Cedara College Hike
Report by Ali Engelbrecht
A glorious winter day spent wandering the paths, trails, and roads of Cedara College.
A chilly start did not deter the conversation and banter.
We were warned to bring along a second set of shoes, as early in the trail, there would be a particularly deep-water crossing.
Thanks to the hike leaders ‘forward planning’, nudge nudge wink wink, there was a kind gentleman who transported hikers across the river in his bakkie.
There were some dedicated souls who preferred to trail blaze through the water.
A gentle climb led us to a beautiful dam where we enjoyed an early lunch.
Off we set, but not on the planned trail, we took a deviation, due to the song ‘Don’t pay the Ferry Man’.
Those on the hike will understand this joke.
Deviations became a regular occurrence, for the rest of the hike. At times it felt like we were in a maze, as we would turn, go back, debate which way, cross through burnt grass to find a half-hidden bridge, with some leading directions starting with “I think we should go this way”.
Also Included in the morning’s activity was a treasure hunt, with Alistair finding gold and diamonds. (true!) Adventures abounded, with group photos looking like naughty school groups, and graduation ceremonies.
The hikers had a splendiferous morning filled with laughter, good scenery and leg stretching. Alistair and Cathy as the co-leaders and Dave as the sweeper did a fine job of keeping us all together.
The walk back to the cars entailed a viewing of the splendid old buildings of Cedara Agricultural College, some dating back to 1914. The hike rounded off with refreshments at a local coffee shop nearby.
