I ♥ Colesberg

Hi, I’m Jurie from Toverberg Guest Houses and Carl Gronum from Traveller’s Joy Guest House  in Colesberg.

Colesberg IS BEST KNOWN FOR being a convenient stopover between the interior and the coast. Here the N1 and the N9 meet.

GET YOUR PICTURE TAKEN AT the wrought iron lamp at the corner of Paul Kruger and Ventershoek Streets – erected in commemoration of Queen Vistoria’s 60th Jubilee.
THE BEST sunset PICTURES CAN BE TAKEN DOWN the road passing the golf course.

OTHER HAPPY SNAPS AT a number of 19th century buildings and the Colesberg Sloot.

WHEN THE WEATHER'S GOOD, I LIKE TO cycle with my road bike along the road past Bastersnek onto the Seekoeiriver – about 20km out.

I ♥ Colesberg

WHEN THE WEATHER'S BAD, I LIKE TO local publication All Roads Lead to Colesberg introducing me to a time gone-by and a future full of promise. Let your imagination, with the assistance of the booklet, meander through town: You will be intruduced to the stories of the beautiful churches and Karoo houses with their intricate detail meeting interesting characters form the past. You could sit on a stoep gossiping about passers-by. Or perhaps you can imagine having tea with Helena Stern (by invitation only — ofcourse!) discussing her wedding dress which is now in the Kimberley Museum. You meet Lady Florence Phillips again, daughter of Adolf Ortlepp of Ortlepp House in the main street and are reminded of her contribution to the Johannesburg Art Gallery; of her changing the Koopmans de Wet House in Cape Town into a museum and the restoration of Vergelegen to its former beauty. Take an excursion through the surrounding battlefields, when Colesberg was the Southern Front during the Anglo Boer War, or listen the stories of pain of those during the 1980’s political unrest.

I ♥ Colesberg

You may also feel yourself comfortable on the back of a donkie karretjie of a Karoo Nomad family. Or, maybe you are interested to learn about how many buildings in Colesberg were built from from locally manufactured bricks – all by hand. And, what about Mr Edmead’s memories of the Norval’s Pont pontoon?

I THINK THE BEST TIME OF YEAR TO VISIT IS all year round, BECAUSE whether a hot or cold day there is always a good fare and bed (provided you have booked accommodation way in advance – especially during school holidays!).

MY FAVOURITE BREAKFAST SPOT IS The Gossip.
FOR LUNCH, I SUGGEST The Horse and Mill – one of the only working horse mills left in the country — now serving as the local pub.

I ♥ Colesberg

MY FAVOURITE RESTAURANT IS The Bordeaux, TRY THE lamb shanks! Also try Die Plattelander or JC’s neck of lamb.
BEST LATE NIGHT SNACK FROM JC’s.

MY FAVOURITE dreaming SPOT IS on top of Coleskop — a climb of about one hour.
FOR A NIGHT OUT ON THE TOWN TRY Blue Moon (If you younger than I am!)

IF YOU WANT TO MEET LOCALS, GO TO to the golf club, a nine-hole golf course with challenging Karoo fairways but well-maintained grass greens and aprons and well-equipped club house facilities.

Colesberg’s BEST KEPT SECRET IS the Lesser Kestrel roosts in the upper part of town.

I ♥ Colesberg

MY FAVOURITE THING TO DO WITH FRIENDS IS fishing along the Orange River or at Lake Gariep.

TO RELAX AND RESTORE MY SOUL, I LIKE TO sit in the Anglican Church (1854) designed by Sophie Gray the wife of the first Anglican Bishop in the Cape. Note the beautiful furniture and original organ inside. The existing Methodist Church, Reformed Church and Dutch Reformed Church buildings were all complete in the early 1860’s.

IF YOU'RE FEELING ADVENTUROUS, TRY climbing Coleskop or tackle the moderate 20km or 70km mountain bike trail — facinating routes through surrounding koppies.

MY FAVOURITE WALK IS is the hiking trail next to the N1. It is a 5km moderate walking route through beautiful scenery and local flora. One can also turn off to the Boer Memorial and the Military cemetery behind which lies the old Jewish Cemetery.

I ♥ Colesberg

The Struggle Route starting from the Colesberg-Kemper Museum through Kuyasa takes one on a journey of the political struggle of days gone by. Depending on your family’s sense of adventure or fitness you can also walk the 5, 8 or 12 km Family and Dog trail at the old airport – pass the golf course. It is an easy walk with no traffic. Just remember that there are no water points along any of the trails.

IF YOU'RE HERE IN August, JOIN IN THE FUN AT the annual national sled-dog gathering – starting at 5am though.

MY FAVOURITE MUSEUM IS the Colesberg-Kemper Museum, the original Colesberg Bank establised in 1861 – with the old bank counter still intact. It also accommodates the local Information Office. Check out the 19th century toy collection and memorabilia. The museum also houses the permanent UNISA Karoo Nomad Photographic Exhibition. Together with the Anglo-Boer War room, the Colesberg room and the Struggle room it offers an exciting reflection on the past and present.

MY FAVOURITE BUILDING IS collection of restored Karoo houses in Bell Street, FOR ITS charm.

I ♥ Colesberg

TRAVELLING WITH CHILDREN? A FUN OUTING IS all restaurants are child–friendly and it is safe to walk in the streets, enjoy the fresh air and friendly local people.

THE MOST UNUSUAL THING I SEE HERE IS Hannes and his tractor and trailer — covered in lights — carting locals and visitors through town on Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

MY FAVOURITE WEEKEND GETAWAY IS Doornkloof Nature Reserve of about 12 000 ha approximately 45km north-west of Colesberg around the confluence of the Zeekoei and Orange River. The landscape is very mountainous, with abundant kloofs and little true plains. Temperatures range from –8 ºC in July to 41 ºC from November to February with Rainfall which varies between 300 mm to 400 mm, occurring mainly as summer thunderstorms.

WHEN I WANT TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, I give to the Badisa Fund for street children – donation boxes are found at most shops.

I ♥ Colesberg

Vegetation in the reserve has characteristics of both the Grassland and Nama-Karoo biomes.  Kuni-bush and Red Grass dominate the slopes, while the plateaus are more open with Sour Karee and Love Grass. The abundant kloofs are densely grown with Sweet Thorn, Wild Olive and Buffalo-thorn. Of the 420 plant species, of which 60 are grass varieties. The reserve is host to a surprising combination of perennial flowering plants, which flower from spring to mid-summer.

Animal life, forty-eight mammal species have been documented, of which the Mountain Reedbuck is the most abundant. Big game species include Buffalo, Eland, Kudu, Gemsbok and Red Hartebeest. The reserve is also home to 28 reptile and 8 amphibian species. The 172 bird species documented include 20 birds of prey species. Bird species of particular note are the African Fish Eagle, Verreaux’s Eagle, Black-chested, Snake-Eagle, Kingfishers, South African Shelduck, Yellow-billed Duck, African Spoonbill and other wading birds. Lists of plant, bird and animal species are available at a nominal fee.

I ♥ Colesberg

Tourist’s attractions, The reserve is unique not only in the sense that there are minimal signs of disturbance, but it also has breathtaking views of the Vanderkloof dam and mountainous areas. Remnants of the Anglo-Boer war can be seen on the reserve through prior arrangements.   There is a campsite-cum-picnic area available at Roodewal. The shady picnic sites next to the Zeekoei River, where visitors can pitch a tent, it has braai and toilet facilities. Canoeing and mountain biking is allowed at a nominal fee. Anglers are welcome.

The reserve has a secluded and fully equipped (except for bedding) bush hut for the relaxing visitor. (A major upgrading project is currently in progress regarding access roads and accommodation – and blissfully no cellphone reception or internet connection!).

The adventurous can gear up to walk the 2 to 3 day Bokmakierie hiking trail (32 km). Overnight the first night in the Bokmakierie hut and the second night under the stars, or in a stone kraal.

Birders can spend time along the banks of the Zeekoei River observing wading birds and other waterfowl. Also keep the binoculars handy for those close-up encounters with Eland, Buffalo, Mountain Reedbuck and Red Hartebeest.

I ♥ Colesberg BECAUSE this is home.

Toverberg Guest Houses

Toverberg Guest Houses

Toverberg Guest Houses are a selection of beautifully restored Karoo townhouses in the quiet and historic Bell Street and Stockenstroom Street. These beautifully restored Karoo townhouses are situated in the historic part of Colesberg, right next to the Dutch Reformed Church.  Should you feel like breakfast — our reception house in Charl Cilliers Street is where you will treated to something scrumptious. Please make the necessary arrangements before hand as it's only available on request.

Visit Toverberg Guest Houses
View Rates or make a Booking

Desirable Digits

Traveller’s Joy Guest House: +27 (0)51 753‑0285
Colesberg Golf Club: +27 (0)51 753‑0822
The Gossip: +27 (0)51 753‑0551
The Horse & Mill: +27 (0)51 753‑0406
Bordeaux Coffee Shop: +27 (0)51 753‑1582
Blue Moon: +27 (0)79 144‑6466
Colesberg-Kemper Museum: +27 (0)51 753‑0678
Doornkloof Nature Reserve: +27 (0)51 733‑1315

Have you vis­ited Colesberg? Why not tell us what you thought by sub­mit­ting a review. See: Colesberg Reviews

Useful Colesberg Links:
Colesberg Attractions
Things to Do in Colesberg
Colesberg Accommodation
Northern Cape Accommodation

Cameron, who matriculated in 2004 from King Edward VII School, Johannesburg, is well qualified in the guiding field with full FGASA level 3, full Trails Guide Mentor, Track & Sign level 3 and Tracker level 1. At Lion Sands he spent nearly a year conducting open-vehicle safaris and bush walks in a Big 5 area. He left to join Sabi Sabi as Senior Ranger, then Assistant Head Ranger and finally Assistant Lodge Manager. His experience there included organising guide training and assessments. During the two and a half years at Lion Sands, he was also involved in habitat and reserve management.

At Kapama Private Game Reserve, Cameron was head ranger, managing a team of nine rangers and trackers. Cameron joins a team of six experienced guides at Tswalu all of whom have FGASA Level 3 Trails Guide Qualifications making Tswalu Kalahari's guiding team probably the most qualified in the country.

The SA-Venues.com Team wish Cameron well in his new position!

Useful Links:

• Tswalu Kalahari
• Northern Cape Game Reserves
• South Africa Game Reserves

Truffle Safaris

Tswalu Kalahari is offering an exciting and innovative package for foodies and adventure lovers who would like to search for the elusive desert gold – the Kalahari Truffle (formerly Terfezia pfeilii, now known as Kalaharituber pfeilii).

Called !nabas by the San, these truffles are distantly related to French truffles but are not as aromatic and have a smooth brown skin. Like the French truffle, which is always found near the roots of oaks, the Kalahari truffle has a symbiotic relationship with a plant — the desert melon.

Russel Binks, MD of Tswalu Kalahari said that the truffles found at Tswalu are a naturally occurring desert truffle specific to the Kalahari.  “This year, because the area has had excellent rainfall, we are expecting a bumper season in April and May.

“The truffle season is brief, lasting only until the first frost, and searching for them is an adventure because they grow beneath the ground within the sandy crevices.”

Tswalu Kalahari’s Truffle Safari package includes the truffle hunt, with the option of cooking and eating your own truffles, or allowing Tswalu’s chef, Theresa Fehrsen, to prepare and cook them for you. Scheduled flights from Cape Town and Johannesburg are complimentary.

The four day package allows guests to experience all the luxury of award-winning Tswalu, with its vast expanse of malaria-free wilderness, and superlative game and sightings of some of South Africa’s rarest and most extraordinary wildlife, including the desert black rhino, black-maned Kalahari lions, meerkats, cheetah, and rare antelope.

Tswalu Kalahari caters for just 30 guests in two luxury lodges, and the emphasis is on privacy, flexibility and exclusivity, where the guests can tailor their own experience to include game drives, bush walks and horseback safaris, animal encounters, sundowners in the dunes, star-gazing and sleep-outs, spa treatments in the indigenous Spa Garden, bush dining, boma dinners or intimate meals for two on your own private deck.

Families are welcome and children will revel in the special children’s programme which includes bush walks, picnics and tracking lessons.

Says Binks: “This is Africa’s most unique safari package…we don’t guarantee that you’ll find truffles, but we guarantee you an unforgettable experience.”

