By Ivor Markman

Just when you thought tourism operators had tried everything, something new crops up - like a Wild West experience in the Eastern Cape, complete with cattle roundups and cowboy breakfasts.

The cattle aren't those Texan longhorns you see in the cowboy movies, but indigenous Nguni cattle. And the horses aren't mustangs, but good old South African boerperde.

Entrepreneur Chris Bush said: "What better way to get folk here than to allow city dwellers to experience a four-day Nguni cattle roundup?"

He was speaking at Molweni, his new Eastern Cape game park 9km north of Adelaide, or about 50km north-east of Cookhouse.

Day one of the Wild West weekend is spent acclimatising and settling down, but on day two the first group of cowhands mount the saddled boerperde and set off after a hearty breakfast, ready to "get us some cows".

Rounding up cattle is very different from your usual horse trail. It requires constant alertness as you dart in and out of dongas, up and down steep gradients and back and forth across undulating country.

After rounding up a group of cattle the cowboys and cowgirls have to herd them up a narrow passage made of poles called a crush. When the cattle are hemmed in, the exits are barricaded so they can't escape.

Before the cattle can be chased up the crush, the calves have to be separated from the adults. Some of the calves are only days old and they do their best to escape by ducking and diving around the kraal.

Standing your ground as a bull charges towards you takes nerves of steel, but as large as they are, the cattle are scared of you, so they'll usually do what you want them to.

Once secured, a rope is slipped around the Nguni's horns and its head secured against one of the solid wooden crossbeams. The cowboys must then ensure that the correct tags are clipped to the ears and if the horns are too sharp, the tips are clipped off.

The Waterkloof area where the roundup takes place was the setting for some of the most vicious battles of the War of Mlangeni, otherwise known as the Eighth Frontier War, fought from 1850 to 1852 between the Xhosas and the British.

Standing at the top of the mountain it is difficult to avoid thinking about the hot day of September 8, 1851, when Colonel John Fordyce led his 74th Highland Regiment up Kroomie Heights. He was expecting an easy victory, but was in for a rude awakening.

After being ambushed, the Highlanders had to move in single file down the side of the mountain.

Maqoma, the Xhosa chief, had foreseen the retreat and hidden his men in the thickly-wooded sides of the "pass". As the 74th retreated, the warriors emerged from their hiding places and engaged the British in vicious hand-to-hand fighting.

Eventually the Highlanders retreated and reached open ground. There they were able to turn about and fight off the Xhosas who did not follow them onto the open ground. When the Xhosa retreated up the mountain, it was very clear they were the victors that day.

But back to the present.

At night after a hard day of cattle roundups, the light of the storm lanterns dances softly around the dinner table. Somewhat cleaner, more relaxed, and definitely much cooler, the cowboys and girls enjoy the generous helpings of pie, medium-rare "impi" (impala) venison and lamb in red wine, roast vegetables, and pap and peach melba served on African design crockery.

The wine and beer flows freely and, no doubt, when the cowboys later hit the sack, it's lights out.

Chris and Tamsin Bush can be contacted at 046 684 0261.