Willowmore

Willowmore sits in Dr Beyers Naude Local Municipality, Sarah Baartman District, just off the N9 in the Karoo, 140km north-east of Knysna and 117km south-west of Aberdeen. The town was laid out in 1862 on the farm The Willows and officially established in 1864 when William Joseph Moore and his brother-in-law Frederick Lehmkuhl donated land to the Dutch Reformed Church. The name is a compound of Moore's first name and the willow trees on the original farm. A magistracy was established in 1874 and the town became a municipality in 1884.

Willowmore saw real action in the final stages of the Anglo-Boer War. Commandant Gideon Scheepers attacked the town twice, on 19 January and 1 June 1901. The war monuments in town record what happened. It is also one of the world's major centres of mohair production. The Angora goat farming that surrounds the town has made the Karoo here one of the most productive mohair regions on the planet for over a century. When you drive out in any direction, the goats are part of the landscape.

Willowmore is the western gateway to the Baviaanskloof, one of South Africa's great wilderness areas and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Whether you are heading through the full 4x4 traverse or exploring the accessible sections, Willowmore is where you buy food, fill your tank, and talk to someone who knows the current conditions. The Aasvoelberg overlooks the town from above and has trails for hikers and mountain bikers as well as coastal fynbos growing at an unusual inland altitude. The Pierre Ferreira Hiking Trail passes two old forts with panoramic views over the town.

The town has a buzz about it that you don't expect. A few good restaurants, a coffee shop that locals use every morning, shops that stock what you need, and a community that is used to visitors passing through and is comfortable with that. The wide main street, the old stoeps, and the slower pace make Willowmore a good place to stop for a day before heading into the wilderness that surrounds it.