Nahoon River Dam is a reservoir and is located in Eastern Cape, South Africa. The estimate terrain elevation above seal level is 168 metres. The most popular species caught here are Common carp and Largemouth bass. The Nahoon Point Nature Reserve in East London and is dubbed one of the most scenic coastal reserves in the country and is a South African gem! But, it is not only for this its extraordinary natural beauty and breathtaking vistas that it is so loved and frequented. It is also for its paleoanthropological significance. In fact, it has long been held as a very important prehistorical landmark and enjoys its status as a protected area as a result.
Nahoon Point Nature Reserve has long been held as a very important prehistorical landmark and enjoys its status as a protected area as a result.
The Nahoon Point Nature Reserve was established in 2004. But, it was in 1964 that the real treasure here was discovered. When two municipal workers took their rest in Bat’s Cave, they noticed human footprints and animal tracks on the roof of the cave, above their heads. They reported this to the East London Museum and it was soon confirmed that they were ancient fossils of the prints of a child, two antelopes and a bird, dating back some 124 000 years (although there remains some dispute regarding this aging). This means that these are the oldest human footprints in existence, making the entire Nahoon area very important. The roof of this cave has since collapsed, but the rocky slab in which these prints are perfectly preserved is now on display at the East London Museum. The East London Museum is renowned for the coelacanth exhibition, after one of these prehistoric fish (long thought to have been extinct) was discovered in East London’s harbour, as well as the last remaining Dodo egg.
The Nahoon Point Nature Reserve is significant for its varied topography and eco-regions. It is made up of coastal sandstone, long stretches of sandy beaches and bays, the coastal forest that occupies the sand dunes, the rocky shores that are fascinating to explore, and the tranquil coves that make for idyllic retreats from the real world. The Nahoon Point Nature Reserve boasts more than two kilometres of unspoilt coastline, as well as a series of boardwalks that are perched above the fragile dune vegetation to allow visitors to be part of the splendour without damaging the plants or habitat under their feet. The lookout point showcases gorgeous views of Bat’s Cave, while the seascapes are equally impressive.
The Indian Ocean laps the shores of Nahoon and continues to be popular amongst locals and visitors that love water sports or want to lie back and savour the cool ebb and flow of the sea. Surfing, kite surfing, boating and fishing are all popular pastimes in this part of East London, South Africa.

Elandsberg is a Mountain and is located in the Swartland District, near Riebeeck Kasteel, in the Western Cape. The estimate terrain elevation above seal level is 2006 metres.
The Elandsberg Nature Reserve was formally declared a provincial nature reserve in 2008 in recognition of its importance to conservation. Bartholomeus Klip has signed up with Cape Nature’s Stewardship programme to safeguard the reserve in perpetuity.
At Bartholomeus Klip is part of the Cape Floristic Region, which is one of the world’s six floral kingdoms and the smallest of these by far, but extraordinarily rich in species of flowering plants. The particular flora in our reserve is so special that it has been declared a Provincial Nature Reserve, as well as a Natural Heritage Site, to safeguard it.
The reserve is a critical conservation area for two rare fynbos vegetation types, Swartland Alluvium Fynbos and Swartland Alluvium Renosterveld, and their wealth of associated animal and wildflower species. With its unusual plants, the reserve is the subject of many ongoing studies by local universities and other institutions, and an in-house project has already identified more than 850 species of plants here, including a spectacular diversity of spring flowers and bulbs. Many of these species are threatened and at least five of them have only ever been found in the reserve.
The reserve, which was established in the 1970s, has abundant herds of eland, springbuck, black wildebeest, zebra and bontebok, as well as other animals, such as baboons, bat-eared foxes, lynxes, and smaller species of antelope. Several different leopard individuals have been photographed in the reserve by trail cameras, usually at night time.
