Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!
“Oh please stop singing that song!” came the call from the passenger seat. “Sorry,” I mumbled, swinging the car off the strip of tar popularly known as Route 62.
It was hard not to think of Dorothy encountering those lions and tigers and you-know-whats on the way to see her Wizard. We were, after all, following a dusty orange gravel road headed for a place known as Tierhoek – ‘Tiger Corner’ – and we’d do well to keep an eye out for mottled moggies.
The ‘tigers’, of course, are none other than the elusive Cape Mountain Leopards which still haunt the hills behind Tierhoek Organic farm.
“We lose a sheep or two every now and again, but that’s the price you pay to keep the baboons off the peaches,” laughs Bruce Gilson, every inch the farmer with his ruddy cheeks, scuffed shoes and well-worn rugby shorts. However, the electric golf-cart he uses as his farm run-around gives the game away that this isn’t your average farm.
When Bruce and his wife Alison bought the farm in 2000 they immediately set about transforming their 1500ha of fertile valley into an organic haven, removing pesticides and using everything from electric fences to baboon bribery (with peaches left high in the mountains) to keep their fruit au naturel.
“Up at the end of the valley like this we’re quite removed from other farms in the area,” says Bruce. “So running our farm on organic principles is that little bit easier.”
A few years down the line and the effort has paid off. Today organic apricots, peaches (spot them at your nearest Woolies), plums, mangoes and half a dozen other fruits hang heavily on the trees. It’s clear that at Tierhoek, the fruit comes first. No surprise then that a sign on the edge of an orchard – “Dust damages plums” – wags its finger at us to slow down as we head up past the farmhouse and into the valley. Past the plums, keep going at the field of onions, ignore the quinces and head straight up the valley through the peach orchard until the road delivers us to Pepper Tree Cottage, the most romantic of the farm’s three self-catering hide-aways.
Once a humble worker’s cottage, Pepper Tree was built sometime in the early 1900s but has been lovingly done up to provide a cosy country bolthole. A private plunge-pool offers wonderful views down the valley and to the vineyards beyond, or simply spend your days simply gazing up at the craggy peaks above. And keep an eye out for Pronk; the old plough horse who now roams wild in them thar hills.
If it’s a bit chilly for dipping you can always retreat into the cosy kitchen and lounge where a Jetmaster in the corner will keep Old Man Winter at bay. A hefty supply of bone-dry peach wood is stacked around the corner to keep the home fires burning. Catch a cold front while you’re here and the mountaintops in the distance will likely be dusted with white.
But don’t spend all of your time indoors.
Mountain bikes are welcome on the farm (just slow down near the plums!) or take a stroll through the orchards – in season, help yourself to a peach or two – to the veggie garden up near the farm dam.
“Jan looks after the veggies for us,” says Bruce, “and guests are welcome to help themselves for the pot. It’s looking a little tired now after a long, hot summer, but usually you’ll find things like aubergines, bok choi and swiss chard in there.”
Nearby, ‘Bully Bulldozer’ and ‘Vaaljapie’ the Land Rover lie rusting in peace and will keep young ones occupied for hours.
“If the kids can start them they can take them home!”
Home. Hmmm. As Dorothy said, there really is no place like it, but after four nights at Tierhoek it took the will-power of Pronk to pack the car and make our way – slowly, mind you – down past the plums to the strip of tar that’d lead us back to the city. Pity, we never did see any lions, or tigers… or bears.
IF YOU GO…
Where it is: Off the R62 between Worcester and Robertson.
Why go there: It’s the ideal escape from the rat race. If sloth is a deadly sin you’ll need more than a few Hail Mary’s after a weekend here. Turn down the speedometer on 2009 and take a much-needed breather.
What it offers: The farm has four guest cottages spaced well apart from each other: two one-bedroom romantic getaways (Pepper Tree and Quince Cottage) and two adjoining two-bedroom cottages for groups and families.
What it's like: Your own little Garden of Eden. The wineries of R62 are a short drive away, but you’ll be hard-pressed to do more than sit and gaze at the green, green valley below. Pack a few books, stash your favourite bottle(s) of wine, bundle your significant other into the car and get set for some serious R&R.
And the food: Self-catering all the way, but the cottages are well equipped so you can get creative if you feel up to it. Route 62 has some great restaurants to explore if you don’t. Alison can also arrange breakfast and dinner baskets on request, and the farm produces wonderful organic jams and preserves.
Rates: From R500 cottage per night. Reduced rates for under-12s.
Getting there: Follow the N1 and R60 towards Robertson. Turn left at the Rooiberg Winery, cross over the Vinkrivier and up into the Noree Valley. Easy-to-follow maps available on their website.
Contact: Visit www.tierhoekcottages.co.za to find out more, or contact Alison Gilson on 023 626 1191 or
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Originally published in the SUnday Times; 24 May 2009.
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