The Knysna Yacht club was founded in 1910 and is still very active and welcoming. It is located on the northern shore of a large warm-water estuary known as the Knysna Lagoon, which is fed by the Knysna River.
For RTW sailors , this a favourite stop in South Africa. Partly due to the charm of the place and partly due to the 'Garden Route', a string of holiday destinations and tourist attractions which cross the Southern Cape close to Knysna.
The Thesen family were important early settlers who, en route from Norway to New Zealand, stopped in Knysna. They were so enchanted with the place that they decided to stay. They established the timber trade and introduced Oyster farming. There is an island which bears their name and which, since 2000, has been turned into an up-market development of homes, shops and boutique hotels.
The Turbine Hotel, one of the boutique hotels, is interesting as it is housed in a converted power station and the restoration has been lovingly done, preserving much of the original turbines and ancillary equipment.
There are many nice restaurants in the area. The Nest on Thesen island is probably the best (and most expensive). We really liked Freshline fisheries, a restaurant that is owned by a fisherman and specialises in fish and seafood. The establishment is basic with wooden benches on a sandy floor. He has no license so it is a BYO scenario (no corkage fee). But the food is excellent and great value.
We would strongly recommend hiring a car to explore the Garden Route. Our first stop was the Robbenburg Peninsula which separates Plettenburg Bay from the Southern Ocean. From the car park, it is a 18km hike out to the point and back. The scenery is spectacular and there are literally thousands of fur seals lining the cliffs in several different colonies. It is also possible to take a fast rib from Knysna and to go snorkelling with the seals.
On the way back, about 3km from the car park, there is a lovely beach where you can swim. Of course, it is also possible to walk to the beach without hiking out to the point.
The next day we undertook a road trip through the Swartburg mountains. They form a part of the Cape Fold Belt, a geological structure resulting from the collision of ancient continental plates approximately 300 million years ago. Tectonic forces subjected these formations to folding and uplifting. The quartzite surrounding the area presents a spectrum of colours, ranging from white to red to purple.
The approach took us through a dry, barren, sparsely populated landscape (twice the size of Spain with the same population).
The Swartburg pass through the mountains is a dirt track with precipitous drops and stunning scenery. I am not sure how much of the scenery Paul enjoyed. He was focusing on the precipitous drops!
The pass leads to Prince Albert, a small town with a number of restaurants. We struck gold in 'Local Roots' a simple restaurant advertising meals from local produce. We had passed several Ostrich farms so our choice was easy. It was delicious, inexpensive and my favourite meal (so far) in South Africa.
We drove back over Prince Alfred pass which, compared to the Swartburg pass, was slightly disappointing.
Up until a few hundred years ago, the Southern Cape was covered in dense, indigenous forest and populated with elephants. Unfortunately, with an unregulated timber trade, by 1937 around 75% of the forest had disappeared along with most of the elephants. In the remaining, now protected, indigenous forest there are trails which were created by herds of elephants years ago. These are known as the 'Circles in the Forest' trails.
The routes are well maintained and present easy hiking. There are educational plaques along the route, highlighting different types of tree and what they were used for. I particularly remember the Stinkwood thanks to its unique name!
There are multiple sanctuaries and private game reserves targeting the tourists. We visited Knysna Elephant Park which, as well as being an attraction, also carries out world famous research on caring for elephants in captivity. The visit was quite expensive for a one hour tour but you could get up 'close and personal' with the elephants and the money does go to supporting the research
We also visited a small wolf sanctuary. Wolves are known for their piercing gaze. We indeed came away with an abiding memory of piercing eyes. Not from the wolves, but from the attractive young woman looking after them. (We thought she has been looking after her charges for too long!)
There is much more to do in or near Knysna. It is a kitesurfing hotspot (either in the lagoon for beginners or in the ocean for the more experienced). The highest bungy jump in the world (more than 210m) is close to here. And there are many more hiking trails in the surrounding areas.
However, with a long wait for a suitable weather window to round Cape Agulhas, we decided to head to Kruger National Park for a safari. More of that in the next post.
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