Many people assume that Nieu Bethesda started as a mission. At first glance, Nieu Bethesda appears to be a sleepy town, lying loosely at the foot of the Sneeuberg mountains, awaiting the kiss of life. But do not be deceived. The heart of life already beats strongly here. This unforgettable landscape, world-famous geology, wildlife and botanical richness also shelters remarkable people. Together, the place and its people make Nieu Bethesda an ideal destination for a few days. (Those who know better, stay for a week or a fortnight.) Come to unwind, relax and catch up with yourself. Or come to catch that infectious Karoo creative energy. Either way, you'll leave refreshed and a little stronger.
Other services available in Nieu Bethesda include; a variety of restaurants, coffee shops and art galleries, and activities such as: birding, horse riding, mountain biking, hiking and walking, Climbing Compassberg mountain, eco-friendly 4 x 4 routes, Rock Art, fossils (there's even a hairdresser who attracts clients from around the Karoo!). Strolling around the village at leisure brings its own pleasures . . . spend a little time here and you will be rewarded with rich experiences. Day Trips from Nieu BethesdaThe village is conveniently situated for a number of day trips to a variety of destinations. Bethesda Art Centre
Art, music, dance, theatre... visit the gallery, see a class in progress, take part in a workshop, or catch a performance at the magical open-air theatre.
Muller Street, Tel: 049-8411731
www.bethesdafoundation.org The Cemetery
Walk around
the peaceful cemetery and see graves ancient and contemporary. Adjacent to a park
and the sportsground lies the historic graveyard of this valley. With graves dating
back hundreds of years, many of them unmarked save for their beautiful local stone,
this is a peaceful and pretty place to spend a quiet time.
There is at least one grave of a British soldier who died in a skirmish during the Anglo-Boer War (a pair of local residents, of British descent, place fresh flowers on the soldier's grave every year on the anniversary of his death), and a number of touchingly small graves for children. There is also the lavish grave of a man very much alive and well and running his business in Nieu Bethesda every day.
The cemetery is divided along the same socio-economic line that divided the families of the village: above the road that leads to the cemetery was the area known as the Bodorp (uptown) where the poorer people lived; below that road, in the Onderdorp (downtown), lived the wealthier people. So it is in the graveyard. English-speaking people were allocated space in the cemetery later.
Freddie Jacobs Craft Workshops
Make your own goggas from tin and wire. Freddie
Jacobs shares his love of nature and its creatures in fun workshops for children
and adults of all ages. Participants come away with their own gogga. Contact him
on 072 725 3486 (after hours).
Members of the Nieu Bethesda Woollen Craft Felting Project show groups of children how raw fleece from a sheep turns into a durable felt. Participants come away with their own felt ball. Phone: 049 841 1400 or 841 1671. The Dutch Reformed Church
With seats for up to 700 souls, this church still hopes to be completely full
again one day.Still lit by gas chandeliers that pre-date the arrival of electricity
in the town, the imposing white church asserts its presence over all the valley.
With a steeple tall and elegant, and a clock that chimes accurately on the hour,
this historic church still operates every Sunday for its diminishing congregation.
This building was inaugurated in 1905, after many years of services being held
in the wagon house of BJ Pienaar. The wagon house (next door to Outsiders in the
main street) was then used as a church hall, and as a venue for English church
services. To see the Dutch Reformed Church, ask for the key at 082 457 5211.
Ganora
Excursions
Give
us a day and we'll give you 240 million years! Guided tours are offered to San
and Khoi shelters on the farm where rock art dating back to 10 000 years ago can
be viewed.
After the walk we return to the homestead where you can
view a collection of Bushman artefacts and fossils in our private museum.
Guided Fossil walks possible if booked in advance. Phone: 049-8411302 / 0826980029 www.ganora.co.za
Jakob's Guided Donkey Cart Tours
Let a pair of donkeys and an entertaining commentary introduce
you to our village. You can't miss Jakob van Staden he's riding the most distinctive
transport in town. Leaving from the Owl House, Jakob's guided tours of the village
and of the township (Pienaarsig) are a highlight of any visit to Nieu Bethesda.
