridge numerous times but due to time restraints never saw the bridge.
There are however a couple of bridges that I did get to see as one in particular is close to the road between Ermelo and Amersfoort. It's a multiple arch bridge over the Vaal River.
Enjoy your travels and I will keep following your channel and see our country.
Lovely drive with beautiful scenery..I didnt expect a town with an Afrikaans name in KZN.
And by now you know we visited another one with an Afrikaans name straight after this one! 🚗😁 I'm glad you enjoyed!
Haha jij spot een spoorbrug van de grootste afstand 😅. Dit leek wel een aflevering van het Europese programma Rail Away. Spot zoveel mogelijk spoorlijnen en het station. Alleen dan in dit geval helaas vooral ‘away’ in de letterlijke zien qua foetsie van treinverkeer en vergane teksten op het stationsbord 😢. Maar toch goed dat jullie het gevonden hebben, inmiddels staat op de DustBugs site mogelijk de grootste collectie stationsborden bijeen van Zuid-Afrika. Veel geschiedenis in dit gebied en van de Boeren. Zelfs weer een Voortrekkermonument al leken er geen nazaten daarvan op dat terrein rond te lopen. Mooi dat de NG kerk er nog in goede staat bij lijkt te staan. Toch blij dat ik destijds geen soldaat was in het Britse leger want een dosis Zulu pijlen door je lijf krijgen, lijkt me geen pretje… De brug van Paul, wat een parel in het landschap! Het getuigt van absoluut vakmanschap dat de brug er nog steeds fier bij staat, ondanks de duidelijke tand des tijds en ‘het weer’ dat erin is getrokken en de natuur die erop is gaan groeien. Het is als een Romeins bouwwerk, hoe is het mogelijk dat men zolang geleden met de beperkte middelen van die tijd zulke werken kon bouwen van zodanige kwaliteit dat het modernere bruggen overleeft?! Geweldig trouwens ook je stuurmanskunst met de drone, zo hopla onder de brug door, well done ! 🎉🎥
Bridges do have a habit of calling our names! 😁🌁 And we're always super keen to answer their calls! Our collection of station signs isn't nearly big enough yet, we'll add to it every opportunity we get! 🚉 There is just not a single positive thing associated with a war, no matter how one looks at it. 😥 Kruger Bridge was a fantastic find and we felt honoured and privileged to be in its presence. I'm glad you enjoyed the drone shots, I was brave enough in the moment to fly under the bridge! 😅 I'm with you, I'm awe-struck every time when I think what incredible workmanship from days gone by we get to witness on our travels. 🚗😍
Thank you for this trip. Very nice one. The drone was the cherry on the cake. Interesting town with huge properties as far as the plots are concetned. Sad that the bridge is in bad shape. But you have it on film so it is something to put in the archives! Thanks guys well done. As you know i am in on the next trip.
I'm always happy when you enjoy drone shots and Kruger Bridge was a special one for me. It is such a spectacular structure which has stood the test of time. Thanks for coming along again, it was fun! I trust you were on time for the next one too. I was a little late this time around! 🚗😁
Nice unrehearsed narration too❤️
Fantastic camera work! Pan, zoom & stabilized. What camera are you using?
Thank you so much! 😁 I film with my regular every cellphone, a Samsung S22 Ultra. I really have no need for any fancy filming equipment, it does the job for me. 📱
Hi very cool,enjoying your videos.what cameras and gimbals are you using?
Thank you, I'm glad to hear that you enjoy our videos. 🚗😁 I film with my regular everyday cellphone, a Samsung S22 Ultra, mounted on a normal selfie-stick. I've tried several gimbals, but I don't like the restrictive movement as opposed to my own arm and hand.
Het Baie op die stasie gewerk
Mkondo. Is. Old. Pietretief
Disappointing. Much to short. We enjoyed it so it was bit of a shock when the end jumped onto us. Tx, like all episodes the best photography and commentary. Hendrie and Jennie. SWEST
Thank you so much, I'm really glad you enjoyed this episode so much! 🚗😁 I try and include as much of our footage as possible and our videos are longer these days. You can look forward to many more. 👌🏻
This place is a dissapointment....
Not to us! That Kruger Bridge was a spectacular find. 😍 We make sure we appreciate every single place we get to visit, there would be no point otherwise.