The Great Karoo with its vast openness and many tumbleweeds, offers beautiful gems in between the hard rocks and dry veld.  Prince Albert is certainly one of these diamonds in the making.  Prince Albert was established in 1842 with town layout on the De Queekvaleij farm.  The farm was granted to Zacharias de Beer as a loan farm and the town was initially called Albertsbrug. It was renamed in 1845 to its current name of prince Albert, after the husband of Queen Victoria.

Spending a weekend in the town at the foot of the Heritage Site, which is the Swartberg Mountains, recharges the soul.  The many accommodation options, such as Skrywerskop, offer a country feel stay and the opportunity to stroll through the town from wherever you lay your head down at night.  Nothing is too far from the main road in this little town.  Referring to a little town will probably not stick for much longer.  The town is growing, that is for sure.  With the Zoom town concept taking flight with people streaming in from elsewhere to put down their roots and work remotely, this gem is not exclusive to non-South Africans anymore.  Where you used to mostly hear French, German, Italian and British accents to name a few, you will now hear more Cape Townian, Gauteng, Free State and Natal accents (if you can distinguish between them) while sitting at one of the eateries.  We replenished our hungry souls at African Relish for the night and while the venue seems like it was fully booked with reserved tables everywhere, we still had some of the best pizzas that I have had in a while.  Not your ordinary fast food restaurant pizzas, but flavours so unique to the Karoo.  This Cooking School is going the extra mile when it comes to quality.

Saturday morning is the perfect time to take a walk through the open Karoo plains.  While the breeze is still cool and the sun is starting to show its rays, the area around Gordon’s Koppie with its multiple zigzag trails is bound to get the blood flowing while pure air is filtering through your lungs.  Being very fond of anything rocky, we soon found ourselves dwindling off the paths after the most interesting rock formations. The Saturday Market where locals offer anything from good old-fashioned jaffels and pannekoek to artisanal fudge, preserves and fresh produces, makes for a good start to your day.  Nothing is rushed and a day’s planning will soon happen when you sip on your morning coffee while locals greet each other and strike up a conversation or two.

A good place to start is the Fransie Pienaar Museum.  Here you need a clear mind as there are so much information to process.  The ladies at the museum are so knowledgeable and will take you back all the way from where the town originated, and how the museum came into existence, up until the goldmining stint (yes, it seems like goldminers where everywhere) and the local rugby team.  We even found some articles in the museum that we still have in the house and some familiar surnames popped up of the role-players in the area.  The most interesting pieces for us, was some of the weaponry display behind bars in one of the rooms.  We could just imagine carry some of those rifles on horseback, it must’ve been challenging.  Right next door is the Prince Albert Tourism Info Centre and, which houses some leaflets of the activities and venues in the area.

A lot of time needs to be spent walking through town, admiring the different styles of gables.  Before doing this though, we would recommend you pay your R20 entrance fee to the Museum and get some more information on how the gables came about and which style suits which architect.  Suddenly, the Prince Albert Town has new meaning, and the old buildings are not only the restaurant that serves the nicest coffee or the one with the best ice-cream.  It gives another dimension to the history of the town. 

A weekend is just a little to short to do everything in town.  You would think that a small gem like this can be covered in two days, but you will only be scratching the surface.  Although we did pop in at Kevin de Klerk’s studio and were treated by a personal tour from him through town, we left the Gallery visits for next time.  The amazing bin project that Kevin is doing needed our attention and the level of art that he’s doing for worthy causes in town is incredible.  These bins are just bringing colour to the town and uplifting the community through awareness.  The Showroom theatre is another must-do.  If you are ever lucky enough to schedule your visit around a show in this little theatre, you will be treated to an intimate, small theatre vibe.  Here you can dress-up or dress-down and sit back while sipping on a glass of wine and be entertained by a local top-class act.

The Swartberg Mountains are the perfect opportunity for an early breakfast while the sun finds it’s way through the mountains onto the snaky road.  It was time to head home, but not without the last stop at the top of the Heritage Site.  It was a freezing 7 degrees with a chilly wind that almost blew the Jimny over.  We came to recharge in the royal Karoo Town, but left feeling that we have only seen the tip of the iceberg.  Our advice is to not rush your visit.  This is a place where you need to return to, multiple times.  Don’t try and fit too much in at once, you will be overwhelmed.   The tumbleweed in the Great Karoo that is Prince Albert, is not blowing anywhere.  It is growing and it is waiting for you!

