Quintessential Karoo: Plenty of room to roam at the Dwarsvlei Country Home
If you listen well, you can almost still hear the hooves of horses galloping across the veld and the chatter of the uniformed officers and women in glittering evening gowns who would have swept up the driveway for the grand parties this 19th-century country house was famous for.
This is Dwarsvlei Country Home, on Dwarsvlei Farm between Middelburg and Graaff-Reinet in the Karoo.
The farm dates back to the mid-1800s when the original homestead with reed ceilings, still intact, was built.
Dwarsvlei offered a healthy climate and environment for sheep, cattle and horses, which is what attracted the attention of a mining magnate and horse breeder by the name of Henry Nourse, who purchased the farm in 1900. He was reputed to own the largest thoroughbred stud in the southern hemisphere in his time, with 700 horses between his three farms.
Nourse built an imposing house on the property to entertain British officers and friends during the Anglo-Boer War when 7 000 British troops were stationed in Middelburg. The stately rooms and sprung dance floor in the sitting room speak of these times.
The house is furnished in a style that gently escorts visitors back to the early 1900s: it is as it was for decades past with a choice of rooms upstairs and downstairs, not all en suite.
The gardens are also a journey into a bygone era. Wander through the orchards Nourse established and, in season, you can pick figs, apricots, peaches, plums and walnuts.
Dwarsvlei’s chef and manager, Nicky Enslin, makes his own jams and preserves and he is happy to discuss what you would like to eat ahead of your visit: roast lamb, bredie, pumpkin pie, bobotie, chicken salad with pickled ginger and coriander, chicken pie, malva pudding … he does it all.
He will also prepare a picnic basket for guests wanting to explore the 3 500-hectare farm — it still has Nguni cattle and sheep — on foot or by mountain bike.
For birders there are frequent sightings of Verreaux’s eagles, hamerkops, jackal buzzards, pied kingfishers, Kori bustards, red-knobbed coots, sacred ibises and a long list more.
For those who prefer a remote natural retreat, Dwarsvlei offers its Mountain House, built on the slopes of the adjoining Renosterberg mountains where springbuck, blesbuck, gemsbuck and kudu roam.
Guests can also participate in the art and photographic workshops Enslin organises several times a year. Haul out that easel or camera and you’ll instantly be inspired as you explore the farm with its wagon track, which is believed to be the earliest road heading this way from Graaff-Reinet.
Getting there
Dwarsvlei Farm is the perfect en-route stopover for those heading to and from the Garden Route or Port Elizabeth, or taking an alternate route to Cape Town.
It’s an excellent destination for workshops, holidays and retreats. Individuals, groups, families, backpackers, birders, hikers and cyclists are welcome. Small functions and celebrations, including weddings, are also catered for.
Art or photographic workshops: Three days, including accommodation for two nights and meals costs R2 500 a person.
Accessibility: 20km from Middelburg on the N9.
Cost: R320 a person (bed and breakfast). Dinner costs R75 to R100 a person. Menus can be tailored to dietary requirements.
Backpackers: Two rooms at R100 a person. There are no cooking facilities, but meals can be arranged.
Contact: Nicky Enslin. Call 049 842 2611, email [email protected] or visit www.dwarsvleicountryhome.co.za.