Jacqui Thompson

Leaving Loxton behind we zipped along the excellent tar road and soon leaned into the left hand bend that led into Victoria West.  On our right was the Victoria West Dam where various species of antelope grazed on grass so green it hurt my eyes. The Seekoei River fed the dam and also ran skirted the Northern Cape town.

Our back roads bike trip from Cape Town to Johannesburg was almost at an end. Not because of distance but rather time. The punctures on the dirt road between Sutherland and Fraserburg were partly to blame; they cost us a few days, but a contributing factor was also the laid back pace of life in the Karoo. We had no desire to be on the road for eight hours a day, clinging to motorbike handlebars, eyes squinting in the wind as all that pesky scenery rushed by.  Our starts got later as we enjoyed leisurely brunches with the locals and other travelers rather than early bird breakfasts and when we eventually set off we traveled leisurely with frequent stops to admire afore-mentioned scenery. The daily distances we rode also got shorter, so on this particular slow, sunny Karoo day we covered the magnificent distance of 81 kilometres. We couldn’t help it … Victoria West was such an inviting little town.

We puttered down the main road past two imposing churches (the Dutch Reformed and Anglican we later found out) which made one believe God was a frequent visitor to this very street, and stopped our bikes outside the legendary Apollo Theatre. We’d heard about this 1950s art deco cinema – the only one left in SA – which was a heritage site. Perhaps it was late in the day and the staff were tired and bored but the lackadaisical attitude and lack of any visible decor (or deco) was disappointing. Although the town is the start of the Diamond Route there was little glittering when we visited. Perhaps the sparkle from the soft furnishings and hard staff only comes out for the annual film festival held at the cinema.

Snagging a few brochures from a nearby stand we read about the Mannetjies Roux rugby museum which pays homage to the tough little Springbok player who was born in the town. But I decided to pass on that after my husband sang me the song Hak Hom Blokkies inspired by Roux’s on field exploits and find somewhere to stay. Karoo Koelte, a conveniently located B&B, with a pretty garden and period rooms also offered secure parking for the motorbikes and hosts Pietie and Anna Vermeulen more than made up for the cool reception at the Apollo. 

We rode out to watch the sunset from Moonlight Hill which offered the most gorgeous views of the town after a relatively short clamber. The Karoo sunset was spectacular and we stayed to watch every ray and hue fade until the stars come out and the town’s lights came on. It was very romantic until we realised we hadn’t brought a torch. Curses followed as we bickered our way down in the dark. 

Over breakfast the Vermeulens filled us in on the local history. The town was originally founded in 1843 and was called Victoria (ja, after the rooinek queen), but because of a district in the Eastern Cape of the same name the ‘West’ was added in 1855. 

Seems diamonds were discovered in the region in the late 1800s and the town became an important transit/resting point for prospectors traveling from Cape Town to the diamond fields in and around Hopetown and Kimberly. I kept my eyes peeled as I headed off, head down scouring the ground for a dazzling gem someone might have missed in the last 130 odd years (no luck), to the nearby Victoria West Nature Reserve. I was still determined to see the rare and endangered Riverine Rabbit. It proved as elusive as the diamonds. On my way back I did see a pair of circling Black Eagles which was fantastic but I would have preferred seeing a Riverine Rabbit sitting on a large diamond bearing rock. Never mind, next time.

It was hard to leave the B&B where we now felt like family, even though they couldn’t believe I, a young woman – I loved that they thought I was young and immediately forgave them their sexist comment – could ride such a large motorbike.

http://www.karookoelte.co.za/

Victoria West Nature Reserve : Tel 053 621 0026

Fishing boats in the picturesque West Coast town of Paternoster (Image: South African Tourism)

South Africa’s heartland offers the real gems of this country: The small towns and villages just off the beaten track that take you back to a quieter, more peaceful time and offer spectacular scenery to view and people to meet.

Artists and other “creatives” flourish in the peace and quiet and beauty of these areas.

They also give travellers the opportunity to meet colourful local characters who still have the time to talk and settings that can leave you breathless.

WESTERN CAPE

Knysna

On the Garden Route in the Western Cape, the coastal town of Knysna offers incredible vistas of the lagoon and the ocean and a famous forest that shelters elusive elephants.

At the Knysna Heads, the ocean crashes through a narrow rocky outcrop to feed the waters of the lagoon - a nursery for all manner of sea life, such as the tiny Knysna seahorse. Knysna is rich in art galleries, fabulous coffee shops and excellent restaurants. Not to be missed is Knysna’s oyster festival, which celebrates the exotic food cultivated in the lagoon and harvested in the wild. (more…)

Port Elizabeth’s beaches range from crowded, social and developed, to long and deserted. (Image: South African Tourism)

Otherwise known as Nelson Mandela Bay, as well as being South Africa’s “Friendly City”, Port Elizabeth’s fantastic weather, golden beaches and an enormous range of attractions make it a superb place for a relaxing holday.

Beaches very between crowded, social and developed to long and deserted. Magnificent old buildings reflect the history of the development of the Eastern Cape region, and the city offers cultural activities for an insight into the lives of local communities.

It’s a significant industrial centre, especially with regard to the motor vehicle manufacturing industry, so it’s quite appropriate that it has the country’s most impressive motor museum.

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Bloemfontein - meaning “spring of flowers” - is the capital of the Free State, and a pretty, medium-sized city that lives up to its name. Thousands of rose bushes line the streets to create an amazing spectacle most of the year, but particularly in spring.

The middle of the city is home to a small nature reserve called Naval Hill, where visitors can walk and see small game. Also nearby is the orchid house - another tribute to that lovely name. (more…)

The remote Karoo village of Nieu Bethesda houses a fascinating world of concrete sculpture, fantasy figures and mythical beasts set around a house of luminous paint and multicoloured glass panes.

It is called the Owl House, and was created by the reclusive artist Helen Martins and her labourer Koos Malgas in the 1940s. The structure and its attendant pieces are now considered a masterpiece of visionary art. (more…)

The small village of Qunu lies in South Africa’s Wild Coast region of the Eastern Cape, an area known for its unspoilt beauty, rolling green hills and pristine beaches. Qunu is also the home village of Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first democratically elected president and the Eastern Cape’s favourite son.

Lying just outside the town of Mthatha, Qunu is where Mandela spent the happiest years of his youth. There, he writes in his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom, he spent his days doing herd-boy duties, playing in the river and sailing down the “sliding stone”. (more…)

Port St Johns on the Pondo side of the Wild Coast of the Eastern Cape is a highlight on any international backpacker’s world itinerary for its natural setting, frontier atmosphere and vast appeal to more adventurous younger travellers.

The village lies on the Umzimvubu River, Xhosa for “hippo”. And therein lies a story: The most famous hippo ever to have visited Port St Johns was back in 1931. Named Huberta, she settled upriver for more than four months during her trek from Zululand down to the Eastern Cape. (more…)