Although the fynbos is naturally poor in birdlife, we do have the world’s largest bird, the ostrich, once farmed here in large flocks at the height of the ostrich feather boom in the 1870s and today one of the leopard’s favourite foods. The magnificent black eagle (correctly known as Verreaux’s eagle) nests in the mountains, and the enormous dam near to the farmhouse has a spectacular array of water birds, some resident like the fish eagles and the kingfishers, and others such as the pelicans and the spoonbills less regular visitors. Flamingos have also been seen in some of Bartholomeus Klip, smaller dams and there are a host of interesting large and small birds out in the reserve and on the wheat lands, including large flocks of the blue crane, South Africa’s national bird.
Perhaps the most important inhabitant of the reserve however is a far smaller creature: the endangered geometric tortoise, one of the world’s rarest reptiles, safe here in its last remaining viable habitat near Cape Town.
The Quagga project
This project, started in 1987 by a group of dedicated people in South Africa, has successfully brought back an animal from extinction and reintroduced it into reserves in its former habitat. DNA analysis has shown that the Quagga was not a separate species of zebra but in fact a subspecies of the Plains Zebra (Equus Quagga) The Quagga, formerly inhabited the Karoo and southern Free State of South Africa. Like other grazing mammals, Quaggas had been ruthlessly hunted. They were seen by the settlers as competitors for the grazing of their livestock, mainly sheep and goats.
By selective breeding from a selected founder population of southern Plains Zebras an attempt is being made to retrieve at least the genes responsible for the Quagga characteristic striping pattern.
The Buffalo Project
An interesting and unusual project at Bartholomeus Klip is the breeding of disease-free buffalo, which was embarked on in 1999. As most of the buffalo in Southern Africa are infected with corridor disease and foot and mouth disease, ‘clean’ animals from Bartholomeus Klip are in great demand on game ranches, especially as buffalo are one of the ‘Big Five’ (the others being lion, elephant, rhino and leopard) that tourists always want to see. The breeding programme has been managed along basic farming principles since the original founder herd of 20 buffalo calves were raised on dairy cows. The herd is now breeding at a sustainable rate and numbers are kept at around 60 animals, with offspring being sold to areas that need stocking. This programme provides a wonderful insight into the successful combination of modern farming and conservation, as well as allowing you the chance to get up close to view these magnificent animals. The Geometric Tortoise head start project aims to research, protect and ensure survival of this critically endangered tortoise.

It is a natural region in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Its territory is the traditional region of the Thembu people, one of the sub-groups of the Xhosa nation. It was formerly also known as "Tamboekieland" or "Tambookieland".
Thembuland was historically defined as the area between Umtata and the upper Kei River. As such it formed an area of 50 by 120 miles, although its boundary was considered disputable with Pondoland on the coast, and with Fingoland just to the south. The definition of the area has also changed over time.
Before colonial conquest, it was divided into Tembuland Proper, Emigrant Tembuland and Bomvanaland— the Bomvana were a related people who lived on the east bank of the Bashee River, in what was later the district of Elliotdale. In colonial times it was defined as consisting of the districts of Emjanyana, Engcobo, Mqanduli, Umtata, St Marks, Southeyville and Xalanga.
The hunter-gatherer San and Khoikhoi people inhabited the region in scattered nomadic groups from c. 30,000 BCE. In the 16th century, iron-working Nguni farmers entered the area from the north-east. A sub-group of the Nguni peoples became the Thembu people. Thembu subsequently assimilated to a large degree with the neighbouring Xhosa people.
Thembuland became an independent kingdom, ruled by the Hala royal clan. British interference and incursions began in the 19th century. From 1871 the Thembu became engaged in a protracted war against an alliance of neighbouring Xhosa-speaking peoples, including the Pondo, the Bomvana and the Gcaleka. The Thembu Paramount-Chief, Ngangelizwe, had sought to unite the various Thembu clans but had come under increasing military pressure from Sarhili, Paramount-Chief of the Gcaleka. The conflict had a personal side, as Ngangelizwe's Chief Wife Novili was the daughter of Sarhili, and rumours were that Ngangelizwe had ill-treated her.

