Author: Jacky

Fellow guests from Manchester (Carol and Dave) and Birmingham (Val and Terry) told us of the ‘must-do’s’ around the area having been here a while and visited most sights in between their golfing days. V & T’s son was at Plymouth Uni but not at the same time that Dan captained the first golf team. Terry (handicap 3!) plays for Staffordshire Seniors and has played at a few golf courses in Nottingham. He recommended the Robberg hike which the guide books says takes 4 hours – he did it in 3½ (but doesn’t sound like he stopped to admire the view/take photos) whereas the other couple took 6. I intend to do it tomorrow but I’m not into record-breaking.

Finally met Zelda – a very vivacious woman – who kindly gave us hints and tips about sights and activities.

Went to watch a couple of brave folks bungy from the highest jump in the world – a 216 metre Bloukrans River bridge spanning a deep gorge – they advertised it as ‘free adrenalin’ but you paid about £50 for the priviledge! I almost felt their backs stretch a couple of inches as the elastic sprung them up and down about 3 times before a guy on a fixed line stopped them and they were winched back up.

Then onto Tsitsikamma National Park – quite a performance to get in – had to sign in and say if we were just day visitors. Made our way to the rocky coastline with crashing waves and stupendous views. Walked to the rather wobbly suspension bridge over Storms River – on a boardwalk with some quite challenging gradients through old knotted, gnarled forest sheltering birds and wildlife, including dassies, weaver bird and others unknown.

We deserved a drink after that, but the only watering hole was the restaurant by the carpark and the guide book was absolutely right that “…meals which, alas, are less memorable than the startling views.”! We seemed to fall ‘through the net’ and although we had about 4 different waitrons attend to us, we were served after at least 3 couples who came in after us. It’s our first bad experience here and they were courteous enough to not charge John for his rather unmentionably slimy smoked salmon salad.

Mood a bit low but was quickly lifted when we detoured to Nature’s Valley with its huge expanse of sand and crashing rollers. At Salt River Mouth we lay in the crashing surf (it was hard to keep upright and there were quite a few rocks around!) of the warm Indian Ocean. 

Went to Emily Moon’s restaurant at her River Lodge just outside Plett. Zelda had told us it would be a good idea to go early enough to catch it in daylight (sunset about 7.30) and we kicked ourselves we didn’t make it. It’s full of African sculptures and art and very tastefully laid out. The owner was a warden at Serengetti and specialises in dealing in native art. Beautiful prawn/avocado starter and the most tender fillet I’ve ever tasted. Final commendation was the crème brulee we shared – absolutely perfect (note to family – probably even better than that Lake District one that currently holds the title of the best.)

Off to Cango Wildlife Ranch where they have a conservation programme to breed the nearly extinct white lions and tigers. We saw a crocodile being fed, pygmy hippos, cheetahs and leopards.

Then we dropped down to the Garden Route to make our way to Plettenberg Bay. Scenery now changed back to the more lush vegetation we’d seen near Cape Town and the vast sandy beaches of Wilderness. Strolled along, avoiding beached jellyfish, paddling in the crashing waves, admiring the surfers and watching quite a few dogs, including the cutest boxer puppy, frolicking in the water.

Continued onto ‘Plett’ as it’s known locally and arrived at ‘Whale of a View’ B & B. A very 50’s name for our fascinatingly eclectically furnished accommodation. Zelda the owner loves going to boot sales and dumps to pick up old furniture and bric a brac which she uses imaginatively both for practical purposes (an old cabinet housed our fridge and the breakfast cutlery and crockery was all ‘old’) and for decoration – her theme at the moment being shoes, handbags and gloves. In fact she wasn’t here when we arrived because she was away in Cape Town on an acquisitive trip. She came back with the van jam packed full and pleased that she’d got a treasure haul to keep herself occupied in the quiet season in about a month’s time.

The bay window in our room gives an awesome view of the whole of Plettenberg Bay, but no whales at this time of year. A relax and freshen up by the pool and then to Fu-shi for dinner – delicious Asian soups, salmon and tuna sushi and some vegetable tempura on a terrace with a view of the bay.

 

Breakfast on the verandah included the usual (now we’re getting blasé!) fresh fruit salad, cold meats and cheese, muffins, cereals plus ostrich sausages as part of the ‘fry-up’.

Chatted to Bob and Libby who are also S.Africa ‘virgins’ and are doing similar tour. He’s ‘in underwear’ (always gets a smile apparently) and travels extensively to Sri Lanka where he has a factory producing for one of his labels – the Fantasy brand (remember Ronnie’s Sex shop?)– which I had recently chosen in John Lewis.

Then onto the Swartenberg Pass for the ‘must-do’ drive towards Prince Albert. Tom-Tom wouldn’t believe we really wanted to go on this untarmac-ed road for nearly 40 kilometres through stunning rocky formations with fantastic views of the valley, so we had to ask for the bike route and then he obliged. There was actually a bike race going over the pass and they were going a lot faster than us. Tortuous bends and not many passing places – so a challenging drive. We arrived at De Top at the same time as a group of S African blokes we’d kept meeting at photo-stop places, one of whom showed me his watch – it was noon – so….?? No he was showing me his altimeter on his watch which informed us we were 1552meters above sea level.

