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Road Travel
Ronnies Sex Shop…a pub on Route 62 Wallix / Shutterstock
Ladismith main street Grobler du Preez / Shutterstock
Ronnies Sex Shop
Leaving Barrydale, the road rises up the mountainside and then cuts across
a plateau above the valley, crossing the Doring River and passing farms and
nature reserves. Some 20km out of Barrydale a most unexpected sight
greets you - a square white building in the parched veld on the right-hand
side of the road, with large red letters proclaiming: Ronnies Sex Shop.
This is where international travellers, local townspeople, bikers, weekend
trippers, people on their way to the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival, local
farmers, and just about any other body passing by, stop to come together
over an ice cold beer, some good food, loud rock music, and even louder
conversation. You will also find an impressive collection of women’s bras
and undies hanging from the rafters, left behind by female visitors…the
closest the place comes to doing justice to its name.
Here you can party till you drop without disturbing the neighbours, and
those who have had one too many can even sleep over.
The charismatic, and now legendary, Ronnie Price bought a small cottage
here some years ago with the idea of turning it into a farm stall. He painted
the name ‘Ronnies Shop’ on one whitewashed wall, to which his prankster
friends added the word “sex”. At first annoyed by the prank, Ronnie soon
started smiling again as curious visitors started pulling up. He created the
pub and later added the Roadkill Café.
Thus a legend was born, known around the world, as is attested by the
hundreds of graffiti-like messages scrawled on the walls inside by the
legions of curious visitors from around the globe who have stopped here.
Who said ‘sex’ doesn’t sell?
Ladismith
After a cold beer at Ronnie’s, we saddle up and head east again, soon
crossing the Touws River. Just after the river, to the left, lies the entrance
to the Wolverfontein Guest Farm. The original homestead was an ostrich
baron’s palace dating back to 1890. Right next door’s is Touwsberg Private
Game and Nature Reserve. The entire area is paradise for hikers, nature
lovers and mountain bikers.
Our next stop is the town of Ladismith…no, not misspelt. The original
spelling was changed in 1879 to avoid confusion with the town of
Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal. Ladismith was named after Lady Juana Smith,
wife of the one-time Governor of the Cape, Sir Harry Smith.
Looming over the town is the 2,198m Towerkop (Magic Peak), part of
the Klein Swartberg mountain range. Local folklore has it that an angry
witch flying by struck the peak with her wand because it stood in her way,
causing the peak to split in two, giving it its strange appearance. The large
split changes magically as you view it from different angles.
As is the case with all the towns along Route 62, a measure of eccentricity,
plenty of hospitality and ingenuity are the hallmark of the townsfolk. For
instance, in 1963 local resident Stanley de Wit constructed a lamp halfway
up the Elandsberg peak consisting of a bicycle lamp and dynamo being
powered by a water stream. The purpose? To inform local farmers and
the town of the availability of water when the light goes on. The lamp has
become a famous landmark, known as Stanley’s Light and is considered by
locals to be Ladismith’s extra star in the galaxy.
The district is prime fruit country, with orchards and vineyards everywhere.
One third of South Africa’s apricots are produced here. Some excellent
wines are also produced here and can be tasted at the local winery which
has a wide selection of local Towerkop wines.
The town also boasts an impressive architectural heritage from neo-Gothic
to Victorian, Georgian, Regency, Lithuanian, Edwardian, Cape Revival and
Rural Karoo style, as well as its own unique building style, the Ladismith
style. The latter is a simplified Georgian design dating from the 1830’s.
There are also a number of beautiful churches.
However, the cherry on the visitor’s cake here is reserved for cheese lovers.
The Ladismith Cheese Factory and Parmalat’s chees factory sell delicious
big wheels of cheese at bargaining prices. Make sure you leave room in
your car to take some home.
The town is surrounded by many scenic routes such as Hoeko Valley, the
gorge at Seweweekspoort and the valleys and orchards of Dwarsrivier,
Voorbaat and Van Zylsdamme. The area also offers nature lovers an
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