Stone Folk of Ongeluksloot

Created by Ryno Greeff, “The Stone Folk” is a permanent outdoor installation of stone figures carefully placed in the landscape of Ongeluksloot, on the farm Doornberg, which borders the village of Nieu-Bethesda.

Ryno was inspired by the stone figures placed in Kaokoveld, Namibia; "The Dance" by Marcella de Boom, outside Loxton; and the beautifull landscape around the village of Nieu Bethesda.

Legend has it that many years ago a farmer arrived at the sloot carrying his workers wages. Finding the river in flood after a typical Karoo cloudburst, he attempted to cross and he and his vehicle were washed away. He barely escaped with his life, but the wages were lost forever.

Currently there are 10 stone sculptures placed in the landscape with more to follow in time.

To view the Stone Folk, go through the farm gate on your right, about 7km from Nieu-Bethesda, closing the gate behind you, please. There are small signs for "Ongeluksloot" and “The Stone Folk”. Leave your vehicle at the end of the track, and proceed on foot, following the path past the first stone man. Greet him and then follow the foot path to your right, marked with the occasional stone cairn. The circular route is less than 1 km.

The idea is to move through the landscape and position oneself so that you can view the Stone Folk against the sky. Watch the Stone Folk carefully to see how the perspective of each figure changes as you move around. Sometimes the Stone Folk are revealed and sometimes they are one with the Valley and hard to spot.

You don’t have to spend hours here, but if you do have some time on your hands, why not pack a picnic basket, a blanket, a good book and spend some time pretending to be number 11.