Zandrivier Farm - our history and heritage
Zandrivier farm is located in the Karoo mountains between the N1 (Laingsburg) and the R62 (Ladismith). A scant 3.5 hour drive from Cape Town, the farm offers the silence of the Karoo, big African vistas, unending star-studded night skies and restoration for the soul.
Zandrivier is owned by Ben Jewaskiewitz and his father, Charles. Freshly discovering this more remote Karoo area in 2007, Ben took over the farm from its lifelong owners and has continued to build on their heritage. The farm currently supports cattle, horses and sheep, and Ben has planted lucerne, onion and apple crops. With water scarce in the summer, Zandrivier has invested in building dams for irrigation. Most of the potable water on the farm comes from the local springs in the Swartberg mountain range. Zandriver offers three private residences and the opportunity of either getting away from it all, or being part of farm life. Children are encouraged to interact with our animals, perhaps milk a cow, feed the donkeys, help shear a sheep, or watch a lambing in season. Zandrivier is the third highest farm in the western Cape. With the highest peak in the Western Cape rising above the farm, Zandrivier is an excellent base camp and offers easy access for a quick peak-bagging expedition to Seweweekspoort, which, weather- and fitness-permitting, you can summit and return in a day. Zandrivier Farm is also an excellent locale for exploring the Klein Swartberg, or for cyclists and bikers, a base for daily trips into remote areas and small Karoo towns. |
Zandrivier is home to many rare plant species and spectacular fynbos. Protea variants include nitida, sulphurea, convexa, aristata, eximia and more.
If you are lucky you may spot grysbok, baboon, jackal, rock hyrax (dassies), kudu, vaal rhebok, aardwolf, leopard, genets, cerval, lynx and klipspringer on the farm and surrounding mountains. Birdlife is prolific with yellow tailed kites, owls, black eagles and fish eagles among the predators, as well as the more timid sunbirds, coots, Cape pheasant and smaller species. A more comprehensive list can be viewed on our page listing some ideas of what to do during your visit. |
Beautiful Seweekspoort
The road from Amalienstein cuts through the fold mountains of the Klein Swartberg, linking Laingsberg and Ladismith, an awe-inspiring traverse of dramatic rock formations. Seweweekspoort is one of South Africa's few natural passes through two mountain ranges, the Groot and the Klein Swartberg.
The pass is one of Thomas Bain's most notable works, completed in 1862 using the labour of prisoners, a common practice in those days. The gravel road connecting the Little and Great Karoo curves over the Seweweekspoort River a total of 23 times, between vertical rockfolds and under towering peaks, including the highest peak in the Western Cape, Seweweekspoort Peak, which rises to 2325m. No rock was blasted to make this pass as the road follows the river bed. The ruins of the original toll-house can be seen at the northern entrance of the Poort. A World Heritage site, and under the protection of Cape Nature Conservation, Seweweekspoort remains wild, beautiful and full of indigenous flora. Take a moment to stop and take in this pristine wilderness area as you cycle or drive through the pass. |
The ideal place to chill. We needed to unwind and this is the ideal location. Thanks Ben for all the friendly assistance offered! |
Dit was nou lekker! Ons is verwelkom met heerlike tuisgebakte brood, plaasbotter en natuurlik vars plaasmelk. Die natuur is pragtig. Net om deur die Seweweekspoort te ry is al 'n voorreg. Gee 5/5!
- Joseph T (March 2021)