Tag Archives: dams

A memorable stay on Landmeterskop

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Dear Valerie

Thank you again so much for the most wonderful time spent on Landmeterskop farm.

Not only did Mila have a fantastic time but so did we. From the accommodation, to the Du Bois home styled cooking everything was delicious and beautiful.

We would also like to give Tsala a special mention… she had such a good way with Mila, always including her and making her feel part of the “group”.

We certainly will be returning with friends.

Gosh, was it hard waking up this morning and going to work.

I have attached a few pictures of our stay.

Regards

Nadine and Allan

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Country weekend – Landmeterskop Farm by Megan Smith

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Megan Smith who with her family spent a weekend at Landmeterskop at the beginning of December wrote about us on her blog:
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After a friend told us about the peaceful weekend they spent at Landmeterskop Farm in the Cape Overberg near Stanford, I knew that it was the perfect place for a family weekend at the end of a busy year. I made a booking and last weekend we packed the car and headed off to this sheep farm in the country. Owners Valerie and Theuns Steenkamp go out of their way to make your stay special and relaxing. The unique touches throughout our self-catering cottage and endless roaming space for our boys made Landmeterskop thoroughly memorable.
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Although we don’t live in the city, our busy lifestyle keeps us running most of the time. A country weekend complete with farm animals and swims in the dam is the perfect antidote to the active way of life most of us lead. How can you not relax when you’ve got nothing to do and all day to do it? I even got a chance to do a little painting. Bliss.
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Continue reading on my blog Dressed by Style and I’ll take you on a tour of our Merino Cottage and then on to some farmyard fun…

Landmeterskop going more green with Grass Carp 

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Last week we released five grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) into one of our dams to control the aquatic weed populations. The stocking of this species is strictly controlled by a permit system and only after a biomass assessment and investigation of our water resource, we obtained a permit to stock 5 sterile (triploid), species pure, disease free, tagged fish from De Rust Grass Carp Farm, Bonnievale, who is one of our leading accredited producers.

The grass carp is a herbivorous, freshwater fish species of the family Cyprinidae, and the only species of the genus Ctenopharyngodon. It is cultivated in China for food, but was introduced in Europe, the United States, and during the 1970s in South Africa also, as a biological control agent for aquatic weed control. No indigenous fish species is as effective in the control of aquatic vegetation as the grass carp.

Grass carp have elongated, chubby, torpedo-shaped body forms. The terminal mouth is slightly oblique with non-fleshy, firm lips, and no barbels. The complete lateral line contains 40 to 42 scales. Broad, ridged, pharyngeal teeth are arranged in a 2,4 – 4,2 formula. The dorsal fin has eight to 10 soft rays, and the anal fin is set closer to the tail than most cyprinids. Body colour is dark olive, shading to brownish-yellow on the sides, with a white belly and large, slightly outlined scales.

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A grown grass carp (Image:Wikipedia)

The grass carp grows very rapidly. Young fish stocked in the spring at 20 cm will reach over 45 cm by fall. The average length is about 60–100 cm. The maximum length is 1.4 m and the maximum weight 40 kg. According to one study, they live an average of five to 9 years, with the oldest surviving 11 years. They eat up to three times their own body weight daily. They thrive in small lakes and backwaters that provide an abundant supply of freshwater vegetation, preferring large, slow-flowing or standing water bodies with vegetation.

We are aware of the controversy over the introduction of exotic fish species into our local water bodies, and that the grass carp is amongst these species concerned. But, they are without a doubt one of the best fighting freshwater fish in our country, and a “greener option” as they:

  • Eliminates vegetation cost effectively (cheaper than by herbicides or manually).
  • Is safer and environmentally friendlier than control by chemicals and herbicides.
  • These fish live long and control vegetation over many seasons.

 

 

 

Fly and trout fishermen, get your lures and fishing tackle ready!!!

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Right now there is a new buzz of diggers on Landmeterskop as our dams are being enlarged. Soon the waters will be stocked with trout, and we would have another delightful pastime added to the long list of activities guests can enjoy on Landmeterskop – trout fishing! The ideal way to get the busyness of the corporate world out of your mind and completely wind down. As one of our local trout fishermen said: ‘It’s mental therapy. You’re just focused on water. It’s like you’re working out a puzzle, and you’re completely transported.’

Our amazing first holiday season!

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We’ve done it! We have our first holiday season behind us. And what an amazing season! We were fully booked, and had the most wonderful guests staying in our cottages and The Homestead, and enjoying our farm! Can it be only four months since we opened our doors?! The Homestead, although only partially renovated when we started letting it in December, has proven a big hit for larger groups and families. And on request we are now busy renovating the last two rooms and bathroom, and would soon be able to accommodate 4 more people in The Homestead! We are so happy that our guests are taking full advantage of everything we have to offer and for the short time that they are here become a part of our daily farming activities. But read for yourself what our guests have to say and enjoy these photos of the views and children having fun!

