Karoo Heartland

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Karoo Heartland

Discover the unsurpassed grandeur of the Eastern Cape's Karoo Heartland. Big Sky Country.
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17/01/2025

Nestled at the base of an amphitheatre of mountains within the Camdeboo Conservancy and Great Karoo, lies the historic 1820 Onbedacht farmstead and cottage. The nearest town of Graaff- Reinet, the 4th oldest town in South Africa, is about 55km away.

This picturesque working farm comprises of 2500 hectres of unspoilt nature and is home to our a free ranging herd of red Angus cattle. They also have a small flock of both Dorper and Persian sheep, which makes the lamb true Karoo lamb. None of the animals (cattle or sheep) receive growth hormones nor do we administer routine antibiotics. Game is plentiful with sightings of Kudu and Eland.

The isolation and tranquillity of the area make it a sought-after place for people looking for rest and relaxation. For those wishing to be active, there are hiking trails, mountain biking, bird watching, unique photographic opportunities and an ideal place as a retreat. Due to the nature of the farming operations, there are no restrictions as to where guests can explore.

https://www.karooheartland.com/listings/onbedacht_farmstay/

Planning a visit to the Karoo Heartland?
Visit the Karoo Heartland website at www.karooheartland.com for more information on things to see, accommodation, restaurants and activities

15/01/2025

The view of Tarkastad from Tarka Mountain

Tarkastad is located in the Winterberg Mountains, about halfway between Cradock and Queenstown. The town is known for its San rock paintings, its beautiful Karoo scenery, and its role in the Anglo-Boer War.

The first people to occupy the area around Tarkastad were the San, who left an abundance of rock art paintings in Grootvlei just north of the town. The first Dutch farmers settled in the Tarkastad district in 1795 while the town was established in 1862.

https://www.karooheartland.com/history-of-steynsburg-hofmeyr-and-tarkastad/

Planning a visit to the Karoo Heartland?
Visit the Karoo Heartland website at www.karooheartland.com for more information on things to see, accommodation, restaurants and activities

13/01/2025

If there are two people who truly know the Karoo, then it would be Chris Marais and Julienne du Toit. Photo-journalists, writers, publishers and teachers, Chris and Julie live in Cradock and travel the length and breadth of the region looking for stories to share.

Under the karoospace.co.za banner, they specialise in telling stories from the Heartland of South Africa. In the past 20 years, they have travelled vast distances and built up a large network that spans more than 100 towns and villages in the hinterland.
In their constant search for the narrative of the Karoo, Chris and Julie painstakingly recorded the lives of people who call this area home. On the way, they picked up a wealth of stories blended with lifestyle, historical, cultural and natural information – and no shortage of offbeat tales.

Their stories are brought together in a set of wonderful books available both in print and e-books and can be ordered from their website www.karoospace.co.za. There's even a free "Karoo Collection" download available to give you a taste.

https://www.karooheartland.com/listings/karoo-space-books/

Planning a visit to the Karoo Heartland?
Visit the Karoo Heartland website at www.karooheartland.com for more information on things to see, accommodation, restaurants and activities

10/01/2025

Just about 2km outside Graaff-Reinet on the Murraysburg road en route to the Valley of Desolation is a small memorial for Gideon Scheepers.

During the Anglo-Boer War Scheepers formed his own commando, which operated in the Cape Midlands. He was captured by the British troops and charges of alleged war crimes were laid against him. At the court hearings in Graaff-Reinet, he was found guilty and sentenced to death and was executed by firing squad in the dry river bed of the Sundays River in an area now covered by the Nqweba Dam.

The memorial comprises three rocks from the vicinity supporting a stainless steel needle, symbolising the spirit of hope and faith in God. The largest rock represents the steadfastness of the then-young Afrikaner nation. The two tilted boulders it supports symbolise this nation – suppressed but not fallen. A fourth boulder alongside bears the inscription.

https://www.karooheartland.com/listings/graaff-reinet-monuments/

Planning a visit to the Karoo Heartland?
Visit the Karoo Heartland website at www.karooheartland.com for more information on things to see, accommodation, restaurants and activities

08/01/2025

Visitors love unique accommodation options. One you'll find in Nieu-Betheada is The Water Tower.

