Anyone who thinks the Karoo is full of a whole lot of nothing just isn’t paying attention. Same goes for anyone who speeds through the Willowmore in the Karoo without stopping to scratch beneath the surface. Here are just some of the things to do in and around this little dorpie.
1. Go hiking or mountain biking on Aasvoëlberg (vulture mountain), which looks out over Willowmore and is one of the few places in the Karoo where coastal fynbos grows. There’s also a 4x4 trail to the top of the mountain. The mountain is on a private farm and you’ll need to pay a small fee for entry; contact Joanne Kroon on 082-7835389.
2. Hike the Pierre Ferreira trail through Karoo veld rich in succulents. You’ll pass two old Anglo-Boer War forts that were used to guard the railway line to Willowmore. It’s a 2-3 hour circular trail that gives good views of the village, and is especially pretty in the early morning or late afternoon. In summer when it’s very hot, make sure you wear a hat and sunscreen, and take plenty of water. It’s signposted from the main road, or ask for more details from the Tourism Office on Knysna Street, tel 044-9231702.
2. Hike the Pierre Ferreira trail through Karoo veld rich in succulents. You’ll pass two old Anglo-Boer War forts that were used to guard the railway line to Willowmore. It’s a 2-3 hour circular trail that gives good views of the village, and is especially pretty in the early morning or late afternoon. In summer when it’s very hot, make sure you wear a hat and sunscreen, and take plenty of water. It’s signposted from the main road, or ask for more details from the Tourism Office on Knysna Street, tel 044-9231702.
3. Stay at the Willow Historical Guest House, once a church rectory. Read about our visit here. At the very least, pop in for a drink in a bar jam-packed with historical memorabilia or ask if you can book for dinner; the lamb shank is delicious. Tel (044) 923-1574, www.willowguesthouse.co.za.
4. Have tea or lunch at Sophie’s Choice. This is one of my favourite things to do in Willowmore. The food is yummy, but this is more than just a coffee-shop; it’s also a deli and an antiques shop you’ll be itching to explore. Read about our visit here. Find it on the main drag (Knysna Street), tel 044-9231117, http://www.sophieschoice.co.za/. [Update: In June 2020 Sophie's Choice moved to Keurfontein Country House, 18km from Willomore towards Uniondale on the N9.]
5. Look out for the flower-festooned ‘Willow Limo’ donkey cart that’s usually parked near Sophie’s Choice on the main road. Take a slow 20-minute ride around the streets of Willowmore and listen to a local’s take on its story.
5. Look out for the flower-festooned ‘Willow Limo’ donkey cart that’s usually parked near Sophie’s Choice on the main road. Take a slow 20-minute ride around the streets of Willowmore and listen to a local’s take on its story.
6. I may be odd, but I love old graveyards that reek of history – and Willowmore is rich in graveyards. Wander around the old Boer graveyard with its graves dating back to the Anglo-Boer War and beyond; the oldest graves go back to the first half of the 1800s. To the right of the entrance are the graves of some ‘Cape Rebels’ executed by the British for supporting the Boer guerillas during the Anglo-Boer War. From here you can take a short hike to a small gunpowder chamber used during battle to store gunpowder and ammunition.
7. Visit the well cared-for Jewish cemetery. Follow the signs from the northern end of the main road, which take you through a fairly neat but poor ‘township’. The gates to the graveyard are locked but by the time you park someone carrying a key will appear to let you in. Willowmore used to have a thriving Jewish community until about the 1960s. On Victoria Street, you can still see the synagogue built in 1908, but it’s disused and rather forlorn.
8. If you’re interested in anything to do with power and electricity, you’ll be intrigued by the tiny Blackstone Power Station at the southern end of town. It has six Lister Blackstone diesel engines that used to supply the whole town with power until 1984. One is still in working order and can be used to supply power to the municipality during Eskom power cuts – using 20 litres of fuel every hour. You can get a key from the Tourism Office on the main road, tel 044-9231702.
9. Another of my favourite things to do in Willowmore is to take a drive into the beautiful red-stone mountains of the Baviaanskloof (valley of the baboons). Willowmore is the western gateway to this Unesco World Heritage Site and biodiversity hotspot. The road is both the last and the longest of the 24 that the ingenious Thomas Bain built in the 19th century. You can choose to venture only as far as the Nuwekloof pass before you turn back to Willowmore, or you can drive the full 203km to Patensie in the east, taking in numerous bridgeless river crossings and narrow gravel passes along the way. Note that you need a 4x4 on the last section through the Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve.
The old jail, Willowmore, now a gallery and accommodation
10. Pop in at the Tourism Office in the municipal building on Knysna Street (diagonally opposite Sophie’s Choice) to ask about other things to do in the area. They’ll give you a map of the major attractions, including various historical buildings in the town: the town hall, the rabbi’s house, the red pedestrian bridge, the old jail, etc. Tel (044) 923-1702, www.baviaans.co.za.
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More about the Baviaanskloof
Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from roxannereid.co.za
Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from roxannereid.co.za
