By Roxanne Reid
Anyone who thinks South Africa’s Karoo is full of a whole lot of nothing just isn’t paying attention. Same goes for anyone who speeds past Willowmore in the Karoo without stopping to scratch beneath the surface. Here’s my pick of some of the things to do in and around this little dorpie.
Many Gauteng holiday-makers probably only know Willowmore as a signpost on the N9 that they whizz past on their way to Knysna on the Garden Route, but it’s really worth stopping to explore. It also makes a good kick-off point in the west for exploring the Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area with its jagged mountains and rocky cliffs, its lush valleys and lichen-festooned trees.
Here’s my pick of some of the best things to do in Willowmore.
1. Pop into the tourism office
Start your visit by ducking into the Baviaans Tourism Office in the municipal building on Knysna Street to ask about things to do in the area. They’ll give you a map of the major attractions, including various historical buildings and accommodation options, and tell you about things to do in the area. You can also contact them on tel (049) 807-5709 or https://www.baviaans.co.za. For other useful online info, see Willowmore Tourism’s website, where you can also download street maps of the town and the Baviaanskloof.
2. Admire the old buildings
At numbers 3 and 5 Wehmeyer Street are two lovely old Victorian houses, while at number 70 you’ll find an elegant double-storey Victorian, the first level dating back to 1864 and the top level added in 1897. Once the parsonage of the Dutch Reformed church, and later a girls’ hostel and then a boarding house, it’s now the delightful Willow Historical Guesthouse (see points 14/15).
In Blignaut Street you can find the Old Jail with its plaster quoins at the corners, door and windows. Originally a jail complete with dungeon, it was lovingly converted into a guesthouse and art gallery with gorgeous gardens, but those are now rather forlorn. It’s apparently still used for retreats.
The shul has its own ‘ghost’ story from the 1970s when heavy breathing sounds were heard issuing from the building. On investigation, though, it proved to be nothing more ghostly than an owl breeding in the roof.
A building in Knysna Street used to be the rabbi’s house with a line of Stars of David worked into the stoep’s wooden railing. It’s now a funeral business and on our last visit in May 2023, I was horrified to see that the historic railing had been replaced with a galumphing modern one.
There are lots of other gems in the Karoo style with corrugated iron stoep roofs that may be bell-curved or bull-nosed – a great protection against the ruthless Karoo sun. Spend some time wandering the streets to find them. You can drive or walk but best would be to bring your mountain bike and cycle up and down. Many of these lovely old buildings beg to be photographed.
3. Wander around the Willowmore Cemetery
4. Visit the Jewish Cemetery
5. Go hiking
The Pierre Ferreira trail on the outskirts of Willowmore takes you through veld rich in succulents. You’ll pass two old Anglo-Boer War forts that were used to guard the railway line to Willowmore. It’s a 2-3 hour circular trail that gives good views of the village, and is especially pretty in the early morning or late afternoon. In summer when it’s very hot, make sure you wear a hat and sunscreen, and take plenty of water. New signposts need to be erected, but pop in to the tourism office on Knysna Street and they can give you easy directions.
Or go hiking on Aasvoëlberg (vulture mountain) at Finchley Farm 2.5km south-west of Willowmore. It also looks out over the dorp and is one of the few places in the Karoo where coastal fynbos grows. You’ll need to pay a day visitor’s fee.
Many of the accommodation providers in the western section of the Baviaanskloof also offer hiking trails for day visitors (for a fee). Some of those between 40km and 70km from the N9 along the R332 include
6. Walk over the red bridge
7. Gaze at the stars
The clean, dry Karoo air is perfect for indulging in some star gazing, especially if you stay somewhere away from the town lights – or indeed during hours of loadshedding! Try to move away from buildings so your view isn’t interrupted and you’ll see the planets, stars, Milky Way and other constellations more clearly and brightly than you will in any Big City.
8. Meet your own Karoo Angel
9. Go mountain biking
Bring your mountain bike and take to the gravel roads around Willowmore to feel the wind blow away the Big City cobwebs. Some guest farms in the area also have mountain biking tracks open to day visitors for a small fee. These include:
10. See town by donkey cart
11. Drive a 4×4 trail
Put your 4×4 through its paces on a 4×4 track and at the same time enjoy the scenery of cliffs and valleys…
