• Explore the area
    Explore the area

Activities in the Area

Tourists visit Sutherland throughout the year, in winter to experience the snow and cold, in summer to watch the stars, in spring for plates of flowers after good winter rains or to experience the Karoo with its wildness. With icy nights, the mercury can drop to minus 15 and it is possible that the water in the water pipes is frozen in the morning. Buy some Karoo lamb at the local butchery before heading home.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT SUTHERLAND

The town was named after Reverend Henry Sutherland the village's first minister. 

The town has produced several celebrities among others. poet brothers NP van Wyk Louw and WEG van Wyk Louw who won six Hertzog awards for literature. 

Then also for Dr. Henry Olivier, he was the chief engineer of the Kariba, PK le Roux (now Vanderkloof), Hendrik Verwoerd (now Gariep) Cabora Basa and Owen Falls dams. He was also involved in dam-building projects in Pakistan, Iran, and India.  Dr. Olivier was the designer of floating docks with the Allies' invasion of Normandy in 1944. 

He is an honorary citizen of Sutherland, his birthplace. In 1994, he was nominated by the American Biographical Institute as the Man of the Year for his civil engineering work. Queen Elizabeth II honored him in 1984 with the award as "Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George". In 1992, F.W. de Klerk honored him with a gold medal 

Dr. Olivier obtained two doctorates from the universities of London and the Witwatersrand. He received three honorary doctorates from the universities of Cape Town, the then Rhodesia, and the Orange Free State.

Among the seven books he wrote are "Dam It." 

Please follow our local museum on Facebook - Louwhuis & Museum Sutherland  for the latest info about workshops and fundraisings.

Things to do

Visit Planetarium

Make a booking to watch 3D Digital shows during the day. They also do stargazing at night at the Planetarium.

Die Tolhuis

Visit uncle Tjol at his local pub in Verlatenkloof pass.

NG Church

The historical NG Church on the main road of Sutherland.  Designed by architect Charles Freeman, the church was occupied by British soldiers during the Anglo Boer War before it could be consecrated!  Graffiti scribbled on the walls and a door by the British troops is still visible in the church.  

Graveyards

If you are a historian or have an interest in graves of the Anglo Boer war then the Sutherland graveyards will hold an interest for you.  The graveyards are unique for their gravestones etched using handmade sandstone tools.  War graves from the Anglo Boer war are in the English graveyard (left-hand side as you enter town) where one soldier is named on two gravestones!  This soldier received a communal burial after drowning in a flash flood and a military cross was awarded later by the British government which was placed in the same graveyard.  A Jewish graveyard (at the local graveyard left in the corner) is the resting place of some of Sutherland's business owners. 

Drive out for the day

  • To Williston 140km via the R354 route.  Don’t miss the Mall. 
  • To Fraserburg 108km via R356 route 
  • To Matjiesfontein 110km via the R354 route.  Visit the village with its famous hotel, car museum, and museum at the railway station.  
  • From Sutherland drive down Ouberg Pass and up with Gannaga Pass.  Drive in at Gannaga Lodge at the top for a snack or a drink.  Warm friendly locals.  Then to Middelpos and back to Sutherland with the R354. Gravel road all the way takes the spare wheel with!  
  • Middelpos Boerboels of Koos Vd Westhuizen is famous countrywide. 
  • Scenic drives:   Gannaga Pass.  The Gannaga Pass is a magnificent gravel road descending 548 meters through the Roggeveld Mountains from the high plateaux near Middelpos and levels off on the endless plains of the Tankwa Karoo.  The pass does not break any records in terms of altitude, gradient or length, but it possesses an almost ethereal quality from a combination of graceful curves, raw mountain beauty, and scope of vision that is rarely repeated in other passes.  
  • Ouberg Pass.  It is a much-preferred gravel road pass by adventure travelers.  It is an impressive pass with an altitude gain of 820 meters over 10,4km to produce a stiff average gradient of 1:13 but the steepest parts are at 1:5 – which are very steep! 
    Tankwa Karoo National Park 103km via R356 route – Possible to drive Gannaga Pass and Ouberg Pass doing a circle route back to Sutherland via R354. 

Popular Activities

  • Horse riding 28km outside Sutherland. Only by appointment.  
  • Drive the mountain route on Klipkraal to Blouheuwel camp lookout point and stand amazed at how close you are to SALT on top of the mountain, enjoy a picnic here.
  • Do a walking tour with Sutherland on Foot and get a glimpse of the towns history and historical buildings. 
  • Visit SALT for a much promising day tour.  Bookings must be done and paid online www.saao.ac.za
  • Visit a local pub and enjoy stories of the locals while drinking a beer.
  • Do a fossil tour with local geologist Jaco.  A not to be missed tour!

Please ask us for contact numbers of activities you are interested in, it is also in the info files in the house or cottage.

Visit SALT

Visit SALT for a much promising day tour. Bookings must be done and paid online www.saao.ac.za

Louwhuis & Museum, Sutherland

Please follow our local museum on Facebook - Louwhuis & Museum, Sutherland - for the latest info about workshops and fundraisings.