I read recently that instead of thinking about solving your whole life, rather just focus on adding additional good things one at a time. And simply let your pile of good things grow. This life advice seemed very easily do-able and I decided to put it into practice immediately.
One of my family’s favourite good things is to go camping and one of my best good things is to spend quality time with my family, so with that in mind I set out to find somewhere to camp for the weekend.
We decided that it was time to explore one of South Africa’s oldest and most loved tourist attractions so our destination of choice was Oudtshoorn and the Cango Caves.
Around the same time as we were searching for somewhere to camp in Oudtshoorn, South Africa braced itself as sub polar air blew up from Antarctica, bringing with it some of the coldest weather ever experienced in our sunny country. All of a sudden camping in the middle of the Karoo in sub zero winter temperatures sounded a bit ominous.
Never one to be easily deterred, I was delighted to find out that Africamps Klein Karoo offers family sized glamping tents complete with inside fireplaces, air conditioning and electric blankets.
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The Karoo tasting menu at Stirlings at The Ibis in Nieu Bethesda was one of the very best food experiences we have ever had the privilege of enjoying. We stumbled upon Stirlings quite by accident when looking for a place to have coffee in the quiet streets of Nieu Bethesda and so had zero expectations of what we were in for.
According to Stirlings Chef Barbara Weits, her food is inspired by the Karoo and the bountiful ingredients this arid region offers. She says, “The six courses take you on a Karoo foraging journey, letting you experience the exciting and unique flavours of the region. We don’t want you to just enjoy a meal but rather feel like you are part of an adventure through time, tradition and the discovery of new flavours and taste combinations.”
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I found myself on top of a mountain in the heart of the Karoo. I stood hugging a trig beacon with the wind howling though my hair and turned slowly all the way around, drinking in a full 360 degrees of complete wildness as far as I could see – sweeping plains edged by mountains in every direction, illuminated in fiery orange hues as the winter sun slowly bade its daily goodbye. I stood in complete silence pierced only by the sound of the wind and an occasional bleat of a sheep and marvelled at the sheer wonder of the planet we call home.
This little mountain near Nieu Bethesda in the Karoo Heartland is as close to heaven as I have ever been. It is located on Ganora Guest Farm, which was our destination for a weekend of art and exploration in the charming hamlet made famous by the Owl House.
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I don’t like unfinished stories. Tales that leave me hanging in anticipation, desperate to know what happens next. The kind of ending that happens in each episode of a great TV series – the hook that keeps me binge-watching to satisfy my craving for completion.
When we visited Trennerys hotel on the Wild Coast of South Africa a few years back, I created my own unfinished ending. We embarked on a day hike to the Jacaranda shipwreck and got so side-tracked by all that we experienced along the way, that we turned back too early, satisfied by a full day of fun, but leaving before the end goal of the day was completed and ticked off.
So when deciding where to venture for a winter beach-hiking weekend, the Jacaranda shipwreck raised its rusty hand and lured us back to Trennerys with its promise of satiating completion.
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Deep in the heart of Knysna’s ancient forest is the very best place to reconnect with your soul. There is magic in the air, the kind that infiltrates your being, slows down time and gently restores the frenetic pieces of modern life into something beautifully whole and infinitely simpler.
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