All guest houses excepting The Greendoor, are fully equipped for self-catering although it is highly recommended that you indulge yourself in the country cuisine served by your host, Hendrik Van Zijl, at his Smidswinkel Restaurant. The Restaurant is within walking distance of all the guest houses, so you are not inconvenienced by long drives for an excellent meal, local wine and good company.

The Smidswinkel Restaurant & Information Centre is situated in a large sandstone building which, many years ago, was occupied by the last blacksmith at Nieuwoudtville. The Restaurant offers traditional farm style meals and for the adventurous they will even prepare baked "skilpadjies" (liver) or a sheep's head.

Rates for 2009

The rates in season are:

Double rooms R400 per person sharing Dinner Bed & Breakfast
Single rooms R600 Dinner Bed & Breakfast

Restaurant

I have a restaurant that seats 60 people and all meals are taken there. In the restaurant there are 6 large maps and about 40 books on birds flowers bulbs ect. that can be referred to. I am in a position to give advice to tourists on not just what can been seen at Nieuwoudtville but also the whole West Coast and flower region. You are most welcome to contact me for information on any area from the Orange River through to Upington and as far South as Cape Town.

While living and working as an attorney in Cape Town he developed the biggest indigenous bulb nursery in South Africa with up to 600 items on his catalogue.

At his invitation Barbara Jeppe the botanical artist came to stay with the Van Zijl family in Constantia. Over a period of three years she spent a year with the family illustrating and writing the first book (Spring and Winter Flowering Bulbs of the Cape) ever to be published just on the bulbs of the Cape Floral Kingdom. Of the 420 bulbs (illlustrated on 62 plates) 85% came from Hendrik's nursery.

In the acknowledgements to this book Barbara Jeppe wrote the followings "this book was the concept of Hendrik and Rhoda Van Zijl. I stayed with them during the two winter seasons and one summer period while writing and painting for this book. It was a long association of co-operation and friendship during which time I became part of the family. Their three daughters Liezl, Adele and Tanya were good companions.".

In 1991 he bought his first house at Nieuwoudtville and thereafter all the guesthouses listed on this web site. But it was his interest in indigenous flora and particularly bulbs which brought him to Nieuwoudtville.

During 1997 Hendrik translocated to Nieuwoudtville bringing his Clivia collection and his large collection of historical and botanical reference books with him.