For enquiries, contact +27 (0)11 274‑2299.

For more information about Tswalu see:
Tswalu Kalahari Reserve

Useful Links:
Kalahari Attractions
Northern Cape Attractions
Northern Cape Hotels
South Africa Hotels

Describing Tswalu, Travel + Leisure says: “Out on South Africa’s Kalahari plains, the fiery sunsets alone are enough to make visitors giddy. After a day tracking cheetahs and black rhinos on game drives in the largest private nature reserve in South Africa, there’s no better place for you to rejuvenate and reacquaint yourself with your mate.

“Dine on five-star Pan-African cuisine under the Kalahari’s bright nighttime sky before retiring to your spacious thatched-roof legae.”

Tswalu is one of only two properties in Africa to have made the list and the only one in South Africa. It covers an area of 100,000 hectares in the exquisite malaria-free “Green Kalahari” region.

Owned by the Oppenheimer family, this vast and magical landscape is the ancestral home of the San people and conservation is its first priority. Nicky Oppenheimer’s vision is simply to “restore the Kalahari to itself”.

With the focus on conversation tourism, Tswalu is able to offer superlative game and sightings of some of South Africa’s rarest and most extraordinary wildlife, including the desert black rhino, black-maned Kalahari lions, meerkats, cheetah, rare antelope, and the elusive aardvark, aardwolf, pangolin and porcupine.

Catering for just 30 guests in two luxury lodges, the emphasis is on privacy, flexibility and exclusivity, and safari experiences, including game drives, bush walks and horseback safaris, are tailored to suit guests.

Families are welcome and children will revel in the special children’s programme with bush walks, picnics and tracking lessons.

For more information about Tswalu see:
Tswalu Kalahari Reserve

Useful Links:
Kalahari Attractions
Northern Cape Attractions
Northern Cape Hotels
South Africa Hotels

Corli Schoeman

Corli Schoeman has been appointed manager of the newly renovated Tswalu Kalahari Spa. Corli comes to Tswalu from the award-winning Pezula Spa & Gym, Knysna, where, as Spa Manager, she headed a team of 25. Previously she managed the Wellness Centre at Marlin Lodge, Mozambique where she introduced a collection of natural, island inspired products and treatments.

“With her international experience and extensive training Corli will provide an outstanding spa experience to guests, individualised to exceed expectations,” says Tswalu MD, Russel Binks. “I’m pleased that she has joined us at the same time as we have completed our outdoor treatment area and indigenous spa garden to expand the spa and offer guests another dimension to the experience.”

Tswalu Kalahari Spa is now a combination of sensual spaces which combine to create an inspirational venue for what must be one of the most unusual spa experiences in Africa.

Designed to enhance the natural beauty of the Kalahari and take advantage of the superb climate, the outdoor treatment area is within an indigenous spa garden where guests may find the occasional antelope grazing alongside them and be lulled into a deep state of relaxation by the sound of birdsong.

Surrounded by endless blue skies and the unique vegetation of the Green Kalahari, guests who indulge in the authentic signature massages performed by local therapists, will discover the Spa’s ethos of “closer to the land, closer to the people.”

The indoor spa area is a natural extension of the earth, inspired by nature and the splendour of the Kalahari, with natural finishes and fabrics and simple spaces which together create a sense of tranquility and barefoot elegance.

Guests may also choose to have their treatments at an outdoor tsala, where a rustic structure protects one from the elements and is positioned to give a bird’s eye view of the open grasslands of the reserve against the backdrop of the Korannaberg Mountain range.

Treatments at Tswalu Spa include exfoliation treatments using fine red Kalahari dune sand or desert mineral crystals from the natural mineral rich salt pans of the Kalahari, infused with plant-based emollient rich aromatic oils.

For more information about Tswalu see:
Tswalu Kalahari Reserve

Useful Links:
Kalahari Attractions
Northern Cape Attractions
Northern Cape Accommodation
South Africa’s Game Reserves

According to The Field Guides Association of Southern Africa (FGASA), which provides educational opportunities to promote the conservation and rehabilitation of the cultural and natural heritage of Southern Africa, the knowledge and insight expected at Level 3 is unlikely to be obtained without at least two years of active guiding in the field.  “A general distinction between the competence at this level as opposed to lower levels is the ability to explain phenomena by means of valid and well-motivated scientific theories and the concomitant use of appropriate scientific terminology.”

Russel Binks, said that he is extremely proud of the team which is now amongst the most qualified in the industry. “We are privileged to have such a professional, committed field guiding team. Their knowledge and inspiration is vital to both our guests’ Tswalu experience and our conservation vision of restoring the Kalahari to itself.”

Adrian Bantich, Jo Neytzell de Wilde, Christo de Jager, and Richard Visser all work under head ranger Marco Tonoli, who started his guiding career in KwaZulu Natal at the St Lucia wetlands, having travelled extensively in Europe and the Middle East. The desire to explore took him to reserves across the sub-continent, where he worked as an overland guide through Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, and South Africa.

In 2005 Marco settled at the Sabi Sabi private Game Reserve, where he worked his way up to senior ranger responsible for training. In 2007 Marco left guiding to realise another dream and study wildlife documentary film-making in Cape Town. He became a skilled film–maker, collaborating on major documentaries and working behind and in front of the camera as director, cameraman, and presenter for Wild Earth TV.

He joined Tswalu in 2008, where he now leads what is arguably the finest team of field guides in the country, all experts in this unique eco-system. His personal passions includes astronomy, botany and the medical use of plants

“Tswalu, with over 100 000 hectares of unspoilt Kalahari Desert, is a guide’s dreamland,” says Marco. “Here guides have to use years of experience to traverse, explore and track down what they are looking for. We have an elite team of guides, with over 40 years of collective guiding experience.

“There are few places left in the world where you can spend the day tracking a Desert Black Rhino, climb a mountain to ancient Rock Art, finish off with a picnic next to a waterhole and not see another person the entire time. Tswalu is one of those places. There is no rush, no deadlines and definitely no traffic. Instead there is the peace and freedom to explore, at the pace that our guests choose, in a wilderness that does not bear the scar of man’s presence.

About Tswalu: Tswalu Kalahari is owned by the Oppenheimer family, and covers an area of over 100,000 hectares. It offers a unique malaria-free game viewing experience with some of South Africa’s rarest and most extraordinary wildlife, including desert black rhino, black-maned Kalahari lions, cheetah, rare antelope such as roan, sable and tsessebe, and 230 species of birds, including endangered raptors.

The word ‘Tswalu means ‘a new beginning’ and Tswalu Kalahari is driven by two ambitions: to create an inspirational experience for its guests, and to realise Nicky Oppenheimer’s conservation vision of restoring the Kalahari to itself. These two goals sit in perfect equilibrium; each guest contributes directly to the sustainability of the reserve in a true model of eco-tourism.

A visit to Tswalu is a unique experience. A dedicated complement of field guides and butlers allows guests to choose how they would like to spend their day – from breakfast in-suite, to a leisurely spa treatment on their private deck overlooking the magnificent landscape of the Kalahari with its dunes and grasslands. The experience includes game drives, a private gourmet safari picnic and a visit to see the ancient engravings of the San (Bushmen) whose ancestral home is the Kalahari.

Tswalu caters for a maximum of only 30 guests at a time, and welcome families. At Tswalu, children are actively encouraged to participate fully in the safari experience.

For more information about Tswalu see:
Tswalu Kalahari Reserve

Tswalu Reviews:

Review by: Fabio Rocchi, Verona : excellent meals, great game drives and wonderful lodges. HIGHLY Recommended.

Review by: Kelly & Brent, New York, USA : This was probably the most fantastic experience of our entire South African trip. The service, the surroundings, the lodges, the game drives — everything was of the best standards and we loved every minute.

Useful Links:
Kalahari Attractions
Northern Cape Attractions
Northern Cape Accommodation
South Africa's Game Reserves

Nieuwoudtville Bulbs

Sanna and a few of her co-workers are sitting in the shade of a large warehouse that, when it is peak production time, is probably filled with trays of bulbs. They're all in royal blue overalls and beginning to think about packing up to go home when we show up. They appear to toss a coin for who gets to show us around, not literally of course, but there is a subtle conference during which Sanna stands slowly, and smilingly tells us she will take us through the nursery.

Nieuwoudtville is famous for its bulbs. But when the bulbs aren't in bloom and you're visiting out of flower season, where do you go to find them? We found ourselves in this very predicament and, whilst there is a lot other than bulbs to entertain you, there are still a couple of places you can visit that will reveal flowers if you know where to look.

We swing right down Church Street from Voortrekker Street (the main road through town) and follow the signs to the Bulb Nursery. It is not well sign posted. About two thirds of the way there, signs peter out completely and you need to follow your nose to find it at all.

Surprisingly it is not all that well marketed by the town either. Yes, it is in the local brochure as a place to visit, but little is communicated about the fact that it's run by the local community and that it is alive with bulbs, both hybrid and indigenous, of every description and hue, even weeks after other bulbs in the vicinity have died back.

We drive past the Nieuwoudtville caravan park, and yet another caravan park, and then somewhere along the dirt road, just as we seem about to drive straight through someone's farm, and I begin to mumble about turning back as it obviously isn't here, another sign has us swinging right and up a little side road to the nursery. We arrive late afternoon with no expectations. We uncover a veritable treasure of flowers. And Sanna.

As Sanna begins explaining how the nursery works – that you hand pick your own bulbs — I've already caught sight of the flowers. And since this is what I was hoping to see out in the wild, I dash off to photograph the wild flowers that have sprung up on the borders of the nursery's myriad bulbs.

Photographs at Nieuwodtville Bulb Nursery — Left: Bulbs at bulb nursery / Centre: Sanna at the nursery / Right: Bulbs galore at the bulb nursery

Sanna in the meantime guides my other half and son, who is flitting in and out of flower beds whacking the hell out of mole hills with a spade and occasionally needs reminding that there are flowers around him, down to the bottom reaches of the nursery where there are row upon row of bulbs in flower. Most of them are hybridised, which is a pity as we'd hoped to see indigenous bulbs, but there are row upon beautiful row of ixias, freezias and the like, and the scent of the bulbs is intoxicating (later we learn to our detrimant that driving for over an hour in the company of flowering bulbs is going to bring on a hefty dose of hayfever).

Sanna and her contemporaries plant, water and look after all of the bulbs here. They sell them to those who visit — most of them come during the flower season, says Sanna – and you can hand pick your bulb by seeing exactly what colour flower it produces. It's a far better deal than scrutinising handfuls of dried bulbs. The community, we later learn, also ship a lot of their bulbs overseas and there are crates loaded with dry bulbs waiting for such a destiny.

We spend what feels like hours, selecting our 50 odd bulbs to take home with us – nevermind that we are five days away from Cape Town. The thought of how they will look in the front garden excites us. In hindsight, now that I've travelled in close company with the bulbs for a couple of days, I wonder what a good idea it is to have them anywhere near the house as we'll no doubt spend weeks sneezing when they're in bloom?

On the other side of town, along Voortrekker Street, lies the Hantam National Botanical Gardens. It is a rather intimidating name for what used to simply be a sheep farm called Glen Lyon, owned by Neil MacGregor. Neil always had a love of conservation and before long found himself asking questions about the flowering plants in the region. After taking down the farm's internal fences, he enclosed areas according to vegetation types, protecting the most delicate and rare from his sheep. After a while he began to notice that, rather than protecting the flowers, those inside the fenced areas were not as prolific as those left to the fate of his sheep.

Photographs at Hantam National Botanical Garden — Left: Walking in Hantan Botanical Garden / Centre: Wild flowers on edge of bulb nursery / Right: Wild flowers in Hantam Botanical Garden

He also left traditional sheep predators alone and re-established the natural ecological balance of the bulbs' environment. Before long, people began arriving in their droves to see his flowers. So much so that he had to buy a bus, which he named Flora, to take them on tours around his farm, rather than let them use their 4x4s in and around everything.

He later sold the farm to Sanparks, who converted it into a botanical garden visited by thousands. The bus is still there, but it only does rides during flower season. If we want to find flowers, and the guy at the gate assures us that there are a few left in the fields, we'll have to walk. I begrudgingly agree, looking down at my perfect-for-walking mules. Hope it isn't a long walk.

