A friend and ‘constant referrer of possible new clients’ sent me details of her family beach house in Plettenberg Bay, which is available for hire. The current rate of R1 320.00 is per night, for up to 14 people, so we invited long-time friends to join us.
Adventure Land was on the books for everyone on Monday afternoon, a water park on a 24 hectare property, with slides for both the faint and the brave-hearted. Trampolines, a play park and braai areas are also available, as well as a kiosk. Entrance fees are dependent on arrival time and whether you will be using the slides or not.
Golfers are well catered for all along the Garden Route, and while the guys spent the morning at the stunning Simola Estate, Ingrid and I took Jake to the Wolf Sanctuary, also situated on the N2.
In the afternoon, we booked a 2 hour surfing lesson for all the children with instructors who are also trained as lifeguards. The cost includes the hire of a board and wetsuit, and the instructor-learner ratio is 1:4. The kids had a ball and most of them managed to actually ‘surf’ for a bit by the end of the lesson!
On Wednesday, we drove to the Garden of Eden; the wooden paths make the short walk easily accessible for elderly visitors and families with small children. The beauty of this walking trail had us looking for more, and back on the road to the Knysna forest to find the “Big Tree”, the largest accessible tree of its species, which is approximately 660 years old. After making the most of this photo opportunity, we drove through the forest via Spitzkop and the Gouna Gorge. Spitzkop is the highest point accessible by vehicle in the area, and the views of the mountains and surrounds are breathtaking.
After an early night, we took to the road toward the Tsitsikamma Forest, where we had pre-booked the Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour, the first of its kind in Africa, involving traversing from one platform to another along a steel cable suspended up to 30 metres above the forest floor. The guided tour, a breathtaking form of eco-tourism, takes approximately 2-3 hours and it gives you the opportunity to experience the spectacular scenery and bird life of the forest. Tsitsikamma originates from the Khoi Khoi language, and means ‘A Place of Many Waters’.
After lunch at the rustic Trees Restaurant, we had time to kill before the Woodcutters Journey departing from the same point, so we drove to the Storms River Mouth Restcamp to do the short hike to the Suspension Bridge spanning the mouth of the river, which is an easy stroll that leads along the western side of the river mouth. On the other side of the bridge, there is a short but very steep climb to a lookout point.
Back to the Storms River Village to board the tractor and trailer for the Woodcutters Journey, a 2-3 hour ride down the old Storms River Pass following the elephant trail to the water through indigenous flora, listening to the history of the area from the guide. At the bottom, we were served with tea and apple cake, after which some of us started to walk back to the village, and were picked up by the tractor on its return. The trip was a wonderfully relaxing experience for all ages.
The long and active day made eating out an easy choice to make! We were recommended to try the Rod and Reel Restaurant, and were not disappointed in the location, service or cost! Located in Piesang Valley Road in Plettenberg Bay.
Friday, and another day of playing golf for the men at the Plettenberg Bay Country Club. Ingrid, Jake and I returned to Adventure Land where another facility on offer is quad biking. They have mini-quads for under 16’s on a short track, or a guided 3.5 km track through the forest. After Jakes initial 5 times round the mini track, we decided to do the forest trail. It took us about half an hour, and was an awesome ride.
Saturday, our last day! We packed lunch and drove to the Keurbooms River Nature Reserve, where we hired motor boats and headed for the river beaches, which are equipped with braais and toilets, as well as safe swimming. After another superb day of more R&R, we headed back home to pack and spend our last evening before the long drive home and back to reality!