Facing severe military pressure from the combined armies of his enemies, Chief Ngangelizwe and his Ministers approached the nominally-independent Cape Colony to negotiate alliance and possible incorporation. The Cape Colony, having recently achieved a degree of independence from Britain under the system of Responsible Government, operated under a relatively inclusive system of multi-racial franchise - whereby qualifications for suffrage applied equally to all male residents, regardless of race. Its laws also forbade any white settlement in traditional "Native territory". The Cape was therefore viewed by Ngangelizwe and his ministers as a satisfactory entity to merge with. Ngangelizwe however, was a highly controversial leader in the Xhosa-speaking community. He was hated by many in the neighbouring Pondo and Gcaleka states, and accused of a range of crimes. The Cape Government demanded his resignation, as a precondition for any annexation. According to Cape Parliamentary records, the Thembu leaders demanded, among other things, 4 magistracies with equal access to the Cape's current system of nonracial franchise, and military protection from both the British and their Gcaleka enemies. The Cape government agreed to these terms and signed them into law with the Tembuland Annexation Act 1876, creating the magisterial districts of Xalanga, St. Marks, Elliot and Engcobo. Additional stipulations of the 1876 act were that the Thembu traditional government system was to get full government recognition; Thembu King, Chiefs and Subchiefs were to earn government salaries; normal taxation would only begin in 1878; the boundaries of Thembuland were final and were not to be altered in any way; and that the sale of alcohol be prohibited to Thembu subjects.
The resignation of the controversial Thembu King Ngangelizwe, in favour of his successor, had initially been demanded by the Cape government as a precondition for annexation, but this condition was waived as being impractical. Otherwise, the terms of the incorporation were implemented as stated. Traditional land ownership was fully recognised and, with the exception of a few missionaries and white traders, Thembuland was preserved for Thembu occupation, as part of the "Transkeian territories". However, the British overthrow of the elected Cape government in 1878 and assumption of direct rule over the Cape Colony caused the Confederation Wars, and the later disruption of the treaty's peaceful implementation.
The annexation was only finally completed in 1885. Thembuland was defined at the time as being the territory between Umtata and the Tsomo River, and home to 60,000 people. Thembuland also submitted troops to the Frontier Armed forces of the Cape Colony, who, in this capacity, fought several victorious campaigns against their Gcaleka and Mpondo enemies. According to the original laws of the Cape Colony, as well as the terms of the Annexation Act, Europeans were prohibited from owning land in the Thembu territories. This was initially intended to prevent the dispossession of the Thembu by aggressive settlers, however in the ensuing political upheavals, the law was badly enforced.
From the 1880s, the pro-imperialist governments of Prime Ministers John Gordon Sprigg and Cecil Rhodes turned a blind eye to white incursions. Already by 1882, white settlers had illegally moved north of the Great Kei River and, in the same year, Chief Ngangelizwe himself sold territory within Umtata district to white land owners.
In 1894, the Glen Gray Act constituted the Thembu chiefs as leaders of "District Councils", thereby establishing a system of proxy rulers. The Government of Cecil Rhodes passed legislation, such as the Parliamentary Registration Act, that severely curtailed the voting rights of the Thembu and all Black African citizens of the Cape. However it was the Union of South Africa, in the Twentieth Century, that was to oversee the greatest growth in oppression against the people of Thembuland. Later, in the lead up to the Union of South Africa and the beginning of Apartheid, the franchise and property rights of the Thembu were gradually revoked, and what rights remained were applied only in their original homeland. Later still, under apartheid, the Transkei was turned into a bantustan. In the ethnic theory underpinning apartheid, the Transkei was regarded as the "homeland" of the Xhosa people. The current Thembu king is King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo, son of Sabata Jonguhlanga Dalindyebo, and his praise name is Zwelibanzi.
The King caused controversy in 2009, by calling for secession from South Africa, as a response to a criminal case against him. In December 2009 King Buyelekhaya was convicted of offences including culpable homicide, kidnapping, arson and assault. In response he proposed secession from South Africa and later demanded that the South African government pay the king R900mil and the tribe a further R80bn in compensation for the humiliation caused by the criminal trial. Dalindyebo was imprisoned in December 2015, has since been customarily dethroned, and is expected to be administratively dethroned in the near future.

