Elephants and Featherbeds - Knysna, South Africa
Knysna, South Africa
Where I stayed
Waterways
What I did
The most beautiful lagoon in the world
Friday morning was another warm and sunny day and we set off bright and early for Greyton which is about 100km from Stellenbosch. We were sad to say goodbye to Cape Town and our lovely exchange house there, but it was time to move on. The scenery along this stretch of the N2 is spectacular - vast expanses of rolling countryside (mainly farmland), bordered by stunning mountain ranges. As we left the main road to head towards the mountains, the sheer vastness of South Africa was overwhelming. We hardly saw another car and there was little else other than the occasional farm and a few herds of cattle and sheep for mile after mile until eventually, we came across the lovely little village of Greyton.
It is like a little wild-west town with a smattering of quaint old-fashioned shops, bars and restaurants. Wild horses amble across the road, weaving through the sparse traffic. In fact, in recent years Greyton has become very popular with tourists and actually, the village lacks very little but it is, thankfully, totally unspoilt. It even has a tiny theatre which offers an impressive list of cultural entertainment for both locals and visitors.
We continued down the high street until we found the home of Jill and Jens Kargaard. Jill contacted me a year ago after reading my book ‘Beneath African Skies’ - because we are loosely related! From the book, she had recognised my grandparents’ farm in Ainabakoi where her family also farmed in Kenya. My mother, Molly was a close friend of her mother, Lorraine and my great uncle Pienaar was Jill’s grandmother’s brother. Uncle Pin was married to Emma, my grandmother’s sister. Jill actually lived in Ainabakoi until she was 13 and so she can remember it well. She particularly remembers my grandparents, Bert and Marg (known by their first names in ‘Beneath African Skies’ as George and Ann). I was born in Nakuru, the nearest hospital to Ainabakoi, but left Kenya when I was 2 and so our paths never crossed, Jill being several years younger than me. It was fascinating to meet her and hear about her life. Jens is Danish and they met in Kenya. They left the country when independence came and went back to Denmark. However Africa was in their blood and they came back to live in South Africa and eventually settled in Greyton, where Jens is the local doctor. They have a lovely house with stunning views of the mountains and are very happy there.
We could not stay long because we had a long journey ahead - back to the N2 and a three hour drive to the coast and the start of the Garden Route. The nearer we got to Mossel Bay (where we had booked a night’s stay), the more the scenery changed. Deep gorges, heavily forested mountains, rivers and lakes took over from the vast expanses of farming land. Mossel Bay is a pretty seaside town, renowned for its oysters, dolphins, whales and sharks. Our hotel had spectacular views across the harbour and bay and we enjoyed a walk along the white sands of its attractive beaches in the morning.
From there we motored along the M2 passed George, Wilderness and Sedgefield until we finally reached Knysna. The Knysna Lake Area is one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in the world and is part of the Garden Route National Park. Our new ‘home’ here is a lovely three-bedroom house set in a gated community built in tropical woodlands. We can walk or bike along the Waterfront pathway which goes on for miles and miles before eventually reaching The Heads and the Indian Ocean.
After settling in, we walked to Waterfront harbour with its lovely shops and restaurants and came across a bronze statue of Bondi the Bulldog. It seems this famous dog was the ship’s mascot of a Royal Navy flower class sloop and in 1931 when the ship was docked in the town, the ship’s company marched into Knysna to present a variety concert. It was a hot day and poor Bondi collapsed and died. He was buried on the wharf and a tombstone and brass plate was erected in his memory. It became a tradition thereafter that seamen from every British ship that visited Knysna would trim the grass and polish the head plate on the grave. During the Second World War, British ships did not enter Knysna and sadly the tradition was dropped. Many years later, however, it was revived by the South African Navy and in July 2004, Admiral Louw unveiled a bronze sculpture of Bondi. Another Louw and a member of my enormous South African family perhaps?
On Sunday we set off on bikes to explore Thesen’s Isle which is in the middle of the Knysna Lakes. It can only be reached via a causeway or by boat which is the way most people travel in this area. I haven’t done much biking in recent years (unlike Mike who now goes on a daily bike ride back home in France) and I was a little wobbly when we set off. However the journey to Thesen’s Isle was uneventful and after a refreshing glass of Sauvignon and some SA tapas, I felt fortified enough to face the journey home. Rather more confident now, I attempted to race up a hump-back bridge rather than push the bike up but sadly, I did not make the summit. I collapsed in an ungainly heap, wheels spinning and my feet in the air. Thankfully I was rescued by a lovely African who helped me up, rescued the bike and offered to walk it down the other side of the bridge for me. He was so kind but I was relatively unscathed and managed to re-mount. However, the episode reminded me why I gave up horse-riding some years ago and have not been on a bicycle recently, either.