-oOo-

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On our recent visit to Prince Albert we noticed these beautiful bins dotted all over town and we wanted to find out the story about it, because this is not just ordinary bins; it is designer bins with a message.  We tracked the master behind it down in the name of local artist Kevin de Klerk who hand paint it with care and precision.

Kevin tells us that there are a total of 33 bins in the village and some of them has the most interesting stories behind it.  There is the cat sterilization awareness bin with, of course, a beautiful cat on its side.  We all know that cat numbers can multiply astonishingly quickly if you do not keep a finger on it.  So, this one goes towards cat sterilization awareness.

The one that I love the most must be the little owl that promotes reading and loving books.  I have just listened to a program on the radio where the principal of a rural school explained the importance of reading for children as it develops so many other things in a child’s life.  I am fond of the “real” book smell and feel and thus this awareness bin speaks to me personally.  Please, if you have any old, unwanted, or preloved books at home and you do not know how to dispose of it bring it to Prince Albert. 

There are also some surprise bins that you would think what is the relevance of it as it looks a bit out of place.  Go and discover Eporia, the mermaid in front of Luttig’s Mill.   She is the water nymph that once lived in the dark water pools of Meiringspoort.  Eporia’s bin also has a secret sign at the bottom of the bin …..

If you want to get involved in this project contact Kevin de Klerk at Watershed, Prince Albert or visit him on his page at:  https://kevindeklerk.com/  As with  any charity drive there is always a need for resources and a helping hand.  At the moment Kevin sources drums and collect, paint and install it all at his own cost.  This all to the benefit for a better Prince Albert.  Please reach out and help him in this project.

As there are still many other interesting characters that once colour the palette of Prince Albert we will have to return to explore more.  A visit to the the Gamkapoort Dam is also on the list, but that will be on our next trip.

oOo

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Airlines reduced their capacity to adhere to safety regulations (and tickets more expensive) and all of a sudden crowded beaches and touristy spots do not sound as appealing anymore.  So, what will be appealing now?  I think that solo journeys to more isolated places and camping in isolated spot away from your neighbour will become more popular in the future than ever before.  It is as if camping and overlanding was invented for this COVID-19 pandemic. 

With the necessary precautions (mask and sanitizer at the ready of course) you can still fit in some of the road trips that were on your bucketlist for many years.   You do not even need to cross borders and take tests as there are enough places to explore in our own beautiful country.

Still need some suggestions where to go?

• Take a trip to experience the moon landscapes of the Richtersveld National Park.  The chances are good that you will not encounter anyone while in the park.  This is not for the feint hearted though as the conditions are quite extreme and you have to be self-reliant.
• Do the Shipwreck trail along the West-Coast.  This 4×4 route is a one-way drive along sandy, under-used roadways between Koingnaas and Kleinzee on the north-west part of South Africa’s coastline, known as the Diamond Coast.  Expect lots of sand.
• Book a farmstay in the Karoo and get back to basics again.  We recently visited A Blesfontein Experience near Sutherland and totally enjoyed the slow life of the area. 
• Or take a trip to the glacial floors on the farm Oorlogskloof in the Nieuwoudtville district.    It is hard to believe that in another lifetime this area was covered with ice.

South Africa has so many undiscovered remote areas to enjoy as a traveller.  I think this is the time to explore our own country.

Remember the most important thing is to keep moving forward and never stop exploring.  Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for some secrets and inspiration for your next trip.

oOo

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And still Logan pressed forward.  He discovered some big subterranean water reservoirs in the vicinity of the village and with a water pipe system fed the village and the railway station with water – steam trains need a lot of water to operate and Logan saw the need and the gap.  If you take a walk in the village and cross the mostly dry creek you will stumble upon the first reservoir near the sparkling blue swimming pool. 

On the cards for Matjiesfontein was a tennis court, a golf course and a cricket pitch as cricket was the main sport at the time in England.  In 1901 Matjiesfontein hosted a cricket match between South Africa and England.  Logan also toured England with is very own cricket team with its very own interesting story!