Cacadu (Formerly Lady Frere) is a small town in Chris Hani District Municipality in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The town was renamed to Cacadu in 2017 after changes to the country's colonial names. Cacadu, meaning “bulrush water”, is the Xhosa name for the White Kei River, which rises in the district. The Cacadu District is the largest (58 243 km²) of the six districts the Cacadu District is situated in the western portion of the Eastern Cape and wholly surrounds Nelson Mandela Bay. The District stretches from the Karoo Areas in the North, to the coastal belt of the Indian Ocean in the South, and includes inland areas, which lie between the Bloukrans River in the west and Great Fish River in the East. The Cacadu District Municipality focuses on creating projects to grow skills, employment and initiate sustainable economic development as well as elevating the quality of life in the District. A number of priority sectors have been identified by the Cacadu District Municipality as viable areas of growth and economic sustainability. Two of these sectors are: a) AGRICULTURE The agricultural sector plays a crucial role in the Cacadu economy, contributing in excess of R690 million to the District’s total GGP in 2008 and generating more than R306 million in export earnings for the area in 2008. Furthermore, the sector employs 27% of the work force and is the single largest private sector employer in the Cacadu District. Average farm sizes in the District vary roughly between 100ha and 660ha depending on the nature of the product produced on the farm. Currently, the Cacadu District Municipality’s dominant agricultural products are livestock; particularly goats, sheep and cattle; and crops; chiefly fruit and vegetables. The Cacadu District is the largest producer of mohair in South Africa, having produced 2,9 million kg of mohair in 2008. This was 52% of the total national production and was valued at R206 857 000. The coastal belt of the Cacadu District, particularly the Kou-Kamma, Ndlambe and Kouga Local Municipalities, are the centre of the dairy industry in the Eastern Cape, and are responsible for producing more than 20% of South Africa’s milk. The Cacadu District in general is already a major producer of pineapples, citrus, deciduous fruit and chicory. b) AGRO-PROCESSING The agro-processing industry, like the agricultural sector, is a significant contributor to the Cacadu District economy. This sector accounts for roughly 7% of the total employment in the District. The agro processing industry in Cacadu is dominated by the production of leather and leather-related goods. These leather products are mainly used in the export orientated automotive industry in Nelson Mandela Bay but a considerable amount is also exported to markets in Italy and Asia. Collectively, the export of these leather products generated an estimated R39 million in export earnings for the District in 2008. The Cacadu District Municipality also has a well-established furniture and saw milling industry located primarily in the Kou-Kamma and Kouga Local Municipalities. The Cacadu District is ideally located in close proximity to two Industrial Development Zones, offering support for the critical infrastructural needs of the agro-processing sector. Several potential areas of investment have been identified by the Cacadu District. They include: a)AGRICULTURE The Cacadu District Municipality has identified Aquaculture as a priority investment area due to its vast growth potential and the significant global demand. The Eastern Cape is the second greatest producer of aquaculture in the country. The aquaculture industry consists of the farming of aquatic i.e. freshwater and marine organisms under controlled conditions, which include interventions such as regular stocking and feeding during the rearing process to increase production. b)CITRUS Citrus is a major international commercial fruit crop that is widely consumed on a global scale, both as fresh fruit or juice. The citrus industry, within the Cacadu District, is largely focused in the Sundays River Valley area. The small town of Kirkwood is considered to be the citrus capital of the Eastern Cape and is also the centre of one of the largest citrus regions in South Africa, with approximately 12,000ha of citrus orchards. Approximately 8 million cartons of oranges, lemons, grapefruit and soft citrus are exported. c)DAIRY The Eastern Cape produces approximately 30% of the South African milk output, with the Cacadu District supplying 20% of this output. Approximately 600,000 to 800,000 litres of fresh milk are transported daily by tanker from the Tsitsikamma and Alexandria areas, within the Kou-Kamma and Ndlambe Local Municipalities respectively, to processing plants in Gauteng, Durban and Cape Town at a cost of some R90 million per annum. d)HONEYBUSH Honeybush is an indigenous plant found exclusively in South Africa, within the fynbos region. It is used to produce a uniquely flavoured, herbal tea. The most sought after parts of the plant are the flowers and leaves, which are used to produce Honeybush tea. Honeybush is grown wild and cultivated in the Langkloof area. e)LIVESTOCK Livestock farming within the Cacadu District Municipality is largely attributed to the farming of cattle, sheep and goats. South Africa has a total livestock area of approximately 590 000km² spanning the country. Nearly 80% of the agricultural land in South Africa is suitable mainly for extensive livestock farming. The mixed veld types of the Eastern Cape present a competitive advantage for livestock activities; hence the province generates the greatest volume of livestock farming within the country. The concentration of sheep farming is located in the more arid parts of the country, where the Eastern Cape is responsible