Garden Route Ramble - 165km

KNYSNA

...lies on the banks of a tranquil lagoon, guarded at its mouth by The Heads, and overlooked to the north by the Outeniqua Mountains. Surrounded by lush indigenous forests of yellowwood, stinkwood, Cape beech and red alder, its history is closely linked to the exploitation of the forests and to George Rex, a legendary figure who bought the farm Melkhoutkraal in 1804 and established himself as a timber merchant.

One of the most popular coastal resort towns along the Garden Route, Knysna offers visitors a wide range of water sports (in the lagoon and the sea) and adventure activities. Those in search of a more relaxed holiday can explore the lagoon aboard a houseboat, or on a tour boat. The lagoon is home to the endangered Knysna seahorse (Hippocampus capensis) as well as many of the over 230 bird species recorded in the area to date. It is also famous for its fresh oysters.

Places of interest include Millwood House, dating back to the region’s short-lived 1870s gold rush and now a museum; George Rex’s grave; and the Angling Museum. Numerous arts and crafts galleries, gift shops, farm stalls and furniture factories abound.

KNYSNA FORESTS

Stretching from Mossel Bay in the west to Harkerville in the east, the indigenous forests of Knysna cover about 45 000 ha of state and private land. Together with the Tsitsikamma forests to the east, this is the largest natural forest complex in South Africa. Towering forest giants draped with strings of hanging lichens, monkeyrope (Rhoicissus tomentosa), colourful mosses, glades of ferns and tranquil streams create a wonderland inhabited by bright forest birds such as the Knysna lourie (Tauraco corythaix).

Among the 125 species of trees are Outeniqua and real yellowwoods, stinkwood, red and white alders, ironwood, white pear and assegai, while tree ferns and dense undergrowth give the forest a fairy-tale aura.

PERDEKOP

The 20-minute walk to the summit of the 729-m-high Perdekop rewards visitors with spectacular views over the Keurbooms River valley and the Langkloof Mountains to the north. Looking south, the plantations and indigenous forests extend to where the coastal plateau meets the sea.

PLETTENBERG BAY

Originally named Bahia Formosa (Beautiful Bay) by the Portuguese navigator Manuel de Mesquita Petrestrélo, Plettenberg Bay was renamed after Dutch Governor Joachim van Plettenberg in 1779. The town developed around a woodcutters’ post established in 1787, and the ruins of the timber store built in that year can still be seen. With 20 km of beaches stretching from Robberg Peninsula to the mouth of the Keurbooms River, Plettenberg Bay, with its luxurious Beacon Isle Hotel, is one of the most fashionable holiday destinations along the Southern Cape coast.

The brisk winds in the bay make it ideal for sailing, boardsailing, and surfing, while the Keurbooms River offers good water-skiing and canoeing opportunities, and numerous good rock angling sites. Among the town’s historic attractions are a replica of the beacon erected by Governor van Plettenberg in 1787 and St Peter’s Church (1881). The quaint St Andrew’s Chapel was built entirely from yellowwood as a family school and chapel in 1849.

ROBBERG NATURE RESERVE

At the southwestern end of Plettenberg Bay, the white sandy beach gives way to a peninsula jutting into the ocean for 4 km and ranging in width from 1 km to just 250 m at The Gap. Robberg features a rugged coastline with high sea cliffs, patches of drift sand and spectacular rock formations, among them the Blaasbank (Blowhole) and Brugklip (Bridge Rock). Archaeological excavations at Nelson’s Bay Cave have produced evidence that the cave was inhabited for more than 100 000 years.

The earliest inhabitants were Middle Stone Age people who occupied the cave from about 120 000 to 50 000 years ago. They were followed by Later Stone Age people, who lived in the cave from about 18 000 to 2 000 years ago, and finally by Khoikhoi pastoralists. The peninsula can be explored along three trails, ranging in duration from 30 minutes to three hours.

KNYSNA ELEPHANT PARK

...is home to three young elephants: Harry, Sally and Duma. Harry and Sally were orphans from an elephant cull in the Kruger National Park and were relocated to their new home in 1994. They were joined three years later by Duma, brought from a game farm. Visitors are taken on a guided safari into the 50-ha camp where the elephants roam, and will gain a fascinating insight into the habits and other aspects of elephants. Once the elephants have been located, visitors can touch and feed them. There is also a 25-ha private nature reserve and a 2,5-km walk, the Bushpig Trail.

GARDEN OF EDEN

...is an apt name for this pristine tract of indigenous forest with its towering yellowwoods, stinkwoods and lush undergrowth. This is an excellent example of the wet forest type, in which the trees attain heights of about 15 m. There are picnic facilities, and visitors can experience the atmosphere and tranquillity of the forest by setting off on a 30-minute walking trail.