In the summertime when the weather is high, you can stretch right up and touch the sky…♪ ♪♪
This is what a summer holiday on Doornbosch Estate feels like! Summers in the Overberg are often hot, dry, and dusty, so it’s a bonus to find a farm such as Doornbosch that has an ample supply of water. Natural springs from underground aquifers spill into the streams. This unique “teewater” is usually golden brown in colour, caused by the organic plant material, and is potable, healthy and tastes so sweet! Doornbosch is a working farm so there is always work to do and you can always partake in certain farming activities. Checking livestock is a daily occurrence on farms in the Overberg in summer, not only to check that water troughs are full but to check for “Rooiwater” (Babesioses) in the cattle. This is a fatal tick-borne disease caused by the babesia bigemina or babesia bovis parasites. Early detection is important to save the animal and a regular dipping programme keeps the ticks at bay. Food for livestock is a priority in summer, especially for the pregnant cows and heifers. Land preparation for hay crops occurs in late summer/autumn and the hay bales or silage (fermented fodder) is fed to the stock in the summer months along with various licks. Alien clearing is an ongoing task and costs a lot of money and time. Rooikrans (Acacia cyclops), Port Jackson (Acacia Saligna), Australian myrtle, Pines, and Hakea (Hakeadrupacea) are just a few of the many varieties of invasive species that are a threat to the biodiversity of this area. They deplete the underground water resources and are a huge fire risk. So ……. you can learn a lot on a summer holiday at Doornbosch. Book now and enjoy the luxury of our well-equipped guest houses.