What to do during your stay

There are many activities for the whole family to enjoy at Zandrivier Farm: hiking, birding, cycling, mountain biking, rock climbing, star gazing, or simply kicking back with a good book and relaxing around the fire at night. 

Experience farm life

Zandrivier is a working farm, which means that visitors can experience farm life in every season. Children can interact with ducklings, chicks, lambs and goslings, as well as larger farm animals like donkeys, horses, cows and sheep. Watch a tractor ploughing, or explore the fields. If you are lucky you might spot an elusive grysbok grazing in the early morning or late afternoon on the hills surrounding the farm. 

Give Ben a call and find out when the cows are milked, or time your visit to coincide with the lambing or shearing season. 

This farm is one of the most beautiful places that I have ever seen. Our host went out of his way to make this an unbelievable experience for us. The children were in awe with all the baby animals and had a ball of a time playing in the dam. Highly recommended.
- Pieter

Hiking trails and rock climbing 

From hiking trails on the farm and into the Elandsberg mountains, to the famous Seweweekspoort peak which towers behind the farm, there is lots to explore and discover. There are some unique rock art (bushman) paintings preserved on our farm, scenic views to find, and interesting rock formations.  Add in rivers to swim, waterfalls to climb and our wide variety of Karoo fauna and flora...

Seweweekspoort Peak is at 2325m the highest peak in the Western Cape and situated in the Klein Swartberg mountain range. A description of this reknowned route can be obtained here.

For the intrepid, there are new routes to open and lots of trad climbing possibilities. Chat to Ben about the private kloofs on the farm. ​

Cycling and mountain biking

If you leave your bike at home, you might really regret it! The pristine and quiet Seweweekspoort pass starts a scant 4 kilometres from the farm, and is amazing to cycle through. Thomas Bain is the architect of this narrow and exceptional poort. 

The natural rock formations make for inspiring surrounds, animals tend to treat you as part of the scenery and continue daily routine undisturbed as you cycle past towering cliffs and over the gurgling Huis River which crosses the kloof no fewer than 23 times. 

Gamkaskloof Dam is also a worthy explore (it used to be the through-road to Die Hel) and there are numerous trails into the back of the farmlands and into the range beyond. 

Check out the MTB Routes description

Birding

A quick list compiled by a birding enthusiast recently included the following birds: 
Olive thrush, Cape canary, red-eye dove, slanghals voel, southern double collared sunbird, malachite sunbird, orange-breasted sunbird, pied starling, rock kestrel, white necked raven, wit hals kraai, rooibos jevals, jackal buzzard, house sparrow, Cape sparrow, grey-backed cistiola (grysrug tintinkie), Karoo scrub robin, slangverklipper, Cape siskia, Kaapse pietjie kanarie, amethyst sunbird, bokmakiri, neddicky, three-banded plover, fish eagle, brown-headed kingfisher, fork-tailed drongo, Egyptian goose, red-knobbed coot, yellow-billed duck, red bishop, Southern masked weaver, blacksmith lapwing, Cape weaver, African paradise flycatcher, fiscal shrike, hadeda ibis, Cape wagtail, Cape robin chat, Cape turtle dove, speckled pigeon, suidelike fiskaal, spekvreter, farm chat, Cape bunting, Cape reed warbler, rooibekkie...

Star gazing

Although we are not Sutherland, Zandrivier's starry skies are beautiful and super clear on moonless nights. Bring your telescope and cameras, or simply sit on the stoep and count the shooting stars. 
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​Wine optional, but recommended!