Then down to Prince Albert and bliss…end of the vibrating road. A very welcome beer and open sandwiches before heading back the long way round on ‘normal’ roads.

The Safari Ostrich Farm was a relaxing and fascinating tour of these flightless birds and their habits. Did you know you can stand on ostrich eggs providing you weigh less than 120kg, so John tested that theory happily, but declined the offer to race one as you mustn’t weigh more than 75kg.

The ostrich feathers and skins are very expensive so we resisted the temptations in the shop. A feather duster was about £15 and a small purse about £40. Our host Paula had been wearing a very elegant ostrich skin lime green skirt this morning – goodness knows what that set her back.

 One comment on the overall trip so far is that it’s so peaceful – we’ve not met any great crowds apart from at Cape Point and even then it wasn’t heaving. Prince Albert, although quite a sizeable town for this area was sleepy and very few people about.

Ate at De Zeekoe again – butternut squash soup, tender lamb fillet, springbok pie, assorted veg, apple pie and cinnamon ice cream.

 

Clear blue skies and no wind – ideal for Table Mountain trip. Saw Dave Fenton again at his flat in Tokai for coffee, the splendid view and more tips on fine dining at our next ports of call.

Arrived at Table Mountain and groaned as we saw how far away we would have to park. Arrived near ticket office with intention of dropping off John and going off to park the car. But a friendly warden, Sebastian, recognised John as a ‘nice guy’ and offered us a disabled parking slot and fast tracked us to the ticket office!!

Smooth ride up in cable car which rotates so everyone gets a chance to see the views on the way up – stunning – and none of those scary bumps over the pylons you get on ski-ing cable cars – although we did come to a sudden stop with a ‘power outage’ for a few seconds and the ‘driver’ cheerily kept making sure we were all OK.

Impressive walk across the top of the mountain – colourful flora, lots of lizards and – I’m running out of adjectives – phenomenally clear views over Cape Town and along the coast right down to Cape Point where we’d been on Tuesday.

Stopped for petrol and a swarm of guys set to and washed and dried the car in the time it took us to fill up and pay!

A bit of panic when we thought John had lost his phone so phoned Dan (having had to charge my phone from John’s whizzy mobile charger) to arrange to bar it,, but a few miles down the road it must have dislodged from its hiding place in the car, so panic over.

Long drive to Montagu and our next B & B at Montagu Vines. The ‘bird tree’ was full of ibis – 6 varieties apparently – quite a sight. No-one knows why they settle there particularly. Then over the bridge which collapsed last November in flash floods which effectively had cut off our B & B for 3 days and ruined the vines.

Richard offered welcome carafe of the white house wine on the terrace.

In the garden of Jessica’s restaurant for a delicious meal of tiger prawns/salmon crab cakes, Karoo lamb/trio of lamb ostrich and kudu (antelope) – all exquisitely served with delicious understated sauces.

Breakfast served by Frances and Richard. Frances insisted that nothing was too much trouble as ‘you’re on holiday and you must be spoiled’. This included yet another carwash as part of the service!!

About 150 mile drive on the R62 (the inland counterpart to the Garden Route, which runs closer to the coast) hardly inhabited by cars. Landscape now more arid in the Karoo valley – but still with curvaceous mountains on either side.

Friends and the Rough Guide insisted we stopped at Ronnie’s Sex Shop – a small café in the middle of nowhere. Ronnie’s shop had not been busy until ‘someone’ mysteriously added ‘sex’ to the handpainted sign, since when it’s become almost obligatory to add an item of underwear, a peaked cap or your business card to his extensive display. I didn’t feel inclined to leave him my new Fantasy thong (see relevance of this comment later). Eponymous Ronnie with long white plait revels modestly in his success and welcomes all visitors.

A detour up a dirt track to Warmwaterberg a pleasantly quiet hot springs spa where we swam in the natural hot spring pool and cooled off in the cooler one.

Tramezzini (like panini but made with a flat soft focaccia type bread) on the terrace of the spa accompanied by one of the many peacocks on the spa estate, refreshed us for the last leg towards Oudtshoorn. Ostriches abound in the scrub. Long drive up a dirt track to our accommodation on De Zeekoe Farm (think of sea cow i.e. hippo – which used to live in the nearby river) – a working ostrich farm. Absolutely delightful setting and superbly appointed rooms overlooking the valley. A dip in the pool, before a sparkly aperitif on the terrace watching the sun set. As the farm is 9K out of town, they serve a dinner – no choice, but delicious – tapenade Greek salad, beetroot soup, beautifully tender ostrich steaks served with a range of vegetables, then a trio of vanilla ice cream, strawberry mousse in a biscuit basket and lemon meringue pie,