WELCOME TO
Experience the beauty and bounty of the Southern Berg
Woodcliffe is a farm destination suited to those traveling at no great pace and looking for a place to relax and unwind
Woodcliffe is one of the few places that offers comfortable accommodation in the Maclear area on a working farm.
Accommodation options
Please take note of our travel tips when planning a visit to Woodcliffe.
Important: Woodcliffe is situated 22km from Maclear on a gravel road. A reasonable clearance vehicle is required.
About
Woodcliffe
Woodcliffe is a 1000 ha working cattle farm in the foothills of the southern Drakensberg in the north Eastern Cape highlands, 22km from Maclear (Nqanqarhu) off the R396. Woodcliffe and its surrounds are known for pristine San rock art, high-altitude orchids, day routes for hiking and trail running, trout fishing and breathtaking scenery. Further along the R396 is the remarkable Naude’s Nek pass. At 2 587m, it is one of the highest mountain passes in South Africa.
Some of the finest Drakensberg scenery in the Maclear area
The valleys and waterways gouge their way to the sea, exposing the distinctive sandstone cliffs with clinging indigenous forests. In summer, cascading waterfalls laugh and babble through the stunning riverine landscapes. Winter snowfalls soften the shear basalt peaks of the Drakensberg, and the frost brings golden hues to the valley grasslands.
The stillness of the valley is broken by the hum of insects, the intermittent chatter of birds, cattle lowing and the whoops and calls of stockmen driving animals along paths to seasonal grazing. The summer rains bring the low roar of the river flowing with greater urgency. The iconic Castle Kop rock formation overlooks Woodcliffe and is home to several raptor species, silent sentinels who keep watch over the happenings in the valley below.
Embrace all the joys and challenges of farm life with us
Life in the Drakensberg brings the unexpected; rivers flood, veld fires rage, loadshedding strikes, tyres are punctured and the Wi-Fi goes out from time to time. Best laid plans are set aside when Mother Nature comes out in her glory. We invite our guests to embrace all the joys and challenges of farm life with us.
The Family
Woodcliffe is a fifth-generation family farm. Phyll is the driving force behind both the farm and the guesthouse. She takes great joy in ensuring the comfort of our guests and sharing our beautiful corner of the world with others.
Her daughters, Samantha and Elizabeth, have been fortunate to grow up on the farm engaged in farming activities and with our wonderful guests, many of whom we count as friends. The success of our guesthouse and farm has been possible because of loyal staff, without their support and dedication over many years this would not have been possible.
Grasslands National Park Initiative
The Grasslands National Park is coming soon to the north Eastern Cape highlands. The new park will be a collaboration between SANParks, WWF-SA and private landowners. By establishing biodiversity stewardship agreements, the national park will protect this vulnerable and largely unstudied biome. We are contributing to the identification of flora species within the grassland biome on iNaturalist.
Kind Words
from our Visitors Book
Gallery
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