One of the basic rules for hiking listed in our pamphlet urges the need to wear comfortable shoes and to take water along. We know about hiking rules. We usually comply. But this time we're only doing a short 4 km walk, by combining the procupine and gifbol walks in a shorter version. We'll be okay (I obviously forgot how long 4 km can feel).

Midway through our traipse we realise our mistake. This is what our son calls a 'long' 4 km walk. In other words, it's more than 4 km we end up walking, and we haven't brought along any water. But we do get to learn all about porcupines.

For every square kilometre we walk, there are about 8 porcupines. Of course we don't see them. They only come out  at night. Porcupines are regarded as the largest rodent in Africa. Their burrows are very obvious and they make a mess of everything, or so it seems. Actually their diggings promote soil turnover and in these excavations organic material, water and soil collect to form a nursery for the next generation of plants.

Photographs at Hantam National Botanical Garden — Left: Butterfly on wild flowers in Hantan Botanical Garden / Right: Porcupine burrow in Hantam Botanical Garden

The area through which we walk is peppered with their quills and diggings. Interestingly, although these prickly creatures eat bulbs they do not reduce the numbers. Actually they maintain the quantities of bulbs by the way in which they forage and disturb the soil. We managed to see quite a number of flowers too, on the latter part of the walk, which is a bonus.

By the time we reached the car, the only prickly customer was me. But a wonderful, juicy naartjie and a rub of my feet soon sorted out my immediate needs, and on reflection, we got to walk in one of the most beautiful natural treasures in the country.

Useful Links:
Hantam Karoo Attractions
Hantam Karoo Accommodation
Northern Cape Accommodation
South Africa Accommodation

Loeriesfontein Windmills

'Just what is so important that it warrants a drive through to Louriesfontein?' my other half comments dubiously whilst thumbing through his recent acquisition — a book brimming over with the plant types we can hope to see around Nieuwoudtville – millions of them. My windmills cannot compete, or can they?

'A windmill museum', I inform him, with as much 'ta da' as I can muster. I've seen photographs of the array of eccentrically stacked windmills in the yard of a church in Louriesfontein, and I want to go – think of the photo moments. Besides which, it isn't that far from our accommodation. We tumble into the car and set off in a north easterly direction for roughly 60 km ...

A friend of mine broke down on the road between Nieuwoudtville and Loeriesfontein. That was three weeks ago. Her car is still in the one and only garage awaiting a part. She hitched back from Loeriesfontein, getting a lift with a local farmer from whom she learned all about fat-tailed sheep, probably a lot more than she wanted to know, but she relates the story as one of the most fun things that has ever happened to her.

Loeriesfontein is small. It is also off the beaten track on the R355 that branches off the R27 into the Northern Cape. It lies on the southern edge of what was known as Boesmanland, on a hill. Its main claim to fame is the Windmill Museum (there are only two in the whole wide world, honest) and the flowers, and it gets visitors mainly because of its proximity to Nieuwoudtville – there is a sign for the Windmill Museum (more commonly known as the Windpomp museum) on the edge of town — Nieuwoudtville, that is.

Photographs — Louriesfontein Windmill Museum

Loeriesfontein grew around a general dealership set up here in 1894 by a man named Frederick Turner, a bible pusher who retired from selling bibles to settle down and provide the locals, mostly farmers, with supplies. The local museum, named after Frederick, lies in the grounds of the local Baptist Church (you have to ring the bell for someone to show you around, and on a Sunday you might have to forego this pleasure entirely) it shares with a whole host of windpomps – of every hue, shape and description.

There are windmills called Gearing Selfoiling, Hassy, Worths, Beatty Pumper, Dandy, Fairbanks Morse, Star Zephyr, Conquest, Leers and others (whoever names windmills has a sense of humour,). They stand, all 27 of them apparently, in the grounds of the church against the blue of the sky – a favourite venue with photographers who make it here, each carefully painted with some kind of silver stain to protect it from the elements. This makes them look oddly new.

They stand eerily turning in the wind, each gasping and groaning its own particular grind, as its blades revolve, a chorus of rasping and clangs as they spiral slowly – a windy day must be pretty deafening. A sign slung at the bottom of the Fred Turner Museum board indicates that refreshments are sold in the shelter or 'skerm'. But, being a Sunday, no-one is around to help us and my idea of a mug of coffee on a stoep sadly not met.

Photographs — Left: Fred Turner Museum sign / Right: and more Windmills ...

There is a barn of sorts though that probably qualifies as the Fred Turner Museum. Inside there are a series of displays depicting the life of the 'trek farmers' of Namaqualand. It isn't an old barn but the old school in which the various wagons, tents, 'kook skerms' and other cultural artefacts are housed – over 1000 items are on display and it is very interesting if you feel like taking the time to read some of the newspaper articles.

We stop to refuel at the only petrol station in Loeriesfontein (there is also only one ATM in town). The petrol attendant is rumoured to have an office full of pot plants, but I don't get out to verify this as we're already engrossed in deciding how best to get to Calvinia from here. Loeriesfontein seems stuck in some sort of time warp, somewhere in the 1960s but the beautiful NG church just outside of town, quiver trees on either side of the doorway, is pretty, and the windmill museum definitely worth the ride here.

Said petrol pump attendant, after dubiously noting our sedan, says not to drive the dirt road that connects Loeriesfontein with Calvinia. Instead we drive back to Nieuwoudtville and turn onto the R27 in an easterly direction.

Calvinia is a happening town. It also has a really big post box. Set on the right as you enter the town it stands six feet high and was originally a water tower. You can, believe it or not, post letters here and your post will receive a special postmark. It is on Hoop Street, which functions as the town's introduction and has a couple of beautiful old buildings and a restaurant or two. We stop off at the Hantam Huis because it looks so inviting and we're coming to hungry.

Photographs — Left: Calvinia's post box / Right: Hantam Huis

Built in 1854 this gorgeous little T-shaped building is the oldest authentic house in the town and took more than 10 years to restore. It is a national moment and there is a black board outside advertising waterblommetjie bredie and the door is open, people are chatting inside. But they're only serving their paying overnight guests, and won't entertain the idea of feeding us their gorgeous bredie before their diners arrive. Oh well, perhaps it is because I spoke English and not Afrikaans (must learn to praat die taal better!).

Diagonally across from Hantam Huis is the ubiquitous NG church – every town has one — and I snap a couple of pics of this, and the town's butchery. The Calvinia Hotel too exudes character, even if it is now an Iote due to various letters having seen to much sun and time, and is for hire.

Calvinia lies at the foot of the dolerite-topped Hantam Mountains and on the edge of the Oorlogskloof River. Water Street is beautiful. It runs parallel to Hoop Street, crosses the river and is lined with beautifully restored Victorian houses, most of them now guest houses, and a testimony to the large Jewish community that once lived in the town (actor and author Antony Sher descends from here, even if he was born in Middlepost).

Photographs — Left: A house on Hoop Straat /Right: Die Dorp Huis on Water Straat

I read somewhere that Calvinia functions as the 'inkopiemekka' (shopping mecca) of the area and that outlying farmers come here to shop. We test this hypothesis at the local Spar, which is really well equipped, considering. They even have local biltong, if you ask them. We stop to buy a couple of things to stave off our hunger, having decided to dine again under the stars on the farm, rather than find a restaurant to meet our needs. But Calvinia, we agree, is worth a longer visit, sometime.

Useful Links:
Hantam Karoo
Hantam Karoo Accommodation
Northern Cape Accommodation
South Africa Accommodation

Brandkop, Nieuwoudtville

Where the Hantam Karoo meets Cape fynbos is a little hamlet of a village called Nieuwoudtville. From mid-July until September the town annually hums as it plays host to the flower season — the time of year when bulbs deliver the goods and blossom forth, producing some of the most gorgeous flowers in the country.

We make it there just after the flower season. Despite this there is much to enjoy. We head out of town to stay on a farm just beyond the waterfall, en route to Loeriesfontein. It is windy, overcast and cold when we arrive, despite my expectations that the Northern Cape will be hot this time of year. Any surviving flowers have stubbornly refused to open, given the weather, and photo moments will have to wait for the sky to co-operate.

Elizna and Pieter welcome us at their farmhouse door complete with three dogs — one of which is an enormous boerboel pup — and a tortoise, where we've come to collect the keys. We pass a series of solar panels and a modern windmill. The farm is off grid as Eskom doesn't provide for remote farms like theirs. Both of them remember growing up with generators as the constant drone in the background. The quiet of sun and wind energy is new, and they're enjoying it.

The farm also has a no-waste policy. You take home what you bring, only food scraps may be left for the goats, and paper, which they will later burn in an incinerator. Your cans, plastic and glass need to leave with you. We're used to this though, as we usually collect our waste when we go away anyway, taking it home to recycle.

Photographs — Left: Gannabos / Right: Lone quiver tree

We drive yet a further 10 km up the road. Our little house stands perched over what looks like a wheat field, but which we will learn is actually the site of an old dam. Remote is a euphemism for this accommodation. When the wind drops later, the silence is overwhelming and the skies so filled with stars and constellations they bring tears to my eyes. For a moment I drown in the space.

Our little yellow house for the next three days is called Brandkop. The furnishing is basic but comfortable – a large kitchen/lounge/diningroom in the front of the house, from which two bedrooms, each with their own shower and toilet, lead. On each bed is a goose down duvet made from the feathers of Elizna's troop of geese. The fridge and stove are gas, and the lights, apart from one gas lamp, are either storm lanterns or candles. And now I understand why it was suggested that we bring along a torch. Bliss.

In this very house lived Koos van Taak in the 1920s, perched on the side of what was known as Driekop dam. His job was to regulate the water from here into other smaller dams, to provide this farm and others with water. The dam held water throughout the year. We stand looking over the dry sand infront of us, aghast. How could this have held water?

Photographs — Left: Lone quiver tree / Right: Quiver tree forest

In 1961 there was a flood that so filled the dam with silt, lifting its foundation by four metres, that it could no longer hold the same volume of water. Today it is only when the rain is significant that the dam holds water for only two days from the Hantam and the Koringuis rivers, after which it runs into the dam below known as the Wit Van (after Koos van Taak's white panel-van).

This year hasn't been a good year for rain. They're in for a dry summer. But when it does rain significantly, Pieter and his farm hands have their work cut out for them as they regulate the water using flood gates. All of the dams on the farm are thus thoroughly irrigated.

Once the water is sucked up by the thirsty earth, they plant wheat in the same soil. No wonder I thought it was a field of wheat. There is a whole history in the file Elizna has compiled outlining how Driekop dam was originally built using donkeys and mules. It makes for interesting reading and gives one a real appreciation of where one is.

I watch my son run up and down the hill right next to the house. The one that gives the accommodation its name – Brandkop – as it looks like a little burnt kopjie. It is exhausting to watch him. I make a pot of tea on the gas stove. I could get used to this.

Photographs — Left: Brankop / Right: Quiver trees

In the distance at the far end of the wheat field/dam a few sheep appear, and if I strain my eyes I think I see Sarel, the Anatolian shepherd dog. But I've got my facts a little wrong. Sarel looks after the farm's flock of Boer goats. He's been with them since the age of nine weeks and he's an Anatolian Shepherd dog, a guardian breed originally from Turkey. Farmers are returning to this age old way of looking after their flocks.

A new day. An entire quiver forest to explore. Literally visible from the farm, if you know where to look. The quiver tree forest is the largest and southernmost colony of Aloe dichotoma, just 25 kim north of Nieuwoudtville. Some of these trees are over 250 years old. The name is derived from the branches of the tree, used for quivers by the San. But it isn't visible from the road, and there is only a wee sign to indicate it at all, so keep your eyes peeled for Gannabos.

The forest is along a farm sand road. My first thought is that they're so brown. I was expecting something more, well, electrifying, I suppose. The word 'forest' by its very nature seems to indicate a lot of trees, close together.

The quiver trees stand apart, their succulent bodies are pretty remarkable. The trees will grow anywhere it seems – even on the edge of the ridges overlooking the parking area for the forest. And up close, they are impressive – golden, brown against the blue of the sky – and a sharp reminder of how these gorgeous aloes are threatened by climate change – they're not only diminishing in numbers but they're slowly in evidence further south.

These beautiful trees have added so much to our day. The evening sees us preparing boerewors made on the farm – it's the best I've ever had.