The world-wide signpost at Waterfront harbour made us smile (see picture) - here in Knysna we are almost half way between Montevideo in Uruguay and Melbourne in Australia - both places we have visited in the last couple of years! Still a long way to either - 7434 km to Montevideo and 9735 km to Melbourne.
Monday’s plan was to check out the Knysna Elephant Park for a possible ride (hopefully I won’t fall off but you never know) and then drive on to Plettenberg Bay. The Knysna Forest is world famous for its giant Outeniqua Yellowwood trees and has one of the last of the wild, free-roaming elephants in South Africa. Hundreds of elephants lived in the forests in the 1800’s but by 1920 only 20 remained, all because of man’s insatiable hunt for ‘white gold’ or ivory. Now it is rumoured that there are possibly between 3 and 5 animals in the unchartered areas of the forest. However Knysna Elephant Park is a rescue centre for elephants from all over South Africa and we have booked to take a tour, followed by a ride on Wednesday.
I stayed at the impressive Beacon Island Hotel at Plettenberg Bay (see picture) over 20 years ago when I travelled along the Garden Route with my mother. It was a sentimental journey for her because she had stayed there with my father some years before he died. It is still the wonderful place I remembered - standing proudly at the end of the bay with the beach on one side and the surf and rocks on the other. Lunch was at The Fat Fish which is renowned for its delicious tapas. South African tapas is very popular and a lovely way to enjoy lunch without eating too much. 3 or 4 dishes to share, along with a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc for less than £20 for two -can’t be bad.
The elephant ride at the Knysna Elephant Park was very special. We have been biking each day in preparation but nothing can really prepare you for the sheer size of these amazing animals. We started by feeding them with pieces of fruit and vegetables which they love. They gently take the fruit from your hand with their trunks and allow you to pet them so long as the treats keep coming. It was awesome to be so close and despite their fierce tusks and huge heads, there seems to be kindness and caring in their eyes. When it came to the ride, I was honoured to be mounted on Sally who is the matriarch of the herd. She is enormous and weighs 4.5 tons but she very kindly knelt down for me to climb aboard and eventually to slide off. Mike was given one of the feisty young males to ride and after the elephant had disposed of his rider (again, very politely and gently), he had a barney with another one of the youngsters! The staff were wonderful and so caring; their love for these gentle giants is paramount but they had plenty of time for us, too, making sure that we felt safe and confident. It was incredible that we could walk right amongst the herd after the ride, feeding them with treats. Most of the elephants have been rescued from culls from all over Africa or because they have been orphaned. Some of the younger ones will be gradually re-introduced into the wild. Sally is the eldest but she is only 28 and still growing! There have been a couple of babies born at the Park - in fact, one of the rescued females was pregnant when she arrived, although that was not known at the time. Oh dear, I could go on forever because, as most of you know, I am, and always have been, an elephant freak! However, I won’t - but suffice to say, Wednesday ticked a very special box!
On Thursday we drove to the other side of the Knysna lagoon to Brenton on Sea and then on to Buffalo Bay. The beaches are to die for - we thought we had seen the best in Australia but these are something else. Actually, Kynsna is a little reminiscent of Tasmania with its forests, beaches and tropical greenery - but oh, so much warmer! Brenton on Sea is a totally unspoilt little village perched on a cliff above the rocks and white sands. Buffalo Bay has a little more to offer and we enjoyed fish/steak and chips at a café overlooking the bay before spending the rest of the day on the beach. The waves are wonderful but the sea seemed much colder than the waters at Plett.
Today, Saturday, is our last full day in Knysna and we took a boat to the Featherbed Nature Reserve which is at the end of the western peninsula at the mouth of the Knysna lagoon where the estuary meets the Indian Ocean. It is a Natural Heritage site and reached only by ferry. A 4x4 trailer ride took us up to the top of the Western Head where the views over the lagoon and down to the narrow, rocky estuary below are spectacular. A 2.2km walk down through the fynbos (small bush) and coastal forest was an unforgettable experience with breath-taking views around every corner. We clambered down to ancient Khoi-Khoi caves and then finished the walk along the seashore to a small restaurant which is built into the Milkwood trees. The trip finished with long cold beers, a glass of Sauvignon and a delicious lunch. The ferry took us back to Waterfront - a four hour round trip in all.
Tomorrow afternoon we set off for Jeffrey’s Bay - a two hour drive along this wonderful, scenic route. Knysna is so special - can anywhere else on the Cape compare? We shall see!
We send our love to you all and look forward to your comments - it really does make us feel as though we are keeping in touch!