This gem can easily be passed by and before you know it, you end up missing the most delicious venison pie and you will have to settle for a garage pie at Storms River petrol station.  At Tsitsikamma Gardens Restaurant, you can park your car in the shade and take a stroll through the beautiful garden or relax on the ‘stoep’ while sipping on the homemade Ice Tea.

Or maybe you were adventurous and tired yourself out on one of the many activities the area has to offer.  The refreshing garden salad, all locally harvested from the farm, will freshen you up again.  The welcoming faces upon your arrival will make you feel at home and you get a sense of calmness when you take in the surroundings of the indigenous forest, farmlands and mountains.

What better way to celebrate your birthday or have a big function in such a beautiful setting, than by making a group booking where the owner will dish up some specialities and set the table to create the feeling of a 3 star restaurant.

Although this establishment is fairly new, it feels like this has been your regular stop for years.  The prices are good and the facilities are excellent.  This is truly an undiscovered gem.  With a well stablished garden with green grass, a VW Beatle and a kiddies bike among the other equipment in the kiddies playground, this is definitely a children friendly stop where parents can relax and let the kids tire themselves out for the road ahead.

Whether you are passing by or need a break to sit down and rest a while, whether it is for a coffee, a beer or a juice, savoury or sweet treats, you are sure to find something to your liking at this restaurant.  Make sure you browse through the selection of homemade biscuits and jams and take some with when you are heading to your final destination.

This stop sure makes the journey longer and the road shorter.  You are certain to leave here with a heavy heart as you are already planning your next trip and making sure that you stop here again.  This is a stop that every traveler along the route has to make.  You will not regret it.

Their trading hours are 08:00 until 17:00 daily.  Bookings for big groups for functions can be made by phoning the restaurant on +27 (0)72 809 7891

Find them at S 33° 58.981 E 024° 01.823

Note: Try their coffee/tea and cake special for R40, it is divine!

GUEST WRITER:  Inge

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Situated along the N2 highway halfway between Port Elizabeth and George in the beautiful Tsitsikamma area in South Africa, lies a place that offers you a chance to discover your inner child again.  You can find Tsitsikamma Adventure Land next to Tsitsikamma Gardens, 9km from the Storms River petrol station towards Port Elizabeth.

Upon arrival you are greeted with friendly faces and the wooden office already gives you a sense of what lies ahead.  As you walk into the office to do your paperwork, it feels like you are walking into a forest hut nestled in the Tsitsikamma Forest.  A 5min admin break is necessary before you are assigned and introduced to your guide who will lead you to your transport for the day.

Do not fear if you are not an experienced quad bike rider and do not think that if you are a motorbike rider that you know everything. Everyone is treated equally here.  Safety is extremely imported to the guys at Tsitsikamma Adventure Land and the pre-ride briefing is done thoroughly to ensure that you are comfortable and understand all the signs.

With the briefing done and the backpack with water secured to the quad bike the guide, with his guitar, jumps on and leads the way.  As you drive through farmland, all worries fade away when you realize this is going to be an enjoyable adventure ride and not a fast paced, extreme ride that is out of your comfort zone.  By the time you enter the pine plantations, you are at ease and the riding starts to come naturally as the guide looks over his shoulder every few minutes to make sure all the ducks are still in one row!

Soon you find yourself riding like a natural, taking so many photos through the plantations and indigenous forests that your phone starts to run out of space.  If you own a good camera, be sure to bring it along as you every so often stop off at the most picturesque spots and photo opportunities are plenty.  You wind through big pine trees in the plantation before following a stream with clear cool water into the lush green indigenous forest and stopping off at sandstone formations, lily ponds and low-water bridges where you take your time to grasp the beauty and adventure the Tsitsikamma has to offer.

The guides have a vast knowledge of the area as they are locals and they are so approachable that you never feel uncomfortable asking questions.  You might even be lucky and be serenaded in the forest by one of them while having a drinks break.  Surrounded by the indigenous forest, you soon forget that you are on an adventure, seeking some adrenaline! The quad bikes are well looked after and serviced before every ride.  They are big bikes with small engines, so you will not find yourself in a situation that you will be losing control of the machine halfway on the route.  The route is an easy one.  It follows the tracks through the timber plantations with one or two up and down hills where you will be given the opportunity to play a bit, depending on your skills!

The ride itself is a 2 hour ride through a 16km route with numerous stops.  This can only be done by booking a time slot with the Tsitsikamma Adventure Land office.  No access will be granted to private persons wanting to the explore on their own.  The costs are R590 per person, if you are brave enough to drive the quad bike on your own and R250 per pillion, if you would rather settle for a backseat and take the opportunity to ride with someone and that you can enjoy the scenery.

Whether you are a local or a tourist, this should definitely be on your to-do list.  Ours has been ticked off, but I am tempted to put it back on the list, because I would do this over and over again.  Here you will make memories that will last forever.  A must do for the whole family, young and old!  So pack your comfortable clothing and closed shoes, your sunscreen and camera and find them at S 33° 58.981 E 024° 01.823.

Contact their office on +27 (44) 280 3000/74 or info@mistysa.co.za to book your time slot now.

** For more information and some more pictures of our Tsitsikamma Adventure Land visit, have a look at our Facebook Page

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Situated halfway between Port Elizabeth and my hometown of George it was an ideal place to hook up with my daughter to do a hiking trail or two in the park.  The weather was just what we have ordered – sunny without wind and low humidity.

Before we settled for our walk to the mouth we enjoyed brunch, on the deck of the Cattle Baron, with  breathtaking views of the river mouth and cliffs as a backdrop.  The day is going to be good!

