Time to contemplate time in the Tankwa Karoo

5/12/2012

Elandsberg cottage, Tankwa Karoo National Park

By Roxanne Reid
Life just couldn’t have been better. The heat had begun to seep from the day and we were sitting on our cottage stoep watching the Roggeveld mountains turn pink as the sun set behind us in the Tankwa Karoo. There wasn’t another soul in sight, the air was pure and the wine cold. Soon we would light our paraffin lamps and surrender to the romance of a time gone by.

We were in the Tankwa Karoo National Park, about four hours from Cape Town, somewhere in that open space on your map between Ceres, Calvinia and Sutherland. We fell in love with its abundant space and peace on a camping trip two years ago. This time we booked one of the cottages at Elandsberg and we fell in love all over again.

The cottages are delightful, among the best of all in SANParks’ varied portfolio (with Agulhas rest camp being another contender for top spot). In a nod to the past, they have been built in the old-fashioned way, some sections of the wall using rocks gathered from the area, others using unbaked bricks of clay and straw, like so many of the ruined buildings that still dot the landscape in this part of the world. They’re well designed, with an easy flow from kitchen and living room to an enormous braai patio and pool deck (yup, there’s a splash pool for hot summer days).

The cottages are far apart so it's like having the Tankwa Karoo all to yourself

Even the concrete slab counter tops in the kitchen, the peach-pip floor, reed ceilings and enamelware dishes have an old-fashioned air. For a touch of modern convenience, there’s a gas hob, fridge and geyser, and a solar pool pump, but I enjoyed the retention of paraffin lamps for lighting; it seemed fitting and romantic somehow. I will admit, though, that once I saw how dirty and smoky they got, I was glad I wasn’t the one who would have to clean them. [Update 2022: the paraffin lamps are a thing of the past; the cottages are solar powered, with solar lights, even a microwave in the kitchen.]

Perhaps best of all was the shower, with floor to ceiling windows to enjoy the view and a wide door that opened to the elements for the illusion of an ‘outdoor’ shower. You know no one is peeping at you because the five cottages are cleverly placed and you’re barely aware of your nearest neighbours; you can almost believe you have the entire world to yourself.

True comfort with great views, a braai and even a fireplace in the living area

When we visited at the end of October we were a bit late for the best of the spring flower display, but there were still enough splashes of colour on the veld to hint at the opulence that the park must offer in August and September. I could get all technical and ramble on for hours about the plant life here; with a glass of wine in my hand, though, it’s enough to recall that this is the only arid area in the world that is also a biodiversity hotspot.

A peep in the visitors’ book showed one or two foreigners complaining about ‘ferocious rodents’ (what, those sweet little striped mice?) and kamikaze bees attracted to the splash pool. But most visitors felt they had been privileged: ‘so silent you can hear your heart’, ‘humbling’, ‘the space is soul refreshing’, ‘a combination of utter simplicity and comfort’ and my personal favourite, ‘time to contemplate time’.

There are paraffin lamps and candles for a romantic glow

Need to know

There are five fully equipped self-catering cottages at Elandsberg about 18km from the park offices at Roodewerf. [Update 2022: there are now 10 cottages, 6 two-bed units and 4 sleeping four people.]
Many of the old farmhouses have been restored for visitors too, and they come complete with good old-fashioned charm and donkey boilers.
There are some fabulous camping spots too. Perdekloof and Langkloof were upgraded with ablutions and running water in 2011, but you can still go rustic camping without any amenities at six other campsites in the park, some with evocative names like Volmoersfontein and Oom Rickert se Huis.
When you venture here, make sure you have enough fuel because you can’t buy any inside the park. Last stops for fuel are Ceres (180km), Sutherland (140km - closed from Saturdays 13:00 for weekend), Calvinia (110km) and Middelpos (52km).
See here for info on the available options.
SANParks central reservations, tel 012 428-9111

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