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TULI REVISITED.
Over the long weekend in August, Karl & Denise Hurry, together with Rod & Anne Tourle revisited Tuli. The Police Station, the Pioneer Cemetery - it is all in their story that follow.
As usual, all of the best ideas are inspired by a glass/bottle/can of the finest. And so it was with the Tuli trip...
Two weeks ago we visited Rod and Anne Tourle for dinner and to discuss our forthcoming talk at the Bulawayo Pioneer Society.
Rod, Allan Tarr & I had recently visited a few of the 1896 Rebellion battle sites in the Matopos and had been asked to give a short talk. Anyway, at some point I must have mentioned Tuli and my wish to re-visit what had been a (generally) very happy posting.
Rod nonchalantly commented that he and Anne were going there over the forthcoming long week-end (Heroes and Ancestors - formerly Rhodes and Founders). This seemed quite an appropriate time to return and so; after balancing the risks of leaving our 17 year old son in charge of the house fully stocked (by Zimbabwe standards) bar and family car against the rigors of a week-end in the bush; we started packing.
Against much advice, we decided to risk the trip in the Merc (to be honest the roads in Bulawayo are so bad now - how much worse could it be??) The trip to Gwanda was pleasant and un-eventful and we stopped at the Gwanda Service Station for a comfort break and a cup of tea and chat with mine host, Tony Wareham.
There we met and linked up with Cecelia Hubbard (widow of the late Dudley) and (almost) Octogenarian, Maureen Norton (widow of the late Hilary Norton). From Gwanda we traveled led in a two car convoy (although I am sure Cecelia, who was driving a sturdy 4 x 4 must soon have regretted having the crawl along after the Benz!).
The road has been tarred until just after Tuli Breeding Station and is in excellent condition, obviously due to the lack of traffic (who said fuel shortages were ALL bad?). However, once on the dirt the corrugations made the 50 kilometers quite unpleasant. Unpleasant?? It was like and autobahn compared with the next 30 kms! Once we got to Hwali the road became quite challenging.
The countryside changes quite dramatically and the road suddenly becomes extremely stony (not something I ever recalled noticing in my Land Rover in the '70s! We were not in a rush however and it was extremely nostalgic viewing the passing scenery. Wide open veldt covered in Mopani scrub. The only thing missing was the game! Where were all the Impala, Zebra, Kudu, Wildebeest??
To be fair we were now traveling in the middle of the day, but still....... "in the old days" (back when I were a lad!) the hills would have been thronging with wildlife. We did see a healthy sized herd of Impala shortly after we crossed the Hwali river bridge, so not all is lost! The final 10kms or so were horrific and I can only commend Mercedes Benz on the durability of their C class sedans! (Hoping for a new one from them for the advertising!!)
Forty minutes of extremely careful driving, rock and culvert negotiating and we pulled into the Tuli Police Station.
Nothing much seemed to have changed, and once I had explained that I was a former Tuli-ite from some 31 years previous, we were ushered into the member in charge's office. Still exactly the same, in fact I am sure that they were
using the same maps and the combination for the safe had probably not even changed?!!Chairs were quickly provided and we chatted amiably about past and present Tuli problems exchanging the occasional anecdote. Still averaging about 9 C.R.s per month, mostly border crossing and stock theft/poaching (which was about where we were before the "struggle" started to impact on us).
We were then allowed to wander up to the mess and take a few photographs. Again, time seemed to have stood still, nothing had changed at all. The swimming pool still bore the "signature" of Ken MacDonald - it's architect; and was, as usual, still empty. We never had enough diesel to run the generator for the filter and could never had afforded chemicals. I explained to the current crop of Tuli Policemen, that we used to let the pool fill on a week-end and sit, waist deep in cool water, drinking bitterly cold beers! I doubt if we have corrupted the youth as there was no sign of any cooling devices in the mess and the price of beer (and fuel to collect them) would have prevented them from developing any similar bad habits!
