Daberas Farm, Augrabies, Northern Cape

Soulsoaring

This is true luxury – a spacious desert wilderness alive with texture and colour and movement of creatures, without another human being in sound or sight. Photographer’s paradise, this is a place of Kokerboom trees, boulders of Rose Quartz strewn casually about, thick golden grasses and rust-coloured rock. 

Daberas Farm is a 10 000 hectare protected conservation area which borders on the Augrabies National Park. You may choose to stay in the campground, surrounded by Dassie-filled cliffs and remote from any other habitation. Accessible only with 4 X 4, the campsite is nevertheless well equipped with two full bathrooms, fire pits and a slatted roof dining area. There is no electricity at the campsite, which is part of the charm, though one may hire a portable trailer with gas and utensils, stretchers for sleeping outdoors, along with elegant wooden tables and chairs for alfresco dining.

The softer alternative is a traditional cottage with wrap-around verandah, set up against one of the most beautiful Kokerboom trees I have ever seen. A farm-style kitchen and lounge feels part of the setting, and the cottage has 3 bedrooms, a shower and toilet off the verandah. A large fire pit will still draw you outdoors into the spacious openness.

And this place is all about that great outdoors. Despite how much there is to do and see in this vast wilderness, we spend an inordinate amount of time sitting around this open fire, watching the colours of the dawn change in layers from black to purple to orange to pink to blue in the sky and again later gazing as the process reverses as the sun slowly sets.

Accommodation Experience:

While mindful of the local leopard which moves through the campground on its way to the watering hole, we decide to sleep out in the open so that we may look up into the stars. It is winter and we light a fire and sleep close to it, with the shared instruction that if anyone wakes up in the night, that person should reach over and toss a fresh log on the fire.

The night is crisp clear. I open my eyes soon after midnight to see the Southern Cross right above me and as I roll over I see Hair of Berenice with my naked eyes (a constellation named after another goddess, while my own hat-head hair is well concealed under a beanie). I feel happy – as happy as happy can be – happy as only a child can usually feel. And this moment of happiness seems to stretch to forever, such that I can even draw on it now as I sit here and write.

Mark Nepo proposes “The soul’s only interest is for us to be as alive as possible. The aliveness of our soul is our career.”

It is all I can do to plot my return to this spacious rocky desert of Kokerboom trees, boulders of Rose Quartz strewn casually about, thick golden grasses, rust-coloured rock and starry nights so clear your soul soars with the not-quite-forgotten happiness of a child.

The Old Forge, Wilderness

Naturally restored

What a delight it was to discover the Old Forge, Wilderness. A stylish little cottage on a farm near Wilderness in the Western Cape, the Forge is everything lovely about a restored old outbuilding. The original building has been expertly restored to celebrate its beautiful stonework, while being extended to offer every modern convenience without detracting from its character. In keeping with the natural forest and grassland setting, the architecture is open and earthy, linking the exterior with the interior with a spacious deck style open plan lounge and kitchen area. The bathroom is also open, with privacy and views. Well-made, clear awnings provide protection against the elements.

The bedroom is in the original forge and the textured walls give a sense of cosiness and safety. The polished floors, fresh white linen, wooden furniture and elegant decor bring the look together with finesse. The host’s caring approach to nature, beautiful things, simplicity, comfort and hospitality is felt in every aspect of the delightful space.

Things I love about The Old Forge:

• Sensitive restoration of the original stone building
• Clever design which manages to feel both cosy and connected with the outdoors
• The extensive use of natural wood to complement the original stonework of the forge
• The way the natural materials are complemented with clean white cotton linen and thoughtful decor
• The friendly host who genuinely cares about creating a welcoming space while respecting one’s privacy
• The setting of the cottage on a farm in an area of outstanding natural beauty

Accommodation Experience

I was privileged to stay at the Old Forge while doing some debriefing and training work with a non-profit organisation in George for a week. At the end of each work day, the drive out of George to the Wilderness area was spectacular, and reminded me of expensive Riviera coastlines in Europe. I realised again how world-class our coastline and natural areas are in South Africa. Reaching Oakhurst Farm, I drove through a long avenue of tall Blue Gum trees, which created the perfect transitional space from my emotionally and cognitively demanding work, to a place of rest, comfort and beauty in nature. Spending time in the open lounge, watching the sun set across the adjacent field, was gently restorative, and sinking into the soft bed at night was deeply restful. The natural, grounding, inexpensive, yet nurturing stay enhanced my work experience and passed on to me a calm energy with which I was able to engage joyfully with the people of the region and gratefully receiving wisdom from their experiences and reflections.