South Africa: Transport legends of the Old Karoo

You might notice the wide streets as you drive through old Karoo towns like Cradock; not much more than a century ago, you had to be able to do a U-turn driving a wagon and 16 oxen – hence the generous width of the thoroughfares.

The old ox-wagon, with its first kakebeen (jawbone) designs, brought trekboer, smous, transport rider and Voortrekker across the wide Karoo plains. The ox-wagon was far more than mere transport. It was, in fact, your entire home; it was also your fortress.

As a…