Photographs — Left: Unusual quiver tree / Right: Space

More about Brandkop

• every Easter the farm hosts the Hantam-Kloof bazaar, a traditional country experience that includes 12 neighbouring farming families
• between November and May, the geese on the farm are plucked every six weeks for their down by the women of the farm (it takes up to 30 mins to pluck a goose), which is used to make duvets – every guest on the farm will experience the pleasure
• the rather derelect buildings close to Pieter and Elizna's farmhouse are the original town that used to include a school. It doesn't belong to their farm, although they hope that whoever buys it will restore the old buildings
• contact Elizna at brandkop@hantam.co.za

Useful Links:
Hantam Karoo Attractions
Hantam Karoo Accommodation
Northern Cape Accommodation
South Africa Accommodation

Nieuwoudtville

The road to Nieuwoudtville is filled with unexpected surprises. For one, it rests on a plateau – sort of – called the Bokkeveld Plateau. You leave Vanrhynsdorp via the R27, which, after heading due north in a very straight line through the type of vegetation I would have described as the true Karoo (it is the Hantam Karoo), takes one up Vanrhyns Pass.

Take the pass and its myriad hair pin bends faster than 70 kilometres an hour at your peril. We were lucky that there was no mist or rain when we ascended, but on days when there is little visibility, I can imagine that Vanrhyns could be pretty hairy. Particularly on the down hill, behind a truck – there are periodic signposts depicting a car upended on the rear end of a truck, just so that you don't get any clever ideas about sending it round the corners ...

One climbs quickly to 800 metres above sea level and, just as fast, you enter another climate entirely. The top of the pass was cold. Freezing infact. And the odd little erica that still managed to remain in flower looked a little out of place at the top of the pass.

You don't have to drive this route to reach the historical little town. You can take the circular R364 via Calvina from Clanwilliam, but you'll need an offroad vehicle to achieve this – our sedan was not the car of choice, obviously. I have it on authority that it is worth the drive as not only do you have the road largely to yourself, but the possibility of sighting wild life and birds is that much greater.

Nieuwoudtville and its surrounds are where no fewer than five very different geological forms converge, making for an enormous amount of diversity. A remarkable man called JPH Acocks, who traipsed around South Africa defining our vegetation and who published a monumental work on the veld types in 1952, defined 88 different types of vegetation.

Photographs — Left: Scenes from Nieuwoudtville / Right: Stone church

Nieuwoudtville is apparently the only place in the country where 9 of Acock's 88 veld types can be seen within a 100 km radius. For this reason let no one convince you that it is only flower season that reveals the beauty of the area. At any time of the year, anything from succulents to fynbos are visible.

I had no idea, until I began investigating where best to see the wild flowers of the West Coast, that Nieuwoudtville even existed, nevermind how beautiful it is. We missed the flowers by a long shot (we were about a month late) but school holidays and work commitments dictated we visit the Northern Cape in late September, so we had to content ourselves with having the place to ourselves, rather than joining the queues to see the flowers (those in the know talk about geophytes, or bulbous plants, on the Bokkeveld Plateau – 1 350 species of which occur on the plateau and 22 grow only in and around Nieuwoudtville).

By all accounts, this year's flower season was not as prolific as it can be – not enough periodic winter rain (it is dry here), even though the Hantam has never had a failed flower season, some of them are a lot shorter than others.

Photographs — Left: Blooms at the ckhurch / Right: Scenes from Nieuwoudtville

But there is a lot else to do in this part of the world when the flowers are not out, despite its reputation as the bulb capital of the world – Nieuwoudtville boasts the highest speciation of bulbs in the world. Besides, there is the bulb nursery in Nieuwoudtville run by the local community... but more about that in another story.

Entering Nieuwoudtville's main street is breathtaking — quaint, wee, and lined with sandstone buildings. If it were even vaguely close to Cape Town it would have been converted into a mini–Franschhoek by now, its streets lined with award-winning restaurants. Left to its own devices this far from a major city, not even the cute little coffee and art shop on the edge of town is open when tourists aren't here – certainly the Monday and Tuesday we were there not even a curtain twitched.

Early records reveal that the first Dutch settlers arrived at Nieuwoudtville as early as 1725. Any record of this is not officially available, as the town only came into being when the Dutch Reformed Church bought land from the Nieuwoudt brothers on which to build a church in 1885. Today the beautiful Gothic-style church that is also a national monument  is the heart of the town and the hall serves as the Information Centre.

Photographs — Left: Scenes from Nieuwoudtville / Right: The waterfall

The morning we arrive to collect what I hope will be a wealth of information, the woman on duty is so obviously absorbed in Facebook or a very important something or other on her computer that she fails to bother to tell me that the church garden, a couple of yards away, is still riddled with wild flowers. Instead she thrusts at me a carefully hand-written list of where we might find flowers and makes it very clear that our very short convergence is over.

Town and its surrounding farms are, when there is a good flower season, overflowing with an abundance of  bulbs – the bulbs are the important part because it is these that produce the flowers. Accounts in our landlady's carefully collected story file about Nieuwoudtville's flower season speak of the sheer extent of the wild flowers and the carpets of blooms that result. Dang, wish we hadn't missed them.

Just outside of town is a welcome surprise. We've been told to visit the waterfall — it is a 'must do' on the itinerary. We arrive at the little sandstone wall and follow the signs, which deliver us to a stream with a few slowly flowing rapids. I mutter darkly about people's definitions of waterfalls, when my four-year old gives a shout from up ahead where suddenly, the world drops out from beneath the gently flowing river and a cavernous gorge results, a torrent of water descending from a hole it has carved for itself over time.

It is incredible. I keep very firm hold of my son as viewing points are available on the ridge to the east of the falls and it is precarious to say the least.

Photographs — Left: Scenes from Nieuwoudtville / Right: Coffee art shop

Why visit Nieuwoudtville:

• incredible flower display during spring
• wide open spaces, peace and quiet
• rural hospitality at its best
• nearby rooibos plantations
• the local waterfall
• the local community's bulb nursery on the edge of town (follow signs and where there aren't signs, your nose)
• National Botanical Garden
• Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve
• the quiver tree forest
• Loeriesfontein's Windpomp museum
• Calvinia's enormous post box and pretty accommodation options

Be warned:

• it gets terribly hot during summer
• during the flower season book your accommodation in the Northern Cape way in advance (aside from the Van Zijl's, who appear to own most of town, you can also consult http://www.nieuwoudtville.com/)
• there is virtually nowhere to shop in Nieuwoudtville, head to Calvinia or stock up in Clanwilliam

Useful Links:
Hantam Karoo
Hantam Karoo Accommodation
Northern Cape Accommodation
South Africa Accommodation

Tswalu Kalahari

Lead singer of the Irish rock band U2, Bono and his wife Ali Hewson, were guests of Tswalu Kalahari, South Africa’s largest privately owned game reserve, earlier this year when they were photographed by Annie Liebovitz, the world’s most celebrated portrait photographer, for the Louis Vuitton Core Values Campaign, which over the years has featured various personalities with “extraordinary stature”.

It is the first advertising campaign that the couple has featured in and appears in the October 2010 issues of international titles.

Louis Vuitton has established itself as one of the world’s leading fashion houses ...

Managing Director, Russel Binks says that Tswalu was the perfect location for the shoot.  “Moreover, the two brands complement each other perfectly.”

Tswalu Kalahari is owned by the Oppenheimer family, and covers an area of over 100,000 hectares.  It offers a unique malaria-free game viewing experience with some of South Africa’s rarest and most extraordinary wildlife, including desert black rhino, black-maned Kalahari lions, cheetah, rare antelope such as roan, sable and tsessebe, and 230 species of birds, including endangered raptors.

“The lodge is exclusive and private and Bono and Ali were able to relax here in total seclusion,” says Binks. “The word ‘Tswalu means ‘a new beginning’ and Tswalu Kalahari is driven by two ambitions: to create an inspirational experience for its guests, and to realise Nicky Oppenheimer’s conservation vision of restoring the Kalahari to itself. These two goals sit in perfect equilibrium; each guest contributes directly to the sustainability of the reserve in a true model of eco-tourism.”

Photograph: Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa

A visit to Tswalu is a unique experience. A dedicated complement of field guides and butlers allows guests to choose how they would like to spend their day – from breakfast in-suite, to a leisurely spa treatment on their private deck overlooking the magnificent landscape of the Kalahari with its dunes and grasslands. The experience includes leisurely game drives, a private gourmet safari picnic and a visit to see the ancient engravings of the San (Bushmen) whose ancestral home is the Kalahari.

Tswalu caters for a maximum of only 30 guests at a time, and welcome families. Children are actively encouraged to participate fully in the safari experience.

For more information about Tswalu see:
Tswalu Kalahari Reserve or www.tswalu.com

Useful Links:
Kalahari Attractions
Northern Cape Attractions
Northern Cape Accommodation

Black-backed jackal

If you're into rugged holidays like taking on the Otter Trail then the two-night, guided (for obvious reasons as meeting a lion on the path might not be everyone's idea of 'fun') !Xerry wilderness trail in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park will no doubt appeal.

We're talking real 'back to nature' stuff here with open-air toilets, only a thorn-bush fence between you and those predators at night, and a traipse through the red sands of the Kalahari that will leave you both invigorated and tired, but overwhelmed by the magic of the place...

You will also need to be aware that getting there might not be as easy as driving to doer and gone through the Northern Cape until you cannot travel anymore. The road from Askham to the southern gate of Twee Rivieren is said to have improved somewhat, but it's still pretty torrid to drive.

You'll need not only your wits about you, and a spare tyre or two as insurance, but most definitely an off-road vehicle (this is not the realm of sedans) so take seriously the brochures that say something along the lines of: please note that the roads in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park are not sedan-friendly – they're not over-exaggerating – it can take as long as three hours to negotiate the 60 kilometre section of road before you reach the gate.

Known as the !Xerry Wilderness Trail, the trail heads into a region of the Kgalagadi Park where little has changed since the days of our forefathers — so this describes real solitude, freedom and wilderness (not just the sort advertised in every game farm brochure between home and the Kruger National Park).

Actually, it's not as 'wild' as it sounds. You'll find yourself at a base camp of sorts where you will spend two nights, and the days include an early morning and late afternoon walk. But, it is in the middle of nowhere. And you are in the heart of the wilderness. There is the distinct possibility of seeing creatures both great and small. And you will be very much aware of your pale, insignificance in the larger scale of things.

Things in the park have changed though. Now the main roads within are tarred the park is no longer the terrain only of those who are prepared to rough it. Larger tour groups are making their way here and the odd traffic jam is no longer an experience relegated to the city you've just left behind.

That said, it is still one of the most incredible experiences possible — the commune with the desert. Dry river beds of the Nossob and Auob Rivers, electric thunderstorms, 38 000km² worth of park, three quarters of which lies in Botswana, effortless sand dunes, sightings of the black-maned Kalahari lion, and nights punctuated by the call of the black-backed jackal make a trip here more than worth the effort.

We begin our two-day !Xerry Wilderness Trail with some trepidation. It's become a standing joke in our household that I sadly lack the pre-requisites of what it is to be 'gung-ho'. I like my creature comforts. None-the-less, I toss my regard for freshly combed hair and toilets that effortlessly flush aside, intent on making this trail through dune veld, 12 kilometres or so west of Nossob, worth every minute.

Our guide doesn't fool around when it comes to just how he expects us to behave whilst we're under his supervision. His instruction to walk in a single line, not in groups is one I've not heard since school and I find myself wrestling with either actively rebelling or realising that there is wisdom inherent in his instruction and that he just might know what he's talking about.

Despite my obvious anxiety, the late afternoon walk is a gentle one. And the intention is not to meet face-to-face with a lion, but to re-negotiate our relationship with nature. We learn instead about whistling rats, squirrels, mice that live in trees, suricates (meerkat) and other little creatures like the buck spoor spider, called this because it looks remarkably like the droppings of a springbok.

Pretty shrikes and perfect little finches rent the air with their calls, and the rather awkward kori bustard, some steenbok and blue wildebeest are about as big as the game is going to get, whilst out and about. But the alchemy of the Kalahari is in its sand dunes and effortless skyline. Try sitting on the top of a dune with the sun going down and you'll find yourself blown away. There is little to beat the experience and my heart is soaring.

