The West Coast
The West Coast stretches for over 400 km’s from places like Yzerfontein
(“Iron Fountain”) in the south, to the mighty Orange River in the North, where
it forms the border with our neighbour, Namibia.
It is a region of unspoilt beauty and contrasts. From the bird-watchers’ paradises of
the Langebaan lagoon and the Berg and Olifants River estuaries, the rolling wheatfields and
vineyards of the Swartland, the Cederberg Wilderness area with its spectacular rock formations,
the beauty of the Matzikama mountain area, to the stark and desolate beauty of the Hardeveld
region, where time has literally stood still for decades and the People welcome you with open
arms. The Cape to Namibia route is guaranteed to make your heart beat faster with the sheer
raw-ness of the area. It offers solitude at its absolute best and a chance to commune with
nature and to feed your soul! Once this amazing landscape has been experienced, it will keep
calling you back for more!
Namaqualand is part of the vast area of botanic diversity, which every Spring,
bursts into a kaleidoscope of colour, with flowers, flowers, flowers as far as the eye can
see!
For more info, see our West Coast and Namaqualand tours.
Namibia: Land of Contrast
The Cape to Namibia Route is an extension of the West Coast tours. By road,
approximately 700 kilometres from Cape Town one reaches the Vioolsdrif/Noordoewer borderposts
and you have entered a country described by many as one of the most breathtaking countries
in the world. With a land surface of 824 269 square kilometres, it is nearly four times the
size of Great Britain, yet one of the most sparsely populated countries in Africa, with an
average population density of just over 2 people per square kilometre. Namibia is the most
arid country south of the Sahara and is home to the Namib desert in the west and the Kalahari
desert in the east, which together account for about 22% of the country’s surface. When
exploring Namibia, be prepared for a journey of unique discoveries, of vast distances, of
unspoilt and stark beauty. A sense of warmth will envelop your soul as you revel in their
pleasant climate and in the absolute serenity of the natural surroundings.
From the beautiful desert sands in the west and east, to the lovely central savannah plains
and the woodlands in the north-east, Namibia with its contrasting landscapes, diverse and
friendly Peoples and abundant wild-life, is bound to leave a lasting impression on you!
Give us an indication of what you would like to see and do in Namibia, how long you have to
do it and we will put a customised tour package together for you!
The Great Karoo
This region, of more than 400, 000 square kilometres, represents roughly one third of the
total surface area of South Africa. This is a desolate landscape of very low rainfall, not
unlike the Namaqualand region of the West Coast, which arguably should form part of this geographic
region of the Great Karoo. What this region lacks in rain, it more than makes up for in hospitality.
This is merino sheep country and some of the finest sheep stud farms are found here. The vast
Karoo landscape can change as fast as the climate and from the blackened brittle Karoo bushes
seen in times of drought, it can change overnight, when the rains eventually come, to a soft
green carpet underfoot, dotted with a stunning array of wild flowers.
Many a casual visitor passing through would often wonder what the possible attraction could
be for staying here, but once you have experienced the peace, the hospitality and the wide
open spaces of the Karoo, you realise that City life is seriously over-rated and that this
region with its gravel roads, it’s country life and a true sense-of-community that still
exists, has an attraction all of its own, which keeps on calling you back for more!
Sutherland, Northern Cape (southern Central Karoo): (Star-gazing mecca)
About 4 hours drive from Cape Town, situated on the Roggeveld plateau, approximately 1600
m above sea level, lies the Karoo town of Sutherland. Home to The South African Astronomical
Observatory, largest in the southern hemisphere, Sutherland is renowned for its unpolluted
air and low rainfall which ensures superb visibility of the night skies. It is also renowned
for its extreme cold in winter and thousands of visitors flock there every year to see the
winter snowfalls.
A visit to the little hamlet of Middelpos, just 30 minutes from our Sutherland farm-stay,
is a must-do, as well as the surrounding little historic farming towns of Fraserburg, Williston
and Carnarvon.
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