The Karoo Heartland village of Nieu-Bethesda is weird and quirky, but in a nice way. It has a lot of interesting nooks and crannies which include a couple of fascinating attractions, authentic Nieu-Bethesdian accommodation and slightly off the regular type of mainstream restaurants and eateries. When you pass a little restaurant with a sign saying Bruno's Alfresco Pizzeria … Continue reading Pizza, World Famous in Nieu-Bethesda
Tag: Karoo
Going digital at the Owl House
The last time I was at the Owl House in Nieu-Bethesda I got a nice picture of a gent standing in contemplation between the cement figures. On this visit to the village I was at the Owl House with two friends and colleagues and I really thought there would be a good chance to catch one … Continue reading Going digital at the Owl House
Why have you never visited Nieu-Bethesda?
It feels like most people I speak to about travelling in the Karoo Heartland of the Eastern Cape have been to Graaff-Reinet, yet many didn't venture much further to also visit Nieu-Bethesda. Nieu-Bethesda truly is a very special village located barely 30 minutes from Graaff-Reinet and have a truly off the beaten track feeling to … Continue reading Why have you never visited Nieu-Bethesda?
When it rains in Nieu-Bethesda
A couple of weeks ago I headed up to Nieu-Bethesda in the Karoo Heartland with a colleague for a tourism meeting. En route we encountered the Fish River in full flow at Jansenville, puddles and pools next to the road approaching Graaff-Reinet and a very wet village at our destination. The word Karoo comes from … Continue reading When it rains in Nieu-Bethesda
Karoo farm scene
I took this picture on a recent visit to Lowlands Country House in the Karoo Heartland outside Cradock. The scene just grabbed me and if I was a painter then I would have loved to paint it. It really shows the importance of water in this arid environment and how it can change things from … Continue reading Karoo farm scene
Fields of flowers in the Karoo
It's dry in the Karoo. The word Karoo doesn't mean "Place of Thirst" for nothing. But the smallest amount of rain in the last winter of early spring means that there will be flowers. And flowers there were when I drove through the Karoo Heartland late in September. On the road north of Steynsburg I … Continue reading Fields of flowers in the Karoo
Fields of Coral Aloe
Just as the "normal" Aloes in the Karoo Heartland is done flowering, it's the turn of the Coral Aloes. A drive through the southern Karoo Heartland (on the N10 just over the Olifantskop Pass from Port Elizabeth) in the Eastern Cape two weeks ago had me stop a couple of times and grabbing for my camera … Continue reading Fields of Coral Aloe
The road to Noodhulp
The road to Noodhulp (Afrikaans for First Aid) is not what you call the route somebody takes when they are cruising for a bruising and looking for trouble with a big oke. Not that kind of thing at all. I found the road to Noodhulp while en route to Mount Camdeboo Private Game Reserve … Continue reading The road to Noodhulp
There is no end to the adventures we can have
On a game drive at Mount Camdeboo Game Reserve near Graaff-Reinet recently we stopped to watch a couple of Gemsbok on the side of a hill. Strangely enough my attention wandered from the antelope to the road in front of us and I snapped this picture. Looking at it afterwards I wondered how to use … Continue reading There is no end to the adventures we can have
The perfect Karoo sunset
Take the big sky of the Eastern Cape's Karoo Heartland, add some rain the previous night, a few distant mountains, an old building, a thorn tree and throw in a sunset for good measure. What do you get? This, as observed while on a game drive at Mount Camdeboo Game Reserve outside Graaff-Reinet recently. All … Continue reading The perfect Karoo sunset
Firefly the Travel Guy 