Religion, history, geography and the clash of European and African cultures somehow manage to get involved in a multiple-narrative pile-up in the dusty, desolate roads of southern KwaZulu-Natal.
In a nutshell, one could call it the Heart of Darkness in East Griqualand — but with a far less calamitous conclusion.
In terms of cultural tourism South Africa is certainly no slouch. Several iconic destinations such as KwaZulu-Natal’s battlefields of Isandlwana and Blood River, Sterkfontein’s Cradle of Humankind and the Iron Age marvel of Mapungubwe immediately spring to mind. Yet these are merely the tip of the iceberg of landmark locations that tempt the tastebuds of the intrepid traveller. The country has more unexpected sources of interest to those determined to remain far off the beaten track.
One of these is the remarkable tale of Mariannhill Monastery, its constellation of mission stations dotted around central and southern KwaZulu-Natal, and the man who built them.
The story begins in 1880 when Franz Pfanner, an enigmatic Austrian monk of the even more enigmatic Trappist Order of the Catholic Church, arrived in what was East Griqualand (now southern KwaZulu-Natal).
Pfanner’s decision to join the Trappist order and the effect this had on his life and the course of history is an ironic one. Since he was a child, Pfanner had suffered poor health and when he encountered the Trappists with their uncompromising regimen of backbreaking labour and extreme frugality, he was convinced this would finish him off. In short, he joined the Trappists to die.
Yet, miraculously, the hard, punishing life of the Trappist was just the tonic for Pfanner, who ended up living into his 79th year.
The story of Pfanner, MariannÂhill Monastery and the effect the Trappists had on South Africa unfolds in mesmerising style in a seminal weekend of living history entitled Mission Tours.
In the course of the getaway one also learns how South Africa in turn had an unexpected effect on the Trappists and how this ultimately altered the direction of the Catholic Church all the way from Mariannhill to the Vatican.
Led by well-known local historian Steve Kotze, who cut his teeth giving Zulu War battlefield tours with the legendary David Rattray, the expedition brings the stark, desolate landscape of southern KwaZulu-Natal to life with this enthralling tale.
The tour starts at Centocow, one of the major mission stations of Mariannhill Monastery, where Kotze delivers a spellbinding lecture that sets the richly detailed historical stage for the arrival of Pfanner. A skilled orator, Kotze’s animated rendition of events is an astute blend of academic prowess and gripping narrative.
The tour then moves to the imposing Lourdes mission station before reaching the lonely, far-flung mission of Emaus where Pfanner spent the last 15 years of his life.
Here Kotze concludes the increasingly thrilling tale involving the profound crises of identity within the Catholic Church occasioned by Pfanner and his controversial vision of the Trappist order. Members of the tour get the chance to undergo the haunting experience of climbing the Hill of Calvary, Pfanner’s personal, painstaking vision of the Stations of the Cross. Jutting from the top of the hill is an enormous iron Jesus, crucified, gazing eternally across the dusty plains of the Drakensberg foothills.
The tour costs R1 200 a person, including accommodation (Friday and Saturday nights) at the Smithfield Guest House in Creighton and all meals and refreshments. On Sunday morning those who wish may witness the Mass at Centocow.
Kotze also guides a one-day self-drive trip from Durban that includes visits to Mariannhill Abbey and five of the Mariannhill mission stations.
For those who prefer mental to physical travel, Kotze has narrated a richly detailed audiobook on the subject, that is available in the form of a double CD on the tour’s website.
For all information visit www.missiontours.co.za or email info@missiontours.co.za