The 115 Year-Old Trees

Not far from our house, just a short 2-minute drive, 

lives a lane of giant 115-year-old trees.

The Eeufees Lane of eucalyptus trees was planted by Voortrekkers in 1904!

Sites like this make my amateur-historian's heart happy.

It's easy for me to imagine these early pioneers trekking through the area with their wagons, families and animals. Stopping to rest and planting trees for their future generations, knowing that it will bring much needed shade to the wide open veldt.

What a spectacular entry into our little neighborhood of Hamberg!

One can only imagine what they have witnessed over the years!

They have been the setting of a scary story in the growing up years of our children,

the center of several articles in our local community newspaper, the cause of tears

after a storm in 2017, and the recent subject of Nic's practice photography shoot.

What a splendid lane of trees!

When our children were little, 

they would imagine the trees to be the forest in which the big bad wolf lived.

 As we drove through the trees...they would exclaim.." hurry mom...the wolf is after us!"

And they would squeal in delight 

when we managed to make it through the trees without getting caught.

I have collected fallen bark and eucalyptus leaves from these trees.

In 2017 a severe storm hit our little neighborhood and our beloved trees took a beating!

Two and half years later, most of our stalwart old trees

 are still standing sentinel along the lane that leads to our neighborhood.

Nic recently spent some time capturing them on film.

What a magnificent gathering of gentle giants!

What a legacy planted by the Voortrekkers!