Any book lover’s dream! Hundreds of books will be for sale at R30 each at the Eseltjiesrus Donkey Sanctuary near McGregor from 11 to 14 December. There will also be coffee table books at 20% discount.
With delicious treats at the coffee shop and the company of the sanctuary’s donkeys to look forward to, there’s more than enough reason to visit.
This donkey sanctuary, in the peaceful setting of McGregor, offers a peaceful escape for donkeys that had a hard life.
Owners Johan and Annemarie van Zijl retired to McGregor in 2000, with the dream of sitting on the stoep, drinking coffee and solving crossword puzzles.
Annemarie was approached by the local SPCA, after they saw a horse on the property. They asked her to provide refuge for two working donkeys that came from a brick factory where they walked, blindfolded, in circles in the blazing sun, turning a paddle to mix clay and straw that was then shaped into bricks to dry.
The two bedraggled donkeys soon called the farm home and were aptly named “Vaal” and “Japie”.
Vaaljapie is the colloquial name for cheap white wine and the name of a legendary, hardworking grey tractor.
The idea of a retirement home for donkeys grew and after extensive research
regarding sustainable funding, Eseltjiesrus was registered as a charity and land was rented. Following several fundraising efforts, land for the sanctuary was eventually brought.
