The Tankwa Karoo is the complete opposite of the Garden Route. It's dry, it's hot and the gravel roads eat car tyres for breakfast. It's basically the last place you would expect to see a farm stall selling homemade baked goods, cold drinks and knick-knacks. But then, in 2011, the Tankwa Padstal opened its doors.
The annual AfrikaBurn event has since introduced thousands of people (often urbanites who have never turned off the N1 before) to this semi-desert. Now every weekend brings bakkies, Jimnys and motorcycles that kick up dust in search of the Tankwa's greatest asset: space.
And where there are people, a farm stall will follow. These days there are four of them in the Tankwa! Here's your guide.
Tankwa Padstal
This is the unofficial headquarters of the region. Some weekends it gets so busy their fenced yard is packed with vehicles. Fortunately, there's always enough parking space outside - there are open plains in every direction! You only plant a farm stall in a place as harsh as the Tankwa if you're a dreamer. And if you don't back it up with hard work, then those dreams will be dashed by the first dust devil that rips through.
Owners Hein and Susan Lange were the dreamers, but they're also much more than that. Since opening their doors in June 2011, Tankwa Padstal has become a fulcrum of sorts - there aren't many visitors who don't stop to gawk at the UFO that "crash-landed" on the koppie in front of the building. Then there's the restaurant, bar and shop, where you can buy anything from a Slingsby map of the Tankwa to, well, pool cues...
At the restaurant you can order coffee (instant, filter, cappuccino...) or sit down for breakfast (different options for between R120 and R140), burgers and chips (R140 to R180) or toasted sandwiches with chips (R100 to R110). Remember, these prices can change at any time.
Dit verhaal komt uit de February/March 2025 editie van go! - South Africa.
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Dit verhaal komt uit de February/March 2025 editie van go! - South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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