Just south of the similarly tiny Bitterfontein, the hamlet of Nuwerus can be found at the N7 and Route 363 crossroads between Garies and Vanrhynsdorp. Residents describe it as a small, rural community located in the Hardeveld, a region of the Succulent Karoo Biome that is home to a variety of rare species. This place has a quiet beauty that isn’t immediately apparent but that may be appreciated with time and stillness.
With the exception of a tourism information office and the SAPS, Nuwerus is the kind of town that can summarize its amenities in a nutshell: a post office, a convenience store, an ATM, and a laundry facility. This does not imply that the small town lacks gravity. In addition to being the only full corrugated iron house in the nation, Nuwerus also features some lovely Victorian structures and a Dutch Reformed church that is well worth visiting.
Its diminutive size is arguably its saving grace because so few communities nowadays still have their original character. In the instance of Nuwerus, the town would not even exist if it weren’t for the fact that it would have been impossible to send a mail with only one group of horses from Vanrhynsdorp to Garies.
So the horses that needed to rest were placed in stables, and this became a halfway house with the rather crude name of Aardvarkgat (ant eater’s hole). It also provided a space for cyclists to relax. The very unsightly name was soon altered to Nuwerus or fresh rest.
Why go there? to hike and mountain bike, to observe the flowers in season, and to get authentic rural hospitality.
Nuwerus Map
Nuwerus is a settlement in Matzikama Municipality, West Coast District in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Village 16 km southeast of Bitterfontein and 70 km northwest of Vanrhynsdorp. The name is Afrikaans and means ‘new rest’.
Nuwerus Accommodation
Hardeveld Lodge
Kobus and Fey, the lodge’s owners, run a modest lodge called Hardeveld Lodge (who have been in the tourism industry since 1986). 360 kilometres north of Cape Town in the quaint small community of Nuwerus, this lodge is conveniently located on the N7 route that connects Cape Town with Namibia.
It serves as the ideal rest stop between Namibia and Cape Town, a base from which to discover the region’s wonders or a place to stay for those employed there. or for that long weekend trip. The lodge offers Self Catering, Bed and Breakfast and Dinner, Bed and Breakfast options. Breakfast and dinner times are flexible as well as arrival and departure times. They are pet friendly.