Odd one out

I recently spent a night at the highly recommended Ganora Guest Farm near Nieu-Bethesda. Early morning before breakfast I went for a walk around the farm and down to the river. On my way back I found this interesting scene of a calf having breakfast with the sheep. A case of mistaken identity?

Spending a weekend at the 150 year old Ann’s Villa

Its a hot day in the southern Karoo just north of the Zuurberg in the Eastern Cape. Not a breath of air moving. Cicadas are chirping away in the surrounding veld. Its been four days since you left the small port town of Port Elizabeth and after struggling up the rough Zuurberg Pass the previous day … Continue reading Spending a weekend at the 150 year old Ann’s Villa →

Karoo Heartland Churches

Looking through everything I have that still needs to be posted I decided to take three Karoo churches and make up one Random... Karoo churches post. Just about every small town in the Karoo Heartland of the Eastern Cape has a remarkable church of some sort. Cradock must have one of the most memorable Karoo Heartland churches there … Continue reading Karoo Heartland Churches →

Koffiebus and Teebus

The Karoo has a beauty that some admire in awe while others tend to just want to pass through as quickly as possible. I love the Karoo landscape with its big skies, Karoo koppies, windpumps, sheep, karoo vegetation and its interesting people. Returning home after a trip to Johannesburg I decided to drive via the … Continue reading Koffiebus and Teebus →

Karoo sunrise

A 4am departure on a road trip to Johannesburg meant that I was just south of the Karoo town of Cradock when the sun started to lick at the horizon. It wasn't long for the clouds to be on fire and I couldn't help but to pull over to take a picture with my phone which I Instagrammed immediately. The Karoo always … Continue reading Karoo sunrise →

Roesemaat

Nieu-Bethesda in the Karoo is one of those interesting little towns that one just can't afford to miss. Home to the Owl House, Kitching Fossil Centre, guesthouses, restaurants, a micro brewery and so much more yet the town (or should I perhaps call it a village?) doesn't have a petrol station, atm or even a … Continue reading Roesemaat →

Karoo hotel – a bit of a thorny issue

A trip up to Nieu-Bethesda a week or so ago gave me the opportunity to detour into the little village of Wolwefontein between Uitenhage and Jansenville. There really wasn't that much to see but the old hotel sign behind a sweet thorn tree made for an interesting photograph.

Schreiner House in Cradock

Olive Schreiner (24 March 1855 – 11 December 1920) was a world renown South African writer and is best remembered for her novel The Story of an African Farm which has been highly acclaimed ever since its first publication in 1883. She was born in Wittebergen and grew up Healdtown from the age of six. Between 1868 and 1870 … Continue reading Schreiner House in Cradock →

The Slagtersnek Monument near Cookhouse

Driving along the N10 between Port Elizabeth and Cradock there is a memorial next to the road near the town of Cookhouse. Driving back from Cradock the other day I decided to stop and have a closer look. The Slagtersnek Monument remembers the Slagtersnek Rebellion and the subsequent hanging of 5 of the rebels, an event that … Continue reading The Slagtersnek Monument near Cookhouse →

Time for a pitstop

Farm stalls all have their unique points and quirky bits. Daggaboer Farm Stall outside Cradock has this sign by the gents.....