The Karoo, a vast semi-desert region stretching across South Africa, captivates the senses with its stark beauty and unique features. Renowned for its expansive horizons, diverse flora and fauna, and mesmerising geological formations, the Karoo offers photographers a wide canvas of extraordinary opportunity.
Douwe Vlok of Heuningland Tours, and well-known travel photographer, Toast Coetzer, are both born and bred in the Karoo. They have devised plans and routes to lead you on an astonishing journey along some of the roads less travelled in the Karoo. They will ensure you see some of their favourite places where you will be able to take inspiring and truly awesome photographs.
What you will experience
Extraordinary light
The Karoo's arid landscape is characterised by vast open spaces that allow sunlight to play a dynamic role throughout the day. There is a mesmerising interplay of light and shadow that enhances textures, highlights contours, and creates a visual spectacle extremely rewarding to capture.
A sparkling night sky tapestry
A landscape devoid of urban clutter, allows photographers to experiment with composition and space, nurturing every opportunity to create visually striking images. Immense skies provide breath-taking backdrops – especially at night when the brilliance and clarity of the stars can turn any photograph into a masterpiece of celestial art.
Dramatic contrasts
Nothing attracts a photographer more than vibrant contrasts. The Karoo has a mix of earthy colours, often complemented by wildflowers that bloom after a rare rainfall. The contrast between rocky landscapes and delicate splashes of colour creates a harmony of opposites, giving photographers superb natural light to capture the Karoo’s ever-changing beauty.
The blooming sands
The Karoo hosts a myriad of plant and animal species. Succulents, hardy shrubs, and resilient grasses create fascinating compositions for photographers. Wildlife, encompassing meerkats, aardvarks, reptiles, and a host of bird species, adds exciting elements of unpredictability to the broad photographic experience.
The rocking desert
The Karoo's geological formations have shaped the landscape over millions of years. Towering mesas of weathered rock present some awe-inspiring images. Stratified rock layers, eroded by wind and time, reveal intricate patterns and textures that make for compelling images and interesting stories.
The edge of the universe
Far from the light pollution of urban areas, the remote location of the Karoo makes it an ideal destination for astro-photography enthusiasts. Clear night skies offer a canvas filled with stars, constellations, and the great wheel of our own Milky Way. Photographers can capture the beauty of the universe against the silent backdrop of the Karoo landscape.
Our five-day tour
Day 1: Nelspoort & Theefontein
We meet at 11 am at Travalia Padstal next to the N1 near Three Sisters.
At the nearby forgotten railway town of Nelspoort, we visit something few South Africans know about: a rich collection of San rock etchings scattered over the koppies around the town. We will also see the famous gong rock, possibly used by the San during rain-making ceremonies. After a picnic lunch, we continue southwards to Theefontein, where we meet Karoo plant expert and renowned storyteller, Antoinette Pienaar. And tonight, you can be sure we will enjoy the Karoo stars in all their glory.
Day 2: Murraysberg & Vintage Car Museum
After breakfast at Theefontein, we visit a vintage car museum where we will get the chance to photograph classic cars in a private collection. Afterwards, we will enjoy a picnic lunch by the roadside, and Toast will share his landscape composition tips. After this, we take a backroad towards Murraysburg. If time allows, we will drive the Sneeuberg Loop, a gravel road with some spectacular scenery. For the next 2 nights, we stay at the Doornberg Guestfarm near Nieu-Bethesda.
Day 3: Stone Folk, Compassberg, and Nieu-Bethesda
We eat breakfast at Doornberg and then drive to Nieu-Bethesda where we visit the famous Owl House created by artist Helen Martins. Toast is at hand to explain how you can make the most of colours and textures, and how to create striking images by focusing on smaller details. After lunch we photograph Compassberg, the highest peak in the area. By late afternoon we visit the ‘Stone Folk’ on the farm Ongeluksloot. These stone statues (similar to those in the Kaokoveld) were created by artist Ryno Greeff. In the evening, we will enjoy a wholesome home-cooked dinner at the Doornberg farmhouse.
** Photographers can book feedback sessions with Toast for tonight during which he will provide constructive feedback on your best photos taken so far.
Day 4: Fossils and Ganora Guestfarm
After breakfast on the farm, we drive through Nieu-Bethesda to Ganora Guestfarm on the other side of town. Owner JP Steynberg takes us on a guided tour of their Fossil Museum which consists of not only fossils, but also stone tools collected over the years. It is one of the most impressive private collections in the country. We eat lunch at Ganora and then check into our rooms. In the afternoon we relax and later, with Toast at hand, enjoy all the photo opportunities of the homestead, kraals and farm animals.
**Photographers can book feedback sessions with Toast for tonight during which he will provide constructive feedback on your best photos taken so far.
Day 5: Waterval Farmstay, Graaff-Reinet
After breakfast we drive towards the Graaff-Reinet district. Once we turn off the tar road, we take a gravel road, looping past the foot of Nardousberg which often receives snow during winter. It is an area where few tourists go – and we can promise spectacular landscapes to photograph along the way. Today, we are hosted by Ansie Malherbe at Waterval Farmstay, where we eat lunch. In the afternoon, photographers gather for a portrait photo session with Toast, and the evening is spent with dinner around the campfire before retiring to your cottage – and homeward bound on the last day.
Find out more about this unique tour at:
https://heuningland.com/karoo-photography-tour
