Advertisement
Published: January 24th 2021
Edit Blog Post
The temperatures have cooled again this morning, because the direction of the wind has changed. This weather pattern is really identical to the Australian Great Ocean Road which runs from Melbourne to Adelaide. We continued our journey towards Cape Town, following the Garden Route in the South Westerly direction. We will however not yet drive directly to the Cape, but turn at the end of today inland towards the Little Karoo Desert area, and visit Oudtshoorn. On our way before leaving the Tsitsikama area and passing through Plettenberg Bay, an upmarket holiday town, we stopped at the bridge spanning over the majestic Bloukrans Gorge. Nenad wanted to give Nui a special present; a bungee jump from this bridge, apparently with its 216m the highest bridge jump in the world. Well do we need to write what Nui's reaction was??? She did not jump and Nenad had to come up with something better as a present.... Instead we drove a scenic road through Natures Valley, a toll road which winds through the Tsitsikama National Park. Nature's Valley, and the surrounding coastline, was occupied by cave man already a 1 million years ago. After the Bloukrans Bridge episode Nenad was surprised Nui did
not want to leave him behind in one of those caves. Various glacial periods interrupted this coastal occupation, until Khoisan hunter-gatherers displaced them about 10,000 years ago. Hiking in dense lush forests along the steep mountain faces is the main past time of holiday goers here. Nature's Valley marks the end of the Otter Trail, which starts at Storms (or Stormy) River Mouth, 60 km further east. This 5-day trail is considered by many hikers to be the finest in South Africa, being strenuous, scenic and extremely varied. For us unfortunately no time for this wonderful hiking opportunity.
We did not stop in Plettenberg Bay. The summer school holidays and Christmas break have started in most parts of South Africa and the town was packed with people. The Governor of the Eastern Cape has as a precautionary Corona measure just in time for the beginning of the holidays ordered the closure of all beached of the Eastern Cape!!! So everyone cramped in the holiday towns, or went to river mouths for their swimming. Politicians !?!?!? Lunch was in Knysna, the oyster capital of South Africa. Right before Knysna we crossed the provincial border from Eastern to Western Cape, where
swimming on the beach was again allowed. This Corona virus must know its geography well. We indulged in big portions of oysters and seafood in the restaurant Tapas & Oysters. The town is primarily built on the northern shore of a large warm water estuary, known as the Knysna Lagoon, which is fed by the Knysna River. The estuary opens to the ocean after passing between two large headlands. These are popularly known as "The Heads", and have become infamous due to the loss of boats and fishermen passing through their treacherous and unpredictable waters. The town is a popular destination for both tourists and senior citizens entering retirement, especially among the British and former expatriates due to the year-round warm climate. Recently, the town has also become a preferred destination among golfers, as the town boasts several world class golf courses, including Pezula Golf Course, Simola Golf Course and the well established Knysna Golf Course situated on the lagoon. The Knysna Oyster Festival, held annually in late June, early July, is the town's biggest event. The duration of the festival is ten days. It was first held in 1983. Approximately 200,000 oysters are consumed over the 10-day period. Many
sporting activities take place, such as rugby, golf, bowls, squash, cycling and marathons. The Knysna Forest Marathon and Half Marathon, as well as the Rotary Cycle Tour, draw many sporting enthusiasts to the town.
We continued our drive through George, the second largest city of the province, after Cape Town. Climbing with our Nissan over the scenic Outenigua Pass showed us once more the weather pattern of luv and lee dynamics; wet cool climate on the Southern side was replaced by dry and hot condition on the Northern side of the mountain. The influence of the Little Karoo Desert was being felt already. The alternative route is the Montegui Pass, a 40km gravel road over the same mountain chain. We opted for the tar today, as we will have a full day of intense gravel road riding in the Swartsberg pass tomorrow. Driving through the hop valley with plenty of plantations, not a single pub with beer could be seen. Nenad found that odd and disappointing. We saw the vegetation dramatically change from lush green to arid, dry, with a totally different flora. The name Little Karoo Desert is misleading. It is not a desert, but a dry rocky
Coffee Break
for the driver agricultural terrain, much what can be seen in the southern Mediterranean. Arrived in Oudtshoorn, we are ready for a shower and Nenad for a beer !!! The last two hours on the road were dusty and dry. Our accommodation is a lovely traditional house with a large garden, owned by a gentlemen by the name Piet Retief. Of course Nenad's curiosity wanted to know if he was related to Piet Retief the Voortrekker leader slaughtered by Zulus in the early 1800's. Not that they knew of. We received a warm welcome by the family and Nui immediately bonded with their 5 year old son. We are the first overseas tourists this season !!! Oudtshoorn, officially founded in 1848, used to be rich and famous during the ostrich feather boom from 1860 to 1870 and 1900 to 1914. Their feathers commanded top prices and were exported around the globe. Today the ostrich meat and feather industry still exists, but prices have collapsed. The general economy is hard hit and water shortage is a constant companion making agriculture not very profitable. We ate in a local restaurant build in 1858, by the forefathers of the current owners and managers.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.057s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 7; qc: 24; dbt: 0.0366s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb