Graafwater is a town in the Sandveld in the Western Cape province of South Africa situated 300 km from Cape Town, about halfway between Clanwilliam and Lamberts Bay. Graafwater is the Afrikaans term for "water from a spade" referring to the Afrikaans farming culture found in South Africa at the time of establishment. It is located in the Cederberg Municipality. Wikipedia

Our farm is about 25 km drive from Graafwater, our nearest town, where we can find some of our basic needs ~ next stop will be Clanwilliam. More than 90% of the population speaks Afrikaans. The area is famous for the production of Rooibos and Graafwater has its own Rooibos Tea processing plant and a weighbridge that also serves Lambertbay, Elandsbay and Leipoldtville.

Rhenosterfontein

The Farm: After a huge veldfire where most of the fynbos was burnt, my father-in-law purchased the farm in 1999, which opened the way for him to establish it as a Rooibos producing farm. Rooibos is also fynbos and indigenous to the area but, to harvest it in a sustainable and profitable manner, you need to plant it in a controlled environment. Equal rows of wild fynbos and Rooibos are planted. The Rooibos is then more protected against the wind and the fynbos serves as a deterrent against insects.

Our farm has lots of water with two registered fountains and two boreholes, together with a river that runs through the valley. The Lambertshoek river flows from Winter up till Nov/Dec, depending on the amount of rain that fell through the winter season.

The House:

The house we came to find, was built in 1904. It was built with stone and a mixture of husks and clay. The house also has loft area. There was no running water or sanitary facilities in the house. The previous owners were 89 and 90 years of age. Their only toilet was a long-drop, 80 meters up a hill from the house and apparently, when the old lady of the house couldn't walk up there anymore, the old timer used to push her up there with a wheelbarrow.  My father-in-law created water-supply in the house from a fountain situated about 90 meters away.  "No pushing with a wheelbarrow thank you!"

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