The Boland air is crisp, our eyes puffy, and our voices soft as we head out to the Karoo Winter Wool Festival. Checklist: wallet, phone, my 35mm Olympus Infinity, black-and-white film, vellies, journal, cash (for the tollgate and pancakes!), ultra-hydrating moisturiser, socks, jackets, jerseys (plus an extra one – just in case). Okay, let’s go!
My mom and I have a long drive ahead of us. With each passing hour, our voices soften, humming to songs by Koos Kombuis and admiring the changing landscape – mountains morph into rounded koppies, horizons stretch further, grasses wave in the wind, showing off shades of soft greys and purples, and the Karoo heavens open. As we reach the last hour of our journey, we decide to squeeze in a quick detour to Nieu-Bethesda…