Still Logan pressed forward to put Matjiesfontein on the map.  Thanks to him it was the first village in South African that had electric lights and a waterborne sewerage system.  As an excellent destination marketer interesting names that visited Matjiesfontein, after arriving by mail boat, was Lord Randolph Churchill, the father of Winston Churchill and the sultan of Zanzibar.  Local names of the time that you will recognize is Olive Schreiner, who rented a house next to the hotel, Cecil John Rhodes and Lord Roberts during the Anlgo Boer War. 

The present-day hotel was erected by Logan as a hospital and the turrets were used as lookout posts during the Anglo Boer War.  He also raised his own mounted corps, at his own expense, and was wounded twice in the war.  James Logan must have been a wealthy man as all these projects required, apart from vision, lots of money.

In 1968 Dawid Rawdon bought the property and put in a huge effort to renovate the hotel to its former glory and opened it in 1970.  He was also the brain behind The Drostdy Hotel in Graaff Reinet and the Lanzerac in Stellenbosch.  This will also then explain the car in the museum branded with the word Lanzerac – I was wondering about this.   In the plus/minus 130 years of existence the town was owned by only two families!

Matjiesfontein is an unexpected step back into time in the middle of the Karoo and a welcome relieve to break the monotony of your trip and worth to explore. 

Feel free to listen to Dr Dean Allen on VoiceMap as he takes you on a walking tour through the village and share some interesting titbits. 

https://voicemap.me/tour/karoo/historic-tour-of-matjiesfontein/sites

ooOOoo

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If you ever find yourself daydreaming about the beautiful Karoo Landscapes, the bare mountain ridges (sometimes capped with snow), the warmth of a fire in the winter or the cool shade of the big ‘stoep’ around a homely Karoo cottage, dream no further. Snap out of it, NOW!!

Pack your bags and hit the road, we will meet you at our favourite Karoo Farmhouse. It is situated at the foot of the majestic Towerkop Mountains a mere 15km from Ladismith on the famous Route 62 that dissect the Klein Karoo.

In the fertile Dwarsriver Valley where the most sophisticated wines are being developed from lush green vineyards, Arusio Farmhouse @ Towerkop awaits you. Driving on a well maintained gravel road, admiring the beautiful views, you might think that you have left the Karoo landscape behind when you turned off the R62. Here you will soon switch your cellphone off and get rid of your watch. Time needs to stand still for you to admire the awe-inspiring mountain range that is making it’s appearance right in front of you.

Tucked away behind a vineyard and across a little stream, is a stylish Karoo off-the-grid farmhouse with a characteristic veranda surrounding the house. It shelters you from the African sun and the windy weather at the foot of the well-known Towerkop Mountains, a hiker’s paradise.

Arusio Farmhouse @ Towerkop is so much more than one expects. It is decorated in a stylish fashion that is extremely comfortable and makes you feel at home instantly. The house, together with the cottage sleeps 7 people. Firewood for endless hours of socializing is provided as well as every other amenity and item you would possibly need to make your stay a pleasant one. This is definitely not your typical off-the-grid stay. Excellent lighting throughout the house and outside, comfortable good quality bedding, hot water, electrical plugs and fridges are available. Anything and everything you would use back home is at the tip of your fingers.

Waking up every morning with views of the mountain through every window. Having a cup of coffee and homemade rusks while watching the birds go about their harvesting of nectar in the early morning. Taking a stroll down to the little river that runs through the property, all priceless moments that will forever be etched in your memory.

In no time the sun will set on another day and you will soon have to bid the immaculate little farmhouse goodbye. Fear not, for it is only a click or two away and your next dates will be booked. You will not be able to explore what the area has to offer in only one weekend. When you arrive at Arusio Farmhouse @ Towerkop, you would want to shove your shoes and grab a book to just relax, forgetting that there are more to explore and a different world in the rest of the Dwarsriver Valley.

We have already booked our next stay and cannot wait to recharge our batteries with the cleanest air that you will find around the country. Some peace and quiet can do magic for your soul!

oOo

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Heading north or south Graaff Reinet is sort of the resting point and leg stretch for motorists.  It is the heartbeat of the Karoo with blue skies and wide open spaces yet it has a beauty and a charm of its own.

