Closest Town: Hanover
Grading: Easy to intermediate
Duration: 3–4 hours
Location (Area/Province): Central & Klein Karoo
Configuration: Circular – 30km or 58km
Start Point: New Holme Karoo Guestfarm
Access: Free for farm guests
Beware of: Sunburn; dead legs
Facilities: Full board guesthouses
Cell Reception: Good
Spend hours cranking along single- and jeep track ‘veldpaadjies’ on the Karoo Gariep conservancy, with an experience for every level of mountain biker, with sand, rocks, plains, kopjes and creatures great and small as part of the package.
On your bike
Saddle up from New Holme Guest Farm on a 30km circular crank past Mieliefontein, or explore the conservancy plains along another 22km circular ride (an extra 6km sandy and rocky loop will test your legs and balance) en route to the Seekoei River to try and spot the Karoo’s last hippos. There are also never-ending rides along a network of good farm and district roads.
Off the bike
Great horseback riding, birding and amazing stargazing, plus listening to the hippos, of course.
Day trips include:
•the Van der Kloof Dam
•the state of Orania
•Graaff-Reinette
•visiting spectacular Karoo Gardens – Pride of many a Farmer’s wife
•bird watching in one of the best bird watching areas in SA
•Mountain Biking on Farm roads – enjoying the fresh Karoo air
•“discovering” the Karoo on horseback
Own landing strip, for light aircraft, situated right on the farm.
GPS: 30°53’54.0” South / 24°37’39.3” East
