Hiking in the name of history

Grade 4 pupils from Curro St Dominic’s Academy Newcastle embarked on a brisk walk to Fort Amiel Museum on June 23.

Clutching their water bottles, the pupils crossed the Ncandu River, accompanied by Mr Joubert.

They witnessed first-hand the devastating impact of litter on what was once a beautiful river.

After hiking for just under four kilometres, they reached the old wagon trail and marched onward to the old stone fort.

Once settled at the museum, curator, Louis Eksteen used various artefacts, pictures, photographs and documents to educate pupils on the importance of preserving history and what we can learn from various sources of evidence.

The pupils dressed up in clothing representing different cultural groups and listened to music from a gramophone. They were also shown how quickly messages were sent via heliograph from Newcastle to Durban during the war.

The hikers later devoured delicious barbecued meat and scrumptious snacks from home.

After a quick refreshment, the pupils headed home with a stronger understanding of the importance of history.

The school thanked Mr Eksteen and the staff of Fort Amiel for sharing their time and knowledge with them.