The Mazes
A Maze is like Life itself
Life can be very short, life can also be very long.
A Maze has dead ends (at least some of them have) and short cuts too. We all have our own approach to life. Whatever direction in life we take, any of us, at any time can run into a dead end. Likewise as in life there are shorter paths to tread. The trick is knowing how to find them.
Ponder this thought:
A wise man once said of a Maze. "Why should I look for the way out, when I know the way in".

South Africans love a good story. Life itself is about telling and listening to stories. During your wanderings through the large Klaas Voogds Maze you will find many stories, if you wish you can add your own.
It is possible that the word "Walkabout" applies better than Maze in this case. "Walkabout" originates from the Aboriginals in Australia and means, to walk, to wonder and to imagine.

The Klaas Voogds Maze also incorporates a 260 meters of Cacti Labyrinth.
The difference between a Maze and a Labyrinth is that a Labyrinth has only one direction to walk, one has to return in the opposite direction to get out again.
In September 2004 a second cacti labyrinth was created. This is a 3-circuit labyrinth with a contemporary design. It needs 2 to experience.

Fingerpointing Maze at one of
the resting points in the Klaas Voogds Maze.

There are three Mazes at Soekershof but only two are accessible.

Butterfly Maze
Inspired by the Nasca Lines in Peru is The Butterfly Maze. In 2003 three baobab seedlings commenced their long journey to Heaven in the heart of this gigantic insect.

Langeberg Maze
This maze will become a 'Botanical Heaven' with patches of indigenous ('veld') plants; partly endemic to the Klaas Voogds area and the Langeberg Mountains. Due to time consuming sustainable soil-improvement (we want to create optimal growing conditions for every individual plant) this maze will not open before 2007 but visitors may have a 'peep'.

Klaas Voogds Maze
This is THE Maze with THE aMAZing stories.

Soekershof started initial works for this giant multicursal hedge Maze in October 2001.
The original design was a simple one; just the outline of the walls. Than Koos (of contractor Goree Slootgraafdienste) came in with 'his' bulldozer and he was not very pleased with the drawing. "If you want to finish this job in time and really want to create this Maze in the most cost-effective manor; you will have to trust me", he said. 		 

In October 2001 'our' bulldozer-operator Koos
started the initial works with scraping the
land, creating the walls and ripping the soil.

And so we did… And we also listened to all the other workers (some of their stories and ideas are integrated in the Maze). Last but not at least many thanks to Pete Sinovitch of Montagu Nursery; being a Maze-lover' himself. Pete did the sourcing of the hedge-shrubs (supplied by 7 wholesale nurseries between Cape Town, Citrusdal and Knysna) and than had to deliver all 4064 Just-In-Time during the 3 planting days. He did a wonderful job but after 3000 kilometers in a not too comfortable pick-up truck without air-conditioning he was glad to see his wife Renate again.
From the first excavation works to the planting of the last hedge-shrub the initial works took 3 weeks. Since than 'minor' works took place such as erecting the 'Goodi Windy monument' and spreading the peach pips in the pathways.
The walled Maze covers a net surface of 13870 square metres and has 2 entrances/exits and numerous resting points. The Maze is regarded as one of the largest hedge-mazes in the world and includes a traditional Cretan Labyrinth with cacti near one of the entrances/exits.

Floral display throughout the year. In the background the Fraai Uitzicht look-out hill with 'Lazy Old MacDonalds Pole'
  Paths (between the hedges) are approx. 3.5 metres wide that leave a walking space of about 2 metres. The hedge-shrubs are planted one meter apart in rows. The 4064 hedge-shrubs consist of 14 different species excluding several varieties. The Tecomaria and Hibiscus (about 1200) varieties flower all year around. Most of the hedges are kept at a height of 2 metres while the privets, here and there in between, are maintained at a height of about 1 metre to provide visitors with the idea of visibility. For this reason 'look out' hills are situated at two resting points.

As mentioned before many stories are woven into this Maze. The main stories can be found at some of the resting points.
One of the stories is about Maarten Malherbe; the original founder of Soekershof. His friendly ghost is watching visitors finding their way in the Fingerpointing Maze which can be regarded as a homage to this (extra-)ordinary South African character.

But also every path has a name with a story like every individual person, animal, object (etc.) incorporates its own story and the stories behind it. Not to mention the 'surprises' installed at every dead end in the course of the second half of 2003.

Sometimes, while seeing or hearing, one gets associations, ideas, even a 'deja vu' and a new (hi-)story is born. That's typical for the concept behind Soekershof and the Klaas Voogds Maze in particular: Walk, Wonder & Imagine….. Or, in other words: Get lost!!
  

Kiro Granaatsak Pad
 

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