This was the beginning of our final week of the 21-day road trip that my wife and I had undertaken.
We had not been to this part of the Western Cape before, and we therefore had not idea what to expect.
To say we were overwhelmed is an understatement.
If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck… It’s a duck. When you can only leave the nest if your eyes match your webbed feet.
But not in this case, as this is a Cape Shoveler. A species of the dabbling ducks(so technically a duck)
It was standing on the bank of the vlei as we slid past it on our afternoon cruise.
The cruise was just one of several activities available to guests.
Just one of several species that we saw during the afternoon, which included an owl and a huge hive of bees. The former we spent time with trying to get a good picture, the latter we went past without stopping.
Our accommodation during our stay was a converted horse/sheep stable. The pristine white walls and the high ceilings gave a feeling of space that we were not expecting.
I imagine that the “shelf” could have been used to place feed for the horses, as it would have been too high for the sheep, when they were in residence…
But I could be wrong, so don’t quote me.
Also, this is where we stayed. There are several different types of accommodation available to suit guests’ requirements.
Too late to close the stable door as the horse had long gone.
Watching the sunsets from this vantage point was a wonderful way to end off each day during our stay.
As we were only here for two nights, we did not even get to unpack our suitcases, as we had packed them in a manner that made it easier to take out what we needed directly from the cases.
However, the fridge was utilised to keep our snacks, etc, fresh.
This desk was unexpected; however, it gave me somewhere to set up my laptop so that I could work.
Not a requirement for many guests, but as a working travel writer, a desk, or lack thereof, could almost be a deal breaker.
There is nothing worse, for me, than sitting hunched over my keyboard for any length of time.
As I said, not a prerequisite for the majority of guests.
This window and chair combination caught my attention in the bathroom.
Sometimes, something as simple as this combination attracts my attention and makes the decor special.
The attention to detail is consistent throughout both the public areas and the accommodation.
Looking from the bedroom/lounge into a bathroom that was almost as big as my entire first apartment when I moved to Johannesburg in 1975.
Having both a shower AND a full-size bath was as unexpected as the desk. Nowadays, it seems that more often than not, there is only a shower, or if there is a bath, it is small and cramped.
That was NOT the case here.
The bath was huge and comfortable, something you don’t find in many hospitality bathrooms nowadays. And the fact that it was standing on ball and claw feet made it extra special.
The bathroom had more than enough space for both my wife and me to conduct our ablutions without getting in each other’s way.
The toilet is just out of frame, in the lower right-hand corner.
Why are the walls so thick and the windows so small?
Believe it or not, back when this building was a stable, these walls are typical of old Cape buildings like the ones at De Hoop.
The thickness of the walls served a few practical (and clever) purposes:
Before the advent of air conditioning, builders relied on thick lime-plastered walls to keep interiors cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The density of the walls acted as natural insulation, helping to regulate the indoor climate — essential in the Overberg’s sometimes harsh weather.
These old stables were built to last, often using local limestone or clay bricks. The thickness added stability, especially when roofs were heavy or when animals were kept inside.
Thick walls could support small slit-like windows such as the one in the photo — wide on the inside and narrow outside — which provided ventilation and light without compromising strength (or, in some cases, security).
And now you know!
More space than the two of us needed. A huge bed with the most wonderful linen.
Another view. Why? Because I was astonished by the use of the space every time I walked in.
Seating space, a ledge to put ‘things’, the huge bed with the bathroom beyond.
The sky in this part of South Africa produces magic like this.
Be it the stars at night or clouds during the day, there is always something to look up and enjoy.
Ah, the moon — that celestial flirt who’s been winking at lovers since time immemorial. It’s the original mood lighting, casting just enough glow to make everyone look mysterious and slightly better-looking than they really are. Poets write odes to it, musicians serenade under it, and couples gaze at it as if it’s been personally assigned to their romance. Of course, the moon’s been playing this game for millennia — always present, yet just out of reach, forever waxing and waning like the fortunes of love itself.
Perhaps that’s the allure: the moon doesn’t commit. One night it’s full and radiant, showering the world in silver; a week later, it’s gone, ghosting us all without so much as a text. Yet we forgive it every time, because when it returns, it brings that same quiet magic — a reminder that even the most changeable relationships can still light up the night sky.
Yet, despite its flirtatious nature, we continue to be in awe of it.
Soon, astronauts will once again set foot on its surface.
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