Last October, we became aware of direct air-flights from Dublin to Cape Town commencing in December, so we felt that it was the right time to travel to South Africa – for our holiday and for researching on the founder of the Claremont Institution, the first school for the deaf in Ireland – Dr Orpen, who had emigrated to South Africa in 1848. Due to technology and telecommunications, we had made contact with one of Orpen's great-great-grand-sons, who was delighted to hear more of his Irish ancestors. In addition, technology made it possible for us to contact the Deaf Christians in various locations across South Africa.

Christmas week was spent in Cape Town , visiting interesting places in the region; Table Mountain could be seen from all angles, nearly every day it was covered with a cloudy ‘blanket'. One day we took an open-air bus which took us to the cable-car station with a viewing platform overlooking Cape Town and the Atlantic Ocean , and then the circuit of Cape Peninsula . The other day, we toured the Winelands / Stellenbosch, which reminded us of Switzerland , when we went there for the International Deaf Christian Conference several years ago.

Afterwards, we took the flight to Port Elizabeth where one of the Orpen descendants brought us to see the grave of his great-great grand-father, marked with an obelisk. During our stay in PE, we made contact with a Deaf Christian couple, Aubrey and Laraine Sckwikkard , who brought us to an integrated church, where we had been given a warm welcome.

Having collected the hired car, we drove north-east to Grahamstown, Cradock and then Colesberg (halfway between CT and Jo'burg on the N1 route), where Dr Orpen became 1st Rector of the Anglican church. The region was extremely beautiful, yet arid and stark – with long, straight roads – completely different from Ireland with its green, hilly fields and crooked, narrow roads (without signposts – so easy to get lost there!) The landscape of the Karoo region astounds us – rocky/flat-topped mountains, straight roads, ostriches strutting around, and blue skies. It had us speechless, marvelling at God's creation of the earth, and humbled at realising how difficult living and travelling conditions would be in the 1850s when the Irish family, the Orpens, arrived there – it would take several weeks by ox-wagon from Port Elizabeth to Colesberg.

Having had achieved our goal of seeing where Dr Orpen used to dwell, we drove southwards to George, the gateway to the ‘Garden Route', where the landscape changed to verdant, lush forestry and lakes. We managed to track down the Deaf church in the town, to attend the Sunday meeting. George Goosen gave a powerful message on the Cross in Afrikaans Sign Language, while Thelma translated into English for some of the deaf. One of the deaf ladies - Amanda van Tonder – presented an inspiring signing performance of some songs. The deaf members gave us a very warm welcome, and we had a blessed time there.

Afterwards, we went over to the sea-front for lunch and then were shown around the area, admiring the scenery. Having said farewell to our new deaf friends, we drove over to Knysna for a few days, and then to Mossel Bay, to visit Don and Thelma Cumming , who made us very welcome. We had a blessed time sharing Bible study.

After returning to Cape Town via Swellendam on the N2, we managed to meet on the evening before flying home, an enthusiastic and energetic Deaf Christian, Charles Visser , who pastors to the Deaf in his spare time. Certainly, the holiday was the best and most memorable, with South Africa being such a stunning and varied country and its people – deaf and hearing – so friendly and hospitable, that we would like to return one day!

By Henry and Tracy Pollard (D), Dublin, Ireland