That is until I brave the toilet back at base camp. It's little more than a long drop, and it doesn't have a roof. And then there is the low-lying fence that might give you an incredible view out over the Kalahari whilst you sit doing your thing, but doesn't exactly allow you the feeling of safety or privacy. If this is as bad as its gets though, then !Xerry is a piece of cake.

The !Xerry Wilderness Trail takes place only in the cooler months between April and the end of October. Kgalagadi is a place of extremes and summer can be unbelievably hot, whilst the nights in winter plunge below freezing. The best time to visit is between February and the end of April or in September/October.

Why go?

• the isolation and seclusion does something for the soul
• the wild life photography opportunities, because of the concentration of animals in the dry river beds, are second to none
• if you are even remotely interested in birds of prey then this is a haven
• the incredible desert scenery is a unique experience, and a chance to see the unusual – bat-eared fox, meercats, honey badgers, and pangolins
• and the never-ending yearn to see the black-maned lion

Bookings
Contact SANParks on Telephone:+27 (0)54 561‑2050

Useful Links:
Kgalagadi National Park
Kgalagadi Accommodation
Northern Cape Wildlife Reserve
Northern Cape Accommodation

Kalahari Kuierfees

September seems to be a bumper month for the Northern Cape with the Gariep Kunstefees , NWCA NDFT Daisy Marathon (already taken place at the beginning of the month), St. Augustine's Cultural Festival (24 September), Apollo Film Festival (25 September) and the Kalahari Kuierfees from 23–25 September 2010.

I had no idea what the Kalahari Kuierfees was all about, so I thought I find out a bit more and let you all know so if you’re in the area you can go and take part in some of the fun.  This is a three day event that takes place in Upington and last year attracted more than 30 000 festival goers ...

The Kalahari Kuierfees is all about community and promote the arts, sports, culture and local tourism. This is certainly a great opportunity to get to see what this town is all about. This festival celebrates the Afrikaans languages, local foods, culture, music and theatre and manages to do this for all ages and tastes.

Sports enthusiasts will have a host of activities to keep them busy from volleyball tournaments, a golf day, a half marathon and more. Youngsters will enjoy the adventure race which is designed specifically for them while the Upington Toyota Bible Fun Walk attracts hundreds of walkers.

If you’re a Nataniël fan then you are already probably aware that he will be at the festival. Nataniël is an extremely charismatic performer who has a strong following of fans, so make sure you get there early to get a good spot. Some of the other theatre productions you can look forward to are ‘Neighbours on the Bank’ with Sandra Prinsloo as well as a choir performance from the Siyanda Cantando Choir.

The Oasis Skills Development Centre will be the place to go if you want a donkey cart ride or if you’re in the mood for a cup of tea — their bakery will be hosting the tea garden with delicious light snacks on offer. There will also be over 180 stalls offering a variety of goods at this festival, so you can shop and eat til you drop!

Come and enjoy this town that enjoys a party. Make some new friends, feel at home and stay a while at the Kalahari Kuierfees.

Conact Details:
For more information on the festival you can telephone the festival office on +27 (0)54 332‑1100 or +27 (0)54 332‑7700.

Upington Links:
Upington Attractions
Things to Do in Upington
Upington Accommodation
Green Kalahari Accommodation

Die Rooi Granaat

My brother and I recently spent a Sunday night in the tiny Karoo town of Loxton.  I'd done a bit of reading and vaguely remembered that nothing was open from Saturday lunch time to Monday morning (thank goodness we'd stopped in Senekal for lamb chops) but how right I was; absolutely nothing was open for those 18 hours — it was so quiet that it was actually eerie.

Apart from the beautiful church there doesn’t appear to be much in this pretty, well kept, neat town (our walk around didn’t present us with a hive of activity!) but there is a gorgeous coffee shop called The Rooi Granaat.  I peeked through the window and declared to Gareth that we would be partaking of a coffee here on Monday morning.

Monday morning dawned and we were packed and ready for our coffee when the shop opened at 9am.  Parisian cafe music greeted us as we entered the fairly large space complete with tables decked in red chequered table clothes.

Magazines were stacked in the centre of the table – perfect for sipping coffee and browsing through the latest edition of Sarie.  My favourite feature of the shop was the bright red wall behind the counter; it added that little bit extra and was tres French I thought!  Rows of shelves displayed boereseep ('for use on all types of stains'), ‘informal napkins’ made from cheap dishtowels, beautiful cotton table cloths, boiled sweets and Chappie chewing gums in clear cellophane bags tied with bright ribbons.

The Bodum of Cattacurra coffee arrived and it was just what we were after.  I love a good cup of coffee and Loxton certainly served up a perfect brew — after all, there can be nothing better than starting the week sipping on a Cattucurra while humming along to the tunes of a French cafe.  After all, when we asked Wilma of The Rooi Granaat what there was to do in Loxton, she said 'niks, net rus en eet'.  Mmmm indeed!

Loxton Links:
Loxton Attractions
Loxton Accommodation
Upper Karoo Accommodation

The Horse & Mill

The Horse and Mill in Colesberg is a perfect local pub and probably one of the only pubs in the town. Dinner was served at our accommodation in Colesberg (the fabulous Kuilfontein Stable Cottages) on a recent stop in Colesberg, but my brother has driven the Cape Town to Johannesburg route numerous times and when doing so has overnighted in Colesberg and is now familiar with The Horse and Mill and wanted to introduce me to it ...

There is a seperate bar and restaurant area (I presume to conform to smoking laws) and we opted to sit in the bar area where there was a bit more of a country pub vibe.  There were approximately six tables in the bar area, a few of them underneath a fairly large mill, flags of various countries hang from the ceiling, the walls are covered in graffiti from people who have stopped by for a 'dop' and because The Horse and Mill used to be used for the annual Harley Davidson Convention, Harley paraphernalia is present!

To be completely honest I didn’t really have a good look at the menu because as far as I’m concerned when in the Karoo, there is only one thing to eat and that’s Karoo lamb. So, both my brother and I had lamb casserole with, wait for this, mashed potato, sweet potato, potato mashed with green beans, carrots and pumpkin.  Not what one would call a low carb diet!  It was delicious and we devoured every last morsel!

We could have stayed at our accommodation and enjoyed the three course meal on offer but as far as I’m concerned if you are going to drive through the Karoo then you may as well have dinner and a drink at the local and meet a few people.  Everyone we met was also passing through the town but the solid, no nonsense, friendliness of the barmaid gives one a sense of the Karoo mense!

I don't know what else there is to do in Colesberg (and by no means am I saying there is nothing else to do) but if you find yourself stopping in this N1 town make sure you pop into The Horse and Mill for a carb-laden meal and 'n bietjie geselskap!

Contact Details:
Address: The Horse and Mill, Bell Street, Colesberg, Northern Cape
Telephone: +27 (0)51 753‑0406

Colesberg Links:
Colesberg Attractions
Things to Do in Colesberg
Colesberg Accommodation
Northern Cape Accommodation

Sutherland

I spent the first few days of August in the coldest place in South Africa; Sutherland.  I had arrived prepared with my warmest winter woolies transported from my London days and to be perfectly honest, I was dying to wear my GAP down filled jacket again.  Unluckily for me though, Sutherland did not live up to its reputation and instead we walked around in jeans, t-shirts and slops!

We arrived via Loxton and from quite a distance out one can make out the domes of SALT (Southern Africa Large Telescope) for which Sutherland is just as famously known but this Northern Cape town has a few other interesting points of interest ...

The N G Church
This beautiful church, designed by Charles Freeman is located on Piet Retief Street.  Built to seat 1200 worshippers, the church is enormous with a most impressive ceiling of Canadian Maple — each piece of which was shipped, cut and planed to size to fit perfectly on arrival in Sutherland.  The church was only consecrated in 1903 — the original date of consecration in 1900 had to be postponed due to a diphtheria epidemic and in between that time British soldiers fighting in the Anglo Boer War had occupied the church.  A wooden door with graffiti from the British soldiers is on view in the church.

The Louw Musuem (corner of Jubilee and Northumberland Streets)
Now used as a literary museum, the original house was built in 1861 and consisted of four rooms.  Purchased by a Moltkie Louw in 1904, the house was restored and a distinctive concave verandah was added.

The Radar Station
Erected in 1991, the Sutherland Radar Station on Swaartweerberg fills the gap between Cape Town and Bloemfontein.  Air traffic, altitude, speed and direction of aircraft can be precisely determined to within a radius of a couple of metres!  Flight routes and times can therefore be quickly determined.

SALT (Southern Africa Large Telescope)
With international partners, SALT has built the largest single optical telescope in the Southern Hemisphere.  The telescope consists of 91 movable mirrors, each one about one metre wide and they weigh about 100kgs each.  These form a giant mirror capable of observing a candle flame on the moon. It's used for analyzing the size and age of the universe and studying star systems a billion times to far away to be seen with the naked eye.

I really enjoyed Sutherland; of course it would have been magical to have experienced a snowfall but perhaps next time! If you are planning on visiting Sutherland please appreciate that life moves at a slightly slower pace and don’t expect anything to be open between 1pm and 2pm; that’s siesta time!  The locals are very friendly and always open to a conversation and a story of life in Sutherland!

Sutherland Links:
Sutherland Attractions
Things to Do in Sutherland
Upper Karoo Accommodation
South Africa Accommodation

Perlman House

I had dinner at Perlman House Restaurant in Sutherland when I was in the town last week and what a night that was!  A booking had been made for star gazing (we were in the star gazing capital of the world after all) but we were having such a wonderful time that we made a unanimous decision to just turn our heads to the heavens instead for our own version of star gazing!

Perlman’s is owned and run by Annie, Vincent and Annie’s mum!  We booked a table and although this is advisable during the weekend we were there on a Monday evening and there was only one other table booked.  We had a few pre-dinner drinks in the pub — a wonderfully cosy room where a log fire normally blazes during the winter but it was unseasonably warm and a fire was not needed.  The walls are covered in messages and graffiti from past punters and travellers who have visited the coldest place in South Africa.

Although not a chef, Annie is a brilliant cook and her meals are testament to that.  I had originally decided on lamb chops (three of them) served with homemade chips, salad and onion rings but changed my mind when she mentioned that she still had two servings of oxtail left.  Served with an ample portion of rice the oxtail was quite simply, delicious.  My dinner companion chose lamb curry which was equally as tasty.  Other dishes on the menu were steak and chicken.  Starters are chicken livers or soup of the day.

I finished off my meal with a Kahlua coffee in the pub and we spent a good few hours relaxing and meeting the Sutherland locals!  What a wonderful evening and a perfect end to our stay in Sutherland.  Maybe next time we will get snowed in and can spend a few more hours at the Perlmans pub counter!

Contact Details:
Telephone: +27 (0)23 571‑1454
Address: Piet Retief Street, Sutherland, Northern Cape

Sutherland Links:
Sutherland Attractions
Things to Do in Sutherland
Northern Cape Accommodation

Wild Flowers

News alert: the wild flowers are already putting in an appearance! Certainly local radio stations have begun broadcasting that they are out and about for all to see. And little white and pink oxalis are already blooming in and around Darling, whilst gorgeous drosera (more commonly known as sundews) are beginning to raise their heads.

From now until the middle of September you can expect, weather depending (and it has been a rather dry season for some parts of the flower route), to see a flurry of flowers; a burst of colour; a carpet of blossoms; proof that spring has sprung! All the way up the west coast of South Africa.

Every year these gorgeous blooms spring out of nowhere and cover just about every possible piece of formerly barren soil in a bevy of colour, all the way up the West Coast into the Cedarberg and north to Namaqualand, where despite its dryness, this part of the country gives vent to a display of vygies, gousblomme, nemesias, ixias and babiana, amongst a wealth of other flower genera, in a profusion of colour. Proof that nothing is ever what it seems, things always change, and out of barrenness comes fecundity.

All the way from Darling and the West Coast National Park through Clanwilliam and the Cedarberg to the arid beauty of the Knersvlakte and Hardeveld, are little blooms, blossoms, buds. According to one source in Paternoster, the flowers have been visible since the last week of May 2010, with bobbjaantou, kattekruid, bietou, sand viooltjies and vygies already in evidence.

Close to Cape Town

Living in Cape Town means that even in a day trip you can see vygies and wild flowers. You might not be able to get all the way to the Namaqualand but that does not exclude you from access to this annual wonder. Tourists travel here from all over the world to catch a glimpse of what is on our doorstep.