for the greatest total number of sheep in the country. Sheep flock sizes vary between less than 50 and 1800 head. The Eastern Cape dominates the total number of goats farmed in the country. Flocks of goats intended for meat production are usually smaller than sheep flocks, averaging approximately 300 head per farm. cacadu-agriculture d)OSTRICH Essentially, the ostrich can be raised for meat, leather and feathers; however the main focus within the Cacadu District is that of the export of meat, whereby the leather, eggs and feathers are the by-products of the meat production. There are currently only seven export-ready commercial ostrich farmers, where the main market for ostrich meat is that of the export market. The ostrich industry is a growing economic sector that is gaining popularity within the market as recognition is given to the characteristic low fat and cholesterol content of the meat, which makes it the healthy alternative to other red meat. e)PINEAPPLES The Cacadu District is currently home to an emergent pineapple industry, with it contributing about 124 000 tons (2009) of pineapples to the South African market. The majority of pineapples are grown within the Ndlambe Local Municipality. The Cacadu District derives social and economic benefit from the pineapple industry as it is a labour- intensive sector. There are two varieties of pineapples that are commercially grown in South Africa – the Cayenne and the Queen. The District grows both varieties; however the crop that is the most suited for canning and is also the larger of the two is the Cayenne pineapple. f)ESSENTIAL OILS Since the essential oils market is largely an untapped market for Cacadu, there is huge growth potential for this sector. There are over 300 plants that can produce essential oils, of which the most suitable for this area is still being assessed and studied. The essential oils sector is characterised by the extraction of volatile fragrance components from plants, while the plant oils are extracted through distillation at yields of 0.01-2%. e)LEATHER The Cacadu District Municipality is well suited for the leather industry as the Eastern Cape is home to the largest number of livestock. Typically, the value of cattle hides, sheep and goat skins represents in the region of 5-15% of the market value of an animal. The by-product nature of the leather industry prevents a significant waste problem that would arise if the leather industry did not exist. f)MOHAIR The Eastern Cape Province is the largest producer of mohair in South Africa, contributing approximately three quarters of the nation’s current production. Cacadu is the Province’s and therefore the country’s largest producer of mohair, with approximately 52% of South Africa’s market shares. Angora goats produce a fibre that combines the warmth of wool with the durability to be coloured, similar to synthetic material. Colouring of the fibre results in a high reflectance value and clarity of colour. Kid mohair, due to its exceptional, quality continues to be in high demand worldwide and used in the manufacturing of fashion garments. h)KAOLIN The Cacadu District has significant Kaolin deposits and potential for cluster development around Kaolin in the Makana Local Municipality. Kaolin is a broad name given to a range of clay-compound substances made up of Kaolinite and several other minerals. Depending on its individual chemical characteristics and the extent to which it is processed, Kaolin is used as filler and input in the manufacture and production of several goods. Renewable Energy Renewable energy is sustainable and an environmentally friendly alternative to coal as it produces minimal amounts of pollution and harmful gases. South Africa has prioritized the use of renewable energy to meet the growing demand for energy. Wind farms are already being erected in areas such as Kouga and Kou-Kamma, while other renewable energy developments are being planned in the District. Other Economic Activities The other economic sectors of the District economy play an important role in diversifying the regional economy and contributing to the Gross Geographic Product. These industries include the trade and retail sector, that employs 14% of the District’s labour force; the financial and business services sector; which employs 10% of its workforce; the transportation, communication and storage sector; the construction sector as well as the manufacturing sector, through agro- processing. The Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMME) sector includes both formal and informal businesses and is a vibrant component of the Cacadu District Municipality, economy. Skills and Employment Although the area offers a quiet, tranquil quality of life, it is still bustling with opportunity and growth with a special focus on the constant growth of employability and sustainable ventures to add to the local economy. The area also offers a number of top quality schools and learning institutions as well as various training and skills development initiatives. The District is truly a gem in terms of its potential for growth and the hunger of individuals in the area to succeed. Some of the rare skills such as shearing Angora goats for mohair are available in the District and where a skills shortage is being experienced, initiatives are being undertaken to combat the skills shortage and in turn create jobs for local people. Investors Conference The Cacadu District Municipality has recently commissioned a study in order to develop and package potential investment opportunities within the District. It is anticipated that the project packaging will lay a suitable platform for the District Municipality to leverage potential investment areas through an Investors Conference, which is planned for the latter half of 2013.

