Courting Candles And Dirt Roads In The Karoo

Our Karoo capers are almost over. Today we’ll take a slow meander. We'll flip a coin; if it's heads, we turn left at the next turn-off; if it’s tails, we’ll turn right. We’ve got all day.

We turned left about a kilometre outside Sutherland on the main road heading back to the N1. According to the GPS and Tracks for Africa, we’ll take a short circular route before turning back onto the main road.

Exploring without an agenda or time constraints makes this journey feel spontaneous and encourages you to share in the freedom and curiosity.

It’s a dirt road, with not much going on; dotted here and there are small traditional shepherds’ cottages and farmsteads. With mechanisation and new farming methods came the end of small subsistence farming. When Karoo farms go on the market, it’s often the neighbour who acquires the land, as water and grazing are scarce in these parts and both are highly prized commodities. Successful sheep farming requires very large herds and extensive grazing areas. Sadly, the homesteads are often no longer needed and fall into wreck and ruin, as we've often seen along these roads.

Along the entire journey, we passed only one other vehicle and, astonishingly, saw three young men walking without a care in the world in the middle of nowhere. Where they were off to, goodness only knows, and where they came from was miles away. I’d love to stop and ask, but we end up speculating instead. I think they’re off to see girls; one would only walk 20 kilometres for a pretty girl, a good meal and a game of football or rugby!

This made us think about the days when there was an “opsitkers” (courting candle), a traditional small lamp used by young couples in the Karoo to light their secret meetings, reflecting the region's unique courtship customs. Before you knew it, you’d have to saddle up and make the trek home; no wonder a marriage was sealed soon after puberty!

The surprising variety of mountains, valleys, and passes in the Karoo reveals its hidden beauty, inspiring readers to explore new landscapes themselves.