Travel writers and tour operators were invited to take part in the launch excursion of the complete Jock Trek 1886 Tourism Route last week, following in the tracks of the old ox wagon transport roads leading from the local goldfields to the coast.

The completion of this exciting new heritage tourism route, traversing the escarpment and the Lowveld to the border with Mozambique, was the initiative of Mpumalanga Heritage, a registered non-profit organisation formed to conserve local heritage and history.

The project leader was a local general practitioner, Dr Gerrit Haarhoff, and the research done coincided with his book recently published on the subject, Forgotten Tracks and Trails of the Escarpment and the Lowveld.

These historic routes, one starting in Lydenburg and the other in Barberton, were the same travelled by the transport rider and politician Percy Fitzpatrick, accompanied by his dog Jock, later made famous in the book, Jock of The Bushveld, a world-acclaimed literary classic.

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Some of the waymarkers indicating the route were erected on cairns and stones as far back as 1952. The initial idea was to indicate sites along the modern motorways where the old wagon tracks cross or run along. The route was further extended with more of these Jock Trek 1885 roadside indicators added during the time of its centenary in 1985, nearly 40 years ago.
After replacing and restoring those that were lost or vandalised, as well as extending the collection according to the latest information, this route of nearly 500 kilometres now boasts 36 of these place and route markers, most of them accessible to the everyday road user.

Some of the plaques are still the original bronze and others are pottery replicas, to prevent pilfering.
Those in the Kruger National Park are made of a durable plastic. The latest plaques are made of a rock-hard moulded cement and resin mix, painted to resemble cast bronze.

Some signposts, with more to follow, were also erected at Paradise Camp near the cemetery at Graskop and Delagoos Berg on the R537, the main road between White River and Sabie, at the exact spot where the wagons went down the escarpment.
This is a tourism and heritage asset restored and extended by Mpumalanga Heritage (MH) as a gift to the people and
to benefit the local tourism industry, said MH chairman, Duncan Ballantyne.
With all the latest information now documented and available, complete with GPS readings, it surely will interest the travelling public to come this way. Tour operators will now be able to incorporate this route or parts of it into travel packages.

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It also holds great potential for the modern adventure tourist and tour operator and offers much more to be exploited, Ballantyne told journalists at the  official opening at the new signpost on Delagoos Berg.

Mpumalanga Heritage thanked its sponsors and those who assisted in this endeavour.

These were Danie Cilliers of Talisman Tool Hire, Piet Jacobz Ennercell, Linda Grimbeeck of Kruger Lowveld Chamber of Business and Tourism, and Louis van der Merwe of Casterbridge Lifestyle Centre.
Forgotten Tracks and Trails of the Escarpment and the Lowveld was launched at last weekend’s Lowveld Book Fair at Casterbridge, and is available at Exclusive Books as well as the Tourism Information Centre of Kruger Lowveld Tourism at the Crossing Centre.

Also see forgottentracks.co.za.
Aside from being involved in various conservation projects and assistance with historical publication, Mpumalanga Heritage also undertakes monthly Saturday or weekend excursions to places of interest in the region. To join please contact Linda Grimbeeck atlinda@klcbt.co.za. Membership is an annual fee of R175.