Namakwa District Municipality Investment Prospectus

10
TOURISM KAROO HIGHLANDS ROUTE
The main towns of the Karoo Hoogland Municipality, Carnarvon,
Fraserburg and Williston, naturally take centre stage in the Karoo
Highlands Route. The Route also extends west into the Hantam LM
(Calvinia) and eastwards into the Pixely ka Seme District Municipality
and where it reaches the towns of Loxton, Vosburg and Victoria West.
The Karoo Highlands Route is where you will see stars so clearly
you will feel that you can touch them.
The Karoo is the home of peace and tranquillity where you can
recharge your batteries while exploring the wide open plains dotted
with koppies (hills). There is a lot to do on this small but unique
route. The area is famous for its successful sheep farming, and it is
one of the best stargazing destinations in the world.
Time your visit to coincide with annual Williston Winter Festival.
As well as celebrating the end of winter, the festival showcases the
culture, heritage and history of the people in this part of
the Karoo. Local performances include the riel dance,
a traditional group courtship dance performed in
a circle. During the dance, ladies stay on one
side while the men mock-battle in a way that
narrates a story. This dance style is experiencing
a revival across the province. The area
is renowned for the hospitality of its farming
community. Whether you’ll be admiring the fascinating corbelled
houses or looking back in time at the Gansfontein palaeo-surface,
your heart will surely be touched by this region as never before.
This is a place where a huge optical telescope allows you to look
back to the beginnings of our universe 13-billion years ago and
where pre-dinosaurs roamed. People have lived on this massive plateau,
the largest of its kind outside Asia, for about 500 000 years.
The Khoi and San people who left their legacy as art on the rocks
gave the Karoo its name. The area’s name comes from “karusa”,
a Khoi word that means dry, barren thirstland. This aptly describes
this region, where water is scarce. It is an ancient, fossil-rich land,
with some important archaeological sites, as well as the largest
variety of succulents found anywhere on Earth. There are more than
9 000 plant species in the Great Karoo. The route also offers Karoo
architecture, Anglo-Boer War sites, farm stays and medicinal plants.
The popular Hantam Vleisfees celebrates meat and music in
Calvinia. Meat dishes are prepared in every way possible: braaied,
stewed, curried, in pita breads, on
sosaties and in potjies. This
is a proudly South African
experience and a must-do for
visitors.