The wooden walkway contributes to an easy walk to the mouth …… until you get to the last steps.  Well going down is still easy going and not the biggest problem, but as you know what goes down must go up again.  So you will need knees, knees, knees and more knees to climb the stairs back up the incline.

After watching the resident dassies (rock hyraxes) basking in the sun we set off for another of the many trails.  This time the Loerie trail. this is named after the smallest antelope in the park.  They are of nature very shy and you will be extremely lucky to spot one while on the trail itself.  So off we go.  Up another steep incline again with steps, steps, steps.  The walk then meanders through fynbos until you get to a viewpoint with some benches.  Now you are about midway and if you feel energetic you can opt to include the Duiker trail as well – this is named after the smallest antelope in the park.  They are of nature very shy and you will be extremely lucky to spot one while on the trail itself.  The last part of the Loerie trail consist mostly of a tree section until you descend again to emerge into the sun near the camping grounds.

The Tsitsikamma will always be dear to my heart!

–oOo–

Sadly the park’s restaurant and shop burnt down on 25 November 2016 apparently due to a gas leak in the kitchen just before the start of the peak holiday season!

Photo credit: PE Herald (shared via Facebook)

While shoppers go bargain hunting on 25 November, also called Black Friday here in SA, the sad end of the restaurant is my take of a black Friday ……

Photo credit: PE Herald (shared via Facebook)

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Die grondpad vanaf Humansdorp verby Oesterbaai raak soms ‘n bietjie sleg, maar juis te meer maak dit van Brakkeduine meer spesiaal – dit is nie sommer enige Jan Rap en sy maat wat hier uitkom om te kom ontspan nie.  ‘n Mens wil amper die plek geheim hou en dit nie met die massas deel nie.

Hier is kinders welkom en kan hulle nog vry rond hardloop en na hartelus kerjarkker op die groen gras.  Die  foefie slide,  glybaan, swaaie en swembad hou hulle ure besig en ‘n mens vergeet amper van hulle.  En as die grootmense voel om ‘n slag weer ‘n kind te wees kan jy ook maar jou lyf bietjie Tarzan hou op die foefie slide.  Dit is vet pret!

O ja, maar wag ons is by die visvang.  Hier vang die manne bass.  En volgens

die foto’s wat in die lapa (vir daardie winderinge dae) hang, is dit nie net ‘n visstorie of twee nie – daar is regtig vis in die dam.  Wel, ons sal sien of dit waar is.

Jarelange vriende, Johan en Choppie, help ons gou om die bootjie in die water te kry en daar gaan manlief met een doel voor oë – bass vang!  Die dam is egter ook gewild by waterski liefhebbers.  Met die nodige bedagsaamheid is daar ‘n plekkie vir ieder en elke tipe entoesias  hier by die Klippedrif dam.

Wees net wys en smeer maar die sonblok mildelike.  Die koel Tsitsikamma weer is soms bedrieglik en  mens verbrand sommer gou-gou en verander sonder jou wete in ‘n kreef!  Wyse raad is om maar ook altyd ‘n ou warm dingetjie byderhand te hou, selfs in die somermaande. Hier kan die weer in ‘n ‘n oogwink verander.

Jou  naaste winkel is in Oesterbaai wat net die basiese dinge voorsien (en so ‘n bietjie visgoed).  As jy enigiets meer eksoties nodig het sal jy die 36km of wat  met die melktrok pad weer moet terug Humansdorp toe om voorrade aan te vul.

En vir die boys with their 4×4 toys is daar ook ‘n begeleide sandroete in die sensitiewe duineveld waar hulle kan speel na hartelus en kyk of hulle regtig so vaardig is as wat hulle dink.  Maar dit is dalk ‘n storie vir ‘n ander dag.

Is daar bass?  Wel ek weet nie – ek het niks om dit te bewys nie.  Is dit ‘n visstorie dat daar bass is?   Wel ek weet nie – kom vind maar self uit.

En as jy wil kom sal jy die klomp gawe mense kry by  S34.129936, E24.565748 en kyk sommer wat gaan alles op hulle Facebook-blad en iOverlander App ook aan.

Kontak vir Choppie of Johan Linstrom by 084 515 4551 of 083 400 3720

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Main street

Walking in the village you cannot imagine that yellowwood was actually used for railway sleepers in this forest community in the early 1800’s.   At the turn of the 1800’s Frank Mangold purchased several properties in the village and built a house and established several other businesses.  Today there are still not a lot of businesses in the sleepy village, but if you are an adrenaline junky this is the place to do a canopy tour and maybe catch a glimpse of the rare Knysna Loerie with its reds wings gliding from tree to tree or do some tubing in the icy black mountain waters.

Adrenalin junkies converge from all over the world

If you have a more laid back attitude or age is getting to you hiring a Segway might be more the thing for you to experience the village and surrounding forest on a guided tour.

Sedgeways

Well, and if you are an Elvis fan … this is it!  Next to the brewery is a small American style diner for a quick bite or two.  Surely something to do for everyone in the village.

Diner

However we enjoyed to just sit on the stoep of the local micro beer brewery and taste some of the fine crafted beers offered by this establishment and just watch village live pass by in slow motion.

Micro brewery

Nothing and nobody is in a hurry at this side of the world.  The friendly brewery owner even took us on a little tour of his pride and joy and explained a bit of the processes of beer brewing to us.  I even told the brew master something that he did not know!   A lesser-known fact about hops is that it belongs to the Cannabaceae Family of which the infamous Cannabis is also a member.

At the brewery

After a laid back day and delicious dinner we retired to our room at the Tsitsikamma Village Inn. We enjoyed some good food, good service and  … yes, a good rugby day as the South African teams did well in the Super 15 Series!  After all rugby is South Africa’s favorite pastime!

The Inn @ Storm River Village

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