Bloemhof Click on a photo to enlarge it. Description: Bloemhof is only five kilometres off the main road but it?s a drive back in time to the glory days of the ostrich feather boom in the Great Karoo when people made great fortunes and built grand houses to match. Built in 1912 entirely by the farmer and a builder? with no recourse to an architect ? this homestead towers over its farmlands in double-storeyed splendour. Incorporating Cape Dutch, Victorian and Edwardian architectural styles, Bloemhof is one of only four such imposing dwellings in South Africa, and the only one of its kind in the Karoo. The Murray family has been on this remarkable farm since 1838. Your hosts, Ann and Walter, will keep you enthralled with tales of family warfare and sorrow down the generations. Their son, Julian, who currently farms the land, is the seventh generation to do so. You are welcome to join in whatever farming activity is on the go after your arrival, or you can go for a walk (perhaps to the Bushman engraving), or relax in colonial comfort. A visit to Bloemhof means living as the Murray ancestors lived. So pre-dinner drinks are served around the log fire in the sitting room, you join the family for a traditional dinner of Karoo lamb or farm venison, participate in lively exchange of ideas, and you retire to enormous bedrooms upstairs. As far as possible, the Murrays have retained period furniture and fittings. The "best" guest bedroom used to be the Bloemhof school room, next door was the governess? room. Another two double rooms, and two bathrooms, complete the B&B. All around the house runs a wide balcony, affording spectacular views over the Bloemhof lands. Lighting the verandah downstairs are original Victorian light fittings while, below that, is a drive-around driveway built to allow a horse and cart to enter and exit the property without any awkward turns. Children under 12 enjoy reduced rates while pets can expect a warm welcome. And everyone will be bowled over by old-time Karoo hospitality and an unforgettable historical experience. It was on Bloemhof in 1870, that the first ostrich company in the world was registered.Today they don't farm Ostriches - it is a game farm, but the main farming operations are wool and mohair. The small stock graze the indigenous vegetation on the farm, especially the Acacia trees and the Karoo bushes. Price Info:

Graaff-Reinet, Eastern Cape Address: Bloemhof Farm In-Room Facilities: None, or no information available On-Site Facilities: None, or no information available Close-By Facilities: None, or no information available

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