Pleasantly surprised by Hofmeyr
My wife, Christa, and I regularly buy Platteland and it is a joy to read all the stories about the dorpies you visit. The article about Merweville in the Winter 2021 issue took me back to our recent visit to Hofmeyr earlier this year. For those who don’t know where Hofmeyr is, it is 60 km north of Cradock – on the way to the Gariep Dam.
I grew up in Somerset East and studied at the University of Pretoria, so I passed through Hofmeyr many a time on my way to or from Pretoria. Years later I began working on the West Rand, and still later in Secunda, which had me continue driving through Hofmeyr on a regular basis when visiting my parents in Somerset East. Sometimes I would buy a cooldrink at the corner shop, but we never considered staying over in Hofmeyr.
Imagine my surprise, and Christa’s, when we drove through Hofmeyr in March this year after visiting friends in Cradock. It was the first time in years that
I had passed that way, and the shop on the corner had since been developed into The Farmhouse, which offers almost everything under the sun – from woollen slippers to delicious home-baked rusks and freshly made coffee.
On enquiring about this metamorphosis, the manager told us how a local farmer had bought the shop in 2020 and restored it during lockdown. She recommended that we pay a visit to the Victoria Boutique Hotel, which, having time on our hands, we did.
We were given a warm welcome, and the receptionist showed us around this beautiful hotel. We decided we had to stay over there soon.
After our visit to the Kruger National Park in April 2021, it struck me that we had to overnight somewhere on our way to Stilbaai, so we decided on the Victoria Boutique Hotel, since it could also accommodate my caravan.
Our stay was fantastic, from the friendly reception to the comfortable rooms, beautifully furnished lounge, old-fashioned bar and – last but not least – the dining room with antique wooden furniture. The food, too, was remarkable: liver wrapped in caul fat, fish for mains and malva pudding to round off the meal. Sunday buffets are apparently very popular.
I hope the photographs pique your interest and entice you to visit this attractive town – and experience the wonderful hospitality at the Victoria.
While the town has a few dilapidated buildings – which make for fine photo opportunities – they do not detract from the beautiful buildings and the church, which recently got a fresh coat of paint.