The water is not always here. It arrives with rain, sometimes spectacularly, occasionally destructively. The dense strip of mainly Vachellia karroo trees indicates the course it will take, sometimes adhered to for centuries.

The tree taproot search for moisture goes deep, ensuring green foliage even in drought. Faint whispers of wind through the leaves reveal that the water is not really far, only deep.

North of the Swartberg Mountains the Karoo offers spectacular vistas to travellers, particularly those that drive well below the speed limit and stop frequently to take it all in.