SILVER STAR DIRT RIDE
Silver Star Ride is all about experiencing the vast vistas of the Great Karoo and the beauty of the night skies. This experience is an incredible opportunity to enjoy the expansive stark beauty of the landscape, juxtaposed with a night sky, bursting at the seams with stars, as you’ve never seen before. It’s about riding the remote countryside and discovering the quirky aspects of Karoo life; great open spaces, mountains you’ve never heard of, herds of Barbary sheep from North Africa, and the quaint corbelled architecture of the local homes. The two host farms, Zeekoegat and Stuurmansfontein, are steeped in rich history; Zeekoegat with the wool boom of the 1950s and Stuurmansfontein with the era of the corbelled homes. The best part of this adventure is sitting back at night, after a day’s ride, and experiencing Karoo hospitality in faraway frontier country.
ITINERARY
The Silver Star ride is five days and four nights. Three days of which are spent riding on these two remote Karoo farms and their expansive surroundings. The riding is easy on predominantly jeep track, sheep track and farm roads. Total distance to be covered is 125 km of breathtakingly beautiful Karoo land.
DAY 1:
Arrive at Zeekoegat Country House at 17h00
Ride brief at 18h00
Dinner 18h30
Overnight at Zeekoegat Country House, Carnavon. Settle into your accommodation at their tastefully restored stone cottages.
Dinner is served at the manor house at 18h30
Cash bar
DAY 2:
Barbary Ride
The 40 km with 380 m elevation route will take you on farm tracks looking for herds of Barbary Sheep, originally from North Africa. There is also an array of local antelope, which could be spotted on the day's ride. There will be snacks and refreshments available at the halfway point.
Overnight at Zeekoegat Country House
Breakfast served at 07h30
Ride starts at 07h00, coffee and rusks at 06h30
Breakfast in the veld 7km into the ride
Lunch 12h30 at the boma
Afternoon spent at your leisure
Dinner 18h30
Cash Bar
Enjoy the night skies
DAY 3:
Rock Art Ride
45 km with 290 m elevation. Day 3 is not only about the stunning ride on gravel roads, but the potential of you finding a Khoisan rock etching that has not yet been discovered. Two such findings happened on our first tour in the area, an Eland and a Rhino.
The ride starts with an easy 25km gravel stretch, where we will meet Ryan, an incredible local, who is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the surrounding flora and fauna. He will take us on a 30 minute walk in the veld, viewing Khoisan etchings with an opportunity of finding new ones. From here, after some ice cold refreshments, we cycle the last 20km on jeep track back to Zeekoegat from a delicious lunch. There are many farm dams on the ride, in which you can swim and cool down.
Overnight at Stuurmansfontein Corbelled House, these unique corbelled houses which are a national monument.
Breakfast 07h30
Ride starts 08h15
Lunch 14h00 at Zeekoegat
Shower and refresh 15h00
Depart for Stuurmansfontein at 16h00, +- 1h30 drive
Check in on arrival
Dinner 18h30
Cash Bar
DAY 4:
Corbelled Ride
38.7km of riding on a 20000-hectare working farm. You will mostly enjoy Jeep and sheep tracks that have been created over many years of farming. This is remote farming country under unforgettable African skies.
Overnight at Stuurmansfontein Corbelled House
Breakfast 07h30
Ride starts at 08h30
Lunch at 14h30
Afternoon at leisure
Dinner 18h30
Cash Bar