Karreekloof a unique Game Lodge

What makes Karreekloof so unique? A place rich in so much history late evening stories around the campfire already play a major role in shaping the piece of earth.

With its wide plains, windmills that are continuously turning around with every day’s mercy. Animals that each find a unique piece in the field to multiply their survival. Plants that can still display their beautiful side through heavy days.

One of the most beautiful characteristics of Karreekloof is the unique Shepard’s Tree. These trees grow in dry areas. The Latin name is Boscia Albitrunca and if I translate the Afrikaans name, ‘witgatboom’, to English, it literally means a tree with a white bottom:) A good name for these trees, as their trunks are white, of course. What makes them so beautiful, are their trunks that bend and turn and have the nicest forms, picture perfect.

With the white walls from home to storage each with their own characteristics and rounded new ‘facelift’, you can get ‘lost’ in thoughts drinking an early cup of coffee on the porch watching the steam slowly evaporating from the cup into thin air.

Appreciate the silence without any noise in your ears, breathe in the fresh air and just blast away from your everyday work.

Every place on earth is unique in its own way, every human being is different. Not all animals and plants have the same characteristics. People can make decisions and choose where the wheels of their cars should turn. May the unique Karreekloof ‘village’, as we call it, take your breath away when driving through our gates.

“I hope you spend your days but they all add up and when that sun goes down, hope you raise your cup.”

 

A Karoo road trip

A Karoo road trip is one of the best ways to travel the vast expanse that is the Karoo.

“Its particular rare mix of rugged mountains, vast open spaces, idiosyncratic little towns, star-studded skies devoid of light pollution, sheep farms, and back of beyond windmills make it road trip country like nowhere else in the world.”

There are many ways to do a Karoo road trip:

Route 62, the world’s longest wine route that winds through the Klein Karoo. The upper Karoo sparsely populated plains southwest of Kimberley.

No matter what Karoo road trip you choose, here are a series of great places to stop.

Kimberley, the surprisingly interesting town and site of South Africa’s Big Hole, Kimberley might have begun as a diamond rush town but today its wide streets are lined with Victorian mansions, museums, galleries, gardens, battlefields and ghost routes aplenty.

Victoria West, its name might hale from the Victorian era. The only thing Victorian about the town today is its charming architecture. It survived both the effects of a disastrous flood in 1871 and the deluge of wagons en route between Cape Town and the diamond rush town of Hopetown, during the late 1880s. Today it’s a typical Karoo dorpie with plenty of accommodation and good antique shops.

This area of little rainfall, blue and cloudless skies, and extreme temperatures may have acted as a barrier to the interior from Cape Town for early settlers.  Today it has come out of isolation to become a major tourist attraction – its immense spaces, incredible mountains, idiosyncratic towns and promise of escape the reason for its popularity.

‘ Roads were made for journeys, not destinations’

The story of a Karoo farm in Africa

When the rhythm of the day transforms from sunset to dusk over the expansive plains of the mesmerizing Karoo and the omnipresent birdsong of sunshine slowly fades, you’ll soon know it’s not the end of the day that matters, but the promise of a new dawn that awaits.

Nestled in the plains of the Karoo you’ll discover paradise, your piece of heaven on earth. An African farm that lets you dream your days away and before you know it, a sunset of promise will remind you that another daybreak will bring more adventures, more excitement, more life-worth-living.

This is where you’ll find our small village of happiness. This is where we work hard to re-establish game that has always called this place home. Animals roam free here and when it rains, everyone is nose-in-the-air to savor the earthy aroma of hard rains on dusty plains. It’s a feeling you’ll treasure for life.

On some days a harsh wind will literally take your breath away while an abundance of unexpectedly colorful flowers of the veld will leave you breathless and warm with inner joy, even on the coldest morning.

When nature opens its doors just for you and the world stops revolving for a while, the sounds of the Karoo will put dancing shoes on your feet and you’ll almost be afraid to blink… as if you’ll miss the beat. The constant scream of cicadas will remind you not to play for too long in the unforgiving sun. Then suddenly Shepard’s tree will beckon like a magnet and entice you for a nap in the coolness of its shade.

Overcome with thirst while tracking the lonesome plains, a desolate windmill will offer crystal clear water from deep in the earth’s bosom. You’ll replenish with water from the same well at which you’ll find the biggest buffalo and smallest bee.

