Right about now is when the months of howling south-easters start to make Capetonians think of escape to calmer pastures. Hell, it's been happening for years. Even those hardy Voortrekkers got gatvol, packed their belongings into trusty ox-wagons and flipped the bird to the Cape Doctor. It must be still on the other side, they thought. If only they'd known.

Fast forward to the 21st century and escaping the brown, dry days of a late summer in Cape Town is easy. Throw all your earthly possessions into a suitcase, squeeze into an airline seat fit for a vertically-challenged king and you're in the green, green Highveld quicker than you can say "What the hell do you mean we're staying in an ox-wagon?"

While my Anglo-Saxon forebears turned in their graves, my wife simply nodded and pointed north. Your hinterland is there. I swear I saw a mischievous twinkle in her eye as we headed off up the N1 and into the rolling hills beyond Pretoria.

"Beyond Pretoria!" I hear you say. Well, yes.

Most Capetonian map books simply have "Here be Dragons" for the area beyond Mogale City, but with assurances that the locals would give us safe passage we decided to risk it. If those rough and tumble Voortrekkers could do it, then so could we.

We had no delusions of finding the Nile somewhere north of the Hammanskraal tollgate, so turned off the freeway, skirted the edges of the Roodeplaat Dam and meandered our way past bush pubs and farm-stalls to the gates of Tussen-i-bome.

Leave your airs and graces with the zebra grazing gracefully at the gate… this is a place to kick off your vellies (or Crocs, if you're from Cape Town) and chill out. Three simple ox-wagon camps dot this small private reserve; each with their own half-barrel bath, flush toilet and braai area. There's even a bakoond if you're feeling particularly pioneering.

The highlight, of course, is each camp's ox-wagon with its double bed and trying-hard-to-be-romantic mosquito net. There's also a side-tent with single beds to keep smaller voortrekkers with their feet on the ground.

Poking my head out of the canvas in the morning it was a trader, not a trekker that popped into my head though.

Tussen-i-bome may be hundreds of miles from that rutted path where tough men ran a gauntlet of wild country and wilder animals to reach Delagoa Bay, but waking up under the canvas of an ox-wagon is all you need to live out your Percy Fitzpatrick fantasies.

There might not be a Jim Makokel' rabble-rousing round the fire or a Jock of the Bushveld sleeping under the stairs, but for a braai-loving city-slicker looking for a dose of the bushveld there's no better place for falling off the proverbial ossewa. I've even scribbled it onto my roadmap.

"Tussen-i-bome: Here be wagons".

IF YOU GO…
Where it is: Off the R573 KwaMhlanga/Moloto road, about 40kms from Pretoria.
Why go there: Well, when was the last time you slept in an ox-wagon? Apart from the quirky accommodation it's a chilled-out place to take a weekend break without a long drive home.
What it offers: Three private ox-wagon camps set amongst the bushveld. Each camp can sleep four people: two in the wagon and two in the side tent. There's also a comfortable guesthouse with three en-suite bedrooms and spacious living areas. There's a communal pool and lapa/bar area for sundowners, and an über-wagon that's good for functions.
What it's like: Camping with a twist – feel the silence of the bushveld without having to pack a tent and the kitchen sink. The camps are well-equipped and well-spaced so you'll feel like you have the place to yourself.
And the food: Self-catering is your best bet, but meals can be arranged on request. Don't forget the bread flour for the old-style oven!
Rates: Just R170 pppn for the wagons, or R200 pppn for the guesthouse.
Getting there: Take the N1 North from Johannesburg. Take the Zambesi off-ramp from the N1 north and turn towards Cullinan. Left onto the R573 road for 25kms and then left onto the Hammanskraal road.
Contact: Div & Ronell van der Merwe on 082 511 1169 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . You can also visit www.tussenibome.co.za.

LOCAL ATTRACTION
Tussen-i-bome is slap-bang in the middle of the Dinokeng tourism route, so there's no chance of coming down with wagon-fever. Heading into the great outdoors is your best bet and the region offers a wide range of outdoor adventure activities, from mountain biking trails at Roodeplaat Dam to freshwater fishing in the waters of the Mdala Nature Reserve. Dinokeng is also one of South Africa's prime bird-watching areas, so twitchers will be happy.

This is Diamond Country too, and it's well worth taking a wander through the quaint mining town of Cullinan. The village shot to fame on 25 June 1905 when the famous Cullinan Diamond was found here; at 3106 carats it remains the largest rough diamond ever found. Today the mine still produces nearly a quarter of the world's diamonds. A free viewing platform allows you to peek down into the hole that's four times the size of Kimberley's, but surface and underground tours are also on offer.

The village still retains its Victorian feel and a wander down the jacaranda and oak-lined avenues will reveal delightful antique shops, restaurants and museums. The quaint stone church of St. George's, designed by Sir Herbert Baker, is worth a visit, as is the delightfully quirky Jan Harmsgat se Agterplaas.

• Originally published in the Sunday Times, 3 May 2009
  

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