When the lights dim
In Church Street, just beyond the shadow of the imposing Dutch Reformed church, a lovely Art Deco building that used to be a car showroom was turned into a world-class theatre and cinema with 140 seats and ultramodern equipment and lots of pizzazz! Called The Showroom, it has hosted plays, concerts, films, and many festivities since November 2013. Alas, in February this year the owners posted on The Showroom's Facebook page that they're having to temporarily close its doors until such time as the health risks related to the Covid-19 pandemic are reduced. One can only hope it will open again soon.
On a road to somewhere
Many routes lead to Prince Albert, but the most scenic one is undoubtedly Swartberg Pass, coming from Oudtshoorn. It will always be a special experience to drive this road. You cannot help but marvel at the craftsmanship, although sections of the old stone wall have been vandalised. Luckily, the views remain magnificent.
The call of Prince Albert stands the test of time. This is a harsh T part of the world, with sweltering summers and winters that chill you to the bone. The mosquitos around here are said to take on the proportions of a helicopter, and every now and then you hear some goon roaring down the main street. But otherwise a peaceful silence reigns.
This is the Great Karoo. North of the town the plains stretch far and wide, with nothing but bossies, but to the south, the Swartberg with its kloofs and cliffs and passes and deep secrets stand guard.
In the Summer 2021/22 issue, we wrote about the veld food course that Loubie Rusch presented at African Relish, a cooking school in Prince Albert. What a wonderfully holistic experience. On this course, you don't labour in the kitchen all day long; you go on several excursions in and around the town.
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Esta historia es de la edición Winter 2022 de go! Platteland.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
There are few secrets in Verlorenvallei
All platteland towns have that one famous (or infamous) character who knows everyone's business. Meet Livia Hoogenboezem, the keeper of every piece of gossip in Verlorenvallei...
Make magic with winter's abundance
This winter menu is our invitation to look beyond the bewildered herb garden, move out of your comfort zone and bake a loaf of bread, appreciate the beauty of a head of cabbage, and invite the rain gods to the table to feast with you on venison pie, pudding and cake.
It takes a family
Christian Fry and his fiancé, Pippa de Lange, arrived at Dombeya with just a day to spare before the Covid-19 hard lockdown commenced in 2020. Their purpose was to save the Fry family farm from being sold. They've settled into life in their Elands River Valley haven now but continue to dream big and work hard.
For the love of birds...
They may be called birdwatchers but they are in fact using their ears. As Johan van Zyl discovered on his maiden outing as an \"avian tourist\" with BirdLife South Africa to find the 450 bird species that live in the Garden Route and Little Karoo.
To the babbling brooks of Sabie
Roughly every five years, Jaco and Jens Reverchon get itchy feet. They hopped around Cape Town, moved up north to the Greater Kruger and then, recently, put down roots next to the Sabie River where they live a peaceful life with their animals.
Creativity & community in Dinokeng
The driving force behind the successful Makers Village in Irene has now implemented the same concept in Cullinan, creating an incubator and exhibition space for entrepreneurs and artists. Platteland dropped in at this budding creative hub to find out what it's all about and came away impressed.
Willie Strauss Never an idle moment
A variety concert... that is how to approach your life and career when you want to survive as an artist living in the platteland. So says singer, lyricist and radio food expert Willie Strauss, who entices visitors to Die Sinkstoor in Cullinan with traditional offal and his mother's Bushmanland boerekos.
To die for
How do you avoid the tourist avalanche if you live in an Afromontane forest where holidaymakers descend in December? You drive to lonely outposts in the mountains of the Cape, says photographer Obie Oberholzer, and you make pictures rather than take them.
1 Fiat 500 2ha 4 boys...19000 miles!
When the go-cart that an engineer father had built for his four sons couldn't handle the tufty terrain on their 2-hectare plot in Montana, Pretoria, they hunted down a Fiat 500 in a salvage yard. They only wanted its suspension system, but Mom intervened, the car was saved, and those little daredevils clocked up an impressive 19000 miles - all without leaving the plot.
SUTHERLAND Cold town, warm hearts
Life in Sutherland in the Northern Cape isn't always easy, but even those who leave tend to return. Come with us to find out why.
