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Tesserlaardal, the best kept secret
In the heart of the Cape Overberg, roughly 21 kilometres from Caledon and the N2, lies the quaint, virtually unheard of village of Tesselaarsdal. It is one of those little towns that is close to everything - 38 kilometres from Stanford, 45 kilometres from Hermanus - with beautiful scenery and a series of agricultural small holdings that are selling fast to a group of artists and organic small holders who have discovered that Tesselaarsdal is probably
the best kept secret for miles around.
Lots of space to be rehabilitated on the farm
The village, once you are there, invites strolling, not least for the views, the rolling hills and the incredible vistas of fynbos.
Tesselaarsdal is part of a new route, known as the Cape Country Meander. Small wonder that holiday homes, artist's studios and hideouts are emerging in Tesselaarsdal, or that a group of potters, known simply as Bakgat, make this their home, where they process their own clay and grow a whole lot of ingredients for a series of sauces they produce in their kitchen, including the herbs they grow themselves. The sauces and relishes are then placed in some of the practical pottery and sold all over the Western Cape.
The Post-Office, wonderful eateries and fresh produce
It is also home to the farm “Terraheim”, owned by the McKerchar family who have been inspired to green their farm to it’s once Rhenorsterveld splendor. Olivia Gibbs, inspired by the Peace tree Pilgrimage project has already donated hundreds of Aloe Plants and 108 Olive trees as her contribution to the “108km, 108 trees Campaign”, to inspire locals in the area to do the same.
It is with great excitement that we arrived in Tesslaarsdal to the warm welcome and delicious food in the quaintest local restaurant in what was once the local “Post Office”
Although Arbour month is the wrong time of the year to plant trees in the Western Cape, several of the trees have arrived and the Mckerchar family have promised to nurture them until we are able to fulfill our promise of walking into the farm in April to plant the 108 trees.
We will be inviting locals and visitors to join us over a weekend where we will gather around the fire, share our food and join the Pilgrims as we gather to celebrate The Treevolution and a new route of the Peace tree Pilgrimage.