This is where you’ll walk, sing and dance the day away and rest with wonderous dreams and awake with the biggest smile.

We invite you to walk the plains of Karreekloof, leave deep footprints, enjoy a night sky of bewilderment, dream big, wake up for a new dawn of delight, savor the purest water, lose yourself in the shade of big trees and let the cicadas remind you… you are in the Karoo. It’s here you’ll discover the rhythm of your soul.

 

 

Sustainable Tourism

Many people do travel. Now, more than ever, human beings are exploring the world around them.

Sustainable tourism is a way of traveling and exploring a destination while respecting its culture, environment, and people. Common sense says that this is simply the definition of travel and that the term ‘sustainable’ is unnecessary.

We should travel in a way that can benefit the people and communities we’re in, and that mitigates negative impacts of travel on the environment. Sustainable travel is about showing we care.

South Africa is a leader in responsible tourism and is a magnet for those who are interested in adventure, wildlife, culture, and history. Its history is complex and poignant, from the San who first inhabited the land to the establishment of Cape Town as a stopover for the Dutch along the spice trade route.

Creating a positive and lasting impact on the environment and community has become an increasingly important factor when visitors plan holidays. As one of the fastest growing industries in the world, and with South Africa being such a diverse melting pot of cultures, heritage sites, tourist attractions and adventure activities, our focus should be towards sharing the stories of change and preservation.

South Africa is home to a large number of sustainable tourism service providers belonging to organizations such as Fair Trade, Green Tourism Active and Responsible Tourism South Africa.

“The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see”

 

Eco-tourism in South Africa’s wine lands

Eco-tourism in South Africa’s wine lands is thriving.

With visitors to the Western Cape increasingly as interested in exploring the wealth of eco-tourism activities on offer as they are in sampling the region’s famous wines.

In fact, these days you don’t even have to taste the wine to enjoy a day in the wine lands. From accommodation, farmer’s markets and literary festivals to rock music festivals, mountain bike trails, and full-moon hikes, eco-tourism is creating huge public awareness around sustainability issues including recycling, energy conservation and minimizing environmental footprints.

Eco-tourism has become key in conserving biological and cultural diversity within a region. Job creation within local communities is one of the positive spin-offs. The high-yield, low-impact tourism model is a good fit in the wine lands, which typically offers highly personal and exclusive experiences to small groups of visitors at a time.

Eco-tourism is broadly defined as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people” (The International Ecotourism Society, or TIES, 1990). The mutually beneficial relationship between conservation, local communities and sustainable travel is at the very core of successful eco-tourism.

Biodiversity and Wine Initiative

In 2008, conservation history was made when the conservation footprint in the wine lands exceeded the vineyard footprint for the first time. What this means is that in less than four years, the wine industry has succeeded in setting more area aside for long-term conservation than is currently planted in the vineyard.

With this achievement, South Africa is leading the world in the conservation of biodiversity in this environment. It also illustrates the industry’s commitment to protecting our unique natural heritage.

Conservancies joint eco-tourism activities

Right now, one of the most exciting emerging trends in eco-tourism in the Western Cape is the way in which wine regions are getting involved by establishing conservancies and developing joint eco-tourism activities, drawing on the network of producers within the same area and pooling their resources.

 

https://www.brandsouthafrica.com/tourism-south-africa/travel/food/wine-ecotourism

http://blog.sa-venues.com/provinces/eco-tourism/

 

Semi-desert

What is a semi-desert climate?

An extremely dry area characterized by sparse vegetation.

Semi-desert scrubs A transitional formation type situated between true desert and more thickly vegetated areas (e.g. between thorn forest and desert or between Savannah and desert). The vegetation is sparser than that of the thorn forest and succulents are more common, as a consequence of the drier climate. Most of the plants are shallow-rooted, and so able to exploit before it evaporates any precipitation that percolates into the surface layer of the soil.

Plants That Live in the Semi-Desert Scrub

The semi-desert scrub is a region short on moisture with plenty of sunlight. This area is open shrubland with clumps of grass. The soil is fine-textured, alkaline and salty. The plants must endure hot summers and cold winters and annual rainfall is usually 7 to 16 inches–commonly falling as snow. Rainfall also can flood the area with up to 3 feet of water. The growing season in semi-desert scrub is marked by drought. Most plants that grow in this area must be tolerant to fire and large mammal grazing.

