“Now for something completely different!
The evening of the 23 December 2004 found a group of weary hikers (after completing 5 days walking in Groot Winterhoek Wilderness area) in the Klaas Voogds hamlet just outside the small Western Cape town of Robertson. What where we doing there on a dark and damp night when maybe we should have been relaxing and savouring some delicious food in one of the local restaurants or sampling some of the excellent wines?

We had come to visit a maze! A what? A maze! Amazingly (excuse the pun)! I had heard of mazes when I was a child and seen them on Television but never had the opportunity of first hand experience. So once again what do a bunch of tired hikers have to do with a visit to a maze in the Western Cape? Well firstly, this is not an ordinary maze, it is The Klaas Voogds Maze and a marvelous celebration of the life and times (and death) of an amazing character. Secondly, the cactus gardens are probably the finest to be found in Africa with specimens from all over the world.

More about the mazes. You enter the maze after dark, hopefully guided by moonlight, with a list of questions about things to be found in the maze. Some parts of the maze are such that you can feel the character of Klaas Voogds looking over your shoulder (or is it the modern day character in the form of the owner Herman van Bon?). Anyway, after completing all the questions (and finding out more about Mr Voogds) one really feels like one has completed a major hiking trail, with all that goes into making a great hike. This includes lots of walking, interesting features about the area, the history, the botany and if you later visit the Philosophers Garden, something to feed the soul and mind.

Your hosts, Herman and Yvonne complete what proves to be a marvelous experience and certainly one that can be talked about around the camp fire for ages to come with maybe a visit from the ghost of Klaas Voogds to add a little chill to the night air?”

Tim Hartwright, chairman of Footprint Hiking club http://www.footprint.co.za

Other useful links for hikers:

The Joys of Hiking: http://www.hiking.org.za
Hiking Cape Town: http://hikecapetown.co.za
The Ramblers Hiking Club: http://www.ramblers.org.za
Meridian Hiking Club http://www.meridian.org.za
Hiking Trails in South Africa: http://home.intekom.com/hiking
Hiking in South Africa: http://www/walksouthafrica.co.uk
Johannesburg Hiking Club: http://www.jhbhiking.org.za
Worcester Section of the Mountain Club of South Africa - http://www.lando.co.za/mcsawor