Page 10 - Cornwall_Issue 3_2022

LIFESTYLE

in the red donation box mounted
against the tree in front of the museum.
Over weekends a small parking fee of
R10 is payable at the main entrance to
the museum grounds. Unfortunately,
due to the popularity of the nature trail,
the koppie is threated by misuse. Whilst
hikers leave a relatively minor footprint,
cyclists and motor cyclists cause much
greater damage which is destroying the
flora. Friends of Smuts House are busy
preparing signage to inform visitors of
the correct behaviour whilst visiting the
koppie.
The combination of history, unique
vegetation and geology make a walk on
the Oubaas trail an interesting outing.
Come on - fill your water bottle and
picnic basket, tie on your walking shoes
and don your cap - I’ll see you on the
koppie!

with an endangered fern that thrives past the bywoner graves. These nine
in rock crevasses, and the monument, graves are the final resting place of the
that has enabled the General Smuts last bywoners that were living on the
Foundation to apply for the property property when General Smuts acquired
to be listed formally as a Protected it. Once you start ascending the koppie
Environment: Private Nature Reserve. itself, the gradient is a little more
challenging, but not too taxing. You
The dolomite upon which this type do not have to be marathon fit for the
of grassland is based is extremely climb. At the top of the koppie you will
old rock and has weathered into find an obelisk, erected as a monument
incredible shapes. Stromatolites are to General Smuts, his wife Tannie Issie,
found here too. According to Wikipedia, and their nine children. Their ashes are
Stromatolites are special rock-like scattered nearby.
structures that are the earliest fossil
evidence of life on earth. An arboretum All are welcome to walk the trail which is
has been developed at the start of open daily, except Mondays, from 08h00
the Oubaas trail walk which includes to 16h00. It is usual practice for visitors to
most of the trees and bushes found register and pay a small fee at reception, BIBLIOGRAPHY
on the koppie, and some of the grass where literature is also available, but Smutshouse.co.za
species. Following the path just beyond during this time of restrictions visitors Tracesofwar.com
the house, walking through the Place are asked to leave a donation towards Facebook.com/Smutshousemuseum
of Quiet, one walks to a forest and the upkeep of the museum and grounds

8 Cornwall View • Issue 3 2022