4 093.9 ha Farm in Graaff Reinet

This property is situated in the Western Cape just north of the Sneeuberg mountain range which forms part of the Great Escarpment. An attractive feature of the property is the spectacular 50 m high waterfall at the top end of the scenic cliff-rimmed Wilgerhoutkloof. A frost free area at the kloof entrance provides exceptionally dense tall sweet vegetation. (Signs of an old orange orchard can still be seen.) The farms mountainous topography and natural waters hold potential for the development of a number of different adventure tourism options such as hiking trails, mountain biking, abseiling and 4x4 trails with some routes already established. The scenic kloof can be developed with camping sites and accommodation. The veld has been well managed over the last 21 years - many young shrubs testify to that and a good ground cover is evident from the mountain tops. The farm is ideal for both game and or a mixed livestock enterprise. The farm is easily accessible with the public dirt road on its eastern perimeter only 4 km from the nearby tar road.

SIZE: 4,093.8748 hectares

GRAZING CAPACITY: 18 ha/LSU (Gov. Assess. 2018) for a total of 227 LSUs

RAINFALL: 333 mm per annum. Predominantly summer rainfall with peaks in early summer and autumn in particular. Good rains can also fall in the winter months and snow can also be expected.

TOPOGRAPHY & GEOLOGY: The property is situated on mostly north-facing mountain slopes with a portion of adjacent plains. The highest point is at an elevation of 1,822 m ASL on the south-western boundary while the lowest point is at an elevation of 1,265 m ASL on the north-eastern boundary. The mountains are bisected by a number of drainage lines with a number of natural springs and deeper soils. A 15 m high concrete arch-dam is situated on the dominant drainage line between two dolerite koppies at an elevation of 1,530 m ASL. About 1.5 km below the dam the stream cascades 50 m down into the Wilgehoutkloof ravine. This non-perennial stream is a tributary of the Buffels River. A dam with a 350 m long and 5 m high wall is situated at the mouth of the 1,900 m deep kloof at an elevation of 1,330 m ASL. Below the earth dam old irrigation lands give way to open plains towards the north-east. Extensive earthen anti-erosion berms are situated on the lower elevations of the plains. The geology of the property consists predominantly of Permian Balfour sandstone, shale and mudstone sediments with some dolerite intrusions, and alluvium at the base of the mountains and along the drainage lines.

VEGETATION: The property falls within the Nama-Karoo Biome and is a mixture of shrubs and grass veld with more palatable species on the more gradual north facing slopes and deeper fertile soils along the drainage lines and on the lower plains.

Common dwarf Karoo shrubs include Anchor Karoo Bush (Pentzia incana), Bitter Karoobush (Chrysocoma ciliata) Fine-Leaved Felicia (Felicia filifolia), Ganna Bush (Salsola aphylla), Grootbloublommetjie (Felicia ovata), Karoo Violet (Aptosimum indivisum), Karoo Bushman Candle (Monsonia camdeboensis), Karoo Ice Plant (Delosperma karooicum), Koggelmandervoet (Limeum aethiopicum), Persaarbos ((Selago geniculate), Pleisterbos (Hermannia multiflora), Spekbos (Zygophyllum gilfillanii), Wild Asparagus (Asparagus africanus) and Wild Rosemary (Eriocephalus ericoides).

Common grass species include Blue Love Grass (Eragrostis chloromelas), Blue Buffalo Grass (Cenchrus ciliaris), Buffalo Grass (Panicum maximum), Carrot-seed Grass (Tragus berteronianus), Common Bristle Grass (Setaria sphacelata), Common Ehrharta (Ehrharta calycina), Common Reed (Phragmites australis), Common Thatching Grass (Hyparrhenia hirta), Dew Grass (Eragrostis obtusa), Dropseed Grass (Sporobolus fimbriatus), Kikuyu (Cenchrus clandestinus), Lehmanns Love Grass (Eragrostis lehmanniana), Old Land Grass (Chloris virgate), Red grass (Themeda triandra), Quick Grass (Cynodon dactylon), Silky Bushman Grass (Stipagrostis uniplumis), South African Cocksfoot (Tetrachne dregei), Smuts Finger Grass (Digitaria eriantha), Sourgrass (Tenaxia / Merxmuellera disticha), Spear Grass (Heteropogon contortus), Speckled Vlei Grass (Eragrostis bicolor), Brachypodium bolusii, Staggers Grass (Melica decumbens), Tassle Three Awn (Aristida congesta), and Turpentine Grass (Cymbopogon pospischilii) amongst others.

