An oasis in the Tankwa
Somewhere in the arid Karoo is a campsite with lush lawns, dozens of shade trees and a river for swimming and fishing. If this sounds like a tall tale, you’ve probably never heard of Die Mond.
The Tankwa Karoo is synonymous with drought, dust, arid plains with sparse vegetation and heat. In a way, it’s this remoteness that makes the region so beautiful, and there could hardly be a better place for escaping from humanity. Now if only there was a lovely river somewhere that would provide relief from the heat… The good news is that such a place does exist – on the western edge of the Tankwa. Die Mond is truly an oasis in the desert, with the camp on the banks of the Grootrivier, a wide strip of water that carves through the dry landscape. The pitches, in the shade of large trees, are so close to the water that you could almost fish from your tent. And, just like a true oasis, Die Mond is slightly hidden – the greenery quite unexpected after the long drive through the desert. Once you find out where this sacred source of comfort lies, the temptation is great to tell no one else about it. DIE MOND’S TURN-OFF is on the main route through the Tankwa-Karoo, the 250 km stretch of the R355. This is South Africa’s longest uninterrupted dirt road connecting two towns – Ceres and Calvinia – and quite an experience to drive, especially if you like wide open spaces. But the R355 is notorious for chewing tyres; so always adjust your vehicle’s tyre pressure for dirt road driving and you hopefully won’t need your spare wheel. Besides, your butt will thank you for that lowered tyre pressure on the bits of corrugated road you’ll encounter. Buy your last Wimpy coffee in Ceres before taking the R46 in the direction of Touws River. About 40 km outside of town, you’ll come across the Touws River turnoff, but you keep straight on until you get to the spot where the tar road turns into
dirt. Now you’re on the R355. It’s tradition to stop at the Tankwa farm stall (another drive 40 km along) for an ice cream or an ice-cold cool drink. The shop also stocks a variety of snacks and trinkets, as well as emergency spares and tyre-repair equipment in case you had trouble on the road. Feel free to strike up a conversation with the owner, Hein Lange. He is the one with the blonde dreadlocks and he has many interesting anecdotes about the Tankwa and its people to share. About 30 km past the farm stall, be on the lookout for a tractor tyre next to the road. This is where you turn off, and 20 km later you reach Die Mond’s entrance gate. A lane of palm trees leads to reception, which is a room in the farmhouse. Suddenly, it’s as though you’ve closed the door of an inner courtyard behind you: after the hot, dusty plains of the Tankwa, you suddenly find yourself in a lush green affair. Kick off your shoes, you won’t find grass like this anywhere else in this region. Lindie Haugh welcomes guests at Die Mond. She says her parents-in-law, Hannes and Linda Haugh, decided in the late eighties to build a campsite on the greenest spot of their 11 000 hectare farm. “Back then, there was only one house and one or two trees,” she says. “Over the years, they constantly expanded and planted trees, and look at it now.” Nowadays, the Haughs farm with sheep and lucerne, and the farm is all around the campsite. On the one side lie a collection old tractors and rusty implements and at the far end of the campsite is an enclosure for sheep. Chances are good that Hansel, Gretel and Heidi, the farm’s tame goats, will stop by your camp at some point for a visit. THERE ARE NO DEMARCATIONS in the campsite. You simply pick a spot somewhere along the 200 m river bank
and set up camp under the best shade tree. If all the stands by the water are taken, there’s still plenty of space further back from the shore, plus an overflow area closer to the farmhouse. They’ve had up to 100 people camping at Die Mond; so you don’t need to worry about whether they’ll have for you. Close to the bathrooms are three built-in braais, but the rest of the braais are drums welded to wheelbarrows so they’re easy to move around. Just remember to bring your own grid and stand or tripod. There are no power points here, but several taps are distributed around the site. The bathroom lights work with solar power and the shower water is heated with a donkey from early morning right through the day. The bathrooms for men and women each boast three showers and three toilets. Next to the bathrooms are two sinks under a canopy for cleaning all the Jimmy Steakhouse Sauce off your plates after dinner. Should you prefer to sleep in a real bed, there are five self-catering cottages behind the campsite that each accommodates six people. They don’t have bathrooms, however, and you need to use the campsite’s ablution facilities. There are also two larger houses with bathrooms for families of up to seven. If you tarry longer at Die Mond than you planned – nobody will blame you – you can buy ice (R20), wood (R35), petrol (R20/ℓ), cooldrink (R25 for 1,.5 ℓ) and farm jam from Lindie. Just remember this is a working farm and the office hours are only from 09:00 to 11:00 and then again from 15:00 to 16:30. You can also arrange with Lindie in advance for braai packs. REMEMBER TO PACK your fishing rod, a bunch of spinners and your favourite lure, because the Grootrivier is full of smallmouth, largemouth and spotted bass. They’ve also got two endangered species, the Clanwiliam yellowfish and sandfish. There is a strict catch-andrelease rule for them, but if you hook a perch (they’re intruders) you can throw it on the braai. “Not everyone likes its taste,” laughs Lindie, “but if you spice it right, it’s delicious!” For a tasty dinner, she suggests that you clean the fish, pack it with onions and tomatoes and then wrap everything in a foil parcel you cook over the coals. Also don’t forget the little ones’ bikes, rugby balls and frisbees. The camp’s large
lawn is the right size for a match and you can also go for walks on the farm roads. Bring along a canoe or inner tube and explore the river. There are two canoes for rent, but boats aren’t allowed. Do yourself a favour and go for a walk next to the river. Walk past the bathrooms and look out for a ladder over a wire fence. From here, follow a footpath along the rock walls for about 1,5 km next to the river. The landscape is beautiful, especially in the late afternoon sun, and if you’re lucky, you may see the colourful malachite kingfisher among the reeds. Die Mond has more than 100 bird species that, like you, have discovered this oasis in the aridness. Occasionally you see a fish eagle or even a black eagle. TAKE A GOOD LOOK at the rock walls as you walk, there’s an impressive collection of rock art with rare black and yellow pigment. In one spot, you’ll find three large elephant drawings and in other spots, you’ll see handprints, slender human figures and even an ostrich. Across the river is a cave, which is a great place for a picnic (no fires allowed). To reach the cave, walk past the sheep encampment at the bottom of the campsite and cross the river via a low-water bridge. When the sun finally sets, Die Mond has one more ace up its sleeve. Along with the darkness, a deep tranquillity descends around you, and when you take your eyes off the flicker of your bush television for a moment and look up, there’s a dazzling, Milky Way hanging in the night sky. These are the scenes that stay in your mind’s eye, especially once you’re back home and lighting a braai fire with your city friends. This is when you have to decide which friends deserve to know about the oasis in the Tankwa Karoo.