This circular double-storey in a garden in the village has an interesting past. The quirky building was first a water tower and then a Buddhist meditation room. With whitewashed walls and wooden floors, it is a calm and clean space from where to enjoy the famous Karoo sky, day or night.

The Water Tower sleeps two on a queen-size bed in the room upstairs adjoining the sun/star deck. The kitchenette is below with the private shower and composting toilet attached. Do some stargazing on the deck before creeping under your crisp cotton sheets, lamb’s wool duvets and mohair blanket.

https://www.karooheartland.com/listings/the-water-tower/

Planning a visit to the Karoo Heartland?
Visit the Karoo Heartland website at www.karooheartland.com for more information on things to see, accommodation, restaurants and activities

06/01/2025

The fort on the hill overlooking Jansenville was built by the volunteer Town Guard supplemented by British troops in January 1901. The fort measures approximately 21m x 15m overall. The outer walls are at a height of approximately 2m, varying in thickness from 800mm to 1200mm, and are provided with tapered loopholes. The entrance to the fort is at the south-east corner and has a right-angled turn in its passage. In the middle of the fort was a detached block, which formed two rooms or enclosures, both of which could be entered by several doorways, protected externally by curved screen walls, presumably to shield the occupants from possible stray bullets which could have passed through the loopholes in the outer walls. These rooms may have been roofed and could have served as officers’ quarters or as shelters in wet weather.

Another interesting feature is that, before commencing construction, the builders leveled the hilltop to form a roughly flat platform that projects 2 to 3 meters beyond the outer walls and is edged with larger stones. This is a sophistication that is generally found only with blockhouses constructed under the supervision of the Royal Engineers.

Planning a visit to the Karoo Heartland?
Visit the Karoo Heartland website at www.karooheartland.com for more information on things to see, accommodation, restaurants and activities

03/01/2025

Staying on a Karoo guest farm is a very special experience, but it's not often that you find a fully equipped campground on one. Ganora Guest Farm just outside Nieu-Bethesda offers visitors with their own caravan, bush trailer or tents 12 sites on the farm.
6 of the sites has electricity while the other 6 are without electricity. There are ablution facilities with hot water, braai facilities and a swimming pool.

In addition, Ganora offers a wide range of activities and excursions for the nature lover and explorer.

https://www.karooheartland.com/listings/ganora-guest-farm/

Planning a visit to the Karoo Heartland?
Visit the Karoo Heartland website at www.karooheartland.com for more information on things to see, accommodation, restaurants and activities

01/01/2025

Happy New Year!!! Wishing you a 2025 where hope and love shine brightly in your heart.

Planning a visit to the Karoo Heartland?
Visit the Karoo Heartland website at www.karooheartland.com for more information on things to see, accommodation, restaurants and activities

30/12/2024

The Somerset East Museum is nestled at the foot of the Boschberg Mountain and is housed in one of the oldest buildings in town. The land was originally given to the Wesleyan Missionaries for their chapel in 1828 and transferred to the Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk of Somerset in 1882.

The museum is laid out mostly as a residence to depict the lives of the Dutch Reformed Church ministers that resided in the house, but some additional exhibitions have been commissioned in recent years, to include a more rounded history of the area and all its people. One of the exhibits depicts the Slachtersnek Rebellion.

https://www.karooheartland.com/listings/somerset-east-museum/

Planning a visit to the Karoo Heartland?
Visit the Karoo Heartland website at www.karooheartland.com for more information on things to see, accommodation, restaurants and activities

27/12/2024

Imagine clanking wagons rolling through the river town of Cradock on their way to the hinterland. Hear the clatter of blacksmiths, the crack of the drovers’ whips, the chatter of last-minute traders as adventurers and their families prepare for their long trek across the Karoo.

More than two dozen Tuishuise line Market Street up to the Victoria Manor, a grand old colonial hotel that welcomes you with hearty country fare, an indulgence of superb traditional Karoo and South African food – evening meals are by candlelight, that reflect the love for the Karoo.

