Post date: Jan 14, 2013 6:11:44 AM
Following a number of adverse reports about the condition of the R74 road between Harrismith and Bergville and the negative impact on tourism in the area, Dr Peter Tobin and his daughter offered their support by making a video about the condition of the road in January 2013, which was then uploaded to YouTube.
"Having enjoyed part of our summer holiday at a superb venue in the Northern Berg area, it seemed only right to support the local community by applying our skills and knowledge to support tourism and ultimately job creation in the area" said Dr Tobin. The video was shot by Dr Tobin's daughter Sarah using a handheld BlackBerry device and edited using Microsoft Movie Maker. "We really hope we can make a positive impact for the local community in terms of encouraging more tourists into the area" said Sarah Tobin. "Now we know the real condition of the road and the excellent facilities offered in the area, we will definitely consider bringing our Scout Troop for a visit" added Sarah, Assistant Troop Scouter at one of the largest Scout groups in Johannesburg.
The immediate positive response received was that the video post on YouTube ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Dtya9CeUmE ) received over 300 views within the first week of being uploaded. It also received a positive comment from one of the accommodation venues in the area:
"Thanks you so so much for this You Tube video (see link below). We really appreciate your initiative...We really should've done something like this ourselves! We will definitely provide our future guests with the link so that they can see just how bad (or how surprisingly passable) the dreadful road is."