Kirkwood is right in the heart of the valley, and is dominated by “everything citrus”. From April to September, tractors with trailers brimming with oranges dominate the roads, so watch your manners and drive with extra care.
Kirkwood is also home to an annual Game (as in wildlife) Festival, which attracts over 45 000 visitors to this little town. This event still has the feel of an old-style agricultural show and all sorts of stalls and activities are available. For the brave, you can even try “Bokdrop Spoeg”, literally translating to Kudu dung spitting. (Seriously, this is true). All you need is a small, hard pellet and dung and see how far you can spit it – so a bit like shot-put for the mouth. The locals are lobbying it to become an Olympic sport – wonder if you will need to bring your own Kudu?!
- Bedrogfontein 4 x 4 trail
- Addo Elephant National Park which is 32 km away
- Home to an extreme diversity of fauna and flora.
- Small meat eating dinosaur fossil nicknamed Kirky.
- Annual Kirkwood Wildlife Festival in June
- A round of golf at the Kirkwood Golf Club
- Rose Festival in October
- Moravian Mission Church
- Rosedale Organic Farm
The village was originally founded as a Moravian Mission, the first of the missionary groups to come to South Africa. It was founded in 1816 for the inhabitants of Enon, a little-known Khoi settlement. The church still stands today, complete with its yellowwood rafters, teak window frames and brass hanging lamps. Sacraments are still given.