The Chris Hani municipal region lies at the heart of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the second largest of the Eastern Cape province, district municipalities and it covers an area of 37 111km². It has a population of about 823 000 giving it a low population density of 22 per square kilometre.
The region is named after assassinated freedom fighter Chris Hani and the district is characterised by a changing landscape that slopes down from the southern Drakensberg Mountains and crosses the eastern grasslands to the Karoo.
The majority of its people speak isiXhosa. Its boundaries stretch between the Ukhahlamba district in the north, OR Tambo district in the east, Amathole in the south, Cacadu in the south-west and a small stretch of the Northern Cape province lies to the north-west. This region is divided into eight local municipalities. The seat of the district is Queenstown. The key towns in this region are Cradock, Middelburg, Queenstown, Elliot and Cofimvaba.
Tourists to this region will be treated to zebras, aloes, game farms, mohair, heritage and real hospitality! Game reserves, rock art, fossils, farm stays, heritage and agriculture are what you can expect when you visit this region. Some of the biggest attractions of the region include the Mountain Zebra National Park near Cradock, one of South Africa’s great conservation success stories.
The town of Cradock has the Olive Schreiner House (former home of the renowned author of Story of an African Farm), the Dutch Reformed Church (built as a replica of St Martin’s-in-the-Fields in London) and the beautifully restored 19th Century artisan cottages, the Tuishuise.
The longest known gallery of San rock paintings in South Africa exists on the Denorbin farm between Barkly East and Elliot and the Ruth Lock Shell Art Gallery in Queenstown displays one woman’s lifework in the form of intricate shell sculptures.
A variety of accommodation is available to suit every taste, including luxury guest houses, Bed and Breakfast establishments, chalets, Game Lodges, caravan and camping facilities as well as self-catering cottages on farms in the area.
Farms around Middelburg and Cradock specialise in mohair, mutton and wool. Queenstown is also a manufacturing centre producing furniture, wood and processed dairy products. The region is rich in Aloe Ferox from which commercial skincare products are made and food processing occurs around Cradock and Middelburg.

Lying between George and Knysna on the Garden Route and 490 km from Cape Town, Sedgefield is a beautiful seaside village surrounded entirely by lakes, sand dunes covered in fynbos, pine plantations, the Swartvlei Estuary and the Indian Ocean. Described by some as a sleepy little village, Sedgefield borders the Goukamma Nature Reserve and the Wilderness National Park, leaving the visitor spoilt for choice when it comes to bird watching and walks through indigenous fauna and flora.
Groenvlei Lake, the only freshwater lake in the district, lies to the east of Sedgefield and is popular for its Bass fishing. The lake forms part of the Goukamma Nature Reserve, which stretches from the river of the same name all the way to Buffalo Bay, and has some of the highest vegetated sand dunes in the country.