Capetonians can easily reach the Riebeek Valley, where there are already arum lillies along fences of farms and a rather lavish display on the edge of Zonquasdrift Road, across the railway line. Waterblommetjies too are out in small water depressions, as well as oxalis and fynbos.

If you are heading out to the area between Saldanha and Vredenburg look out for daisies, lachenalias, viooltjies and sierangs, whilst in the Bergrivier area pink vygies, yellow surings, stinkkruid and yellow harpuisbosse are in evidence in the open field between Jakaranda and Tecoma streets, Hibiscus Street (next to the chemist) and the road between Velddrif and Elandsbaai.

According to the West Coast Regional Tourism organisation, Clanwilliam is already in possession of kapokbos, hongerblom, elandsvy, Clanwilliam madeliefie, the Namaqualand daisy, perdebos, bittergousblom and dassiegousblom, amongst others, whilst in Citrusdal daisies, both yellow and orange abound, interspersed with viooltjies, skilpadbessiebos, gous blomme, watsonia, white rain flowers and bobbejaantjies.

Lamberts Bay, easily done as a day trip or a weekend break, is rich with flowers – the kapolbossie, the Cape weed or soetgousblom, oxalis, skilpadbessies, pietsnot, vygies, weeskindertjies, bokhorinkies, rooimalva and a host of others.

Heading into the Northern Cape

A little further north, where those more serious about 'doing' the flowers head, is claiming an early flower season this year.  Vanrhynsdorp, according to a local expert,  has had more rain than last year, which wasn't a particularly good year. They're hoping for a bumper 'crop' as a result, fuelled by the fact that you can already see Karoo and Namaqua daisies, gousblomme and vygies in large numbers around Vredendal, Klawer, Lutzville and Strandfontein.

There are also patches of hongerblomme and orange daisies between Vredendal and Vanrhynsdorp, whilst en route to Lutzville expect to already find white Namaqualand daisies, yellow vygies and perdeblomme.

Between Citrusdal and Klawer there are already large patches of white Namaqualand daisies, whilst along the N7 between Citrusdal to Springbok some rounded shrubs are flourishing with orange skaapbos flowers.

On the dirt road between Matjiesfontein and Nieuwoudtville there is a gorgeous abundance of Namaqualand daisies, and cup-and-saucers. You can do the route in an ordinary sedan, you don't need an off-road to drive it.

And on... the Namaqualand

Rain up here has been a little on the sparse side and there are fewer flowers than last year. You'll find the largest displays of flowers at the moment in the Namaqua National Park, which is already an orange carpet of blooms if photographs taken on 27 July 2010 are anything to go by. Here you'll find glasooggousblom, katsterte, pietsnot and perdeblomme. See in particular the coastal region of the reserve. The rest of the Namaqualand is still waiting for rain.

So, places like Loeriesfontein have no flowers because of lack of rain and between Bitterfontein and Garies there are only patches of Namaqualand daisies. However, west of Garies, between Sarrisam and Soutfontein, beautiful patches of flowers have been sighted, as well as in the area between Garies and Groenrivier. Again, these are gravel roads, but a normal car should manage just fine. The latter route is gravel for the first 40 kilometres, and you might have to dodge some serious potholes.

Hondeklip Bay has an extravagant display of blooms, considering the lack of rain to the region, but this is because of the coastal fog.

Between Springbok and Kleinzee you'll find some skaapbos in flower and just north of Karkhams, on the eastern side of the road, pietsnot is putting in a good show. Kamieskroon the town proper has a few patches of flowers. At Arkoep, between Springbok and Kamieskroon there are some patches of flowers but Port Nolloth has nothing as yet.

In a nutshell: Flowers in the Namaqualand are not so hot right now, other than in the Namaqua Park itself; flowers are not coping well with the warm berg winds and lack of rain generally speaking. In some parts of the Northern Cape – like Vanrhynsdorp – there are gorgeous patches, whilst the place to head right now is Clanwilliam Dam towards Citrusdal – judging by reports — for despite the flowers being  very early, they are prolific.

How best to see the flowers: Those in the know advocate that the best way of doing the flowers is to head as far north as you're prepared to go – be it Clanwilliam, Vanrhynsdorp or even Springbok – and then drive south with the sun behind you. In this way, you're more likely to see the blooms as they face the sun.

Best route: Luckily for Capetonians, the best of the flowers at the moment are around Clanwilliam and Citrusdal. Try this route: drive straight out to Vanrhynsdorp and include the R27 and R364 via Nieuwoudtville on your way back to Clanwilliam, Citrusdal and the West Coast National Park.

Read the flower report — http://south-north.co.za/flowers/

Other Useful Links:
Namaqualand Flower Route
Cape West Coast
West Coast National Park
Western Cape Accommodation

Black-maned lion

Our road trip to see the sights of South Africa didn't get off to a very good start. Our mission statement was to see as much of South Africa as we could in the three weeks we had set aside for our purpose. We started driving up the east coast of South Africa from Cape Town. After getting severely lost on our way to a friend's holiday house in Coffee Bay we though the worst was over. But after a few blissful days rest we were back onto the road with Johannesburg as our destination and soon hit major car trouble, which had us staying over at a small inland town while waiting for repairs.

Not the ideal start to our South African road trip ...

Still we made it to our ultimate destination, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The park draws its name from the fact that it traverses the South African and Botswanan borders, with the majority of the park falling on the Botswanan side. The park also borders on Namibia, making it truly well-named as a transfrontier park.

In reality the park is made up of two national parks; the South African Kalahari Gemsbok National Park and the Botswanan Gemsbok National Park.  The name Kgalagadi means “place of thirst”, unsurprising since the park falls largely within the Kalahari desert, famous for being the largest continuous stretch of sand in the world.

We stayed at chalets at the Grootkolk camp, one of the many camps available in the park. Grootkolk is situated in the dunes is wonderfully remote, a perfect destination for that feeling of really getting away from it all.  Make sure you bring plentiful supplies of food and drinking water for your stay, because the nearest amenities are more than two hours away. We braai'ed under the African stars most nights – a perfect way to end a day of watching wildlife.

Also be aware that the temperatures in this area can reach to above the 40 degrees Celsius mark, so be fully prepared for the extremes of this climate. Other accommodation options include the Kalahari Tented camp, an exclusive getaway which includes a luxury honeymoon tent, and the Nossob Rest Camp.

The Kgalagadi park's most famous wildlife inhabitants are perhaps the Kalahari black-maned lions, but also look out for leopards, hyenas and antelope when you're game-viewing.

We also learned something of the history of the human inhabitants of the park, the Mier and Khomani San peoples. The Mier were traditionally farmers of goats and have lived in the area for over a hundred and fifty years. The Khomani San have an even longer history as hunter-gatherers in the region. These people have had a history of oppression by colonisers of South African and Botswana but have thankfully been restored some of their cultural heritage through the creation of a protectorate of more than 500 square kilometres of land for their use.

Despite the rocky start to our trip, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park was amazing and truly lived up to expectations.

Useful Kgalagadi Links:
Kgalagadi Transfontier Park
Kgalagadi Accommodation
Northern Cape Attractions

The Apollo Theatre

I hadn't heard about the little dorp of Victoria West until a friend of mine mentioned the annual film festival that takes place at the town's Apollo Theatre, and her subsequent foray into one of only two restaurants in town (there's now a new pizza joint in town, which looks set to give them a bit of competition) where they became rather flummoxed at her request for vegetarian food.

Upon closer inspection it became obvious that a visit was not entirely out of the question as Victoria West is but a 60 kilometre detour off the N1 between Cape Town and Johannesburg, where we were heading. The added bonus for the central Karoo town is that it lies on the N12 between the two major cities, via Kimberley, so traffic is frequent and the little population of around 11 000 people enjoys numerous visits from travellers passing through ...

My friend's vegetarian experience is understandable too if you consider that the town is known as the 'Merino Mecca' of South Africa where one can find some of the best quality wool and a collection of merino rams are considered top breeders. So lamb would obviously find its way onto the menu, often.

The town is well worth a visit. We arrived as the heavens opened and a thunder shower of note kept us indoors long enough to explore the origins of our B&B, run by the renowned former rugby player, Mannetjies Roux, and his wife. They live right next door in their own little cottage, and we shyly waved at each other (Mannetjies and I, that is) whilst Charlotte and I swopped stories and I exclaimed at the mug I managed to break within moments of arrival!

I know nothing of rugby, but a book about his life left in the lounge for visitors soon brought me up to speed. He's quite a draw card to Victoria West and a museum is dedicated to his private collection of rugby memorabilia and his historic contribution to the game. He and Charlotte own and run a couple of very good antique shops in the quaint little town, the Victoria Trading Post and Ant Tique.

Mannetjies' claim to fame in the rugby world is that he was capped no fewer than twenty seven times, six of these at wing and twenty one times at centre, scoring six tries. Francois du Toit Roux, born in Victoria West, is a small man for rugby, which by all accounts is the reason for his name given him by a domestic worker from his youth who found his cockiness pretty endearing.

The cockiness was to remain, and Mannetjies was dogged by controversy throughout his rugby career, which included kicking a protester in the you-know-what during a Springbok tour of the UK in 1969/70. But it was more than likely his lack of size that gave him such a furious pace and made him the ferocious defender he was reputed to be. A visit to the Victoria Trading Post (you can't miss it), of which the Mannetjies Roux museum is a part, is thus a prerequisite for rugby fans.

If you enter Victoria West from the Loxton side (R63) you are privy to a street lined with a fine collection of neat, little Victorian houses. It's incredibly pretty, and this part of town is definitely worth exploring. Victoria West is dominated by restored Cape Cottage, Karoo-huisie and Victorian-house style architecture that combine for picturesque viewing – many are restored into accommodation venues, and the odd coffee shop, but most on the main road are lived in by locals. Even the first school house in the town has been restored and converted into a guest house.

The pretty little gothic-revival style, Anglican church in town, built in 1869, too is incredibly beautiful — we were easily enchanted with the town. Although the Apollo Theatre, an art deco number that was born out of the 1950's higher up on Church Street, was something of a disappointment, the annual Apollo Film Festival held in September is said to be South Africa's answer to the Sundance Film Festival.

Okay, perhaps that is stretching the imagination a little, but to its credit, the theatre is one of the only remaining art deco theatres still in use, and the line up showcases top South African independent films – features, docies and short films. It's an event South Africans should support.

We were to learn that a number of little Karoo and eastern Free State towns, in similar fashion to Victoria West, tar but their main roads. Other roads leading from these are largely sand and, given the time of year and the amount of rain, can become quite difficult to navigate given the puddles, but this was just one of the idiosyncracies that made our trip to Johannesburg, via Victoria West and the Eastern Free State, so enjoyable.

A quick dash into the local Spar pronounced it more than sufficient to meet your needs if you're here to stay in a self-catering venue. It's fairly big, frequented by the locals and the shelves are well stocked with just about everything, including salad (later on our trip, fresh vegetables in little towns in the Eastern Free State were to become a commodity).

That night as the sun set, we were privy to a display by what must have been hundreds of swallows that took to the skies — diving, swooping and gliding whilst their cries pierced the rapidly increasing twilight overhead. I have never seen such a performance. Swallows are associated with rain and the showers that afternoon had obviously inspired this. I kept expecting the locals to come pouring out of doors to exclaim at the spectacle, but obviously I had merely been part of a fairly common occurrence. That, or Victoria West's population were too busy with dinner...

Northern Cape Pages:
Victoria West Attractions
Kimberley Accommodation
Northern Cape Attractions
Things to Do in Northern Cape
Northern Cape Accommodation

Colesberg

Silently hidden just off the N1 between Johannesburg and Cape Town lies a little treasure, one of those jewels that has forever been waiting for you — and when you at last find it you cannot believe that you overlooked this little piece of magic for so long. Colesberg is such a treasure.

On the road that many others have traveled before me, I decide to take a left turn in search of some company. After spending so much time alone in a car one sometimes needs, and hopes for, that moment that could help you forget the unending stretches of tar ...

The town is quiet when I enter, almost as if taking a siesta. But when I set my foot on the tar in front of an old Cape Dutch style building that now hosts a general dealer I understand why. This Karoo town is blistering underneath the afternoon sun. Quietly, almost scared of disturbing the peace, I cross the road to one of many coffee shops that are invitingly looking at me from the main road. I’m not sure why I chose this one but when I walk into the smile of Younis,  I am happy that I did.

