Worth a visit?
Choose between the two extremes, while we await "normal" times, if these ever return: doing more-or-less 1 300km between George and Pretoria in 13 hours, just to brag about it? Or, enjoying route attributes over some days, and be able to tell others about the varying experiences that enrich your life? I trust you are able to select the second option.
The venerable Kimberley Club is a case in point. Its present combination of history and modernised facilities is unbelievable. 140 years ago, Kimberley was the Wild West of colonial southern Africa. "Diamonds lay thick beneath the surface, mined by tough men who lived hard, many with brutal ambitions. Many fortunes were won and lost. There were more millionaires here to the square foot than any other place in the world".*
At the centre of it all was the Club, conceived to be a gentleman's privilege, imitating those in London. It was for men "seeking refuge from the heat and dust of the diamond diggings" founded by Rhodes, the controversial millionaire and mining magnate. On hot evenings he would walk out to find a cool place on the veranda. Here he explained his vision for colonial Rhodesia. Right here the ill-fated Jameson Raid of 1895 into the Transvaal Republic was planned, with Leander Stan Jameson listening attentively at the feet of Rhodes. The raid directly contributed to the outbreak of the Anglo Boer War, 1899 - 1902.
A colourful personality at an early stage was Barney Barnato. On his arrival in Table Bay, he was penniless. He walked the 960km from Cape Town to Kimberley. He departed from Kimberley as much more than a millionaire. He was reluctant to sell his diamond riches. The dealclincher, however, was that Rhodes quickly arranged membership of the notoriously exclusive Club for Barnato.
There are many stories about Rhodes. Why was a metal arrow of about two metres built into the pathway at the main entrance of the Club? One story goes that Rhodes had a terrible sense of direction. He was in need of all possible assistance when he left the club late at night. Another version is that the arrow simply points north. Rhodes paused at entry and exit, his feet on the arrow, repeating his sworn commitment to the colonial Cape-toCairo dream.
In the 21st century, the functioning of the Club faded. Desperate but good measures were put in place. Ladies were not "banned" any more. A four star boutique hotel became an integrated offering under the same roof. It is now one of the most prestigious in the country - visitors are absolutely floored by its atmosphere. The historical wooden box with its white and black holes is still at the entrance. This box was not only an important aid in handling eager membership applications, it was also the origin of the term "blackballed". Existing members had to put a white ball through the white hole for support; a black ball through the black hole for rejection of the application.
* Sources: Personal visits, research at Kimberley, and the magazine "Country Life"