South African Country Life – September 2019

VillageTradingPostwithitsiconicrooster

outin front.Manymotoristsrushingthrough

DeRust(sillypeople)ontheirwayto andfrom

thecoastwilltellyouthat’swhattheyremember

aboutthisplacedaaimoersehoenderhaan.

TheownersareNiekieEksteenandSoanJacobs,

fondlyknownallovertownas“thoseboys

whoarethelifebloodofDeRust”.

BothNiekieandSoanhavebeenherefor

morethantenyears,attainingthestatusof

‘incomer-veterans’.Buttheysayeveryone,

eventhelocalfarmers(traditionallyhard-bitten

in theKaroo),welcomedthemwarmlyfrom

thebeginning.Shortlyaftertheirarrival,a local

tannievisitedandtoldthem,“I hearyou’re

openinga gayjointin DeRust.I’mnotgay,

butI reallylikeyouguys.CanI come?”

Niekieanswered,“I haven’theardof

a gayjointopeningup,butif onedoes,can

wecometoo?”

The‘boys’cameto DeRustcourtesyofan

advertisementin COUNTRYLIFE– thehouse

thatis nowtheVillageTradingPostwason

themarket.TheyareknownfortheirSunday

buffets,traditionalboerekosenjoyedbyregional

localsfromasfarawayasOudtshoorn,even

George.Thenthere’sthelemonmeringueand

cheesecake,thepiesandthesoup,a wintercook-

upofmushroomandbiltong.Yum,aseveryone

in Dubai, where Jan was a top-flight Rugby
Sevens coach and tournament director. “After
ten years up there we’d had enough,” he says.
“We bought here for the lifestyle.”
As you stroll about the elegant courtyard of

Housemartin, you might notice a pearly white

terrier politely following at your heels. That’s

Dexter. If you let him, he’ll lie quietly on your

chalet stoep all afternoon.

Our De Rust ramble continues up to the

LEFT: The finest storyteller and winemaker in the

De Rust area, Oom Swepie le Roux. ABOVE: De Rust

farmworkers Ashley Blaauw, Adam Willeman, their

dog Meisiekind and their donkeys Boeber and Whitey.

September 2019 022 http://www.countrylife.co.za