This morning we bid a sad farewell to the lovely cottage at Four Fields Farm and drove back down to Nature’s Valley to see if it was free from mist. It was, so we were able to take the photos we’d missed the previous two days then rejoined our way along the Garden Route to Knysna and George, where we would be staying.
Knysna is a popular spot set on a vast shallow bay. Full of large holiday homes built on the cliffs, waterfront apartments around the marina and high class shopping arcades and restaurants it is clearly aimed at the well to do. The narrow entrance to the bay is called The Heads and it was here that we went to first. The high cliffs were bedecked with large, impressive mansions of shiny metal and glass and we snaked our way between them to the viewpoint car park. Following a smart, brick path we came to the first of several wooden viewing platforms where we watched a vast bank of sea mist being held at bay by the cliffs and slowly evaporating as it spilled into the bay. After watching this from different angles at the various other platforms we spotted a beach below us and drove down there for lunch.
As we sat in the sand with our backs to a large rock to shield us from the wind, we munched our sandwiches while watching the mist make steady progress inland on the developing sea breeze and slowly block the sun from us.
Back at the car we drove back through Knysna looking for a supermarket and ATM but were astounded to find very little open - it seems everything closes on a Sunday - so we set off for the larger town of George to see what we could find there. Not much it turned out.
We’d been recommended the town of Oudtshoorn by Carol and Phillip but decided against staying there as it didn’t work with our travel plans for the area but seeing it was only 50km away and having 2 hours to kill before we could get in our apartment we decided to go for a day, well afternoon, trip. The journey over the Outeniqua Pass was spectacular and we stopped at a couple of turn outs to admire the views. The coastal side of the mountains was lush and green but once over the pass the scenery changed instantly to the dry, arid bush of the Karoo of a few days ago.
Oudtshoorn is famous for its ostrich farms and we passed several on the way into the town all with herds(?) of birds rootling around in the bush for something to eat. As we entered the town we then passed shops and stalls selling ostrich leather, ostrich feathers, ostrich meat; you name it, they have it. The town itself had some interesting old buildings and we drove past several empty restaurants waiting for the evening diners to arrive.
By now it was time for us to return so we followed the road back over the pass and found the apartment we were to spend the night. Our host, Corlia, showed us around, pointed to a TV and told us it had all the satellite channels. We quickly found the England v Wales rugby game where we tried to spot our Floridian friend, Devin, who was at the game whilst over in the UK and were just in time to see the second half then, as that finished, we found the tennis at the French open - just how Sundays should be.
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| The Natures Valley lagoon |
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| Natures Valley |
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| Knysna |
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| Sea mist at the heads |
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| Outeniqua Pass |
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| Ostrich feathers for sale at Oudtshoorn |
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