Make that trip, even in the middle of the winter, when it is freezing cold and the water stops flowing in the waterpipes because of minus temperatures.  This is a time to dress up nice and warm, muffled against the cold with  beanies, scarves, JBays, mohair socks, etc.  This is the best time for clear blue skies and starry nights, cuddling up in front of the fire place and sipping on hot chocolate and share the hospitality of the people from the Karoo.  Winter is also the hunting season in the Karoo.  Hunters turn up with their rifles and stalk Springbuck and Kudu in the veld, testing their hunting skills, and afterwards you are rewarded with the joy of biltong.  For us hunting is a yearling family outing.

In summer you will see yet another picture of the same landscape!  You will see lone windmills standing in the scorching sun, their big wheels driven by the Karoo breeze, faithfully doing their duty for the farmer and his animals.  I do not know if it is just me, but I always see a photo opportunity in a windmill …?  The Karoo is also a place where you will discover ravines with waterfalls, if you know where to look.

The Karoo is a place where you can turn back to basics.. Switch off all that tech stuff that you bring with.  Forget about social media and being connected.   Listen to the heartbeat of the Karoo.  Your heart will be filled with memories and you will never leave empty  handed.  Support the local businesses – they rely heavily on tourism in times of hardship – buy a pair of mohair socks, a piece of biltong, spring water …… whatever …… there are lots of entrepreneurs that creates interesting goodies.

This is a place where there is enough time in a day,  where you sit on the stoep, drink coffee in the company of good friends and chat for long hours, take man’s best friend and go for a hike to  admire the sun rising over the Karoo landscape.

The Karoo is a place of silence, long dusty roads, interesting plants and fossils, snow and sheep and homemade goodies stacked on farmstall shelves.  The Karoo is an interesting place indeed and worth a visit.  A place that you will return to for another visit and for another reason!

— Beauty is in the eye of the beholder —

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The Karoo landscape comprises of big blue skies, typical Karoo koppies, windpumps of all shapes and sizes, sheep, the smell of Karoo vegetation, long and dusty gravel roads, beautiful churches and some interesting people in the countryside.  Priceless!

Once you spent some time in the Karoo  you will fall in love with the little creatures, the spring flowers in bloom, the total quietness and  sultry evenings on offer.

And last but not least if you get your timing right you may get rewarded with the most amazing sunsets you can imagine.  These are things that money cannot buy!

After experiencing all of this you will want to come back again and again and again, my friend.  Come and see it with your own eyes …….

 — Money fills your pocket, but travels fill your soul! —

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Waking up to a freezing but spectacular sunrise and after a hearty breakfast we set off on our long day’s ride.   First of all we had to get Daisy (for those of you who do not know – that is my GS) and Ogre (that is hubby’s GS) going in the chilly weather.   Like our cold and stiff fingers they were not used to these low temperatures of the Karoo.  Welcome in the heartland of the Karoo!

On our way out of town I was fortunate enough to track down another Sophy Gray church at 31°55′00″S 21°30′47″E which was built in 1870 – one year before her death  on 27  April 1871.  As it was still very early the church was  locked so no opportunity to take a sneak peak inside.   Today it had to be a “drive by shooting” snapshot of the church.

So happy  to add another tick to my Sophy Gray list.  The hunt is on for some more.

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 As everyone was heading for the coast the roads were busy, but luckily we were heading in the opposite direction to Rietbron – never been there before, so we did not know what to expect!

Our first break was in the beautiful Meiringspoort.  It was hot.  Time for a drinks and smoke break while taking a short breather.  Soon after exiting the poort  we turned right and were on the back roads of the Karoo.  No traffic and only silence.  A 100 kilometers of gravel roads lay ahead of us before we reached Rietbron.

It started off with a nice gravel ride with views over the wide open veld .  Further into the ride the shadows were getting taller and the road narrowed considerably making it a bit of a tense ride towards the end.  But after a nice ride we reached the settlement of Rietbron  with a few houses, a church, school,  police station and our accommodation for the night  Karoo Hof.  In the early days of Rietbron Karoo Hof originally housed the police station with its holding cells and the court.

I think we were more or less the only guests in Rietbron (the locals probably still enjoying their holiday somewhere else) so we spend New Year’s eve with the host family of the B&B and enjoyed supper with them on their stoep chatting like old friends and admiring the bright stars in the dark night sky.  Real Karoo  hospitality.

