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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We South Africans live with an enormous amount of stress and anxiety, which seems to pile on heavier as time passes. Economic difficulty, drought, load shedding, crime and political uncertainty take their toll on our spirits and 2019 was positively brutal. That is why we love travelling – it gives us the chance to forget about our everyday worries, to open our hearts and minds and to rekindle the childlike spirit of adventure hiding beneath the weight of everyday responsibility within us.
A few years back we paid a brief visit to the Kologha State Forest in Stutterheim and were completely blown away by its enchanting beauty. We vowed at the time to return and explore it more thoroughly and decided that this mossy, lush paradise tucked away deep in the heart of the Eastern Cape was the perfect place for our family to start the new decade, to gain some perspective and realign our souls with the magic secreted in the untouched nooks of our beautiful country.
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As the birds started singing, we zipped open our tents and slowly woke up. We ate our camping breakfast of premixed Pronutro, milk powder and sugar and packed our daypacks full of snacks.
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The dawn chorus started with offensively loud and persistent quacking from a pair of Egyptian geese – sweet music to our ears. It meant we had survived our long night of terror! As the early morning light blissfully luminated our tent, we unzipped our door, lay quietly and watched the sun rise slowly over the African bush.
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