Cabin Fever

Among the apple orchards of the Elgin Valley, this contemporary take on a traditional barn structure makes for a simple, inspiring weekend getaway for a Cape Town family

- Graham Wood

The Elgin Valley is the apple-growing centre of South Africa. Filled with orchards as well as cool-climate vineyards, the valley is surrounded by mountains and nature reserves, including the protected Kogelberg Biosphere. It’s also less than an hour’s drive from Cape Town, which makes it the ideal weekend escape from the city. That’s why hotelier and entrepreneur Jody Aufrichtig chose it for his delightfully eccentric farm lodge, the Old Mac Daddy, where the rooms are luxuriously and creatively converted vintage Airstream trailers.

In fact, it seemed so perfect that there came a point at which Jody and his family – his wife Deirdre and their four children, Mina Mai, Jai, Sophie and Luca – thought they should build a holiday retreat there, but a private spot that they could make their own.

Architect Greg Scott and his team had worked with Jody on various projects over the years (Scott had designed the main barn-like venue at the resort that includes a restaurant, pool and space for events), so the Aufrichtigs began discussing their idea for a weekend bolthole with him.

They’d earmarked a beautiful spot near the farm dam on the property, backing onto an orchard, with views over the water and the valley beyond. ‘I wanted to be near water, because the birdlife is incredible,’ says Jody. ‘Early in the morning, I watch the ducks landing on the dam. It’s just lovely.’ He and the kids enjoy swimming and canoeing across the dam, too, so the idea of having a house ‘right on top of the water’ appealed enormously to the family. The site they chose faces west, so in the evenings there are beautiful sunsets over the water as the sun dips behind the distant mountains.