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BBefore the Karoo National Park was proclaimed, in an effort to conserve the unique Nama Karoo vegetation, it was home to hardy farmers facing the challenges of an arid and unforgiving landscape.To survive the harsh environment, they had to be innovative, using what they had in their surroundings to meet their basic needs and build successful farms.
The farmers may no longer ply their trade in the park’s confines, but the signs of their tenure have become historic sites that should form part of any visitor’s itinerary.
The first must-see site is in the main rest camp. Farmers constructed traps to catch brown hyenas, leopards and other predators that killed their sheep and livestock. The trap was usually built with rocks, and bait was secured on a string tied to the back wall. Any tugging on the bait would release the door, trapping the animal inside.
From here, make your way to the Interpretive Centre (IC). Before the days of electricity and stoves, farmers had to get creative to bake.
Did You Know?
TThe Great Karoo has the richest diversity of desert flora in the world, and the largest variety of succulents found anywhere on Earth.
TThe Nama farmers used a hollowed out termite mound, covered with a raw-brick and clay shell, as an oven. It still stands on the property today, and offers a wonderful insight into the daily lives of these early Karoo farmers.
There is also a bakkiespomp, baler and ox wagon in the vicinity of the IC. The bakkiespomp, driven by a donkey, pumped water from the river to irrigation furrows in the fields.
Karoo Cultural Heritage Sites
TThe baler is a device invented in the 1860s to compact grass into bales. As technology progressed in the mid-1900s, automated versions allowed farmers to bale up to 40 tonnes of hay daily.
From here, drive over the Klipspringer Pass. Apart from the absolutely majestic views, notice the phenomenal engineering that went into the project. The 3,2km rock wall was packed by hand, according to the Andrew Bain method, to make it environmentally-friendly and unobtrusive. The 7 800m3 of rock used was recycled from sheep corrals, or veekrale (enclosure to keep livestock), and shepherds’ huts.
Once over the pass, continue on the road until you pass the Doornhoek Picnic site. Head onto the Afsaal 4x4 Loop. Here, you’ll find Afsaal Cottage, which dates back some 100 years. Book a night at this old shepherds’ hut to experience it first-hand. The roof inside is thatch, a natural insulator in both hot and cold conditions.
The last accessible sites are found on the Kookfontein 4x4 Loop. You should see a tower of packed rocks: this is a lime-burning kiln. Broken limestone and coal were burnt in the top part of the kiln, and lime was removed from the bottom and used as wall plaster and as a stabiliser for roads, dams and foundations. The ruins of livestock corrals (or veekrale) are also visible nearby.
South Africa is a country overflowing with incredible historic and cultural sites, but you haven’t seen them all until you witness the remains of a bygone farming era in the heart of the stunning Nama Karoo.
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