The Outeniqua Powervan

Outeniqua Powervan

For anyone travelling through the scenic George / Knysna area, one of the attractions is, or always has been, the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe, one of the last remaining steam trains in Africa. However, many will be as disappointed as we were to learn that the “Choo-Tjoe”, as she is affectionately known, has not run since June 2009.

So what does a family with two train-mad young boys do, to stem the disappointment? We were lucky to learn from the Transport Museum that something called the Outeniqua Powervan was running in its stead. 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

Jukani Wildlife – home of the cats

Bengal Tiger

I can’t say I have ever seen lions, cheetahs, leopard, caracal and tigers all ‘in one sitting’, and I have definitely not ever seen Bengal tigers, jaguar, pumas or serval cats, other than in pictures! Well at Jukani Wildlife Park you get to see them all, admittedly with a bit of coaxing from the guide and her meat bucket!

Jukani lies just outside Mossel Bay, with indicating signs off the N2 en route to Cape Town. On entering the Park, having paid an admission fee of R280 for two adults and two children, it is clear that the facility is well maintained and each enclosure appears to be of a suitable size for the creatures it houses. All of Jukani’s animals are wild, though many have been bred in captivity. The park exists to preserve the different species, and in some cases has taken in animals that have been abused and mistreated. 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

Celebrate the Good Life at the Knysna Oyster Festival

Knysna Oyster Festival

This year marks the 26th anniversary celebration of one of the most popular annual events in the Garden Route of the Western Cape. The Pick ‘n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival was conceptualised by the late local business man, Dick Ginsberg. Its purpose was to entice visitors to Knysna during winter and it has without a doubt achieved this.

The festival kicks off with the Miss Pearl Beauty Pageant on Thursday 2 July 2009 and runs until Sunday 12 July 2009. These ten days are jam packed with more than 100 events taking place, over 200 000 oysters being consumed and sport and entertainment for everyone. The main sporting events of the festival are the Pick n Pay Cape Times Knysna Forest Marathon and the Pick n Pay Weekend Argus Rotary Knysna Cycle Tour. Continued

Get married in the Garden Route

Game Drive

Have you dreamt of getting married in a natural setting amongst wildlife? Have you pictured treating your wedding guests to an exciting game viewing drive but you can’t quite afford to get all your guests to travel to the Kruger National Park? Then the Garden Route Game Lodge’s new Wedding Venue may be just the place for your dream wedding.

Nestled on the edge of a breathtaking valley, Serengeti’s and the adjoining Labola Chapel provides a unique and romantic African setting for you to  Continued

Make Merry in Mossel Bay

Mossel Bay

Mossel Bay was the stopping place of Bartholomew Diaz on his historic voyage from Portugal, around the Cape of Good Hope, en route to the east, and still bears many indelible reminders of that epic voyage, including the museum, which houses a replica of his vessel, and the name of one of the most popular beaches.

Located on the N2 highway, halfway between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, Mossel Bay is a popular seaside destination. Another piece of history is preserved in this small town, in the form of the Post Office tree, the first organized postal service in the country, used by subsequent sea travelers passing by to send and receive messages to loved ones in Europe on the next passing ship. Other historical attractions worth a visit are the St Blaize lighthouse, a manned lighthouse built in 1864 and the Great Trek museum which chronicles the epic journey by early settlers at Hartenbos. But what about the present? Visitors to Mossel Bay will find there is lots to do besides exploring historical sites … Continued

Knysna – South Africa’s favourite holiday destination

Knysna Lagoon

Note to self: When next going away on a romantic holiday getaway, make sure you go somewhere without baboons

. Coming back to the tree-top cabin that I had romantically, thoughtfully and spontaneously rented outside Knysna, my girlfriend and I found our food supplies decimated.

Not only eaten, but flung around the room, smeared on the walls and generally treated with complete and utter disdain. It looked like we had been the victims of a wanton act of animal terrorism, however the staff assured us that ‘this was normal.’ Well, maybe for some, but not for us. However despite this little bit of primate vandalism, we managed to get on with our holiday and ended up throughly enjoying Knysna and the surrounds.

Knysna is located in the heart of the scenic garden route, nearing the border of the Western and Eastern Cape Regions lies the town of Knysna. Founded in 1804, by George Rex, the original owner of the farm that later became the town of Knysna, and often voted as South Africa’s favorite holiday destination by locals, the town is a curious mix of old world charm, wealth and elegance, and nature loving hippy communities. The main street, lined with small boutiques and shops, is actually a part of the N2 highway, which passes directly through the center of the town en route to the Eastern Cape and beyond. Continued