 After a hearty breakfast it was time to hit the gravel roads eastwards in the direction of Willowmore. From there we will venture even further into the Great Karoo to take the cement road via Steytlerville to Jeffreys Bay on the coast.

Our aim for the day was to stay over with friends at Oesterbaai near Humansdorp in the Tsitsikamma.  (A distance of about +- 300km for the day).  When we arrived in Steytlerville the midday temperature was already at 40˚C and soaring.  Time for a well deserved Coke (or two) on the stoep of the popular Steytlerville Hotel!

1 January 2014 we spend with our dear friends that farm in the Tstisikamma and also welcomed some new arrivals for 2014 (see the picture below).

 Our round trip was coming to an end.  It was time to take on the tar road and mad holiday traffic to get home.  Arriving at our usual half way stop at Stormsriver it was a bit of a madhouse with people popping out of cars, buses and taxis.  We opted for just a short smoke break and a sip of water as the queues were way to long to buy a cold drink.  From here it was slow going with all the traffic, but we arrived safe and sound at home with my four legged friends out of control from happiness to see me again.

oOo

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 We set off in George at a leisurely pace with clear blue skies, travel over the Outeniqua Pass via Oudtshoorn and aim for Prince Albert on the other side of the Swartberg Mountains.   The road is quiet.  I think the people are recovering from the New Year’s parties …

Once over the Outeniqua Pass the temperature rises to 31 degrees Celsius in the Klein Karoo.  It has been quite a while since I last traveled the iconic Swartberg pass, a gravel road, on the R328 but as all the previous times we were rewarded with stunning views of the mountains and yet again I am in awe of the skills of Thomas Baines – son of the famous Andrew Geddes Baines who built Bain’s Kloof Pass and many more – who constructed the road from 1881 until 1888 through the Cape fold mountains.  Today the dry-stone retaining walls are still in place and almost 120 years old.

The 120 year old stone walls

Along the road we stop for a geocache or two that are still outstanding and I have time to take some pictures of the veld flowers that are in bloom at this time of the year.   Just a reminder – keep your eyes open for snakes and scorpions when you are walking in the veld.

Before we reach The Top we see a brandwag (usually a big male baboon) keeping watch over his clan  whilst basking in the sun!  For those of you who are not familiar with baboons – close the doors and windows of your car when alighting, because they are very curious and can cause havock in your vehicle.

When we arrive at the top of the pass, which is located at  33°21′8″S 22°2′45″E , some tourists are enjoying their lunch at the viewpoint and admiring the vistas towards the Karoo.  The road is busy and you have to keep an extra special  lookout for cyclists and motor cyclists in the dusty conditions.  (This is a very popular motorbike road so please do not cut corners)!

The pass is  famous due to the spectacular geology that is exposed at its Northern end as you descend down to Prince Albert to the valley floor. The contortions in the rock display astonishing anticlines and synclines, and the vivid red coloration of the surrounding Quartzite is remarkable.  The pass was declared a national monument in 1988.  Along the way there are relics of the old  prison, toll hut and other historical sites.  This was Thomas Baines’ last engineering masterpiece.

You will also find the turn off to Die Hel or Gamkaskloof on this road.  Do not be fooled – it is a mere 37 km, but adhere to the time given on the signboard.  It WILL take you (+-) two hours of slow travel on the narrow and winding road!  Today however we will not take the turn off as we have visited Gamkaskloof before and are aiming for Prince Albert.

Prince Albert is buzzing over lunchtime and after passing the beautiful Dutch Reformed Church in the Main Street  our choice falls on a succulent burger and German bokwurst on the stoep of the famous Swartberg Hotel.

In the late 19^th century South Africa had more than 2000 mills, some of which dated back to the time of the first European settlers. Today only a few hundred of these mills survive, and of these, only a handful have been described or recorded in any detail.  On our way back we stop at the historic water mill, at the Southern edge of the town, to take some pictures. The mill was built by HJ Botes and was taken over by NAA Alberts and remained in his family for three generations. The mill was declared a national monument in 1963.

I will keep you posted on some more exciting travels in 2015, but this is my story and my smiley to start an exiting new year!

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