With a cup of coffee in hand, my eyes start exploring what the town has on offer. A couple of people have now woken up from their silence and are walking down the road. Their conversation is fierce as they wave their arms around. Then I hear them laugh. Laugh like only old friends can. Suddenly Younis brings my focus back to where I’m sitting. She’s been working here for six years, but her parents are still on the farm. She and I are just too happy with the break from the day’s silence.

Colesberg’s architecture is astounding; I can imagine a unique story from every building. The peeling paint almost shows the different layers of stories as the town has grown.

I walk further up the main street. Another traveler has followed my example and taken a short left off the highway. They however have found a place to rest for the night before they continue on their travels in the morning. For the first time I realise the number of Bed and Breakfasts in Colesberg. Many travelers have passed through here on different journeys and this town has become a book filled with their stories.

Along the road there is a newly painted house boasting a luscious herb garden at the front door. A woman is sitting on the veranda and carefully watching my unsure movements, I wave. Her gaze instantaneously becomes a smile. She waves back. My story lives here as well.

Here in the middle of the Upper Karoo, lives a town. Few glance twice as they speed past Colesberg towards a different destination not realising what is hidden moments away. Don’t make the same mistake. Colesberg has more to offer than a petrol stop en-route to somewhere else. Here you can become part of a story, you can sit down and enjoy the Karoo sunset, and you can meet real people.

Here you can find the energy to carry on ...

Useful Colesberg Pages:
Colesberg Attractions
Things to Do in Colesberg
Colesberg Accommodation
Northern Cape Accommodation

Digging for dreams

It’s more than just a really big hole, much bigger than a cavity filled with water in a region that is known for its dry heat. It is a whole that had many dreaming about a future that could be, a future that happened for many. And the history that was left by a hole that has no known end.

The road that leads to Kimberley, or the one that I choose to take is one filled with the beauty and inspiration of the Northern Cape, the biggest South African province, the province that allows one to be the self you inspire to be with people who allow you to dream to the edges of your imagination. I find sunflowers big enough to wrap my arms around, staring at the sun and bathing in the light that shines without expecting much back. Lawns of green grass that will someday allow children to play and run and get dirty. Lucerne showing off white flowers in pastures that sees a thought falling and resting on a bed of green and white.

I find myself looking for The Big Hole of dreams and when I find it I am struck by the amount of history preserved in a space only big enough to let you feel comfortable. Unused railway lines and horse stables, old buildings and forgotten forms of entertainment allow you to instantaneously become part of the rush that once was.

I sit down at one establishment to refresh my body after a powerful day and am swept away by the magical experience of shovels and sieves. My cycle become a horse as I tie it to the bar built for horses and I feel like living a moment in the adventure of a western. Reality brings me back when Ivan introduces himself and asks about my horse... ummm, cycle. His words and thoughts begin the experience my tale as I share detail of journey inspired by earth and people. And as his imagination becomes enthralled in this world he starts sharing what inspires him.

He speaks of challenges, his own and those that others have managed to defeat. He finds respect in taking up a dream and sharing it with anyone that needs to listen. He realizes that only by choosing to take a first step can one fulfill the dreams that grown inside us all.

He shares some of his own dreams, the dreams of a man that has seen many challenges and lived to tell the tale of those experiences that make us all human. Ivan reminds me about the human nature and aspects of humanity that makes us the special creatures we are. The hardships, the fears, the dreams, the accomplishments, the love and the laughter that we experience and share every single day that we choose to exist and live.

His gentle ways and conversation allows me to see Kimberley and many other towns like this from an old and new perspective. What dreams became and how a city never manages to satisfy its thirst for the thoughts shared by many generations and eras.

I look at Kimberley with new eyes, I see the monuments, remembrances of times past and wars lost. Buildings and trees still providing the same shade as it did when the buildings were young. I see the sun come up and the breeze taking away the sting of an afternoon much like it did for the sons lost in memories of grandmothers and history books. I still smell the dry earth of promise that anything is possible if you just seek it from the earth.

My dreams become part of the dreams that have been shared for decades. My head rests and the body feels its mortality as muscles have taken strain from what the earth provides as road. I smile. I am human like every man, woman and child that dug to realize a dream. The difference only being that our dreams are not limited to small plots and hand tools used for excavation. Our inspiration lies in the vast alleys of imagination and sharing. Sharing with history and finally joining ...

Kimberley Links:
Kimberley Attractions
Things to Do in Kimberley
Kimberley Hotels
Kimberley Accommodation

Douglas smiles ...

When an Afrikaans man in his late forties from the ‘platteland’ starts telling you about something and you can hear his voice quiver ever so slightly, when his eyes almost gets hazy and he has to look away, when he catches himself using feminine words and needs to correct himself as he realizes. When this man is talking about the town where he lives you realize that he truly has a soft spot for that town.

Jakes feels this way about Douglas. A little town I met not too long ago in the Northern Cape near Kimberley. He quickly covers his trail with alpha male conversation but it keeps slipping through. The fact that this town is blessed with the water from two rivers that join here, the Vaal and the Orange, makes him chat about the greenery and the abundant farming with grapes, mielies, sunflowers and other vegetables. The town is clean and he shows me where I’ll be able to find some lunch.

I follow the cookie trail in the hopes about finding more of this town’s personality. That’s when I find the ladies at the little cowboy themed restaurant. At first they warn me that lunch finishes off at two and I’m a bit weary of what I thought might be happening in this town. But when I get my cup of coffee and the four ladies make themselves comfortable next to my table I realize that my fears were not granted.

Douglas smiles ...

They chat about the coming holiday and what they would like to do with it. They chat about the town and its various colours and personalities, when two new customers walk in I realize that everyone knows everyone in this little dorpie. She takes the right bottle of wine before they sit and the customers smile as their being local has just been confirmed again. She returns and tells the others some stories about the two customers, all in good humour... I ask if there is a winery in town as I would like to visit it and taste the fertility of the earth as Jakes explained it. I am explained the route to follow.

As I cycle through town on my way to the winery I am stopped by a lady wanting to know what I’m doing. She is really interested and first boasts about the town before helping me find the correct way to get to the winery. I realize at this point that Douglas is not similar to many other towns. Everybody knows a stranger in a town like this but actually taking the time to converse out of free will is something special. Something out of the ordinary.

I reach Landzicht and again I’m greeted with a smile. I am told with pride about how well the wines did this year and somewhere during our conversation and tasting I find that this girl is sharing her dreams with me. The dreams of a young girl wanting to open a couture boutique and traveling the world to scout clothing for her love of making others look beautiful. But first she wants to go work on a cruise ship... her boss is not allowed to know just yet but she’s already applied. I can see the dream finding a glint in her eyes and see what I’ve seen in so many other South Africans, the dream of a bright future with nothing standing in their way.

After I taste the wine I am given a bottle of wine as a present, I can only assume it’s because of my smile, but hey, I'm not complaining. Then I enjoy a glass of wine on the patio as she helps some other customers and upon leaving I’m handed another bottle. I smile, there’s no way I can carry this on my bike which means that I’ll have to drink it before leaving...

The weather is beginning to build in shades of gray and I can hear the symphony of thunder finding its way over the Northern Cape veld towards Douglas. I find a spot and order another cup of coffee. Again I’m greeted with smiles from every person in the vicinity. That’s when I’m bombarded with questions. What am I doing? How far have I come? Why am I doing this? Real interest and as I tell that I’m exploring South Africa everyone has a bit to add about their experience of our country and the people.

I enjoy the diverse opinions and details that people bring forth when sharing their views about this beautiful country. South Africa lies in the variety of definitions. That’s what makes it special. All of a sudden the rain makes its presence known when it shouts from the skies above. In moments everything is drenched with the mighty water from the sky, I sit back and allow my thoughts to be overcome by the sound against the road. I found Douglas, a town that many others will find. And the Douglas I found shared its smile with me, a warm, gentle and free smile ...

Useful Links:
Northern Cape Attractions
Things to Do in Northern Cape
Northern Cape Hotels
Northern Cape Accommodation

the road ...

For nearly 500km I look at the endless Namaqualand and Boesmanland as I slowly move across towards the Orange River and the spectacular Augrabies Waterfall. At points it feels like the landscape is repeating itself and that I’m stuck in a loop of the same piece of road as nothing seems to change. For a moment I think, South Africa changes every 100km or so. How can it possibly be that this part is different? And as I take a closer look, as I smell the air and feel the dirt running through my fingers I realize I have not been looking, really looking ...

The veld changes from bossies to rock to sand to grass. The grass is golden and whispers with the wind as it cools down my body. I can see the dark grey rock spreading itself on red sand giving a moment of shade to creatures moving only when the sun asks them to. The bossies are light grey, dark green and then every now and a gain you find a lime green bush that lights up the landscape. There is much to see here if you take the time to look. But then slowly almost creeping I can sense the plants changing, almost smiling, the bugs become more playful and the trees not as far apart.

Then as if from nowhere Kakamas unveils herself. She is the oasis in this part of the world that gives life to the many that have trusted her. Vineyards and Lemon trees line the road, with plantations not revealing that this is actually a semi-desert region. The vineyards invite me into their shade and almost beg me to share their fruit.

I turn left towards Augrabies National Park towards a guesthouse that will allow me to rest my tired body and wash away the days’ sun and when I find the green grass invite me to sit down for a second and just experience what water does to a region. The Orange River is the life behind Augrabies and Kakamas.

Before it becomes too late I head off to the waterfall. I remember this waterfall as a child, the magical experience of water flowing at such intensity and falling into space. I realize that the experience might not be the same 15 years later ... but no, as I walk towards the sound of water I get a similar feeling to the one I remember. Slowly I put my head over the side of the security fence and once more I experience the magic of the orange water running its course towards the Atlantic Ocean. The sound is overpowering and the good summer rains in Gauteng and the Free State are still showing here.

I take the road back through the National Park and smile as I leave, I smile because I have changed, but nature has allowed be to have a glimpse at my own history. Back at the guesthouse I am greeted by Henry. He is a philosopher of sorts and I listen to his theories that everything is how it should be, that he believes to accept and love of which love is the most important. The water in this area has a definite affect on the people. They understand their vulnerability and the natural order of what things are.

Early the next morning I my sluggish body is greeted by a sunrise that asks of me to breathe, smell and think for a moment before I hit the road. This road leads me back to Kakamas and also ‘Die Pienk Padstal’ which is a happy revival of the past, in pink. History here is revamped and exhibited to the many travelers with some home made ginger beer that helps cool down the day.

Carefully the history of every piece has been rewritten and given a unique story that lightens the mood. Every person that stops here pulls out the camera and takes pictures before sitting down and having something cold. I listen to the excited chatter of couples and families as they laugh at the quirky sayings and the directions to the bathrooms which read ‘dripdry’ and ‘shakedry’.

I find it amazing that fun can be seen and made with the most creativity. Everything becomes a piece of life and a memory that many will retell on endless journeys ...

Useful Northern Cape Links:
Green Kalahari Attractions
Northern Cape Attractions
Northern Cape Accommodation

Namakwa Flowers

For a while now I’ve been wondering if the landscape or space we live in has any effect on personality. Obviously it has to... But in Namakwa I found proof. There is a theory that the bigger the pond is, the bigger the fish will grow. Namakwa is like this. The vast open spaces, the bossies and singular trees of this area that proves its beauty but once a year has surely influenced the colourful people that live here.

The personalities you find here are big, strange even, but most definitely wonderful. Every personality is characterized by the many flowers that find its way up the dry earth between July and September. When you meet them at first like the landscape you’re not entirely sure what to make of what you see. But give it some time and the area flowers ...

I could not imagine this without experiencing it. I couldn’t see the flowers coming from that dry earth that has been burnt grey by the sun. But shower it with rain and it soars. Every piece of earth reveals beauty that takes your breath away and leaves you with silence.

Namakwa

The people here are the same. Every person I’ve met during my stay here has proven to be that flower. The personalities are unimaginable, they fill all the space. And they tell stories just like the landscape does. Springbok, Nababeep, Okiep, these towns showed me people with never ending stories, stories which can keep you busy for days just by the sheer detail they are told with. Every aspect of that story is broken into a whole novel on its own and you cannot help but listen, listen to every single word.