Larger shrubs include Old Man Saltbush (Atriplex nummularia), Mountain Aloe (Aloe broomii), Milkweed (Gomphocarpus fruticosus) Wild Camphor (Tarchonanthus camphoratus), Transvaal sumach (Osyris lanceolate), Broom Karee (Searsia erosa), Cancer Bush (Sutherlandia frutescens), Cape Honey-Thorn (Lycium oxycarpum), Cross-Berry (Grewia occidentalis), Blue Agave (Agave americana), Karoo Sagewood (Buddleja glomerata), Kruidjie-roer-my-nie (Melianthus comosus), Pencil Milkbush, (Euphorbia mauritanica), Resin Bush (Euryops petraeus / exudans), Rhinoceros bush (Dicerothamnus rhinocerotis), Spike Thorn (Maytenus heterophylla), and Swartstorm (Cadaba aphylla).

Common tree species include Green-hair Thorn (Parkinsonia Africana), Karee (Searsia lancea), Wild Willow (Salix mucronata), Silver Poplar (Populus canescens), Kuni Bush (Searsia undulata), Small-Leaved Guarri (Euclea undulata), and Sweet Thorn (Vachellia karoo).

WATER SUPPLY: Livestock waters are supplied by a number of springs and streams, three windmills, and two boreholes fitted with solar panels and submersible pumps. The farm has a 15 m high concrete arch-dam and three other earth dams.

INFRASTRUCTURE: The property has a functional internal road network but with some in need of repair. The property is fully fenced with netting. There are 35 larger camps and 4 dry lands on the property some with plain wire and some with netting fences. Some 18 ha of lands were formerly flood irrigated from the irrigation dam below the house. A 3.5 km cement and stone furrow was formerly in operation to take water directly from the concrete arch dam to the earth dam and irrigation lands.

HOMESTEAD: The 340 m2 homestead with a corrugated-iron roof dates from the mid 1800s. It is not currently habitable and requires extensive renovation. The house is north-east facing and offers exceptional views over the dam and plains to the distant mountains beyond. The homestead features three bedrooms (one en suite), a second bathroom, sunroom, lounge, dining room, living room, and a large kitchen with a vintage four-oven Aga anthracite stove and water boiler set under a yellowwood mantel beam. The house has many Victorian features and fittings including Oregon pine floors & ceilings, moulded skirtings, a half-glazed double door, a mantled fireplace with cast-iron firebox, and four-panelled doors with moulded architraves. The attractive facade of the house has three-panel double entrance doors, a pair of twelve-pane sash windows with louvre shutters, and a generous stoep with a five-step perron both finished in attractive square-cut sandstone.

OTHER BUILDINGS: At the rear of the homestead is a characterful 55 m2 stone outbuilding consisting of three rooms with original rustic timber beams and ceilings. On the farmyard is a 320 m2 shed with two double corrugated iron sliding doors and an adjoining 30 m2 workshop and a 10 m2 generator room. There are four staff cottages near the homestead and another situated in the mountains just below the concrete arch dam. All the outbuildings and staff cottages are mostly structurally sound but are in need of renovation.

ENERGY SUPPLY: None.

LIVESTOCK: The property is currently farmed commercially with cattle and sheep.

WILDLIFE: Naturally occurring game include Kudu, Mountain Reedbuck, Grey Rhebok, Klipspringer, Duiker and Steenbok. The diverse terrain supports a wide variety of other wildlife including Chacma Baboon, Porcupine, Aardvark, Leopard Tortoise and Ground Squirrel etc. The diverse birdlife includes a number of raptor species and an abundance of bustard, korhaan, waterfowl, guineafowl, Greywing Francolin and pigeon. Secretary birds breed on the farm and the endemic Cinnamon-breasted Warbler is also to be found.