The area around Sedgefield is a network of fynbos, lakeside and forest hiking trails, bearing names like the ‘Pied Kingfisher trail’ and the ‘Brown Hooded Kingfisher trail’, meandering through rivers and forests. Maps for the walks are available from the Rondevlei Wilderness National Park office. It is safe to say that Sedgefield is a paradise for those who love the great outdoors and because of all the water is a veritable feast of water sports. To the west of Sedgefield is the Swartvlei, one of the largest lakes in the area, forming a safe estuary for swimming and some excellent fishing. (seen in photo above)
The ‘Paragliding Fly In’ competition, which has gained popularity over the past few years, has earned Sedgefield a reputation amongst paragliders. The competition has been included in the Sedgefield Lakes Festival, initially falling over the Easter weekend but now taking place in September to coincide with the Eastern Cape Yachting Provincials.
The Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe Steam Train, used to stop here on her trip between George and Knysna, and was worth the ride for the sheer breathtaking scenery. Yet the predominant appeal of Sedgefield is her uncomplicated charm and quiet simplicity. Her beauty lies in her lack of sophistication and relaxed way of life and many seeking an alternative lifestyle have settled here.

Kranshoek is a settlement in Eden District Municipality. Kranshoek was founded in the early years of the 20th century by a group of Griqua trekkers under the leadership of Abraham le Fleur who had been displaced from their land in Kokstad. Le Fleur also founded the Griqua National Conference in 1904 and the Griqua Independent Church. A local monument, erected in 1942, celebrates the early Griqua pioneers. The Kranshoek area is now a diverse area with different cultures.
The Kranshoek e-Centre is managed by John Koopman and officially started operations on 7 April 2015. The e-centre is there to assist the members of the community in enhancing themselves with the necessary skills in using the computer, gain access to the internet, e-mail and do research for business and work opportunity.

Sutherland can be found in a relatively remote part of the country. Situated in the Northern Cape, this Karoo town is not on any major highway. It is however a little more than 100km from the N1 and merely a: “sho’t left”, at Matjiesfontein. Then simply follow the winding road into the desolate and dramatic landscapes of the Karoo, leading you up, up and up to the little town at the top. About a four-hour drive from Cape Town, Sutherland is an excellent weekend getaway for romantics, families and off-the-beaten-track travellers. Once in town, it won’t take long to orientate yourself (in fact, there is only one long tarred main road, and a few dusty side branches that seem to melt into the horizon; it would be difficult to get lost). But, as small as the town is, there are about 40 guest houses ready to welcome you, along with five restaurants and three groceries stores in the main road. Of course, you are not here only to eat and sleep ­– you also want to discover Sutherland.

Your first stop will most likely be: 'SALT'. The Southern African Large Telescope is the largest single-optical telescope in the southern hemisphere. The actual telescope is made up of a primary hexagonal mirror 11m wide, consisting of 91 individual hexagonal mirrors, each 1m. A day tour will share all the technical information on how the telescope works as you walk through the facility.  At nightfall, enjoy some local cuisine (make sure you try some famous Karoo lamb) and then head for the stars – stargazing is a must while you are here. There is more than one option: you can go on night tours at SALT (using visitor telescopes) to view the night sky, or stay in town. (FURTHER READING FOR LINK)

Remember to dress warmly in winter as temperatures drop below zero degrees Celsius, during winter. Guests do hope for snow – Sutherland covered in a white snow blanket is a one-of-a-kind experience. And while it does snow in winter, it doesn’t do so every day – in fact, it can be quite erratic. Summers get quite warm, but are always relatively moderate. Spring brings blossoms and flowers along the roads. All seasons are amazing for stargazing, though!

Sutherland is not a young Town. In fact, its origins date back to the 1800's and the deep tracks of its History are clearly visible when exploring the Town. You can learn more about this History during your stay. A Church tour is an absolute must. You can also pass through the Louw House Museum, the house where NP van Wyk Louw was raised long before he became one of the giants of Afrikaans literature. The silence of the Karoo is probably one of the things you will remember most, as it is very quiet here. The open spaces and silence form part of the farmers’ existence. We recommend taking some time to experience this life. Visit farms, and learn about the seasonal migration of sheep, sheep shearing and farming in the Karoo. (FURTHER READING FOR LINK)