Sylvia is one such character. We have never met when I reach Springbok but that does not stop her. She shares the life of this region through tales that you wouldn’t find in any novel or history book. People here might not have much but what she tells me makes up for that. We chat into the late hours of the morning as she colours a vivid picture that you can almost touch. You jump into the story and experience the adventures, love and battles with the characters.

Love seems to be a major aspect of every story and the romantic in me listens with intention. Like the flowers that bloom here so does love. These stories are told passionately and with great care as if it was the storyteller’s story. A world of children’s fantasy stories open as the princess is swept away by her knight. Or a knight finding his princess in this unforgiving sun and offering himself to Namakwa to win her heart.

Nababeep

A man stops us in Okiep when we slow down to look at a little white house still bearing all signs of a history once lived. He has dreams for this house as big as the space that encompasses it. His dream is told as a story and once again I am swept into a fantasy as I see him bake bread, water his garden and sit outside in the singular shade on a Sunday afternoon.

Then it becomes dark as we enter Springbok. I look up at a sky and it is almost representing all the stories and dreams within the bright shining stars. Never would you see a sky so bright with stars. The black nearly disappears. Here one can understand the fascination with starts that make so many people dream. I get lost in them while trying to connect the dots.

If you have a dream this is the place to share it, if there is a lost thought it could be found here. Between the bushes, open spaces, singular trees and bright stars you will find the flowers that grow once a year. Namakwa is a place of dreams, maybe all the dreams of the known world grows here and if you’re lucky enough you will get to see them in the form of flowers. All the colours you could imagine. Maybe this is the space where forgotten dreams end up, the space where you and a loved one could remember what it means to pick a flower and the smile it presents.

More flowers ...

Just make sure that when you come you don’t lose your heart in the emptiness, that you don’t get caught up in the stories or become one. Because this Namakwa is a different place, many have not left it upon entering and many have found a love so deep that you almost feel empty when leaving it behind ...

Namakwa Links:
Namaqualand Attractions
Things to Do in Namakwa
Springbok Accommodation
Namakwa Accommodation

White Water Rafting

The gorgeous Northern Cape frequently gets a raw deal. Often ignored or overlooked for the more obviously exciting alternatives of the Eastern and Western Cape or the Limpopo, it doesn't deserve its Cinderella complex, despite its apparent desert or semi-desert state.

If anything, these beautiful arid plains interspersed with haphazard rocky outcrops, brilliant blue skies, unique fauna and flora and the icy Atlantic that washes its western boundary give it a unique beauty all its own. And when it comes to beauty nothing beats the floral carpets that cover these scrub-covered plains come spring, or the star-filled skies during evenings.

What makes this province particularly attractive to adrenaline junkies is its largely open and unpopulated spaces. Rugged trails, dusty back roads, enchanting caves, diamond fields and the Northern Cape's oasis – the Green Kalahari – offers endless outdoor adventure possibilities ...

Namaqualand

Uncover the daisies in Namaqualand:
It's imperative to define 'adrenaline type expeditions' around now, before we land ourselves in 'hot water' at waxing lyrical about flowers.

Whilst discovering daisies in the beautiful Namaqualand does not require a desired level of fitness, it certainly gets the blood pumping for the sheer beauty of this magical floral display.

After the first winter rains, seeds that have lain dormant from the year before suddenly begin to germinate and as spring begins, burst into flower. Timing is everything, and if you must work up a sweat, then do it at a hop, skip and a jump, or soar over the Namaqualand on a hot air balloon! Alternatively hike the Malan Wild Flower Garden in the Goegap Nature Reserve.

Ride the Orange

Ride the Orange River:
Hardly a traditional take on the life force of the Northern Cape. The Orange River, Gariep river, Groot River or Senqu River is the longest in the country. Along its banks runs a green agricultural belt that is in stark contrast to the ruggedness of the Richtersveld. Sometimes also known as the Green Kalahari, the Orange River is flanked by a combination of vineyards, farms and game farms.

A number of canoe tours ride the waters along which there are regular camps where you get to sleep under the stars. During the day the waters can vary from smooth and tepid to fast-paced rapids. It's a tough but beautiful view of the Northern Cape's greener side.

Contact: Umkulu Safari & Canoe Trails on +27 (0)21 853‑7952 or Felix Unite on +27 (0)21 702‑9400.

Augrabies Nat. Park

Do the Gariep 3-in-1 Adventure in the Augrabies:
This combination of canoeing, walking and mountain biking should get the adrenaline pumping. Row 4 kilometres through a gorge along the Orange River, then desert hike 4 kilometres, and return to camp by mountain bike on gravel road for 12 kilometres.

This allows a wonderful exploration of the Augrabies National Park. It's also not the only adventure you can follow in the park.

You can choose from the Aukoerebis 4x4 eco-trail, and a three day Klipspringer hiking trail.

Contact: Augrapies National Park on +27 (0)54 452‑9200 or SAN Parks on +27 (0)12 428‑9111.

Sandboarding

Sandboard the roaring dunes of the Kalahari:
The beautiful Witsand Nature Reserve is home to the famous roaring sands of the Kalahari (given the right conditions they rumble if disturbed, in a distinctly supernatural fashion).

Witsand's white dunes stand rise between twenty to sixty metres and are surrounded by the equally beautiful copper-red sand of the Kalahari and the Langberg Mountains.

It is one of the sandboarding destinations in the country (rent your board at reception), and on a clear day one can even see Table Mountain from the top of dunes.

Dive for Crayfish

Dive for crayfish at Port Nolloth or Hondeklip Bay:
Spend a morning on a traditional rowing crayfishing boat with the local fishermen. This part of an almost untouched coastline is incredibly beautiful. Some of the best crayfish diving spots are pretty remote and aside from diving gear and a boat, you'll also need a few diving partners.Special licences can be bought in Garies or Springbok ahead of time. Bon apetite! Contact Port Nolloth Backpackers on +27 (0)79 866‑9960.

Paraglide in De Aar:
This exciting hybrid of hanggliding and parachuting leaves you suspended and flying free as a bird once launched out of an aeroplane, or from a mountain launch (the choice is yours, by all accounts). Sitting on little more than a harness and air, this is regarded as one of the purest forms of free flight. De Aar, south east of Prieska and south west of the Gariep Dam, has its very own paragliding school that attracts hanggliders and paragliders from all over the country and indeed the world.

Contact: Fly De Aar on +27 (0)53 631‑1555.

Useful Links:
For more ideas of activities in the Northern cape see our growing selection of Things to Do in Northern Cape and browse through our Northern Cape Attractions pages. You are sure to find plenty to keep you busy whilst on holiday in the Northern Cape. And don't forget to book accommodation — for best rates and no-commission bookings see Northern Cape Accommodation.

Quiver Tree forest in the Northern Cape — By and © Barbara Minnie

Richtersveld Landscape

The Richtersveld National Park is arguably one of the most unforgiving landscapes in South Africa. A desert, where rainfall is unheard of for most of the year, and communities are sparsely spread around the vast, sometimes lunar landscapes.

With the park being run by the residents of the area themselves, however, expert experience and advice is on hand, ensuring that any trip to the area will be a memorable one. The Richtersveld is located in Northern Namaqualand, in the Northern Cape, and stretches all the way up to the Orange River, South Africa’s border with Namibia.

Despite the isolation, there is much to see in this rugged, dramatic area which enjoys UNESCO world heritage site status, for those who are willing to take the time to explore. Populated by the San people since prehistoric times, the area is still dotted with their artworks, some almost perfectly preserved despite the passing of the centuries. These engravings, known as petroglyphs, were chipped by the artists into the hard dolomite rocks by hand, using rudimentary tools, and provide some insight into the cultural history of the area.

Another cultural experience is performing the Namastap, a traditional Nama dance, led by descendants of the original inhabitants. This can be arranged through the Eksteenfontein Information centre. Other attractions and activities organized by the centre are hikes and pipe car trips to view gravesites and traditional stock posts, donkey cart rides to and around the Rooiberg (Red Mountain) as well as hiking trails, such as the Ventersval Trail, Lelieshoek Oemsberg Trail and Koedaspiek Trail, which range from 4 days for the former, to 2 days for the latter.

Spring Flowers

Despite the otherworldly, desolate appearance of the landscape at first glance, another draw card for the area is the rather unique plant and animal life to be found here.  the most famous of these must be the Halfmensboom, which translates as “half-person tree”. Local people named the tree  because of its resemblance to the human form and  revere the trees as the embodiment of their ancestors. Other plant life includes around 650 species, including the world’s most prolific collection of succulent species and the Richtersveld is known as one of the most fascinating mega ecosystems in the world.

Since roads are notoriously poor in the Park, access to most areas is by off-road vehicle only, but many organized 4 x 4 trips are available. Visiting during flower season will provide tourists to the area the opportunity to view the spectacular, if brief transformation of the park from a dry desert, into a living carpet of flowers and colour (see Namaqualand Flower Route).

As can be expected, accommodation in the area is mostly rudimentary; however, this offers even more opportunity to get closer to nature. Camping facilities and self catering accommodation are on offer, and can be arranged through local tourism offices.

While this area may lack the hustle and bustle of other tourist attractions, it surely has much to offer visitors in terms of unique fauna and flora, cultural experiences, and sheer natural beauty, and should not be overlooked when planning a trip in South Africa.

View a Flickr slide show of photographs of the Richtersveld: http://www.flickr.com/search/show/?q=richtersveld

Useful Links:
For additional destination information see:
SANParks — Richterveld Transfrontier National Park
Northern Cape Accommodation
Richtersveld Cultural & Botanical Landscape

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Despite being South Africa’s largest province, the Northern Cape is its most sparsely populated and looking at the almost lunar landscape, characterised by dry, rocky crags and sand it’s clear that the climate plays a large part in this. This is a harsh, unforgiving landscape not given to agriculture which makes it unique in South Africa. But amongst the arid starkness of the Karoo and Kalahari, which make up the majority of the province, there are startling flashes of life unique to the area.

The Orange River flows along the border between this province and Namibia on its path to the sea and in this region, the dry, dusty appearance of much of the surrounding landscape is transformed into an oasis of green vegetation and cool water. Straddling the Orange river and combining land from both the Northern Cape and Namibia is the Ais Ais Transfrontier Park, a haven for the area's succulent plants as well as local wildlife, who coexist peacefully with local shepherds.

Another park worth a visit is the Richtersveld, a rocky landscape, dotted with the curios “half-mens” plants, which are the stuff of local legend. It’s also a great spot for bird watching, and has some good 4x4 trails and hikes on offer.

Augrabies National Park, another reserve in the area, presents a very different appeal. This is where you will find the Augrabies Falls, which thunders over the precipice of a granite gorge, offering spectacular scenery as well as rich bird life and small game.

The San people, descendants of South Africa’s first ancient inhabitants, call this area their home.

A unique feature of the Northern Cape is its restitution of land to the local peoples for oppression by previous governments. They have been empowered in terms of tourism and many of the lodges and guesthouses, and even game reserves, are run as public private partnerships, between these peoples and the local government.

Such is the case with the Riemvasmaak community who operate 4x4 trails, accommodation and the warm baths which are fed by a natural underground spring.

On the coast, unlike most of South Africa’s coastline, there is very little in the way of population, with many small fishing villages dotted along the coast of the cold Atlantic, barely altered since they were founded. Likewise, the small town of Sutherland, renowned as one of the coldest places in South Africa, and having gained acclaim as the home of the giant SALT telescope.

Namaqualand Flower Route

One cannot speak about the Northern Province without mentioning Kimberly, its capital. A small city, it was the site of the diamond rush in South Africa in the 19th century, and still retains many remnants of that era, the most famous of which is the “Big Hole” an open cast mine dug largely by hand by those first pioneering prospectors.

If you are lucky enough to visit the area in the springtime, you will be rewarded by the site of the desert suddenly bursting into a riot of colour. It is at this time of year that the famous Namaqua daisies burst out of their drab winter colors, and transform the desert floor into a living carpet of colour.

Without a doubt, the Northern Cape is, much like the industry that brought many to the area, a diamond in the rough, full of surprises and culture, and well worth a visit for a taste of something a little out of the ordinary.

Useful Links:
For further information and travel resources, please visit:

• Northern Cape Tourist Attractions
• Things To Do in Northern Cape
• Northern Cape Accommodation
• Northern Cape Hotels