Five years ago, Jakob had a dream: a donkeycart that helped him share his love
for his hometown. The first, small, cart has grown to the sturdy three-bench model
he now drives. And he hopes that a second cart, pulled by horses, will soon expand
the fleet. Jakob is also available for special trips (such as to Ganora for fossil
and rock art tours, before participants walk back to town via the Canyon Walk)
and for special occasions he has four summer weddings booked already. Phone:
072 987 9831 (after 6pm)
Nieu Bethesda Development Foundation 
A community-based Section 21 company focusing on socio-economic
development. The NBDF aim's to promote the sustainable and responsible socio-economic
development of the disadvantaged community of Nieu Bethesda. The Foundation currently
runs four programmes focusing on socio-economic development: an advice office,
the Sibanye Community Health Group (involved in HIV/AIDS awareness, counselling
and testing, substance abuse and violence against women and children), small business
support (including loans and training for small local businesses such as Sneeuwitjie
Restaurant and Jakob's Guided Donkey Cart Tours), and education
and training. This is in addition to the Foundation's core functions of administration,
financial control and development facilitation. The Foundation was also instrumental
in raising the funds to build the Sneeuwitjie Educare Centre and the community
hall. Phone/fax: 049 841 1732 or nbdf@telkomsa.net
The Old Mill
A
quaint stone building houses this ancient water mill with a great view.Explore
the small water mill that used to grind wheat and might again some day soon
the home-schooled children of Nieu Bethesda are due to start restoration work
on the mill as part of a science and technology project. Using the water channeled
through the town's ancient system of furrows, this mill was built of local stone
in 1860 to service the surrounding farmers. The original farmer of the valley,
BJ Pienaar, built the mill on land hired from the Dutch Reformed Church. Today,
the property is still owned by the church. The first mill wheel was made of wood
but this was later replaced with the current metal wheel. The mill commands a
splendid view of Compassberg mountain in the north.
Day tripsKaroo Nature Reserve; Graaff-Reinet, fourth oldest colonial town in South Africa; Valley of Desolation, where columns of rock tower over the Plains of Camdeboo; Mountain Zebra National Park, home to the indigenous Cape Mountain Zebra; Cradock and the Olive Schreiner Museum; Agave Distillers, makers of the only tequila outside Mexico; Aberdeen, sister town in the Camdeboo Municipality; Middelburg, heart of sheep farming country. The Nieu Bethesda Theatre
The Nieu Bethesda Theatre has been established to provide a place for the local community to share their creative work. Athol Fugard, the playwright who celebrates the Karoo, has said,
"At a certain point in my play, The Road to Mecca,
when Helen Martins is talking to her young companion,
Elsa Barlow, about her work and her passion for life,
she says, 'Light is a miracle, Miss Barlow, which even the
most ordinary person can make happen.' It was Elsa's
lighting of a candle with a box of matches that provoked that observation."
There is another small miracle that even the most ordinary person can make happen, and all you need for that one is a blank piece of paper and a pen. That miracle is the telling of your own story. It is my passionate belief that that spark of creativity is lodged in every human soul.
The Nieu Bethesda theatre wants to make the sharing of this creativity possible from stories written with the ink of one's personal experience, to music, and prayers.
The first performance was in fall, 2003 of Athol Fugard's Valley Song in an Afrikaans translation by Idil Shear. The official opening was in March 2004 by its founders: Marianne McDonald, a professor of theatre and classics at the University of California, San Diego, and Athol Fugard. Both have homes in Nieu Bethesda. This opening featured Eastern Cape voices one week and Nieu Bethesda voices the next.
This theatre is also a meeting place for church groups and the occasional social function. Anything that nurtures the creative human spirit.
Call Hester Steynberg for information: 049-8411-302 / 0826980029 THE KITCHING FOSSIL EXPLORATION CENTRE
Is situated next to the world famous Owl House
in the picturesque Eastern Cape Karoo town of
Nieu-Bethedsa. This centre tells the story of life
in South Africa 253 million years ago during the
Permian Period.Discover why the Karoo is an internationally important place for fossil finds and about the extinction event which destroyed most of the Earth's life 251 million years ago. Learn about James Kitching and the other world famous palaeontologists who worked in the Nieu-Bethesda area.
KAROO FOSSIL SAFARI
Take a half-hour stroll with a guide to the nearby Gats River bed to find real fossils then walk back to the Centre via the historical foot bridge. Hats and strong shoes are recommended for the walk.
Note: fossils are protected by law and may not be collected or traded.
VISITING THE FOSSIL CENTRE
Take the Nieu-Bethesda turn off from the Graaff Reinet - Middelburg road, in Nieu-Bethesda follow the signs to the exploration centre.
Summer Holidays: 08:00 - 18:00 Normal Times: 09:00 - 17:00
Entrance Fee: R26 for a combined tour of the KFEC and Owlhouse
For more information:
TEL: (049) 8411 733 OR (011) 717-6685
E-mail: bpipal@geosciences.wits.ac.za
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