Eat, drink, have fun!
DO, WANDER, SHOP
Book a guided tour of the town
For a town of this size, there are surprisingly many developments, interesting initiatives, monuments and other attractions of which you will likely be unaware if you drive through the streets yourself or stop for a coffee. Rather take a free guided town tour (in a small air-conditioned bus). It lasts about two hours and is presented by residents who are also professional staff of the Orania Movement. No tours on Sundays and Christian holidays.
orania.co.za 053 207 0004
Explore the many monuments Koeksister Monument
The modest made of polystyrene and fibreglass outside the entrance of the public swimming pool in Oniks Street is probably the monument in Orania that has received the most media exposure since its unveiling in 2003. The copper plaque on the side is quite weathered, but reads as follows: “Koeksisters, koesisters, deegkaiings, boerkaiings, dopperkaiings, wildebeeskaiings, stroppies, stroopstroppies, draaikoek, teekruller, roloppies, krulopsolders, hondeneusies. Koeksisters originally come from Indonesia, were Africanised through Cape slaves, and are now considered a traditional Afrikaner delicacy. According to tradition, the name ‘koesisters’ refer to two spinsters sitting on the porch gossiping. It can also refer to the sound of the pastry sizzling when it’s dipped in syrup. We consider the koeksister as a symbol of the responsibility and perseverance of Afrikaner women who have baked koeksisters for decades to fund the construction of schools, churches, orphanages and more. The tradition of a group baking koeksisters together also shows that through cooperation, our Afrikaner women can achieve a great deal.”
Walk past the Koeksister Monument on Pêrel Avenue and take the dirt path towards Orania Monument Hill. This heroes’ garden consists of a semicircle displaying busts of former Prime Ministers BJ Vorster, JG Strijdom, DF Malan, HF Verwoerd and JBM Hertzog, as well as Paul Kruger, former president of the ZAR, with the Little Giant (Klein Reus) in the middle. This symbolises “our rich past and freedom through labour that awaits in the future”. There is also a bench from which you can enjoy the view, sunrise or sunset. A seventh pedestal has not yet received a statue.
A stone’s throw away you will find the Irish Monument, unveiled in Orania on 1 November 2002. It honours “the Irish volunteers who came to support the Boers during the Anglo-Boer War in their struggle against colonial England”. The monument was unveiled in 1975 in Brixton, Johannesburg, but gradually fell into disrepair and was eventually demolished. The four pillars were saved and re-erected in Orania.
Also visit Cornelia Holm’s Barefoot Steps (Kaalvoettrappe), a mosaic work “depicting Oranians’ dependency on
their Creator, the agricultural sector, seasons, and the environment, as well as a timeline of Orania’s history”; and the Song Wall (Liedjiemuur) at the Karoosig Retirement Village. The Bicycle Monument in front of Die Duiker portrays Orania’s cycling culture.
Visit the museums
In the Cultural Historical Museum, there are weapons, utensils, tools, flags, and numerous other memorabilia depicting the history of the Afrikaner: from Jan van Riebeeck’s arrival in the Cape through the Great Trek, Freedom Wars, concentration camps, and the Rebellion, to the establishment of the union and republic, and the Border War. Visiting times are from Tuesdays to Saturdays 09:00-13:00 and 14:00-15:00.
082 923 3376
The Verwoerd Memorial Collection on the corner of Pêrel Avenue and Ametis Street is housed in the retirement home where Betsie Verwoerd, widow of the former Prime Minister Dr Hendrik Verwoerd, settled in 1993. After her death on 29 February 2000 (at the age of 98), the part of the house where she lived remained untouched, but the adjacent apartment of her caregiverhousekeeper was converted into an exhibition space with various-sized busts and paintings of Verwoerd (by artists like Coert Steynberg), as well as belongings, correspondence and gifts from their time in public service. The museum also houses the parliamentary bench and the blood-stained shirt and suit in which Dr Verwoerd was stabbed to death on 6 September 1966 by parliamentary messenger Dimitri Tsafendas. To arrange a visit, send a WhatsApp message to
072 970 7050.