Four-Wing Saltbush

Four-wing saltbush (Atriplex canescens) is an evergreen shrub reaching 15 feet high. The narrow, oblong leaves are 1/2 to 2 inches long. The gray-green foliage sparsely covers the multitude of branches. Four-wing saltbush produces dull yellow-brown flowers in the summer. Light green fruit follows the blossoms and turns light brown in the fall when ripe. Papery bracts create four wings around the fruit and stay on the bush for two years.

Indian Ricegrass

Indian ricegrass (Achnatherum hymenoides) is an erect perennial that grows 1 to 2 1/2 feet tall. This grass begins growing in the early spring while temperatures are still cool. Loose seed spikes are produced in the late spring. Green narrow blades attach to Indian ricegrass at the base. This grass thrives at 3,000 to 10,000 feet in elevation. Indian ricegrass is adapted to arid conditions and does not grow well in poor-draining soil. This plant is an important spring and summer food source for large mammals.

Winterfat

Winterfat (Krascheninnikovia lanata) is a cool season perennial that lives up to 130 years. This low-growing, woody shrub reaches 1 to 3 feet in height. The hairs covering the branches give the bush a silvery-white look. Small blossoms appear in April to September. The white flowers do not have any petals and form blossom clusters. Winterfat is found in dry valley bottoms, flat mesas, and hillsides. It does not grow well in wet conditions. Winterfat provides winter grazing for sheep, pronghorn, elk and mule deer.

Yellow Rabbitbrush

Yellow rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus) is a 1- to 4-foot evergreen shrub. Brittle branches sprout from the base of the plant. Small, grass-like leaves are light green in color. Small, yellow blossoms appear in the late summer. These sticky flowers form round clusters. Yellow rabbitbrush prefers dry, good-draining soil and tolerates salty soil. This bush quickly invades areas disturbed by construction and agriculture.

Big Sagebrush

Big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentate) is an upright perennial shrub. This evergreen branches off a short trunk to create a round shape. Big sagebrush can reach 16 feet tall. Tiny flowers form dense clusters in the fall. Three-lobed, gray-green leaves are covered with silver hairs. This bush typically grows at 2,500 to 10,000 feet elevation in dry, good-draining, gravelly or rocky soil. Wildlife grazes on big sagebrush throughout the year.

Driedoring (Rhigozum trichotomum Burch.)

These thorny African bushes can be classified as shrubs or as multi-stemmed trees that can grow up to three meters in height. The branches are rigid and twist in angular directions. The branches’ arms are short. This genus can produce flowers between the months of September and December. They grow out in dry, open woodland ion sandy soils or out of limestone rocky outcrops.

 

 

Karreekloof since 1881

Why the name Karreekloof? No one really knows, but it could be because of the many Karee trees that grew in the kloof on the farm.

It is a farm rich in history and formed part of the Anglo Boer War. Many famous people’s footsteps lie here. Time can tell many stories they say. For Karreekloof time is much needed to understand and appreciate every little detail of information.

Fortunately, Peter Wright, the previous owner of Karreekloof, who still stays on the farm, shares endless stories, history, and lifelong experiences through his eyes as well as stories told by his father and grandfather. Four generations since 1822 and still stories are being told.

Karreekloof was once a trading store known as Lilienfeld & Wright. Many of the historical experiences may be of interest to the current generations and those to come.
Although farming was the primary activity at Karreekloof, trading with Afrikaner cattle, Catalonian donkeys, and black head Persian sheep was as important.

The famous writer Olive Schreiner spent much of her time at Karreekloof writing one of her famous books, The Story of an African Farm.

The Boer War, however, brought its hardships and difficulties to Karreekloof. A British officer Lieutenant Logan of Nesbitt’s horse was shot on the farm, which was buried in the small farm cemetery.

On 17 July 1962 former South African President PW Botha visited the farm leaving a letter in which he thanked the family of Karreekloof for their hospitality and kindness. “I hope that it will rain soon so that the farming interests may flourish,” was his wishes to the Wrights.
Always interesting to know, that no matter where footsteps are being left, it always leaves a mark of some sort of history. It all depends on how you leave it.

This is why owner Wiaan van der Linde puts in all efforts to keep every little bit of history alive at Karreekloof through the new facelift and a museum – telling the stories of a long time ago.

