Maximum temperature in the Charente today 13C, minimum 11C. 16 mm of rain measured this morning, to end a very wet, wild and windy week!! Roadside ditches and fields are flooded, and today, 40km/h westerly winds with gusts up to 88 km/h!!
Nieu Bethesda is a small town far off the beaten track, on the edge of the Karoo and today suffering from a five-year drought. Brave were the Afrikaans settlers who came here in the 19th century and very resilient is the small population which still remains in the parched dusty landscape! It appears that I have taken no photos of the town, other than the church (!), but our main interest was the local fossils and the paintings.
We stayed at Ganora Guest Farm run by Hester and JP and this photo was taken during the interesting evening talk by JP about fossils, most of which had been found on the farm during his ownership.
Nieu Bethesda is a small town far off the beaten track, on the edge of the Karoo and today suffering from a five-year drought. Brave were the Afrikaans settlers who came here in the 19th century and very resilient is the small population which still remains in the parched dusty landscape! It appears that I have taken no photos of the town, other than the church (!), but our main interest was the local fossils and the paintings.
The Dutch Reformed Church which was completed in 1905
A fossilised fish.
A bit of fossilised spinal column.
Various fossilised bits and shells. He has a whole room dedicated to his fossil collection!
Poster depicting the development of local prehistoric species over millennia.
We then went to see the museum in the town - see info from the above, below...
Another one that hopefully you can read about below, a Dicynodon...
Other fossils found in the rock strata, now being slowly uncovered and revealed by weathering of the surface.
After viewing the museum, we were taken by the museum guide out to the dry river bed. The plaster model on the right is based on the configuration of the actual fossil on the left, still embedded in the rock of the shale river bed. There were several more, but different examples to be seen, many too large to be excavated easily. Fascinating!
We also were shown these bushman paintings, a visit which entailed a 10-minute walk across a field! They had been made on a wall under an overhanging rock outcrop, the small site overlooking a deep rocky river valley. Some paintings go back as far as 5000 years, though these are probably much more recent.
Finally, the Ganora farm was a working farm, and of course, while we were there it was spring in South Africa, so the lambs were in abundance!
I saw this beetle on my walk around the farm.
Thank you Joan for the ID it is a Ten Spotted Ground beetle (Thermophilum decemguttatum) family Carabidae.
See also my updated Bird blog at
What a great visit. I would have enjoyed looking for fossils and I might have been tempted to sneak a sample into my pocket, although I am sure that the regulations forbid it. I have fond memories of my journey into the Karoo. Hope you are settling back into "life as normal." Enjoy the week ahead, Diane.
ReplyDeleteThanks David, think it would have been impossible to hide anything in your pocket, too well protected! Sort of getting back to normal after we finally recovered from all the bugs we returned with!! Keep well, best wishes to you both Diane
DeleteI admire the early pioneers of various nations who were adventurous and brave enough to try and carve out a new life, often in the most difficult of climates and circumstances. I can see why you were interested in going to Nieu to see the fossils and bushman paintings. Very nice selection there.
ReplyDeleteHi Penny yes it must have been a very difficult life back then. Nieu Bethesda was a spot chosen as it has a spring above the village which bubbles away even now with the bad drought. On the farm where they have had no rain for several years they still have underground water. Interesting place. Keep well Diane
DeleteThe fossils are fascinating to see Diane, some big and scary carnivores back then, make the big cats of today look like pussycats 😉 We are sweltering here in Perth at the moment makes everything so much harder and next week when my Sydney family arrive to stay it's going to be a full house! Can't remember it being this it in December since we first arrived here over thirty years ago. What I would give for a white Christmas 😊 Take care and look after yourselves 💙
ReplyDeleteOh no Grace I can do well without a white Christmas, I seem to always be able to keep cool somehow, especially here living in a stone house, but I cannot always keep warm no matter how much clothes I wear!
DeleteAmazing fossils and all so interesting. Keep cool, and look after that foot, Diane
A very interesting post Diane, great photos! Enjoy your Sunday :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Denise , glad you found it interesting. Happy week ahead I hope, Diane
DeleteDear Diane, welcome to our beautiful country. You were certainly treated well by JP and Hester with a lecture on fossils added. The beetle is a ground beetle. It runs swiftly and the distinctive markings on its back indicates its ability to spray acid. I look forward to following your tour through South Africa. Be safe. Jo (Champagne Valley, Central Drakensberg - just in case you pass here!)
ReplyDeleteJo we had a great time despite the weather being much cooler than expected and both of us being ill. Thanks for the beetle info, but I need the scientific name for it which I am still trying to track down, There are many different ground beetles. Have you seen the previous entries with some of the animals we saw there. More to come. Keep well and have a good week Diane
DeleteWhat a fascinating place. So much to see and learn about! How fortunate you were to experience it. Thank you for sharing it!
ReplyDeleteHi Marie it was so interesting, I have never seen anything quite like it, It was all thanks to Gaelyn at https://geogypsytraveler.com/ who told me about it. You might well be interested in her blog. Keep well Diane
DeleteReally interesting Diane and what amazing these paints about many years ago. Really amazing.
ReplyDeleteHave a nice Sunday comfy and warm!
Thank you Gloria, it is amazing, There were a lot more paintings but sue to a rock slide many disappeared. Have a good day Diane
DeleteOh the history of it all. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteThe world was a very different place in those days! Hope you have a good week, Diane
DeletePretty church building. Interesting exhibit of fossils. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteThanks Nancy, a whole different world in those days. Have a good week Diane
DeleteI just saw a headline about a whole tail being preserved in ice. Fossils are an amazing sneak peek into the past.
ReplyDeleteThe changing world is quite incredible, it was so interesting seeing them still in the ground. A unique town. Cheers Diane
DeleteI am so glad, and envious, that you stayed at Ganora Guest Farm. JP really knows his stuff when it comes to fossils.
ReplyDeleteWe loved it there, we had the pleasure of a 2 night stopover. Interesting place in every aspect. Cheers Diane
DeleteAn absolutely fascinating post, Diane. I'd have loved to have seen those fossils and, like David, could have been very tempted, but only to try and find some myself! Is fossil collecting permitted and, if so, would it be legal to bring one back to UK?
ReplyDeleteThat beetle, apart from its colour, looks somewhat similar to our Green Tiger Beetle.
Best wishes to you both - - - Richard
I have no idea if fossil collecting is allowed, I would guess not. They did say that some of the fossils in the river, other museums had discussed digging them out, but it might take years as they are mostly very big. Also, if they did that, they would take them away, so the town said no, they stay or go into our own museum. On the farm the staff are always on the lookout for fossils. They know though that if they find anything, they do not touch or remove. They call JP and he takes over from there, but if it really is a fossil, they get a some extra pocket money. Very interesting couple of days. All the best Diane
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