Once when we were staying in Prince Albert, I climbed up a steep krans in the Swartberg and, tired and a little scared, found myself a resting spot under a shady overhang. I sat down and drank from my water bottle, and, when I’d caught my breath, looked around - and there they were: hundreds of little finger daubings on the rock face in the deepest part of the cave.

San rock art.

It’s been a while now, and I’ve never followed up on the meaning of those age-old paintings, but, with the arrival of ‘Water, Stone and Legend - Rock Art of the Klein Karoo’ by Renée Rusts and Jan van der Poll, I’m finally out of excuses.

Published by Struik Travel and Heritage, this 128 page book offers more than just a record of beautiful pictures of mysterious paintings - it links the past with the present, and thereby presents a powerful argument for the conservation and preservation of the unique art galleries of the ancient Karoo.

It’s the kind of book that should be on the shelf of every guest house library and in every tourist gift shop - and you can buy it here.