Karoo Roads III – From the studios of snowy Nieu-Bethesda to the stony heights of the Richtersveld

Here is another heritage collection of journeys into the past and present of South Africa’s Karoo region.

Copper the Fluffer Stallion – Gelykfontein Thoroughbred Stud Farm, Venterstad, Eastern Cape. Image: Chris Marais

1 Sep 2022

Karoo Roads III takes you roaming far and wide with seasoned storytellers Chris Marais and Julienne du Toit. Hear tales of love and cheese, sit with the elders of Lekkersing, find the shaggiest sheep in the country, witness angel-makers at work, read about the legends of a man who once painted the Sistine Chapel on an ostrich egg, and a band of farmers’ wives who turned a piece of Karoo veld into a world-class country school.

Discover a rock-star traffic cop, a four-legged ostrich, a couple who live in a castle, an Old School newspaperman with the highway in his eyes, and a desert bar where magic happens regularly.

The stories the authors tell in this book reflect many of the magic elements you will find when you take that long, winding road trip into the Never-Never of South Africa. This is a celebration of the characters, past and present, who have all added their own lustre to the Karoo.

Together, let’s ramble through mountains and valleys, discover treasures in dusty old museums, walk the streets of faraway villages and, most importantly, meet the locals: a big-hearted, motley crew of guitar-playing, philosophising, wine-drinking, offbeat creatives who have become a part of the landscape, are treating each day like a newly minted gold coin, and doing the best work of their lives.