South African Country Life – September 2019

seemsto sayonMasterChefAustralia.
It’sclearthatthemembersoftheDeRust
HeritageConservationAssociationaredoing
theirbestto retaintheold-timelookandfeel
ofthevillage.It’snota jobforthefaintofheart
but,takeit froma plattelandtravelwriterwith
morethan 30 yearsontheroad,thesearethe
peoplewhooftenstandbetweensanityand
utterlybad-tasterenovations,whichultimately
affectrealestateprices,andnotin a goodway.
Upthehillis theartistDiMcLean,wholives
in a largehousewithlocalvetGarthRyder,
plusa foul-mouthedyetcharmingAfrican
GreyParrot, 11 catsandfivedogs.Onegetsthe
feelingGarthbringshisworkhome,soto speak.
Di,whomadehernamepaintingportraits
ofwell-knownSouthAfricanslikeZanele
Mbeki,is alsostrikinga richcommercialvein
withherlineofpopularenamelwarepaintings
in hand-craftedoldwoodenframes.“I love
livingandcreatingherein DeRust.I thinkit’s
thequiet– exceptforthislot,”shesays,asher
enquiringbeastsyaptheirwayintoherstudio
to greetvisitors.
Ona countrydriveoutsideDeRust,you
mightcomeacrossthestatueofPetrusAlbertus
Schoeman,whosewifelovedhimsodearly
that,afterhisdeath,hadthislife-sizelikeness
ofhimcarvedin marble,andplacedona rise

within sight of thefarmstead.

But for fine wineandpricelesstales,you

need to experienceOomSwepiele Rouxof

Doornkraal farm.Therearefewthingsbetter

than meeting an 82-year-oldwitha twinklein

his eye, a bright memory,a giftforstorytelling

and an interestingpast.

Out on the stoepofthefamilyostrich-boom

palace, with a bouviercalledDierbaarat his

feet, Oom Swepiewillcrackopena bottle

of sparkles calledTickledPink(he’sthe

Doornkraal winemaker),pouryoua glass

and tell you a storyaboutwhenthefeather

smouse of old usedto visithisgrandparents.

The travelling, Jewishfeatherdealersenjoyed

their visits to Doornkraal,mainlybecauseof

the famous Le Rouxbrandycellarandthe

dinner fare. But therewasalwaysa priceto pay.

“My Ouma Maggiehada greatambitionto

convert a Jewish pedlarto Christianity,”says

Oom Swepie. “Whentheyarrived,shewould

make them take alongbath(theyspentmany

days walking thedustyKaroo)andattend

a Christian service.Thenshewouldfeedthem.

Her conversion rate,youask?Zero.”

After the sumptuousmeal,OomSwepie’s

grandfather and thesmouswouldgetdownto

business. The featherswerelaidoutin rowson

the floor, oil lampswerelitandadjustedto soft

HandyContacts

■ ForTickledPinkandotherassortedestate

wines,2DoornEquinehorse-riding

adventuresanda monthlySaturday-night

feastatTanteMariaseStal

doornkraal.co.za

■ DeRusticaOliveEstatewww.derustica.co.za

■ MeiringspoortChallenge(trailrunand

mountainbike)

meiringspoortchallenge.co.za

■ DeRustHeritageConservation

Associationwww.derustheritage.org.za

■ MooiKaroofarmshop,FredaSchoeman

onDoornkloofFarmfacebook.com/mooikaroo

■ HousemartinGuestLodge

http://www.housemartin.co.za

■ OudtshoornandDeRustTourism

oudtshoorn.com

lightsothat‘theproducts’wereviewedat their

gleamingbest.Andthehagglingwouldbegin.

Thenextmorningthesmouswouldbeon

hiswaythroughthehillsoncemore,well-fed,

well-brandied,well-suppliedwithfeathers,and

withhisreligionstillfirmlyintact.Asareallof

us,aftera gloriousweekendin DeRust.■

MapreferenceF4seeinsidebackcover

ABOVE: The statue of farmer Petrus Albertus
Schoeman, erected by his wife after his death.
RIGHT: De Rust artist Di McLean and her tortoiseshell
cat, Bibi.

http://www.countrylife.co.za 023 September 2019

DE RUST TOWN OF THE MONTH