go: Platteland

Vloog Theron. Anyone who read a newspaper in the seventies and eighties will remember the name. Especially those who were looking to make a quick buck… Think of Vloog what you will and call him all the names you want – there’s no getting away from th

I never thought the adjustment would be so effortless. Suddenly retirement took on a special quality, and a kind of peacefulness characterised the philosophy of my expectations. Nothing, not even Covid-19, can change it. Retirement was never part of

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When you’re heading to the Lowveld from Gauteng, past Machadodorp you’re faced with a choice of two routes: either turn right onto the N4 to Emgwenya (better known as Waterval Boven), entering the Elands Valley through the tunnel built by the Nederla

Joubert & Seuns Padstal “My father-in-law bought land here in 1966,” Mariette Joubert says. Her daughter, Brumilde, comes to sit beside her at this farm stall on the N4. “It was pristine here and the road was still narrow.” Joubert & Seuns is a well-

They say that during volatile times like these, we yearn to anchor ourselves. To find sturdy roots. Our own roots. This is why, at some point, nearly every one of us will try to retrace our steps. Most often such a “journey” would lead to the place o

Vanrhynsdorp lies in a hollow close to Gifberg, just beneath the illuminated cross on the N7 that overlooks the Knersvlakte. During the week, thousands of cars and trucks roar past the quiet town. Some of them turn off here to fuel up, others continu

Somewhere in our memory bank, most of us have a picture of a place where the rhythm of life beats more slowly, a place where we rise with the sun and go to bed early for the soundest sleep ever. The farm visits of my childhood are crystal-clear in my

Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to have at least R100 million in the bank and a house right on the Atlantic Ocean? It would seem like asking too much, but what if this flight of fancy could include a farm with 400 ha of unspoilt nature

Baking sourdough bread might seem intimidating but it doesn’t have to be. With a few essential basics you’ll be baking healthy, crusty loaves of bread in no time. Only four ingredients are involved here – flour, water, yeast and salt – but through in

In a stone building resembling a traditional Provençal barn, some flour, water, yeast and salt are ready to be mixed into dough. “We will be baking two country loaves and paninis today,” Jeff Lawrence starts his introduction. “I’m not teaching you a

Over the past few decades, feeding of dogs and cats has evolved largely to the benefit of the owner rather than the pet. Convenience has been the driving force – availability of cheap pet foods at supermarkets, ease and speed of feeding, as little pr

It is mid-morning in late spring and you can smell fynbos and pine resin on the cool breeze. White clouds billow above the Western Cape’s Overberg region, yet the sunlight manages to pierce through and illuminate patches of the landscape. The only so

Shaded areas can be as beautiful and rewarding as any part of your garden, but they do come with unique complications, both permanent and seasonal, particularly if the rest of your garden basks in sunshine all year round. In his new book Gardening in

“Without heat – from a grill, an oven, a cast-iron pan blackened with age – there is little point to the pepper,” writes British cook and author Nigel Slater in the first volume of his vegetable tome Tender. “Raw, green and unripe, its waxy, plastic

Our adventure starts in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands town of Himeville, where we meet at Stone House Café. For the rest of the day we take in the awe-inspiring drive up Sani Pass. After clearing customs on the South African side, we have a picnic lunch

The double layer of baking paper allows the fish to steam, so make sure you secure the parcels tightly. And take care when you open them that the steam doesn’t burn you! Serves 4 Preparation time 20 minutes Cooking time 10–15 minutes • 200 g tagliate

Khoubz (Lebanese pita) Toum (Garlic sauce) Chicken and artichoke pie Coffee, cardamom and turmeric shoulder of lamb Batata harra (Spicy potatoes) Carrots with spicy harissa yoghurt Aubergine salad with shaved fennel Mom’ simple tomato and mint salad

We are all searching for a Monomotapa – a city of gold – or a Canaan, even if the so-called “promise” is only one of peace and tranquillity, and the “gold” a vague yearning to live more slowly and quietly. When you move to the platteland, especially

Is your mind at times so occupied and haunted by politics, WhatsApp group chats and YouTube videos that there is no space left to think of anything else? On such a day I hit the road from Calvinia to a farm in the mountains. At Nooiensrivier I turned