Farm Road

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    Loeriesfontein Windmill Trail

    ByMtbApp

    Loeriesfontein occupies a unique place in the Northern Cape landscape — the self-declared capital of Bushmanland, set in a flat Hantam basin surrounded by low mountains and sandy plains, 65km north of Calvinia on the R357. The town is known locally for one extraordinary attraction: the Fred Turner Windpump Museum, a free open-air collection of 27 working windpumps from South Africa, the United States, Canada, England and Australia that was assembled in the school playground at the request of Dr James Walton — a Cape Town-based engineer and windmill obsessive who put out a national appeal for windpump collections. Loeriesfontein was the only respondent. The result is one of the most unusual and genuinely delightful museums in South Africa: the Atlas Ace, the Conquest, the Australian Southern Cross, the English Hercules, the American Aeromotor, the Canadian North, the Star Zephyr — all creaking and spinning in the Bushmanland wind that never seems to stop.

    The Cycling

    The 45km Loeriesfontein Plains Loop follows farm gravel roads through the flat semi-arid terrain surrounding the town — a quiet, meditative ride through typical Bushmanland landscape where the working windmills on every farm horizon are the primary visual reference. Every 15-20km, a windmill marks a water trough — historically the only reliable water source for stock and human travellers across the Bushmanland plains, and still functioning today as it did when the first Trek Farmers crossed this country.

    The Gannabos Quiver Tree Forest (20km return, southeast toward Nieuwoudtville) adds one of the most visually spectacular elements of Namaqualand landscape to the day: a dense grove of wild quiver trees (Aloe dichotoma) that is among the largest in southern Africa, with specimens reaching 8 metres in height and their distinctive bottle-shaped forms casting long afternoon shadows across the rocky koppie terrain.

    Getting There

    Loeriesfontein is on the R357 between Calvinia and the Kamiesberg, 65km north of Calvinia. GPS: -30.9333, 19.4333. From Cape Town: N7 north to Vanrhynsdorp, R27 east to Nieuwoudtville, R357 north to Loeriesfontein (460km total). No fuel station — fill up in Calvinia before arriving.

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    Olifants River Valley Gravel Routes

    ByMtbApp

    The Olifants River Valley is one of South Africa’s most productive agricultural regions — a fertile corridor between Citrusdal and Vanrhynsdorp where citrus, wine grapes, olives and rooibos are grown under a climate of extreme summer heat and gentle winter sun. For gravel cyclists, the valley offers a distinctly different landscape to the Winelands and Garden Route: wide open, sparsely populated agricultural roads with minimal traffic, big mountain backdrops and the ever-present Olifants River providing shade and wildlife on riverside routes.

    The Routes

    The valley floor loops around Citrusdal are accessible to most riders — flat farm roads through orange and citrus orchards on low-traffic gravel with the Skurweberg and Cederberg mountains as a constant backdrop. The Piekenierskloof Pass (27km ascent from the valley floor, 760m summit) is the most popular climbing challenge — a scenic mountain pass linking the Olifants River Valley to Piketberg that has drawn cyclists for decades, particularly on the early-morning ascent with the Olifants River valley spread out below. The Nieuwoudt Pass provides the classic approach from Citrusdal into the Cederberg Wilderness for those combining valley riding with the more serious MTB terrain at Algeria (see Cederberg MTB Trails listing).

    The Bulshoek Dam section of the Olifants River is excellent for birdwatching rides — the dam and river support a rich variety of water birds and the road along the river carries minimal traffic.

    Practical Notes

    Summer riding in the Olifants River Valley is genuinely dangerous — Citrusdal regularly records temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius in December and January. If visiting in summer, rides must be completed before 7am. The best time to visit is orange blossom season (approximately July-August) when the valley fills with the scent of citrus flowers and the scenery is extraordinary.

    Getting There

    Citrusdal is 200km from Cape Town via the N7 north. GPS: -32.5833, 19.0167. Tel Citrusdal Tourism: +27 22 921 3210.