INTRODUCTION:
Riviersonderend is a small farming village with a peaceful
rural atmosphere, situated on the main Garden Route between
Cape Town and Mossel Bay on the N2 - 160 km from Cape Town,
and is surrounded with farms. The town offers the tranquility
of beautiful mountain and river scenery, a nine hole golf
course and a host of other activities. The town is also only
an hour away from several beaches.
There is uncertainty about the origin of the name
Riviersonderend.
Willem ten Rhyne, who visited the cape in 1673, referred to
the river, with it's source in the mountains, as the
"sine fine flumen" ("river without end").
In 1707 Jan Hatogh, a horticulturist employed by the Dutch
East India Company and a seasoned traveller, referred to the
river as the "Kanna-kan-kann". This word was
possibly derived from the Hessequa word "Kamma-kan
Kamma" which, roughly translated, means "water,
endless water".
The Hessequa were a local tribe of herdsmen.
Thus the believe that the name of the town was derived from
the perennial Sonderend River at the foot of the Sonderend
mountains. Riviersonderend, or "Rivier Zonder End"
as it was known in earlier days, was established in 1923 when
Miss Edith S V McIntyre sold the farm Tierhoek for 6000 pounds
to the church council of the local Dutch reformed Church when
the congregation was established.
Riviersonderend is a convenient base from which to explore the
surrounding countryside and several Tourist busses make this a
stopping point, when passing through the town. Nature lovers
will delight in the magnificent views across the
Riviersonderend Valley. Enjoy the beautiful wildflowers,
fynbos, fresh air, mountains and scenic views that
Riviersonderend Mountain has to offer.
