‘No, my dear, I don’t think there’s a brochure about the town � you just have to ask me what to see!” chuckled Ansie Fourie, bubbly co-owner of one of Ficksburg’s off-beat attractions, Die Blik Plek.
Ansie poured some cherry schnapps and disappeared into her office. We’d hardly finished the drink when she returned with a list of “must-see” attractions, hand-written on a small sheet of paper. What a valuable role self-appointed civic ambassadors such as Ansie must play in tourism in undiscovered parts of South Africa.
With her enthusiastic guidance, we learnt that Ficksburg is much more than a gateway to Lesotho or home of the annual Cherry Festival.
Die Blik Plek (The Tin Place) itself, for one, must be unique in SA. You won’t find much regimental order in the outdoor displays at this sprawling corner shop with the definitive notice: “It’s not a shop; it’s a moerse experience”.
But the random way Ansie and her partner in the venture, Sandra, have placed the “creative art” derived from all forms of scrap metal, adds to the atmosphere.
At your feet, you will, for example, find old pieces of metal converted into quaint angels to guard your garden while time adds to the rust already on their wings. There are relics from Granny’s pantry scattered all over the place: boxes, pots, bowls, basins, jugs. The quest for recycling goes from head to toe: two pairs of old ladies’ shoes serve as pots for succulents.
‘It’s a moerse experience’
Under cover, Die Blik Plek has a tearoom (with rusted iron tables and chairs, naturally) and it sells local paintings, gift items, cherry products, preserves, gifts and bric-�- brac.
Also in the heart of town, Proudly Ficksburg is another interesting outlet for hand-made items such as mohair rugs and sandstone products, diverse curios - and any cherry and asparagus derivative known to man. Brandied cherries, cherry chutney, cherry jam, cherries in syrup, cherry liqueur, glac� cherries, green and yellow cherries, maraschino cherries, cherry nectar punch - name it, it’s here.
Cherries and asparagus are, of course, Ficksburg’s two main claims to fame. Virtually the entire South African cherry crop is produced here and the Cherry Festival in November is - after 40 annual celebrations - the oldest crop festival in SA.
Held over three days, it’s become a mixed bag of entertainment and fun where you can, for example, try your hand at sheep herding, camel riding, or the noble art of cherry pip spitting, for those tired of Scrabble.
There are major asparagus farms around Ficksburg, which has its own canning factory for the spears that even Woolies now calls “nature’s own aphrodisiac”.
‘Nature’s own aphrodisiac’
Situated on the Maloti Route, Ficksburg was founded in 1867 and named after General Johan Fick whose Free State forces had won the territory in the Basotho territorial wars. The town was also “home” to the first state president of SA, CR Swart - and he did not care much for his lodgings in Ficksburg. The 19-year-old Swart (who had sided with the rebels against the Smuts government) was imprisoned there in 1914 and, say the historians with a taste for the dramatic, was released just a day before his scheduled execution.
Other reports say the local marshal had merely jailed the lanky youth for three nights, and then sent him back to his classroom, under house arrest. Be that as it may, the jail where Swart - who, a few years later unsuccessfully tried his luck in Hollywood - was imprisoned is now a historical monument.
Our base in Ficksburg also had military connections, more pleasant ones, though.
The elegant boutique hotel, The Morrison (with its red-brick facade decorated with sandstone arches) previously accommodated army officers. These gents did not live shabbily. The Morrison is a grand double-storey building on spacious lawns that conjure up visions of a stately old English country hotel.
Run by concrete jungle-refugee Pierre, The Morrison has six luxury en-suite rooms, a smoking lounge, reading room, cigar bar and restaurant serving top-class cuisine.
Incidentally, for a small settlement, Ficksburg boasts some top quality restaurants, probably kept in business by the many travellers passing through one of SA’s busiest border posts.
There aren’t many country towns where you can, for one, savour prawns of the standard served at the historic Bottling Company pub and restaurant, or the Highlands Hotel with its French-influenced menu.
Ansie’s list of Ficksburg attractions had included a visit to the business premises of “Mal Koos”, a local character apparently mad about sandstone. Koos, she said, would show how he transforms formidable sandstone blocks from the hills into sought-after cladding tiles and garden pebbles. But Mal Koos had taken the day off when we called - only truly mad people work over a December long weekend, I suppose.
Generally, Ficksburg is a joy, the undiscovered gem of the Eastern Free State, so it’s a pity the town seems to confine its web marketing to the Cherry Festival. There’s a lot to enjoy any time of the year.
Art attractions include the SH Pellisier Art Gallery at the primary school which has, as main feature, a 1922 Pierneef frieze in the school hall; and the beautiful coloured glass art of Helen Tennent in the Anglican Church. Tennent, a local artist, obtained the glass for her magnificent depictions of Free State fauna from a wide variety of sources: bottles, dishes, tumblers, even imports from Italy.
Also worth visiting are the old cemetery with its many British and Boer combatants’ graves, while the imposing NG Kerk building is but one of many fine sandstone structures to admire. Visitors can also see restored steam trains and vintage tractors; enjoy air flips over the Maluti mountains; sail on a boat; or call at a goats’ milk and cheese farm in the district. Horse riding, abseiling, rock climbing, as well as 4×4 adventures cater for adrenaline junkies.
Furthermore, there are polo grounds, quad bike tours, trout fishing, visits to San rock art sites, and hiking trails on offer. Or you can spend a day at the nearby village of Rosendal - a Clarens-in-the-making, if ever there was one. In addition to hotel, guesthouse and B%26B accommodation in the town itself, the Ficksburg district has several “adventure” resorts, with private game reserves to complement fine wining and dining.
Another unique aspect of Ficksburg is that it has, of all things, a French radio station. The station receives radio broadcasts from Radio France International and transmits these into the surrounding area, especially Lesotho where hundreds of French missionaries are based. Vive le Ficksburg!
More information about Ficksburg from www.ficksburg.org.za or www.cherryfestival.co.za
The festival will be held from November 20-22 this year. Contact The Morrison on tel 051-933-3335 or visit the website www.themorrison.co.za
Once in Ficksburg, call on the tourist office, housed in the Highlands Hotel.
amp,asparagus,bike tour,bike tours,historian,rosen,Train,website www
Related Articles
No user responded in this post
Leave A Reply
Please Note: Comment moderation maybe active so there is no need to resubmit your comments