Noukloof – Pad Bokant Huis

In retrospect, my childhood on an isolated KZN Midlands farm without electricity seems idyllic. Even years later, as an adult visiting on holiday, the lack of electricity and Wi-Fi meant that life slowed down, limited to a cocoon of immediate surroundings and family. Suddenly small details – so often overlooked in frenetic city life - became valuable and precious. Located in the mist belt of KwaZulu-Natal, the area may experience freezing weather year-round. Some of my best memories include coming in from the veld to the kitchen heated by the wood-burning stove with my mother cooking a pot of something fragrant…

In 2026, the homestead and all the outbuildings have been destroyed; stripped of any useful materials. The approximate 100 years of commercial farming can be traced in ruins and a few hardy exotics valiantly blooming amongst weeds and grasses.

Travelling to the farm on the familiar roads, however, allow fleeting glimpses of unchanged landscape. For brief moments it’s possible to imagine that Pa will still come running out to open the gate…