The Luxury of Time and Silence at Elandsberg Wilderness Camp.

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Time seems to stand still in the intense silence surrounding the remote Elandsberg Wilderness Camp somewhere in the Tankwa Karoo National Park. The silence is broken by an occasional whisper of wind that finds only us, the raw Roggeveld mountains and the spring beauty of the desert.

Silence is an increasingly rare commodity in a world where our time is more fragmented and unfocussed than ever. Here, on our Elandsberg patio, the Tankwa weaves a luxurious spell of stillness, stretching time and drawing our souls back towards us.

We’re conditioned to the constant sounds of our online lives beeping from our mobile phones. Finding the silence, or rather allowing the silence in, is difficult.At first, I felt lost without the modern comfort of instant connectivity, but then I realised that within the demanding immediacy of this marvellous tool, I have disconnected from myself.

And that silent reconnection is the gift Elandsberg Wilderness Camp offers me if I choose to open it.

But first,

Where is Elandsberg Wilderness Camp?

You’ll find Elandsberg Wilderness Camp tucked away deep in the heart of the Tankwa Karoo National Park somewhere in the abundant empty space between Calvinia, Ceres and Sutherland in the western part of South Africa’s Karoo region.

This is a remote place of never-ending semi-desert vistas. Of sand and stone plains bounded by ancient mountains whittled and folded by endless geological time. Knee-high succulents and scrub bushes dot the dusty plains, exploding into a riot of purple, yellow, orange and white flowers in the spring.

Getting to this part of the world isn’t always easy. Towards the end of the South African spring, we took what was supposed to be a two-day road trip from Johannesburg. But Mother Nature threw every rainy element in her arsenal at us in an attempt to prevent us from getting to Elandsberg Wilderness Camp.

Despite Mother Nature’s best efforts, we made it, arriving three days later than planned. If you would like to read about our quest to get here, click this link to the long way round to the Tankwa Karoo National Park.

Home is a Place Called Elandsberg Wilderness Camp.

Our cottage is one of ten scattered across the gentle contours of the Elandsberg. Each unit is carefully placed to ensure privacy and make you feel like you are the only ones in the Tankwa.

Stepping into the interior, the first thing that strikes you are the thoughtfully placed picture windows overlooking the plains and the Roggeveld mountains in each room. A floor-to-ceiling window and an opening stable door allow the Tankwa in while you shower.

But it is the eye-level window next to the toilet that makes me smile. Wherever you are in the cottage, the Tankwa will be with you.

Then you notice the old-fashioned building style inspired by the many ruins that dot the Tankwa landscape using local stone and bricks made from unbaked mud and straw.  This nod to the past continues with high wood and reed ceilings and a peach-pit kitchen floor.

There is a fireplace in the living area to ward off cold desert nights and a private splash pool for hot summer days set on an enormous, sheltered deck.

And the deck is where I begin to reconnect with myself. But before this can happen, I must accept the Tankwa paradox.

The Tankwa Paradox.

I first encountered the Tankwa paradox on the way to Elandsberg Wilderness Camp as we drove across endless plains that stretch across the landscape to distant horizons creased by blue mountains. The small rocks and shrubs dotted here and there don’t offer a frame of reference in this vast desert space.  

Now that we are no longer moving, my mind demands the comfort of a reference point or two nearby. But my eyes find nothing, not a single tree or object to settle upon. It’s perfectly quiet and odourless.

This is the Tankwa paradox. There is no middle ground here. Instead, I’m forced to choose between the little wildflowers and small field mice scampering from bush to bush in front of our cottage or the seemingly infinite desert space.

In accepting this strange, for a city-slicker, paradox, I forget about the outside world for a few days. It’s just us enveloped in Mother Nature’s silence and spring desert beauty, insignificant blips in geological time.

I have no idea where my mobile phone is, and I don’t care either.

It’s OK to Sit and Be.

The days drift by not too slowly and not too quickly, either. Other than the day-to-night transition, time loses all meaning in the intense silence of the Tankwa.

I read a little. I go for occasional walks. But mostly, I sit on the deck, embracing this rare gift of time and silence. It’s a reset that clears my head and stills my emotions, allowing me a guilt-free pause to sit and be.

In an age of constant distraction, nothing beats the luxury of time and silence in a place like Elandsberg Wilderness Camp because somewhere inside this long pause, we reconnect with ourselves.

Thank you for reading my blog post. I hope you found it informative and engaging. I would appreciate it if you shared your thoughts in the comments below.

Elandsberg Wilderness Camp Good to Know

Do You Need a 4×4 vehicle in the Tankwa Karoo National Park?

After our rainy adventures on the long way around the Tankwa and, finally, Elandsberg Wilderness Camp, I recommend a high-clearance 4×2 vehicle.  

Check-in.

Check-in is at Roodewerf reception, about 18 km from Elandsberg Wilderness Camp. The road to the camp is a rutted gravel track, so allow plenty of time to do this last leg of the trip.

To make an online booking for Elandsberg Wilderness Camp, click the link or call SANPark’s reservations at +27 (0)12428 9111.

Elandsberg Wilderness Camp is Truly Remote and Off-the-Grid.

There is a difference between knowing and understanding something. Of course, I knew when we booked that Elandsberg Wilderness Camp is a remote, off-the-grid location. That was part of the appeal of coming here. But I didn’t understand how isolated we would be.

‘If you have a problem, there’s an emergency radio at the entrance to the Elandsberg Wilderness Camp,’ the Roodewerf check-in clerk informs me.

Her words only filter into my pea brain when we finally see our isolated cottage gleaming in the first sunlight we’ve seen in days.

This isolation is a reality check, and now, I understand we are truly on our own here.

There are no shops, petrol stations or restaurants nearby. You’ll find those in the nearest town, Calvinia, which is 110 kilometres away.

What to Pack?

The cottages run off solar power, so there are lights, a fridge, and a microwave. The kitchen has a two-plate gas hob, pots and pans and all the necessary crockery and cutlery. So, you only need to take your food and drink.

And if you need firewood, you can buy that when you check in at Roodewerf reception.

Don’t forget to pack for weather extremes. There were days when we wore our thick jackets and others that were so hot that we wore almost nothing.

There is little to do here.

Except embrace the silence. As my favourite author, Pico Iyers puts it, ‘Silence is something more than just a pause; it is that enchanted place where space is cleared and time is stayed and the horizon itself expands.’

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DISCLOSURE: I don’t have any commercial relationship with SANParks or any of their affiliates.  All photographs, experiences and opinions expressed in this blog post are my own.