And this is what some of our guests had to say:

If you are seeking peace and solitude, these delightful, tastefully decorated cottages deliver in every respect. Private and offering a true sense of remoteness on a beautiful farm, the owners could not have done more to make us feel truly welcome! Thank you for a perfect stay. (Amanda Francis-Pope, visited December 2013)

What a beautiful place and what fantastic lodging! We couldn’t have chosen a lovelier place for our big family holiday. We spread ourselves between the homestead and one of the enchanting cottages (both gorgeous, immaculately clean, charming and comfortable way above average). The set-up catered for all the varying ages, the kids loved the farm vibe, milking the goats, feeding the lambs and collecting the chicken eggs in the morning (with the delicious bonus of eating them), the teenagers enjoyed the wonderful dam swimming and paddle on the rowing boat. In the evening we all had fun playing board games around the outside porch braai area. The lovely owners were incredibly generous with their time and knowledge too. Highly recommend this place for big families in the homestead or romantic getaways in the cottages. (A Treppo, visited December 2013)

I do not give this little gem in the Overberg a 5-star rating without any thought. Everything on this beautiful farm, from the warm and inviting hostess (and her lovely husband), to the well-cared for sheep, the cheeky goats to the charming cottages, shouts, “5 stars!”. Everything has been thought of; hot water bottles, lavender bath salts, fresh flowers in the bathrooms and kitchen. It is so clear that Valerie has put her heart and soul into making sure that her guests have a wonderful stay. And we did! Valerie was generous with her time, and her enthusiasm for their farm is contagious. I had a chance to meet their Alpaca (who thinks he’s a sheep – get the full story from Valerie herself), check out the new born sheep, meet the ducks (not just any ducks… chocolate brown ducks, caramel ducks, and they are bringing in even more interesting breeds too), and of course milk the goats. (Well I didn’t milk her per say, but I drank fresh goat’s milk the whole weekend!). We went in winter, and when we weren’t lazily exploring the green expanse that is their farm, we cuddled with blankets by the crackling fireplace. I cannot wait to go in summer, and swim in one of their fabulous (and clean) dams. I could continue to rave on and on, especially about how tastefully the cottages are decorated, or how relaxed we were when we got home. Bottom line, book now. I’m already organizing our next visit. (Talya Kahan, visited September 2013)

I almost don’t want to tell anyone how amazing this cottage is, because we want to be able to return again and again, and when word gets out, I think there will be a long waiting list! Such a beautiful farm with exquisite attention to detail in the cottages. Waking up to the bleating of little lambs as they cavort and play all around the cottage. Coffee and rusks in the sun strewn dining room. A cozy and romantic fireplace to cuddle up to at night. A challenging run up the mountain on Sunday morning. Brilliant sunset and outdoor braai. Very comfy double bed (my personal grading criteria!). A short weekend away that felt like a two week holiday – such awesome restoring of the soul! (Linda Els, visited October 2013)

What a lovely few days we had. Our family really needed a break and we were so pleased with our choice. If you are looking for the beauty of nature and a very clean and well equipped cottage with very friendly and helpful hosts then this is the one. It was a wonderful farm experience. We can not wait for our next visit. (Jackie Richardson, visited September 2013)

The stay was amazing and then I got physically ill! Even then, Valerie (our host) literally nursed me whilst I was in bed trying to recover and kept an eye on the kids too. The view outside our cottage was idyllic and exactly what we needed to recoup. I will definitely recommend and visit Landmeterskop again and again. (Faatin Bux, visited October 2013)

I had an incredible time. The accommodation was exceptional and the farm itself is beautiful and peaceful. Furthermore, the hosts were extremely welcoming and I will most certainly return for another vacation. (Branden de Jager, visited August 2013)

A wonderful place to forget all you’re problems in the real world. The scenery is stunning and the hosts cater to your every need. Look forward to visiting many times in the future. (George Oberholzer, visited August 2013)

I wish we could give more than 5 stars for this gorgeous farm! Valerie has thought of absolutely everything, the amenities of a 5 star guest house with 2 star prices. I cannot praise this farmstay highly enough. The ‘Homestead” is beautifully furnished down to a cupboard full of brand new board-games (unlike the tatty collection you normally find). The dam with its tractor tyres, diving jetty and all the animals, what more could we want. (Micki Evans, visited January 2014)

We stayed at the Landmeterskop homestead with friends for four days over Christmas. We had a wonderful time. The homestead is beautifully decorated in a traditional farm style, and it is immaculately clean. The setting is absolute tranquility on a working sheep farm. I had forgotten how delicious a fresh free range egg and fresh goat’s milk can be. The owners were away whilst we were there, but the lady who had been left to take care of us, Tsala, was brilliant, her hospitality was 5-star, she is a beautiful lady and a credit to Landmeterskop, in fact all of the staff we met were great, they all made us feel at home. The farm is easily accessible from Cape Town, not far from Stanford, it is ideal for a weekend getaway. (Martin Connolly, visited December 2013)

Absolutely loved it! Our kids milked goats and drank the milk, hand-fed lambs and collected free-range eggs for breakfast. We had such a relaxed experience. The house is big and the perfect farmhouse, even a Miele fridge in the kichen so luxurious! It was quite hot but there are fans in all the bedrooms so we slept well. The staff were incredible, very friendly and went out of their way to make our stay enjoyable. We will definitely be back. (Linda Kemp, visited January 2014)

This place is fantastic! We took two families and 4 children from 2-7 yrs old and they all loved it. There are lots to do on the farm, feeding the animals and collecting the eggs was a daily highlight. The homestead is beautifully decorated and has everything you need, it’s so spacious and there is plenty of room for the kids to run around. The hosts are so friendly and you won’t want for anything. This is going to fast become a favourite and we can’t wait to go back. (Justine Huizinga, visited December 2013)