We tackled the route in peak summer and even then the lush 2.5 km (5 km return) trail, which follows the course of the Duiwe River, provided enough shade for a nice walk.  The entire route is clearly marked with blue markers and is easy to follow.

There are a few river crossings which normally are very easy with no need to take your shoes off, but do take care over wet slippery rocks when traversing the streams – unless you want to cool down; which is also not a bad idea!

While walking be alert for snakes, such as puff adders, as they camouflage well in the leafy surroundings, but do not forget to enjoy nature.  Along the route we spotted a couple of Brown Hooded Kingfisher, but were unlucky to see the elusive Knysna turacos that hide high above in the trees.

This is a non-guided trail, but you need a self-issuing permit which is obtainable at the entrance gate.  Keep the permit in your pocket to produce when asked for it.

Take lots of photos and enjoy the walk!

GPS coordinates:   33° 59′ 1.788″ S,   22° 39′ 3.8232″ E

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Through Dalene Matthee’s books, the stories of the Knysna forest took on a new life.  We followed Saul Barnard and Old Foot on the forest footpaths in Circles in a Forest.  We got to know the people of the forest in Fiela’s Child and the Mulberry Forest.  And we got a glimpse of the magic of the forest through Karoliena Kapp in Dream Forest.

 En excerpt from :  www.dalenematthee.co.za

It was a weekend filled with the happy chirping of birds in the morning when the sun rises, the humming of bees, getting into bed at night when a thousand frogs chatter non-stop in the pond, lazing in the hammock with a book and a glass of wine and walking among ancient trees in the forest.  Peace and quiet for the soul.

The Circles in the Forest Walk at Krisjan-se-Nek took us through thick fern filled valleys and over bumbling brooks with ice cold but crystal clear mountain water.

Along the walk we admired the awesomeness of some 800 year old Yellowwood trees and tried to identify some of the Iron wood, Candal wood and various other indigenous trees while traversing the forest.  I must say the information boards along the walk is a great help to the uninformed like myself.

Looking closely, hidden amongst leaves and fallen branches a magical world of fungi are revealed displaying an array of different colours ranging from bright orange to mossy greens and muddy browns.

And then …. a red feather!   Although we were not lucky enough to spot the elusive Knysna Loerie, with its brilliant red and green wings, in the tree tops I was lucky enough to stumble across a dropped red feather on the forest floor.  Magic!

ooOOoo

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