Western Cape Article - South African Vacations

The Karoo has had a lion’s share of pioneers in diverse fields. Born in the Karoo wereDr Emil, hailed as the father of modern orthopaedics, Albert Fick who did pioneer workon contact lenses and the heart-transplant pioneer Professor Chris Barnard.Indeed, when you come to the Karoo and allow the stillness and expanse to weave its magic,it is easy to believe that these great thinkers drew their inspiration directly from the vastsource of wisdom that is Mother Earth.BEAUFORT WESTBeaufort West, often called the “Capital of the Karoo”, was established in 1820. It wasoriginally named Beaufort, after the Duke of Beaufort, the father of the then Governor of theCape, Lord Charles Somerset. “West” was added later to distinguish the town from the otherCape towns of Fort Beaufort and Port Beaufort. The town is the hub of a rich farming district,famous for its merino sheep. This breed of sheep was first brought to the area from Holland in1789 and there are now more than 35 million sheep grazing on a diet of shrubs and herbs.The sheep’s diet has made their meat a much sought-after item on the menu of those peoplewho have developed a taste for the distinctive flavour of Karoo lamb and mutton. The area’sdry winter climate also brings many tourists here during the colder months.99