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Farm Voorbedacht Maatjiesrivier, Oudtshoorn, Western Capeq, 6625, Cango Valley, Oudtshoorn, 01312, S
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Figo's shirt.
The front of the CP Nel Museum in Oudtshoorn
Cango Caves 5
Ostrich Oudtshoorn
This route is quite a new route, and includes six brandy cellars and one museum on its route.
The R62 Brandy Route has become quite popular of late, a good accompiament to the ever-popular wine route!
This route takes you to Worcester, Barrydale, Oudtshorn (photos) and De Rust, to name a few.
These towns are full of picturesque and character-filled buildings with historical architecture.
The CP Nel Museum is a good little museum in Oudtshoorn that is full of exhibits about the town and its history. There is an interesting section devoted to the ostrich trade, which made the town rich in the late 1800s. There are also a number of rooms which reproduce historic shops, offices, and other buildings from Oudtshoorn's past, including a pharmacy, a general store, a bank, and a synagogue. In addition, there are displays of china and silverware, old pianos and organs, antique cars and carriages, and furniture. There are also displays about the roles of Oudtshoorn's citizens in various wars. One of the most interesting displays in the museum was a display about Oudtshoorn's role in World War II as a haven for Polish war orphans.
The CP Nel Museum is housed in an interesting building which was built in the early 1900s and formerly contained a boy's school. The museum takes at least an hour to tour. We spent about 90 minutes and could have used a little more time.
The Cango Wildlife Ranch is a particular favourite for visitors, especially those with kids!
They have ostriches to ride on, cheetahs, Pygmy hippos, Nile crocodiles, white lions, Madagascar Ring-tailed Lemur, Campbell ducks, King Cobras and even Bengal tigers.
On their website they say 'Welcome to Cango Wildlife Ranch the conservation heart of the Little Karoo'
And they mean it.
They are a big part of the conservation process of various animals.. and many animals here arent local (South African, or even African!) animals, as seen in the list above.
They have breeding programs too, whcih mean some animals are only here for s short time, during their breeding season.
THE CHEETAH CONSERVATION FOUNDATION
This foundation was founded in 1988 and aims to ensure the survival of the cheetah and other endangered species. It is a registered non-profit organisation and depends on private funding and visitors to pay for the upkeep and ongoing running of the program.
They have an 'adopt a cheetah' facility, which is an excellent way to bring funds in for the cheetahs.
The Cango Wildlife Ranch is situated just outside Oudtshoorn in the Little Karoo, and since its inception in 1977 it has grown to become one of the largest tourist attractions of the region. Purchased as the Cango Crocodile Ranch by Andrew and Glenn Eriksen in 1986, the focus of the ranch shifted towards the plight of endangered species, and in line with this dedication it was expanded to include a number of big cats, with its first breeding programme focusing on the highly endangered Cheetah.
The Cango Wildlife Ranch and its breeding centre is carefully designed so that its more than 47 species of animals and reptiles can roam peacefully in comfortable natural enclosures, giving visitors the opportunity to closely observe, and in some cases, interact with a wide variety of unusual and endangered animals.
This is what Oudtshoorn is renowned for ~ Ostriches, camels and caves!
But there is a lot more to it than that, and I was surprised that the town was a lot bigger than I had pre-conceived, plus has so much in the way of history, architecture and culture.
If you are driving along the Garden Route, do make the detour up to Oudtshoorn... for a gander with some ostriches, a camel ride, some good food and an enjoyable cave experience!
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Address: Farm Voorbedacht Maatjiesrivier, Oudtshoorn, Western Capeq, 6625, Cango Valley, Oudtshoorn, 01312, S
