Karoo

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Reinet House and the oldest grape vine in South Africa

I really enjoy visiting small town museums.  There is always something interesting to discover in them and no better way to learn more about the history of a place.  Graaff-Reinet has a number of very good small museums but if I had to choose only one to go to I would choose Reinet House. The Graaff-Reinet Museum or “Reinet House” is a former Dutch Reformed Church parsonage and was built in 1812.  It was the home of three ministers prior to 1822,…

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11/03/2015
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Morning view of Graaff-Reinet

Graaff-Reinet is one of my favorite towns to visit for so many reasons.  I spent a night in this beautiful Karoo Heartland town a week or so ago arriving on a Sunday afternoon for a Monday morning meeting.  Getting up early the morning I headed out to one of the view points looking out over the town before doing a little sightseeing to still be back in time for my meeting. Graaff-Reinet is the fourth oldest town in South Africa and…

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06/03/2015
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The Gideon Scheepers Monument

Most people visiting the Karoo town of Graaff-Reinet take a drive out to the Valley of Desolation to enjoy the magnificent views  of the town and surrounding Karoo plains as well as the very sheer cliffs and unique Dolerite stone columns of the valley.  I wonder how many people have spotted the monument on the left as you pass the dam just after leaving town. The Gideon Scheepers Monument remembers  Commandant Gideon Scheepers who was a Boer scout and commanding officer during the Anglo-Boer War. …

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02/03/2015
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Local is lekker….

The last few weeks have been a challenge.  It wasn't just my car being stolen with my backpack and everything in it which was locked in the boot.  It was also the fact that my backpack contained my camera which meant that I haven't been able to take photos lately except for a few pics with my phone.  It also means that my blogging hasn't been as frequent as it should be as I have been without any pictures to…

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22/02/2015
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Daggaboer Farmstall in the Karoo Heartland

About 50 km south of Cradock on the way to Port Elizabeth and the cool breeze of the coast, is one of the Karoo Heartland's most popular farmstalls.  Daggaboer Farmstall is one of those "you just have to stop and try their goodies" spots and was voted the WEG & GO! travel magazines' best farm stall in South Africa in 2011.According to their website they are best known for their• Cheesecake, lemon meringue & milk tart• Crunchy koeksisters, millionaire’s shortbread, fudge…

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02/02/2015
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Concrete, glass and colours at the Owl House

The Karoo Town of Nieu Bethesda is the kind of place everybody needs to try and visit at some stage in their lives.  Its not a big tourist orientated city but rather a small village that embrace their visitors.  The most famous attraction in Nieu Bethesda is the world renown Owl House. The late Helen Martins spent most of her life in the town and the latter part of it transforming her ordinary Karoo home into a place of colour and light.  Over the…

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23/01/2015
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Wolwefontein Hotel

The sleepy village of Wolwefontein lies on the road between Port Elizabeth and Graaff-Reinet and only exists because the railway line runs through it.  Over the last few decades a lot of railway stations have closed down due to the decline of the railway system in South Africa but it seems that Wolwefontein is holding on for dear life.  I pulled over onto its dusty streets for a quick look on the way to Graaff-Reinet the other day and discovered…

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21/12/2014
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The good ol’ windpomp, from underneith

We all know what a windpomp looks like.  Don't know what a windpomp is? NO! Really? Hahahaha...  Ok, so perhaps you've heard of a windpump or windmill?  To most of us its just a windpomp, doesn't matter if you say it in English or Afrikaans.  Or perhaps even Xhosa.  I should ask one of my Xhosa friends what they call it.  Anyhow, we all know what a windpomp looks like.  One of the icons of the Karoo.  An object standing in…

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08/12/2014
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Karoo Riverbed

A couple of months ago I spent a night at Ganora Guest Farm outside Nieu Bethesda.  What an amazing place!  Although I didn't have a lot of time but did get to do a tour of JP's Fossil Museum.  Unfortunately I didn't get to go and see the rock drawings on the farm.  Before heading into the village for the meeting I was there for I took a walk down to the river just below the homestead.  If it wasn't for…

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01/12/2014