Place of Glory – the KidZ edition

Going anywhere with the KidZ in a car, and that includes the local supermarket a couple of blocks from home, more often than not result in a back seat battle of some sorts.  When those back seat battles start to take on epic proportions and I'm forced to stop in a cloud of dust on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere to threaten them that I will be kicking them out the car and leave them just there, then you know…

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A memorable weekend

Clan Firefly spent a memorable long weekend across the Zuurberg enjoying the best the southern Karoo has to offer and as soon as I get a chance to edit the pictures and write a blog post or two I will share it all with you.  Here's a taste of what we did so long, most of which were new experiences for the KidZ.   Game drives at Kuzuko Lodge...... looking for big game. Learning about the history of Ann's Villa...  ... and taking in…

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Golden Orb Web Spider

Most of the time I post pictures of historic buildings or beaches so I decided to post of pic of a Black Legged Golden Orb Web Spider today.  The reason for the name is the gold coloured thread they spin their webs with.  Taken with a bit of back lighting you can actually see the golden thread in this pic.  The picture was taken to the west of Port Elizabeth in the Maitland area.

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Die Uilhuis in Nieu-Bethesda

Suid-Afrika is vol van klein dorpies met interessante verhale en plekke om te ontdek, maar een van die wat baie hoog op enige iemand se lys behoort te wees is die Uilhuis in die Karoodorp Nieu-Bethesda.  Nieu-Bethesda lê so 50km noord van Graaff-Reinet en is in 1838 deur Charles Murray, 'n Nederduitse Gereformeerde dominee van Graaff-Reinet, gestig.  Met die stigting van die dorp het hy gesê, "En laten wy deze plaats nu Bethesda noemen" vanwee die vrugbaarheid van die plek en die aanwesigheid…

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Karoostorm

Party mense vind die baie vervelig om deur die Karoo te reis, maar vir meeste het die groot ooptes met die weie blou hemel bokant 'n spesiale aantrekking.  Na 'n warm somers dag kan 'n donderstorm baie gou opsteek soos hier net buite Steynsburg in the Ooskaap.  Die twee Karookoppies in die agtergrond is Teebus en Koffiebus omtrent 10km buite die dorp.  Die "bus" is blykbaar ou Nederlands vir pot en die naam kom van die feit dat hulle soos 'n teepot…

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Karoo sky

I know its not Skywatch Friday, but I wanted to show you a typical flat Karoo landscape with a typical BIG Karoo SKY.  No wonder some people refer to the Karoo as Big Sky Country.

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Karoo roads

Driving through the Karoo should be an adventure, not a rush.  It has so many interesting nooks and crannies to explore, but to get there one has to travel many interesting roads and paths. Travelling is as much about the journey as it is about the destination. Travelling through the Karoo one firstly encounters tar roads. On these we depart the big towns and cities, but from them, somewhere along the way, you have to turn off onto ... ... a dirt road.  It…

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The Pink Church

What would be one of the most unusual sights you can imagine finding in a little plattelandse (rural) town in the Karoo?  Well, I bet you didn't just think a pink church, but after saying it it would probably be on your list.  Driving into the Karoo town of Hofmeyr, one immediately sees the bell tower and clock towering out above the surrounding town and its difficult not changing direction to check it out.The Hofmeyr Dutch Reformed Church was built in…

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Hofmeyr

A side view of the Hofmeyr Post OfficeHofmeyr is a typical little Karoo town.  Imposing old Dutch Reformed Church keeping an eye over mostly dusty streets and a proud but struggling farming community.  Situated roughly halfway between Cradock and Steynsburg, the town with its less than 2000 people lies at an altitude of 1252 meters and in the heart of a once flourishing sheep farming district.  The town was founded in 1873 and, initially named Maraisburg, renamed Hofmeyr in 1911.  It was named in…

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