Sandra Antrobus, the owner and restorer of Die Tuishuise & Victoria Manor, has decorated each property in its own distinctive theme, to reflect an atmosphere of understated elegance, reminiscent of the lifestyles of the owners who lived in Market Street at the turn of the century. Guests are afforded the rare opportunity to escape the present and enjoy the historically rich surroundings, as well as the personalised service and amenities required by today’s discerning traveller.

https://www.karooheartland.com/listings/die-tuishuise-victoria-manor/

Planning a visit to the Karoo Heartland?
Visit the Karoo Heartland website at www.karooheartland.com for more information on things to see, accommodation, restaurants and activities

25/12/2024

Wishing you a Merry Christmas from the whole Karoo Heartland family: from Steytlerville and Willowmore in the west through Jansenville, Aberdeen, and Graaff-Reinet to Nieu-Bethesda and Middelburg in the north, Cradock, Steynsburg, Hofmeyr, and Tarkastad in the east, down to Somerset East and Bedford in the south, and everything in between.

Planning a visit to the Karoo Heartland?
Visit the Karoo Heartland website at www.karooheartland.com for more information on things to see, accommodation, restaurants and activities

23/12/2024

Tea time at a Karoo guest farm isn’t tea time without some cake or tart on offer with your afternoon coffee or tea. One of Anne Bowker’s most popular teatime dishes when they ran a guest farm was Cupcakes, decorated with slices of green fig preserve as leaves with tiny fresh briar roses. Today we share Anne's cupcake recipe with you.

Cupcakes

125 g Butter
155 g Caster sugar
2 Eggs
115g Flour
1 1/2 t Baking powder
150 ml Milk

Preheat oven to 180 and line muffin tins with paper cases
Beat together butter and sugar with an electric be**er until pale and creamy
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition
Stir in flour and milk and spoon into cases
Bake for 15 minutes until skewer comes out clean
Take out of muffin pan and cool on a rack
Ice when cool with vanilla flavoured butter icing and decorate
Anne makes double quantities every time as they are delicious and get snapped up in no time at all.

https://www.karooheartland.com/lowlands-cupcakes/

Planning a visit to the Karoo Heartland?
Visit the Karoo Heartland website at www.karooheartland.com for more information on things to see, accommodation, restaurants and activities

20/12/2024

Hartland Huis offers two self-catering (catering available on request or combine with an activity) units located in a beautiful part of Graaff-Reinet’s horseshoe, wedged between the historic Church Square and Reyneveld Plain. Both units are stylishly decorated in an eclectic, yet true Karoo style in one of Graaff-Reinet’s oldest houses.

The cottages are equipped with en-suite bathroom facilities (large showers), full kitchen, outside patio’s with braai facilities, Wifi, safe off-street private parking and a communal Karoo-style splash pool.

Each unit has its own style and character, and offer an authentic experience complemented by warm and engaging local staff. We look forward to welcoming you with typical Karoo hospitality.

Planning a visit to the Karoo Heartland?
Visit the Karoo Heartland website at www.karooheartland.com for more information on things to see, accommodation, restaurants and activities

https://www.karooheartland.com/listings/hartland-huis-and-karoo360-tours/

18/12/2024

The Karoo Heartland has a lot of excellent museums worth visiting as you move from town to town. Graaff-Reinet has several museums with Reinet House being the town's flagship museum. There's also the Somerset East Museum and Walter Battiss Museum in Somerset East, Owl House and Kitching Fossil Exploration Centre in Nieu-Bethesda, and Cradock's Great Fish River Museum and Schreiner House. Don't forget the museums in Middelburg, Jansenville and Steytlerville.

Learn more about all these museums at https://www.karooheartland.com/museums-history/

Planning a visit to the Karoo Heartland?
Visit the Karoo Heartland website at www.karooheartland.com for more information on things to see, accommodation, restaurants and activities

16/12/2024

The Karoo Heartland isn't a region you would just associate with fly fishing. Why would you? The word Karoo means "place of thirst" after all. When Alan Hobson moved to Somerset East he said, "Hold my beer..." Actually, in Alan's case, it was "Hold my whisky".

