Why I’m telling no-one about McGregor

It isn’t easy to find somewhere to stay on a farm that is remote but still close enough to a small town to provide light entertainment when needed and supplies when necessary. I spent quite a bit of time on the internet before I found our little gem on a farm just outside Robertson and McGregor (bonus as we got two quaint towns for the price of one!).

The unbelievably beautiful valley that holds Robertson, McGregor, Ashton, Bonnievale and Montagu in its embrace has something magical about it. And if you don’t believe me, visit it yourself and you’ll understand what I mean. The secret is to take the time to stop in the towns, as we did in Robertson and Mcregor, so that the charm of each can find its way into the corners of your mind. Because it won’t be anything tangible or something you ‘discover’; the magic is simply there for the taking, you have but to imbibe … Continued

Picnicking at Harold Porter, and sighting penguins …

Botanical Gardens

Harold Porter is a really pleasant surprise! In fact, it’s one of the Cape’s best kept secrets …

I had forgotten just how gorgeous the drive from Cape Town to Betty’s Bay along Clarence Drive, known also as Route 44, is. We were to visit friends in Somerset West in the evening and, since it looked as though the day would be clear, we ambitiously set off for the Harold Porter Botanical Garden, a long-delayed visit, one we had been meaning to make for too long. Continued

29 Blue Flag Beaches in South Africa

The new season of Blue Flag South Africa was launched at Muizenberg beach in Cape Town yesterday where it was announced that 29 of South Africa’s beaches have achieved Blue Flag status – an increase from 19 to 29 this year … Continued

A hop, skip and a jump to Pilgrim’s Rest

Getting to Pilgrim’s Rest from Johannesburg takes longer than you think it will. It shouldn’t, as the obvious route along the N4 is pretty straight forward – Witbank, Belfast, Waterval Boven – but this is where it starts getting fuzzy, because by this stage not only were we tired, having only left work at around 3pm, but by the time we hit Sabie there was also a not-so-fine mist to contend with.

Oncoming traffic became somewhat indistinct, the world took on the ambiance of Narnia (I kept waiting for Mr Tumnus to come trotting out from under a lamppost) and my stomach took the opportunity to inform me that it was more than a little hungry – ravenous probably comes closer! Continued

History or horticulture? How about a whole lot of both at Kirstenbosch National Botanic Garden?

The Kirstenbosch National Botanic Garden is one of the Cape’s most well-known tourism draw cards, as well as being a favourite with locals as a picnic spot. Any Cape Town guide book worth its salt will tell you about the Garden’s 528 hectares of indigenous flora and natural forest (36 of which are cultivated), its restaurants, its hiking trails and its line-up of summer concerts. What they might not tell you about is Kirstenbosch’s very long and interesting history … Continued

The Outeniqua Country Hop

Outeniqua Country Hop

One could be forgiven for thinking that the ‘country hop’ is some sort of quaint rural dance, but the Outeniqua country hop in the Garden Route is a tourist route, initiated by a group of local women to help put local trade in and around George on the map. The clever play on the term ‘hop’ was inspired by the abundance of hops growing in the area, a plant used in the manufacturing of beer, and unique to this region in South Africa.

We picked up signs for the Hop on the R404, as we drove out of George. With two young boys in tow, I was taken with the icon of the tractor, which accompanies the hop signs, since a tractor ride in any guise would provide my boys with a lot of excitement! The icon however appeared to be more of a symbol than a reality, although clearly much of the beautiful scenery through which one passes is working farmland. Continued

Bloubergstrand …

Bloubergstrand

It is a humbling experience watching a child have their first experience of the beach, something that I as a Capetonian often take for granted. My cousin and her 13 month old son came down to Cape Town from Johannesburg for a visit.

The day they arrived was quite a typical summer’s day, hot with a bit of wind and we decided that it would be a great opportunity to go down to the beach, after all the little guy could have his first taste (literally) of the beach sand and see the sea … Continued

Eggman by Greg Lumley

Todays photograph by Cape Town photographer, Greg Lumley, is of “Eggman” – he’s the guy with all the Eggs on his head that you see at all the best festivals in Cape Town. His name is Gregory da Silva – Greg is a storyteller, dancer and live street perfomer from Benin West Africa. “Eggman” performs every day in Market Square, Cape Town and adds an air of Rio-style festivity wherever he performs … Continued

Flower Power – the Cape Floral Kingdom

Cape Floral Kingdom

Here in South Africa, we’re really quite proud of all the cool stuff our country has to offer. You’ve heard us wax lyrical about our mountains, our game reserves, our wildlife, our beaches, and just gush in general about South Africa’s natural beauty (not to mention its world-class hotels, restaurants, bars, nightlife…).

So small wonder that here’s yet another part of the country we want to tell you about: The Cape Floral Kingdom.

Of the six floral kingdoms in the world, ours might be the smallest, but, as the old adage goes, it’s not the size that matters. You see … it’s also the only floral kingdom occurring entirely within one country. Continued

Down the garden path … Cape Town Company Gardens

In the midst of Cape Town’s bustling CBD, abutting the Houses of Parliament and Tuynhuys (the President’s Cape Town residence), hides an oasis of greenery, the roots of which extend across the centuries to tap into our country’s history – though most locals simply think of the Company Gardens as a cool spot for an inner-city picnic.

Named for the Dutch East India Company, the gardens were established by Jan van Rieebeck in the 1650’s as a fresh produce garden for the purpose of re-victualling ships and providing Cape Town’s colonists with veggies. They have been luring visitors through their gates since their current incarnation as a botanical garden and public park in 1848. A wander around the Gardens’ limits will bring you into contact with sprawling lawns, fountains, fish ponds, a Japanese rose garden, an aviary, a sun dial and the country’s oldest cultivated pear tree, among other botanically and historically important plant-life. Continued

Rondevlei – Hippos in the City

One of the serious advantages to living in Plumstead, other than the quick access to just about anywhere in the city, is the close proximity to both the Rondevlei and Seekoevlei nature reserves.

Constantia may lay claim to Kirstenbosch (admittedly gorgeous, but over a weekend it is inundated) but Plumstead (well, okay, Grassy Park) has a unique eco spot in the city where you can see hippos, a part of the world where hippos were once a plenty … Continued

A visit to the Featherbed Nature Reserve

Featherbed Nature Reserve

Nestled on the undeveloped western headland of the Knysna lagoon sits the piece of untouched paradise known as Featherbed Private Nature Reserve – the Garden Route’s premier eco-tourism spot.

The lagoon is more accurately termed a river estuary, filled by five freshwater rivers that flow out of the Outeniqua Mountains to meet the saltwater of the Indian Ocean. It’s watched over by the forbidding sandstone cliffs known as the Knysna Heads. Ecologically speaking, the area is very important, home to indigenous flora and endangered fauna – hence the necessity of its preservation and its status as a South African National Heritage site … Continued

Sipping organic wine at Waverley Hills

Waverley Hills

Lying at the foot of the Witzenberg Mountains on the R46 between Tulbagh and Ceres, Waverley Hills produces organic wines that are definitely worth sampling. The Du Toit family entered the rather tough organic market in 2000 when they planted 21 hectares of vineyard, and we popped in to visit the estate recently.

Waverley Hills Estate lies on a natural watershed area – both the Breede and Berg River originated here before continuing on to enter two completely different oceans – which more than accounts for the myriad wild flowers and the effortless expanse of grasses at Waverley Hills. It was officially spring Continued