Wild Camping Western Cape

Tandschoonmaak is a beautiful farm in the middle of the Tankwa Karoo with the Cederberg Mountains and Roggeveld Escarpment known for its remoteness and vast distances.

The wildlife is restricted to the typical arid area species. Springbok, Duiker, Steenbok, Cape fox, Bat eared fox, Black backed Jackal, Wild Cat, Cape wild cat, Caracal, Porcupine, Golden Mongoose, Cape mongoose, Suricate, Pole cat, Aardvark, Scrub hare, Cape hare, by repute Riverine rabbits and at least 7 species of rodent and a wide range of reptiles including some spectacular Cape Cobras. The bird life is of special interest to birders and tours visit the area regularly. In early spring, if there has been winter rain, the show of flowers rivals that of Namaqualand and over the years, with no sheep being brought in for winter grazing, the improvement in the distribution of the flowers on Tandschoonmaak is encouraging.

An astronomer’s dream, with unpolluted night skies and close to SALT, the largest single optical telescope in the Southern Hemisphere at Sutherland. Richest succulent floras and as a biodiversity hotspot, also of considerable interest to palaeontologists, with trilobite fossils commonly found. Carpets of pink vygies interspersed with patches of yellow from various members of the Asteraceae family.
Enjoy wildlife watching, botanising, fossil hunting, photographing, view gazing and relaxation.

The origin of the name appears to come from the very fine soft dust of gypsum that was sought after in the early days as a teeth-cleaning medium.

There is no electricity or phone reception, and the nearest town of Ceres is 80 km away along a gravel road so fill up with petrol and necessities in Ceres or Touwsrivier.