The Touws River area is the doorway to the Karoo. When driving along the N1 from Cape Town (eastbound), you will notice an abrupt transition between the green valleys of the South Western Cape and the flat, arid plains of the Karoo. Looking out the window you will see Karoo bushes and possibly some white spots on the hillsides. These are merino sheep, the major source of income to the area. How these animals survive in these harsh conditions with Karoo bush as their staple diet is a scientific wonder. But, with an average farm size of 20000 hectares, it is even more incredible how the farmers manage to keep track of their flock! Besides sheep, the town of Touwsrivier offers other interesting attractions such as the graveyard of old steam engines and the Loganda pillars, used for astronomical calculations in the 1880’s. To the north is the popular Kaggakamma reserve with ancient bushman sites & paintings of up to 6000 years old. The reserve is also home to a variety of wildlife including gemsbok, kudu, springbok and eland.
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