As you pass through the blue peaks of the Sneeuberg, along the N9 between Graaff-Reinet and Middelberg, not far from the turnoff to Nieu-Bethesda, you come upon an unassuming gate at the head of a farm road.
Like so many exceptional places in this part off the Karoo, it requires only an adventurous spirit to drive a short three kilometres through the bush into a small, beautiful valley.
Graham will be there to greet you with their improbably lush and well-tended garden, which seems immune to the Karoo suns’ forbidding glare.
No photograph can replicate the impact of arriving here on a sweltering day. No recording device can capture the intensity of sunlight bouncing off the homestead walls, the cool shadows dripping from an ancient pepper tree, the brilliant splashes of flowers, or walking across a lawn so very green you want to kick off your shoes and roll on it like a child.
The only sounds are birdcalls and the drowsy distant hum of bees about their business.
The 4300-acre farm of Abbotsbury forms part of a greater 50 thousand hectare conservancy.
For guests this means the chance of seeing springbuck, kudu, and steenbuck in a Malaria-free zone.
Those lucky enough might spot mountain reedbuck, klipspringer, or that shy feline, the caracal.
For avid birdwatchers, there are over 120 bird species, including the endangered black eagle.
Owner run and managed since 1994, Abbotsbury has hosted guests from all over South Africa and overseas.
The two guest suites are immaculately maintained, and every page of the guest book praises the accommodation and delicious meals. As far as possible, the food is produced on the farm itself, including the jams and preserves.
Call us today to reserve your stay.
Abbotsbury is a working Karoo sheep farm. Below is a list of other animals that one can see on the farm. For birdwatchers there is a birdlist that can be downloaded below.
