From feather palaces to fortified wine, Oudtshoorn has it all

Known as the "ostrich capital of the world", the Klein Karoo town of Oudtshoorn is also famous for tourist attractions like the ornate sandstone "feather palaces" that grace its streets, the magnificent Cango Caves and the annual KKNK arts festival.

Spread out along both sides of the Grobbelaars River, the town is situated in the valley between the Swartberg mountains to the north and the Outeniqua mountains to the south, and many homes boast beautiful mountain views. It is about 56km away from George and the Southern Cape coast via the N12 route and the Outeniqua Pass, and can also be easily accessed from the west via the R62 tourism route and the Montagu Pass.

Oudtshoorn has an interesting history, having first gained international renown during an ostrich feather "boom", between 1865 and 1870, when the giant plumes became fashionable among European nobility and were worth almost as much by weight as diamonds. A second boom took place between 1900 and the outbreak of World War 1 in 1914, and it was during this period that the "feather barons" - the ostrich farmers and feather buyers who had grown rich - constructed most of the elaborately-decorated Victorian and Edwardian townhouses that came to be known as feather palaces.

Ostrich farming in the area recovered again after the end World War 2, when the international demand for ostrich leather and low-cholesterol ostrich meat started to increase, and it is still the mainstay of the local economy. However, crops are also grown here including wheat, barley, lucerne, tobacco, deciduous fruit and grapes, and the Klein Karoo wine route showcases some of the country's best fortified wines and pot-still brandies.

Summers here are long and hot, and winters are cold but dry, so the town is also the hub for many eco- and adventure tourism activities, including hiking, biking, birding and camping facilities in the mountains and 4x4 trails and trips over the spectacular Swartberg and Meiringspoort passes. Visitors also come to see the nearby Cango Caves complex, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and to enjoy stargazing in the clear Klein Karoo night sky.

As the main commercial centre in the Klein Karoo district, Oudtshoorn has a resident population of around 50 000, and several excellent schools, including Wesbank Laerskool, Van Reede Primary and Pinehurst Girls' High. It also has a district public hospital and a Mediclinic private hospital. For shopping needs, there is the Queens Mall and an extensive central shopping area.

Property prices start at around R440 000 for stands in the Victoria Village family estate development in the West Bank area, and around R900 000 for one-bedroom apartments in the Oudtshoorn North area.

Two-bedroom houses and townhouses start at around R950 000, and older three-bedroom houses in Oudtshoorn Central at just under R1,1m. There are also two- bedroom retirement cottages available in The Caves retirement village at prices from around R1,3m, and a few historic homes available at prices from around R1,75m.

Larger family homes in West Bank start at around R2m and range all the way up to around R4,5m for luxury properties in secure estates.

*For more information about properties for sale in Oudtshoorn, contact our resident property professionals Janka Niemand (072 447 6882) and Antionette du Toit (082 556 3088) or visit www.chaseveritt.co.za