October 11th . One of the things I like about my adventures is that they really are adventures. I had debated about spending another day in Kimberley but could not extend my stay in the Settlers Inn. Perusing the map I noticed that a night Britstown would afford a full day in Kimberly and I could also satisfy my curiosity as to the name whilst travelling south on the N12 to Cape Town. Was it full of 'Brits' I asked myself. Little did I know of the adventure awaiting me. Entering Britstown I stopped to ask where the Smartt Guest House was located, despite having the address I could not find it. A local pointed to a sign to my now right and somewhat sheepishly I observed the sign. It turns out that sheep are a prominent part of the area.
With some trepidation I approached a locked gate to the side of the filling station. What had I let myself in for? The Smartt Pub & Grill & Guest House could not be more deceptive, greeted by Kotie and Francois 'Cois' Snyman I could not have been made to feel more welcome. The room was basic but comfortable and at 200 Rand extremely cheap. I wandered through the homely lounge to the bar which is the life and soul of the town. I chose the recommended lamb chops for dinner and they were superbly cooked by Kotie whilst chatted to 'Cois'. The enterprise is an item on his 'bucket list' perused whilst working the family sheep farm up the road. This led to an invitation to see the farm and to visit the largest private dam in South Africa. Who could resist!
The farm normally holds a flock of sheep however, along with many farms in the area, the drought is having disastrous effects on the area. It is too expensive to buy in feed and the lack of water prevents the growing of fodder crops to sustain the animals. I was driven there in the farm truck which afforded a fantastic view across the arid plains of the Karoo which stretch down from the Kalahari Desert in the north. I had met a kindred spirit as Cois pointed out the beauty of this land. As you know I have always tried to capture the local flora wherever it may be found. A mine of information he pointed out the thorn bushes which the sheep graze on. These have three points to the leaf on which the sheep feed, due to the toughness the animals survive for four years before their teeth are so warn that they have to be sold for consumption.
His farm, handed down through the family, relies on the Smartt dam and the myriad irrigation ditches supplying water to the area. Normally keeping the fences in good repair is a major task on a livestock farm here there is a constant struggle to ensure that no water is lost from the irrigation ditches too. In Kimberley Rhodes may have cherished his diamonds, here in the Karoo water is much more precious. The dam, when full, can keep the whole area supplied for five years but, presently, there is only one percent of the total capacity remaining. Rains are coming Cois assured me. As well as the guest house complex and the farming Cois is also fixing up his father's farm house possibly to become a rented holiday home in the future. Everyone in this area lends their hand to many enterprises, in the spirit of the homesteader or ' '. Earlier we had stopped to pick up a friend whose truck had broken down on the side of the road delivering him to a farm he was going to labour on that day. He had his own business to run too.
Our final destination was the dam itself. The dam holds back water covering some 7,801 acres, with a capacity of 100,300,000 cubic metres when full. A contrast to the 'Hartbeespoort' playground near Pretoria! “Good”, observed Cois, “the flamingos are still there. That means that the remaining water is still good.” There on an island to the extreme edge of my lens were hundreds if not thousands of them. Given more time I'm sure we could have got closer but time marches on and Cois had work to do. I was very grateful for this opportunity and his insights, I hope that we meet again some day.
Returning to town I set off around the block to get a feel of the place before continuing south on the N12 towards Cape Town. Due to my late departure I fetched up at the 'Springbok Lodge' on the edge of Beaufort West for the night. Another unscheduled stop but another fascinating place to stay. I entered the house to book for the night but was led out into a fascinating courtyard of cabins. Had this been a farm and these were the quarters for the hands or had it been a prosperous owner who accommodated many servants, who knows? Beaufort West is the largest town in the region and known as the “Capital of the Karoo”. The Karoo National Park is here too.
And why is Britstown named as such? It was named after Hans Brits, an explorer friend of David Livingstone. He settled here after a venture into the interior with Livingstone. This probably explains why there are many farms hosting Khoisan Rock Art and heritage sites surrounding the town. It was established in 1877 and the dam constructed in 1885. The Smartt Syndicate was liquidated in 1954, becoming the Smartt Irrigation Board. The town is also exactly half way between Johannesburg and Cape Town should anyone be interested, about 700km each way.
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