Winter Wandering Into The Great Karoo

August 15, 2022 Posted in Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

We picked up sticks and headed northeast towards Graaff Reinet. To celebrate the 4th of July, we stopped for tea and cake at Sophie’s Choice, a fascinating coffee shop just south of Willowmore.

Quirky is the only word to describe this worthwhile stopover. Exploring the eclectic outbuildings felt like uncovering hidden gems, making the experience more personal and inviting for my friends and fellow travellers.

To top it all off, we were impressed with the plates coming from the kitchen. We had apple tart and cream, while other diners enjoyed brunch and later an early lunch. The dishes were prettily garnished and looked well prepared and tasty, judging by the diners’ faces.

After a leisurely walk around the gardens, we pressed on, hoping to set up camp in Willowmore. Note: the restaurant has moved just after the pass, on the left side when travelling to Willowmore, so check current maps or reviews for updates to avoid confusion.

Willowmore's colourful main road looked promising, and we were impressed by the number of restaurants, coffee shops and cafés on Main Street. I loved the mule-driven cart parked and ready to ferry passengers across town.

Unfortunately, the campsites—there were two—did not float my boat. It was early afternoon, and we decided to move on to Graaff Reinet. Looking back, I do regret not giving the village another chance, but at the time we thought we'd do better elsewhere—next time.

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Driving into Graaff Reinet feels like stepping back in time, with its rich history rooted in the Cape Colony and a distinctive blend of Cape Dutch and Victorian architecture that reflects the town's cultural heritage.

Graaff Reinet's pride in its historic buildings, such as the Drostdy, Town Hall, and Dutch Reformed Church, invites you to appreciate its rich heritage and timeless atmosphere.

Graaff-Reinet is home to more national monuments than any other town or city in South Africa and proudly showcases heritage buildings with Cape Dutch gables and Victorian filigree. It is also a flourishing agricultural market, noted for its mohair industry and for sheep and ostrich farming.

Graaff-Reinet is the fourth-oldest town in South Africa and began as a far-flung frontier settlement at the limits of the old Cape Colony. It is the sixth-oldest town in South Africa, after Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Simon’s Town, Paarl and Swellendam.

We didn’t linger in the village; we stocked up on groceries, fresh vegetables, and fruit before heading to the Camdeboo National Park, where we camped for three nights.

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It is hard not to say 'wow' when entering this well-run national park, Camdeboo National Park.

“One feels a humbling sense of awe when standing on the towering dolerite columns overlooking the vast Karoo plains. This feeling is especially strong when you find yourself at eye level with a magnificent soaring black eagle and pause to consider that these pillars, rising to 120 metres, were formed by volcanic and erosive forces over 200 million years ago.

This is the breathtaking Valley of Desolation in the Camdeboo National Park, which virtually surrounds the town of Graaff-Reinet. Also known as the Cathedral of the Mountains, the site was declared a national monument of geological and scenic significance in 1935. The road to the top of the valley was tarred in 1978, providing tourists with easy access to viewpoints offering panoramic views of the Camdeboo landscape and beyond.

The park offers activities for nature lovers and adventure seekers. These include picnic and braai sites, 4x4 trails, short and long hiking trails, mountain biking, game viewing, birding and water sports, and fishing at Nqweba Dam, according to the website. We were lucky to spot a herd of black Wildebeest (Swartwildebeest) swishing their tails in greeting.

We settled into holiday mode, went on game drives, slept in late, watched the sun set golden over the plains, and did nothing (that was on my bucket list!). During an unexpected thunderstorm, we pulled our duvets over our heads, spooned, and were thankful we had nothing to do. My mushroom risotto was delicious! Fact to remember: All mushrooms are edible; some only once!

The campsite was well supported, and while we were there, many holidaymakers stopped to set up camp for the night before heading off to other destinations. We will return when we travel north. We didn’t make any reservations.

On two occasions, we went into Graaff Reinet, and on one, we enjoyed breakfast at the landmark Drostdy Hotel–I was a little disappointed. We had lunch at the Pioneers Restaurant and Pub; in the future, we’ll go back. Locals loved it, though; the street was chock-a-block with cars and bakkies! Service was slow, and many menu items weren’t in stock. The only saving grace was that I was treated, and my fajita was rather enjoyable. (I am very easy to please!) In future, I’ll not pin all my hopes on TripAdvisor

Have you ever had a conversation that doesn’t make sense at all, leaving you wondering if you’re hearing things? I did. Butch, asking about my meal, says, “How’s your Peter Burn---?” instead of Pita bread (which wasn’t what I had). Bizarre. It was time to hit the road.