Meet Sharon and Jeremy

I knew Jeremy was my soulmate when we were on a long country drive one day and we both spoke of our longing to live in an old stone cottage over the hills and far away. 

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On a hot and very dusty January day, way back in 1996, we passed through Klaarstroom on our honeymoon. There weren’t quite tumbleweeds rolling down the Main Road, but there may as well have been, such was our sense of stepping out of time. We asked the question we’re still asked regularly, “Isn’t there perhaps a property for sale?” There was. A long story later, involving a tame bank manager and a lot of starlit dreams, our adventure began. 

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As full time teachers in the city, we realised we really wished to live our lives differently. 

Funded by a stint of teaching in London, we returned in 2003 to begin converting our Karoo hideaway into a Guest House. 

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The nine-month project of deconstruction and construction was exciting and terrifying! Somehow we managed to put it all back together in the form of a Guest House offering 5 rooms. We started taking guests in December 2003 and in 2004 we launched into the project full-time.  Midst this “launch”, our lovely daughter was born in December 2004. Our own little Klaarstromer!

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We love that in the Karoo you know you’re alive. In the winter it gets cold – very cold. In the summer it gets hot – very hot. Inbetween these extremes there are glorious champagne days… the reassuring warmth of winter sun as you sip your coffee on the stoep, the quickening of the soul as the village is bathed in pre-dawn light, the lifting of the leaves on refreshing mountain breezes. We love that we get to share our love of our Karoo hideaway with you.

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Almost 20 years into the venture – would we do it again? Yes! In a heartbeat.

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Sharon (and Jeremy) Witts-Hewinson