It is said that the soil of Kwazulu-Natal is so fertile because it has been drenched in blood. The scenic and tranquil pastoral countryside of KwaZulu-Natal has borne witness to bloody conflict and widespread bloodshed.

The area between Estcourt in the South and Vryheid to the north has the greatest concentration of battlefields in South Africa and is thus known as the Battlefields Route.

Any one particular area can be visited in a day, but to the historian and curious adventurer, it’s well worth days or even a week to fully appreciate the Battlefield area.

To understand the reasons behind the Anglo-Boer Wars (yes, there were two!) you need to understand the history. The Great Trek (when Boers decided to move north from the Cape Province) resulted in the establishment of the South African Republic (Limpopo Region) and the Orange Free State in 1852. The British, in violation of an agreement with the Boers (early settlers of Dutch extraction) however, annexed the South African Republic in 1877 by hoisting the Union Jack in Church Square in Pretoria without resistance.

The Boer leaders were unpopular amongst their own people and there was little feeling of nationalism. However, things began to simmer and meetings - particularly one at Paardekraal (Krugersdorp) that was attended by 10,000 Boers - to oust the British were called. The Transvalers reinstated the Republic after negotiations broke down in 1880 and the two countries were inevitably at war. The British claimed victory (finally) in 1902 after a very bloody and vile war. It was here that concentration camps first came into being (by the British) and also the first signs of Terrorist tactics (used by the Boers).

Whatever the feelings, there is great historical importance placed in the area and we can arrange tours for any size of party. Accommodation, transportation and local historical guides will all be taken care of.

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