Although the Somerset East Angling Club has been stocking the waters in the area with trout since the early 1970’s, Alan has transformed it into a true fly fishing destination.

Wild Fly Fishing in the Karoo has exclusive access to several dams and stretches of river in the Somerset East district for fly fishing. Experience the majesty of the Karoo, with no interruptions other than perhaps a trophy-sized trout at the end of your fly line! This is Wild Fly Fishing in the Karoo.

Planning a visit to the Karoo Heartland?
Visit the Karoo Heartland website at www.karooheartland.com for more information on things to see, accommodation, restaurants and activities

https://www.karooheartland.com/listings/wild-fly-fishing-in-the-karoo/

13/12/2024

The Compassberg (2502m) is the highest peak in the Sneeuberg range and also the highest peak in South Africa outside the Stormberg-Drakensberg massif. It was named by Colonel Robert Jacob Gordon when he accompanied Governor Joachim van Plettenberg on a journey to the eastern frontier of the Cape Colony in 1778.

Compassberg together with its neighbouring mountains provides a critical water catchment area, covering over 40 000 hectares of livestock and game farms. In fact, it was recognition of this precious water catchment function that led to the proclamation of the first protected environment in the Karoo: the Compassberg Protected Environment (CPE). The CPE also benefited two shrubs, Euryops petraeus and Selago retropillosa, habitat specialists listed as rare on the Red List of South African Plants.

In recent years, the Compassberg hiking trail gained popularity. It takes four to five hours to climb to the top and another four to descend again. The base of the mountain is a forty-minute drive from Nieu-Bethesda.

https://www.karooheartland.com/listings/compassberg/

Planning a visit to the Karoo Heartland?
Visit the Karoo Heartland website at www.karooheartland.com for more information on things to see, accommodation, restaurants and activities

11/12/2024

The Karoo is starting to become a very popular food destination and people are traveling here to enjoy both old-school Karoo food as well as new Karoo gastronomic experiences.

Fairfield Kitchen based just outside Middelburg offers a wide range of homegrown, bottled and freshly baked products as well as frozen meals, straight from Fairfield’s kitchen and organic veggie garden. They host organic garden days and veggie gardening talks, organise craft & food markets and offer cooking classes. They also offer catering for functions with tailor-made and specialized menus.

https://www.karooheartland.com/listings/true-karoo-trading/

Planning a visit to the Karoo Heartland?
Visit the Karoo Heartland website at www.karooheartland.com for more information on things to see, accommodation, restaurants and activities

09/12/2024

In 1875 a farm with the name Doorspoort was purchased by the Dutch Reformed Church to provide spiritual guidance to the farmers in the area. The town was established a year later. The town was named after Reverend Abraham Isaac Steytler, who was a minister of the church around 1909. The original Dutch Reformed Church in Steytlerville was built in 1876 and started with 300 members. The building was later replaced with a large neo-Gothic style church on the site of the original town square. The Dutch Reformed Church is the record-holding biggest Edwardian-style church in Southern Africa, seating 1200 members. The church was inaugurated in 1907 and features an organ consisting of 1046 pipes.Planning a visit to the Karoo Heartland?
Visit the Karoo Heartland website at www.karooheartland.com for more information on things to see, accommodation, restaurants and activities

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"Daar is geen beter plek nie." Listen to this piece written by Jak de Priester and read by Antoinette Pienaar about the healing effect of the Karoo. The insert was produced by Blixem Productions South Africa for KoppieTeeFontein on KykNet. Planning a visit to the Karoo Heartland? Visit the Karoo Heartland website at www.karooheartland.com for more information on things to see, accommodation, restaurants and activities

Discover the unsurpassed grandeur of the Karoo Heartland – the vast plains, big skies, majestic mountains and champagne air. Encounter the history and heritage; friendly people and exceptional food; Big Five wildlife, national parks and biodiversity. Explore farmlands and small towns, enjoy crystal-clear starry nights and drink in the wonderful stories. Experience our Big Sky Country. Planning a visit to the Karoo Heartland? Visit the Karoo Heartland website at www.karooheartland.com for more information on things to see, accommodation, restaurants and activities

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