Bokkeveld and Beyond - 325km

Tucked away in a secluded valley, with neat rows of thatched whitewashed cottages, Wupperthal has retained the charm of a bygone era. The thatched church, with its beautiful Cape Dutch façade, is still the focal point of village life, as it was when it was completed in 1835.

Also of interest is Leipoldt House, the first mission house at Wupperthal, and the cemetery where Leipoldt and other missionaries were buried. In 1836, the missionaries introduced the craft of shoe-making to the locals, and the village is still famous today for its ‘Wupperthaller’ leather shoes.

ENGLISHMAN’S GRAVE

A roadside memorial marks the site where Lieutenant Graham Clowes of the 6th Mounted Infantry was killed during the South African War. On 30 January 1901, Clowes was riding well ahead of his scouting party when he came under fire from a Boer commando. He was shot and killed when he courageously charged the Boers with his sword drawn, and was buried near the spot where he fell.

SEVILLA TRAIL

The Pakhuis Pass area is famous for its large concentration of rock art. The Sevilla Trail, on the farm Traveller’s Rest, covers 4 km and offers visitors an opportunity to view nine rock art sites. Among the paintings to be seen are elephants, handprints (including those of a child), human figures with elongated necks and zebra, or quagga.

PAKHUIS PASS

...was built in the 1870s by Thomas Bain to link Clanwilliam to Calvinia in the interior. The scenery along the pass is dominated by spectacular sandstone formations, rugged mountain peaks and magnificent fynbos vegetation. Visitors may choose to stop and visit the overhang where the ashes of the celebrated Afrikaans poet, author and physician, Louis Leipoldt, were interred.

In addition to his many outstanding qualities, Leipoldt was also a keen naturalist, and a member of the protea family which grows naturally here, Serruria leipoldtii, was named in his honour. A few faded rock paintings in the cave are a reminder of the early inhabitants of the area.

CLANWILLIAM

...is synonymous with rooibos tea, the Cedarberg Wilderness Area and velskoene (handmade leather shoes). The town is the centre of a region where farmers cultivate the indigenous rooibos (Aspalathus linearis), the leaves of which are used to make a healthy, caffeine-free tea. Set against the backdrop of the rugged crags and buttresses of the Cedarberg’s Krakadouw peaks, Clanwilliam lies between the Olifants and Jan Dissels rivers.

Initially named Jan Dissels Valley, it was renamed in 1814 after the Earl of Clanwilliam, the father-in-law of Governor Sir John Cradock. The town’s annual wild flower show is held towards the end of winter in the old Dutch Reformed Church (1864). About 360 species of flora are displayed and there are also concerts and a street carnival.

Other historical attractions include the St John’s Anglican Church, a beautiful dressed-stone building dating back to 1866, and the old gaol, with its simple Georgian façade. Built in 1808 as detention barracks for the British garrison stationed here, the building was later converted into a civilian gaol and now serves as the town’s museum and information centre.

At Clanwilliam Dam, the water backs up as much as 22 km behind the dam wall. The dam is popular with watersport enthusiasts and is rated as one of the best spots for water-skiing in the Western Cape.