Farmer’s Weekly discovered the perfect halfway stopover between Gauteng and the Western Cape or Jap Cape in the event you trip in that path, says Riaan Hattingh.
Picture: Riaan Hattingh
Driekwartblou Visitor Space & Venue lies south of the Gariep Dam, with just a slim a part of the Oviston Nature Reserve setting apart the valuables from the dam.
It’s within the Jap Cape between the cities of Gariep Dam and Venterstad. House owners Meyer and Carina van der Walt let us know that their farm is en path to “all over”, and with the peace and quiet skilled there, that is the perfect visitor area to recharge your batteries.
The venue is known as Driekwartblou (translation from the Afrikaans three-quarters blue) as a result of 3 portions of the view visitors must the north is blue: the blue water from the dam, the blue mountains within the distance, and the blue sky. The fourth quarter is the land as much as the threshold of the dam.
The farmhouse was once firstly inbuilt 1803, with extensions added through the years, and the home shut through, now become the Driekwartblou Visitor Space, was once constructed in a while later on.
When the Gariep Dam, South Africa’s greatest dam, was once constructed from 1965 to 1971, many houses affected had been purchased from the house owners. In opposition to the top of the challenge, the land no longer lined through the dam and surrounding Oviston Nature Reserve had been rezoned and resold.
In July 1970, Meyer van der Walt’s father, Banie, bought Schalkwykskraal, and in July 1988, Meyer and Carina took over the farming actions. Schalkwykskraal remains to be a running farm the place now basically farm animals are bred.
Lodging
3 gadgets are to be had to visitors at the farm. The cluster firstly was once a area and later used as a shed. In early 2013, the Van der Walts transformed the shed into lodging for visitors.
Farmer’s Weekly was once allotted Unit One. It has one queen-sized mattress and a unmarried mattress, and an en suite rest room with a bath. A complete kitchenette is to be had. A stoep with a view over the dam makes for excellent sundowners.
This image infrequently is rounded off with sheep from the farm grazing in entrance, or antelope from Oviston Nature Reserve slightly bit additional.
Gadgets Two and 3 shape a circle of relatives unit and are booked as such. It has a queen-sized mattress in a single room dealing with the dam and with a stoep, and 3 unmarried beds in any other room dealing with the farm dam in the back of the cluster through which visitors would possibly swim from November to February. A kitchenette is to be had and each rooms have an en suite rest room. An interleading door between the 2 rooms makes it simple for folks to regulate the children.
Unit 4 has a queen-sized mattress, two unmarried beds, a espresso station, microwave oven, and elementary self-catering amenities.
The unit is on the rear of the cluster and not using a view of the Gariep Dam, but it surely has stunning perspectives of the bizarre sunsets of the Karoo.
Cellular braai amenities are to be had in any respect gadgets. TVs within the rooms have get admission to to the DStv Lodge bundle, and you’ll additionally to find air conditioners within the rooms. An advantage is the solar energy used at the farm; Farmer’s Weekly liked the posh of no longer being liable to load-shedding.
Foods are to be had on request and are served within the eating room in the primary area. Wi-Fi is to be had, and if you want to compensate for paintings, the eating room is the place chances are you’ll spend a while together with your computer.
Driekwartblou Visitor Space & Venue is puppy pleasant all the way through sure occasions of the 12 months and with prior association, so you should definitely take a look at on that previously. Pets aren’t allowed within the adjoining nature reserve.
Weddings and different occasions
The Venue is a big barn, prior to now a shearing shed, this is incessantly used to host weddings and different purposes equivalent to reunions and conferences. Marriage ceremony ceremonies are normally held within the lawn, and as much as 150 visitors will also be catered for.
Farm actions
Visitors would possibly hike any place at the farm, supplied they keep on current roads. The most efficient hike is up a hill at the southern facet of the farm for a picnic with nice perspectives over the farm and Gariep Dam. Relying on farming actions on the time, visitors would possibly view shearing and even partake within the feeding of lambs.
Oviston nature reserve
Oviston Nature Reserve, 1 600ha in dimension, is at the southern facet of the dam and stretches from the dam wall within the west as much as Bethulie within the east. One of the most flora and fauna that guests would possibly come across are eland, kudu, gemsbok, springbok, and a range of birds. Day guests are welcome, and self-drive recreation drives are allowed all the way through summer season.
Discover the world
The world will also be explored on foot or through car. Vigorous visitors would possibly partake in an accompanied path run or a hike within the reserve or on collaborating farms, and Driekwartblou gets you in contact with a professional.
The distances and particular spaces will also be tailored for your wishes, or in your team or team-building workout.
By way of automotive, the Gariep Dam wall is not up to half-hour away and gives parking spots on most sensible of the wall to permit for photograph alternatives, and Oviston provides a standpoint over the dam. From the standpoint at Oviston, the infrastructure will also be noticed from the place water is pumped by the use of a tunnel over nearly 80km to the Teebus Spruit, feeding into the Fish River, and permitting farmers to irrigate their plants in that house.
You will get hungry whilst exploring the world. For foods, seek advice from Willem se Kampie highway stall between Driekwartblou and Venterstad. Farmer’s Weekly bought dry wors from them, and wanted we had purchased extra. You might also have foods at Tjailatyd (guide a Gariep
Dam Boat Cruise if you are there) and at De Stijl in Gariep Dam. If you are interested in historical past, you’ll want to seek advice from Norvalspont and Bethulie. Each cities performed main roles within the 2nd Anglo-Boer Conflict and had been house to focus camps.
All the focus camp graveyard in Bethulie was once moved to the next and more secure location all the way through the development of the dam.
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