Welcome
On this 12000 ha block of karoo land, you will find two four star guest houses situated
in the district of Hanover, in the Northern Cape Province namely: New Holme Karoo Guest Farm,
home of the Karoo Hippo Project under the management of owners, PC & Marisca Ferreira and
Mieliefontein Karoo Guest Farm under the management of owners, Ian & Elma Ferreira. At
Mieliefontein you will also find the Karoo Gariep abattoir which Ian Ferreira build in 1992.
Guests at Wolmade Self-Catering Lodge have access to all the activities on the conservancy,
also managed by Elma Ferreira.
New Holme and Mieliefontein, nestles in the vast scrubland which is the Karoo. More than two
hundred million years ago this landscape was part of a large lake and a vista dotted with
gigantic trees. Situated on the Seekoei (Hippopotamus) River, New Holme and Mieliefonteins’
intrigue relics, features, sites, structures and other phenomena, today bear mute testimony,
not only to this early ecological system, but to a subsequent human saga spanning millennia.
These farms are working farms where wool, ostrich, Karoo lamb, venison and beef are produced.
Seeing how farming is done in one of the harshest locations of our country, is informative,
as well as surprisingly interesting. Meet the unique people living here, hear traditional
stories and enjoy mouthwatering, proudly South-African food.
Karoo Gariep Conservancy offers a wide range of events and features that will make your
experience in the Karoo, a truly unforgettable one. Horse riding, donky-cart rides, fishing,
birding, safari's and mountain biking are just a few of the great activities that are available
to guests of the conservancy. Crystal clear Karoo skies also makes these venues ideal for
nightwalks and stargazing.
On July 15 2005, a team of conservation scientists consisting of Mnr. Wikus Vorster
(Pastures Consultant - University of the Free-State), Dr. Pierre du Toit (Professional Plant-
Pasture Specialist - Grootfontein Agricultural Development Institute) and Prof. Ordino Kok
(Professional Zoological Expert and Ecologist - University of the Free-State) conducted a study
to determine the viability of re-locating hippo's back into the Karoo.
Over several months, the study concluded that it would indeed be possible and after 230
years, the first hippo's were introduced back into the Karoo after becoming all but extinct
in the Northern Cape, following the total slaughter of these animals in the late 1800's.