Shop for sweets at Ougoud
From Mondays to Saturdays, satisfy your sweet tooth at the Ougoud toffee shop (next to the Eleksa showroom) in Smarag Street for the most delicious soft toffees, caramel, chocolates and nuts. It’s a pity that tastings aren’t offered, because we would definitely have bought more if we had known just how delicious these treats are (the toffee with bacon is a winner, and the biltong and Parmesan toffee is also outstanding). Luckily, we have since discovered that the full product range can be ordered online.
ougoudtoffies.co.za 083 760 0489 (Joelean) 084 603 1827 (Jan)
MOM, I’M HUNGRY!
Orania has a surprising number of eateries – we couldn’t visit them all in four days. Few places are open in the evenings and kitchens close early on quiet weekdays. Stokkiesdraai restaurant’s large billboard on the right-hand side of the R369 as you enter Orania from Hopetown promises “Farmers’ breakfast, beer, coffee”. This is a favourite spot where the town’s sports fans and young people gather over locally brewed Rebellie beer. It forms part of the (family-friendly) Stokkiesdraai Adventure Park, where there are numerous shops. Stokkiesdraai Restaurant
072 085 7272 >
Vivaldi’s, a coffee shop at the Orania Equestrian School on Oewer Avenue, has a small menu that also features seven pizzas. It was a quiet evening, and the kitchen had already closed by 18:45, but they kindly made two takeaway pizzas for us. It was delicious, although it was clear that the oven was not hot enough. 079 398 1418 (Riaan) of 078 502 8816 (Eric)
Die Oewer restaurant
The town’s four-star hotel-spa-holiday resort on the banks of the Orange River is popular among local residents and visitors alike, and reservations for the restaurant are usually necessary. Start by ordering something to drink, as it will take a while for everyone except vegans (who can only order the French salad) to choose from the nine starters, six salads, seven toasted sandwiches, 11 burgers, 33 main courses (a variety of steaks, chicken, seafood and pork ribs), nine sauces (including biltong and feta!), 14 desserts and 12 different milkshakes. There are also alcoholic and other cold and hot beverages to suit every taste. We tried the Bavaria Lager and Pretorianer from the local Bavaria brewery – both wonderfully ice-cold
and brewed according to the German Reinheitsgebot of 1516.
aan-die-oewer.com 072 810 9098
Milk & honey
Marcelle and Riaan Jacobs’ children had severe allergies, and their search for products that would be suitable and affordable led to the coffee and health store that Marcelle opened in Pêrel Drive. Platteland consistently enjoyed excellent cappuccinos here… Orania doesn’t do flat whites. There are also freshly baked goods, bread, health products, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and various sauces and preserved products for the kitchen. Moreover, we discovered that you can order everything online.
melkenheuning.co.za 076 939 9989 or 084 452 6979
Die Kantien
This day restaurant in the Senbel building on the corner of Saffier and Amaril streets is perfect for breakfast or lunch, offering an extensive menu of traditional favourites, good coffee and service and air-conditioning.
Die Kantien kantien@senbel.co.za 071 279 1694
Wafelhuis
An advertisement on Radio Orania led us to this American milkbar in the Afsaal building where you place (and pay for) your order by marking an X on a series of individual forms for Belgian waffles, ice cream, milkshakes, floats, slushies and coffee. The waffle with sweet curry mince (R45), served with banana and coconut, quickly filled a gap between interviews and tasted delightful.
Wafelhuis Orania 060 570 7347
ACCOMMODATION
076 705 2796 or
Orania has a variety of accommodation. Visit orania.co.za and click on the “Ontdek Orania” tab at the top, and then on “Oornagverblyf” to download a detailed PDF listing all available accommodation. Options are also listed on lekkeslaap.co.za, booking.com, safarinow.com and airbnb.com.
Platteland made use of the Booking. com Black Friday offer of 30% discount and found luxurious accommodation, surrounded by pecan trees, for a steal at Die Karoo Patriot in In Die Boord Estate opposite Die Oewer.
Book online. For enquiries, contact Jantoené on 082 4256 3766.