 

LOCAL TRAVEL

destination

Experience a destination for what it is today.

Make personal connections with people from a different part of the world. Every destination has a living, breathing society that is evolving all the time.

The reality is that it’s on us as travelers to explore the diversity each country has to offer. Even the most visited destinations can offer extraordinary experiences when you go beyond the usual tourist sites, museums, and monuments. Life is changing all the time.

Allow yourself to get lost, use food as a window to cultural diversity.

Pick up a local magazine or check out signs posted on the street corners to find art exhibits, music festivals, or other events. Go beyond the most popular cities.

Leave the cities for smaller places like villages and suburbs to find the hidden treasures of many countries, with unique cultural experiences, beautiful landscapes, and powerful interactions.

While staying local when you travel is indeed one important facet of local travel, its equally critical counterpart is what some people think of as “going local” – an exploration of faraway places, anywhere in the world, as if one were local to that place.

Local travel is about shifting your travel values so that you are mindful and supportive of local people, the local environment, local culture and local economy. It’s about putting yourself in the shoes, hearts, and mindsets of locals and making choices that benefit them as much as they do you.

Travel local, and encourage everyone to do the same.

https://www.informationvine.com/index?qsrc=999&qo=semQuery&ad=semD&o=36177&l=sem&askid=854b0e70-4a9b-47bf-a506-52477ac0e309-0-iv_gsm&q=local%20travel&dqi=&am=modifiedbroad&an=google_s

Karreekloof keeping traditions alive

A big part of traveling is turning your head and to smile a while.

Depending on where you are traveling to, traditions around the world may appear a little strange, but to others, they are part of their history and heritage. To observe strange customs, to admire people in traditional outfits, to gasp at breathtaking sights or to try to understand why people do what they do.

How is it that traditions were made so easy in the old days?  One specific memory when visiting people in the Karoo, they would greet you like as if they knew you your entire life and when you leave they would wave with a little handkerchief till the wheels of your motorcar touch the tar road.

As we look back today a lot of people and places still keep their traditions alive generation after generation. It’s what makes something old so unique full of character, and heartwarming. In some cultures, traditions are very important.

Here at Karreekloof, we want to keep traditions alive.

The once old rustic bell has been upgraded with a brand-new jacket. When visiting Karreekloof you will first sign in at our guestbook, after that you will ring the brand new “old” clock, pictures are most welcome.  The thundering sounds of the clock will move across the plains of the lodge sending the welcome signals to everyone.

Your first step at Karreekloof will always be part of our history and traditions. Looking forward making that first step with you!

 

Traditional South African food

Enjoy the tantalizing flavors of South African food

The wide array of cuisine available is overwhelming. From the deliciously diverse flavors of South Africa’s indigenous and multi-cultural rainbow cuisine to culinary specialties from all over the world.

All over South Africa, you can find strips of what looks like dark old leather that is eaten as a snack – this is the famous biltong. Biltong is a thinly sliced, tough and salty air-dried meat, most often beef or game like springbok, rather like beef jerky. You will also find droewors, air-dried sausages. Indigenous African peoples use to preserve meat by curing it with salt and drying in the air.

Bunny chow, this is South African fast food – and it has nothing to do with rabbits.

It’s a quarter or a half a loaf of white bread, hollowed out and filled with a hot and spicy meat or vegetable curry (or anything else that takes your fancy). Bunny chow originated in the city of Durban, some say when migrant Indian laborers working in sugarcane plantations had to take their food into the fields.

Potjiekos or ‘little pot food’ is an Afrikaans term to describe food cooked in layers in a traditional three-legged cast iron pot (a potjie) but essentially it’s a slow cooked meat and vegetable stew. Potjiekos can be served with pap (maize porridge), umngqusho (samp and beans), morogo (wild spinach), amadombolo (dumplings) and pot-baked bread (potbrood) or steamed bread (ujeqe).

As with meat, the “braai” (barbecue) is a favorite way of cooking fish.

The people at South Africa’s west coast, known for their fondness of “snoek” and crayfish, are particularly adept at grilling seafood over an open fire. In coastal areas fresh line-fish (catch of the day) is always a good menu option if you are a fish lover.

Come and enjoy some good South African food!

https://www.expatica.com/za/about/Top-10-foods-in-South-Africa-and-recipes_504435.html

https://www.south-africa-tours-and-travel.com/food-in-south-africa.html