Last Updated on July 18, 2020 by Lucienne
Coming home after Christmas from Cape Town to Johannesburg we stayed a night in the Free State. In a previous post I described our night on the road on the way to the Cape. This post is about our return trip.
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On our return trip we found a small cottage farm stay called
Kleinzuurfontein Farm Cottage. Kleinzuurfontein is on the R715 halfway between Springfontein and Bethulie. We thought a night on a farm out in the open would be a good idea before getting back to the city.
Arriving at Kleinzuurfontein Farm Cottage
On our way from Cape Town to Johannesburg we arrived at our night stay in the Free State. We arrived in a true late afternoon highveld thunderstorm. The sky was black and the rain was pelting down. Flashes of lightning danced across the sky followed by claps of thunder. It made my hair stand on end.
We sat in the car waiting for the rain to die down before exploring our farm stay cottage. A message from Mia on the way indicated that they would be away and that we could make ourselves at home. Being a Sunday evening and the last Sunday of the year there really was no-one about. We let ourselves in the open door. The beds were freshly made up and there were cold beers in the fridge. The newly prepared tray of tea made it evident that we were expected.
Bethulie on the Last Sunday of the Year
Settled into our cottage we decided to explore Bethulie which was a few kilometers down the road. A good Free State meal would go down well before turning in for the night. Mia had suggested that the ‘Ou Kar’ restaurant was well worth a visit.
Bethulie on the last Sunday evening of the year was the quietest place. We found the ‘Ou Kar’ restaurant in the single main street but there was no-one about. The other three restaurants that we found in the small town were just as quiet. Where was everyone?
A Peaceful Evening in the Free State
Fortunately not all was lost. Returning to our quiet farm stay I decided to prepare an evening picnic with the padkos I had for the next day. What a lovely evening the three of us had.
Our little girl found a swing just her size. Her excited chatter ringing through the still evening air was punctuated by the squeak-squeak of the swing. We enjoyed our meal looking over the small pond in front of the cottage. The changing orange of the evening sky reflected beautifully off the glassy surface of the water.
The quiet was briefly interrupted by the rumble of a diesel train going slowly past the farm. Amazingly, there is a station just in front of the cottage where the train stopped for a few minutes. We waved to the driver and he returned our wave just as enthusiastically. What the stop was for is a mystery, as there was no movement on or off the train. With that, we turned in for the evening.
A Bustling Monday Morning
The next morning I took the opportunity to explore and take some pictures in the morning light. I found a lonely horse in a paddock. He reminded me of ‘Big Red’ from Secretariat. I put my hand out to touch his nose but he made it clear that I was interrupting his morning. I left him standing there in the sparkling dew of the morning. We had to get back on the road.
By 7am the scene of the previous evening and early morning changed completely. The farm came to life. People appeared for work and with them dogs came running around the lawn to mark their territory. The sound of pumps and tractor engines filled the air. Where had everyone come from?
While we didn’t have the pleasure of meeting Mia, we were glad to meet her father and sister. Such lovely down to earth people. Grateful to have had one last peaceful evening, we got back on the road to return to our busy Johannesburg lives.
Are you travelling from the Cape Town to Johannesburg and need a night in the Free State? I can highly recommend Kleinzuurfontein for a quiet night stop over. Looking for accommodation in Johannesburg? Why not stay in our Cosy Garden Cottage.
Thank you for reading my post. Please follow the links below to read more about our Airbnb travel experiences.
Johannesburg to Cape Town with a night in the Karoo
Explore Urban Gardening with a Farmer
If you would like to book any of the places I’ve stayed follow this link. As an Airbnb Associate, I earn when you book through this link. Thank you for your support.
A lovely read. I felt that I had personally experienced the peace and quiet of the still Sunday evening on the farm..