The last hippo recorded in the Karoo was 250 years ago. P.C Ferreira's dream has been to bring them back, specifically to the Karoo Gariep Conservancy. In December 2006, three hippos found a new home in a hippo pool on the New Holme farm in the Hanover area.

Visit the website www.karoogariep.co.za for more information.

Karoo Cats is a conservation program near Cradock that aims to create public awareness of the plight of small cats through research, public awareness and education.

Hike along the water furrows to the natural spring that is the Nieu Bethesda's water supply.

No street lights and cloudless skies in Nieu Bethesda allow the Milky Way to dominate the night.

The Sneeuberg Brewery and deli is essentially a one-man show and the beer and cheese served here are made by the owner. Even the coffee is roasted on site.

The beer is free of preservatives or additives using only malt, hops and natural spring water. There are three difference ales: the crisper more bitter Karoo Ale, the slightly sweeter Honey Ale and the smoky dark Roasted Ale.

The Kitching Fossil Exploration Centre depicts the setting in the area around Nieu Bethesda 253 million years ago during the Permian Period. The centre showcases the fossils found both in Nieu Bethesda and in other places in South Africa. The fossils date to a time 50 million years before the age of dinosaurs when the continents were merged in a supercontinent called Pangea.

A visit to the Fossil Exploration Centre will be a journey back in time to a world with unfamiliar plants and animals. There are life-size models of prehistoric animals that roamed the area and illustrations of the landscape without grasses, flowers, mammals and birds. This was the time when mammal ancestors called Therapsids were the dominant species on earth.

Gather a colourful perspective of village life. Jakob van Staden has lived in Nieu-Bethesda all his life and has extensive knowledge of the area. He offers twenty minute guided donkey cart tours during which Jacob will share his knowledge of the history of the town and will tell you about his days as a student and how he started his business.

Take a two hour trip up the Loodsberg Pass in an old railway trolley. The route ascends into the desert mountains, passing the occasional sheep farm and solitary windmill. The tour can accommodate up to six people. Bookings are essential.

The Kitching Fossil Exploration Centre offers half-hour guided tours to the Gats River bed to view fossils found there. The fossils date back 253 million years in the Permian Period. Walk back to the centre over a historical foot bridge.

Ganora Farm runs guided hikes to rock art sites. The rock art found here in San and Khoi shelters date back 10 000 years. This is evidence of Later Stone Age people, possibly the area's earliest inhabitants. Rock art were not depictions of everyday life but are are an insight into the spirituality of the people who drew them.