Visit the Garden Route Archives

THE BIG TREES OF THE GARDEN ROUTE

One of the attractions of the Garden Route is its forests and fern and with that automatically goes big trees that is hidden in the forest. All of them fall within park areas and is thus taken care by SANPARKS. I will start from the western side and travel in an easterly direction to reveal them to you. WOODVILLE This is an 800 year old tree that stands 31 m tall. Follow the Seven Passes road from Hoekwil leading towards the mountains and the signage will indicate where to turn left. The tree is just 80 m down the trail. There is a picnic spot with braai facilities and toilets at the start of the trail. Type: Outeniqua Yellowwood Entry fee: yes Permit: self-issue type Walking trail: +- 2 km (easy) with water crossing Coordinates: S33°56.8232 E022°38’42.1944 DALENE MATTHEE This one stands proudly next to the memorial of the famous… Read more >

END OF THE LINE

Turn tables are interesting objects which not a lot of people know about or what its function is, unless you have a special interest in trains. I grew up around trains, but never knew that the picturesque town of Knysna had a turn table tugged away in its bowels. This is just another hidden gem of the Garden Route. So, what is a turn table all about? Or before we go there, why am I writing about a turn table of all things under the sun? Because I think it is worthwhile to write about it as it is not something often seen in South Africa. I discovered this one by accident in the beautiful town of Knysna, next to the waterfront at an almost forgotten spot next to a parking lot. On your next visit in Knysna head over to this GPS location to see it: S 34° 02.393… Read more >

FULL THROTTLE

Knysna was and is one of South Africa’s favourite holiday destinations and these days another different attraction is added to the scene where you can go full throttle. At first you will think this is all about bikes, but while browsing through the display you will notice there is much more than wheels to this living museum (if you want to call it that). You will notice the passion, the history and a story behind each bike on display. The Motorcycle Room is Colin Studen’s happy place. He takes old and new bikes which were heading for the dumpster, regardless make and model, and turn it into a memory (like the one of a kind model, Copper). It is his happy place and not only filled with his happy memories, but also happy memories of every boy, no matter the age, that visits the room. When we visited on hubby’s… Read more >

THE OLD TOLL HOUSE, GEORGE

Are you wondering what to do in George on a wet or beautiful sunny Saturday morning? We took the gravel road up the historic Montagu Pass. – It is one of the four passes that traverse the Outeniqua mountains. You will stumble upon the old Toll House. The gravel road leads up the 8km long pass and is signposted from the N12 towards Oudtshoorn. Starting from the George side and travelling up the incline, it is the first and only building that you come across. Until the building of the Outeniqua pass as we know it today, the Montagu pass was the main route between Cape Town and Grahamstown. The Toll House dates back to the year 1855. According to old records the toll was as follow: a whopping two pennies per wheel a penny per draft animal two pennies for losloop animals and half a penny for each sheep,… Read more >

SPITSKOP ON PRINCE ALFRED’S PASS

Take a day trip to Spitskop and enjoy the scenery deep in the Knysna Forest. If you follow the Prince Alfred Pass that links Avontuur to Knysna you will pass the turn-off to Spitskop. Take your own refreshments as there are no facilities along the road. It is a slow drive as the gravel road may not be in a good condition and in any way, you should not be in hurry because the road is at times very potholed and maybe, just maybe, you will spot an elusive Knysna elephants. Along the route you will find a couple of picnic spots with the beautiful names like Valley of Ferns, Ysterhoutrug and Diepwalle. In the shade of some indigenous trees at Ysterhoutrug picnic spot you can light a fire for a braai as there are designated areas. This is also a good stop for the children to stretch their legs as… Read more >

GEORGE – A PERFECT DESTINATION

LOOK OUT FOR THOSE GOLDEN OLDIES Do you like golden oldies with a story? Then this is just what you were looking for at Mauritz Lammers Antiques. From crockery brick-a-brac to stately old furniture and much loved books. Take your time to marvel at all the pieces on display and take some home if you wish. You just might find something that you like here. A good place to keep you busy on those unexpected rainy days. Where? On the N2 opposite the Sasol garage Kraaibosch, George. THE OLD TOLL HOUSE ON THE MONTAGU PASS This is a historic building that was lovingly restored by some local enthusiasts and also the very first toll road in the Garden Route. On a Saturday morning you can have pancakes and coffee to support a worthy cause. What to see? Admire the lush green mountainside and… Read more >

GO SLOW IN SLOWTOWN

Life can be fast – get up, go for a jog, a quick shower, drop off the kids, grab breakfast and coffee on your way to the office to start your day. This is not what Sedgefield is about. Take your time, because you are in a slow town. A town does not choose to be a slow town randomly; you need to meet certain criteria as set out by the Cittaslow movement in Italy, before you can adopt the name “slow town”. Sedgefield earned this name in 2010 and was the first town (and thus far the only town) in South Africa to be awarded with that title. South African now joins the list of slow towns of the world. These towns can be found in some unexpected countries like Japan and South Korea in the East to Denmark and Finland in the North and USA and Canada in… Read more >

Tag Archive: Visit the Garden Route