Garden Route Ramble - 165km

KRANSHOEK

The Kranshoek viewpoint offers expansive vistas over the rugged coastline, with its numerous rocky bays, some 200 m below. Picnic facilities are provided here, as well as at the picturesque waterfall where the Kranshoek River plunges into a deep gorge. The Kranshoek Walk, a 9,4-km route that leads through indigenous forest down to the coast and back up to the plateau, can be hiked in about 4 hours.

BRACKENHILL FALLS

...lie in the upper reaches of the Noetzie River. After a few gentle leaps over rocky ledges, the river plunges over a sheer cliff into a deep gorge carved into the coastal plain. The name Noetzie is Khoikhoi in origin and means ‘black’ – a reference to the colour of the water. Picnic facilities are provided. The falls and nearby Brackenhill are named after the bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum), a rambling fern which forms dense communities in clearings and is especially abundant after fires.

NOETZIE

...has a delightful beach and a small lagoon set against a backdrop of indigenous forest. To the east of the beach is a cluster of holiday homes reminiscent of medieval castles. The history of the stone-built castles dates back to 1913, when Mr HS Henderson bought several plots along the coast. The first house was built in 1932; it incorporated a water tower that made it look like a castle, so crenellated battlements were added. In keeping with the original building, the neighbouring houses were built in the same style.

Dominating the complex is Pezula (a Shona name meaning ‘high up’), which features an imposing corner tower. For a number of years, it was the holiday home of Garfield Todd, former Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia, but was re-acquired by the Henderson family in 1970.

KNYSNA HEADS

Guarding the entrance to the Knysna Lagoon, the sheer cliffs of The Heads stand astride the narrow passage that has been cut into an ancient marine terrace. Early attempts to persuade the authorities to ship timber through The Heads were unsuccessful because of the dangers posed by submerged rocks in the narrows. In 1817 the Emu, a Royal Navy brig sent to determine the feasibility of establishing a harbour, struck a rock and ran aground in the entrance.

Over the next 79 years, numerous ships were wrecked or damaged while negotiating the treacherous passage, the last being the Norwegian whaler, Pisang, which capsized in 1914. From below 6 and from the summit of the Eastern Head are views over the lagoon, while the Featherbed Nature Reserve on the slopes of the Western Head is accessible only by joining a cruise on the lagoon.