Tankwa – Deserted in the desert

Tankwa is (broadly) situated in the Karoo, but more specifically, the Koue Bokkeveld (eng: Cold Goat Fields). Driving through the Karoo leaves on with the sense of the nothingness that’s there. Endless miles of dry dusty terrain. The longest road in South Africa edges Tankwa – it’s the 256km between Calvinia to the north-west and Ceres in the south-west. Of that 256km, less than 60km is tarred, and the untarred portion has probably claimed more tyres than than any other road in the country.

The dried up mud pans outside Tankwa is the location for Afrika Burn – the South African equivalent of Burning Man. We visited a few short weeks after Afrika Burn and saw no trace of it ever happening. It must be a sight to behold. If for nothing else, the sight of hundreds of dusty hipsters that have spent days in the wilderness without water and electricity.

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