Onto the mess and it was as if I had been there just yesterday. Everything was so familiar. Into the kitchen, the dining room, the table tennis room and then the bar. All sans stoves, fridges or any kind of furniture!! Where it had gone I dare not ask. The only items left where the bar itself and the table tennis table itself! Yes, they still got bats in the bar, the view from the verandah - overlooking the majestic sands of the Shashi river was still magnificent.
There, next to the light switch (now sadly missing/plundered?) was the bullet hole from my Brno .22; the occasion being when the then m/i/c Dave Thomas learnt about it's hair trigger and came within a hair's breadth of blowing my head off
Our hosts gaped in amazement when I told them that there were plenty more bullet holes behind the dart board! I remembered and recounted the days (nights) when a friendly dart match against the visiting SB okes degenerated into a shooting match. Graham Hubbard, Steve Acornley and Duncan Beveridge shooting at the board with their P1's whilst Paul Males, Dave Thomas and I persevered with our darts. Talk about a new definition of "Killer"!
As we walked back towards our parked cars I saw the old tennis court; now used as the parade ground and.....over there; next to the overhead fuel tanks... the spot where Mike Borlace landed his Allouette in more troubled times.
Good memories.
Eventually my little walk down memory lane was over and we made our way to the nearby Shashi Wilderness Camp. Dedicated to the late Senator Paul Savage, a little piece of Paradise right on the banks of the great river.
I had been suffering with an intolerable bout of gout and so, without further ado a couple of cold Castles were taken (purely for medicinal purposes) and we and our group enjoyed a superb ox tail stew around the camp fire.
The following morning, bright and early (well for the Army that is - ie about 08.30hrs) we set off to negotiate with the National Parks for our entry fee into the Circle. The brown jobs (in the form of Rod Tourle) had been told the previous day that it would cost us Z$ 25 Billion per head (about US$ 0:10).
However, as usual, on arrival we found that "things had changed" and we are charged Z$ 500 Billion per head (US$ 2:00) and, surprise, surprise.....the receipt book was full/missing/ gone to Harare for Auditing.... WHATEVER! We quickly stumped up the money in a mixture of 100 billion dollar notes and NEW 25 dollar coins (confused yet!?) and of we went.
Following our intrepid lead scout and renowned tracker - Rodney Tourle - we set out across the wide sands of the Shashi River. Having cleverly negotiated a safe path for our less stalwart companions in the vehicle, we soon mounted the far bank, only too find our colleagues stranded in the sand! Perhaps they had strayed from the beaten path? Without further ado we set off into the interior, mindful of the plethora of Elephant, Lion, Leopard and Hyena awaiting us - not to mention possible friendly fire (as their were Americans hunting in the area!) Clearly the sun must have been in the wrong direction" for it was soon apparent that we were going the wrong way. Heading North instead of South - this was doing my gouty foot no good at all !
Eventually we were able to correct our line (and fire our scout) and soon the BSAP were back in their rightful place (on the Right Line if not on the Right of the Line!)
In due course the hill upon which the old Fort had been founded came into site. Those last weary stragglers (including myself - now in a wheelbarrow kindly foraged by the Army) soon mounted the kopje and again gazed as those long before must have, at the fine defensive position they had found.
The gun emplacements are still marked as is the searchlight point. Many items are still to be found and, these are left (by common consent) at the base of the hill for others to find and enjoy.
A kilometer or so further on we came to the rubbish dump, abounding in the mixed detritus of the 1890's. Not surprisingly (having been a Police Fort) the majority of which seem to relate to wine, beer or whisky! Amongst these fine remnants are horse shoes, bully beef cans, buckles, etc.
We proceeded on to the Cemetery and found it well looked after. The graves instilling a sense of awe and respect for those who had braved the challenges and embodied the Pioneer spirit. There is something about a graveyard that gets the lyrical waxing. Anyway all is in good order there and long may this remain.
The end!!
Cheers,
Karl Hurry
A very special thanks to Karl Hurry for the report and the photos. Karl can be contacted on email at karden@mweb.co.zw
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