October 16-19
Hello everyone!
For most of our week in South Africa, we were based in the coastal
town of Mossel Bay. Occasional high-rises loom over the enticing Indian Ocean
breakers which lap the smooth sand. Not that we would be swimming; the number
of great white sharks in this area is said to be quite high.
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| Santos Beach, in a cloudy Mossel Bay |
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| We went straight...for about 2 metres, then lay out our towels, quite far from the sea |
The town is also often known as the entry point to the
so-called ‘Garden Route’. It’s often described as a ‘must-see’ for people who
visit South Africa, which is strange as it’s actually quite hard to pinpoint what is a ‘must-see’ aspect of it.
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| Major cities lie some way to the west (Cape Town) and east (Port Elizabeth) of the Garden Route |
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| Surfing is a popular attraction on the Garden Route, even with the sharks |
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| Wilderness |
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| Knoetzie |
A short drive from the main town along the route, George, is
the wonderfully-named village of Wilderness. The change in the landscape is as
stark as it is stunning. Thick forests tower above the water, just a few
hundred metres away from the shore.
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| A fresh catch for lunch |
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| It wasn't as warm as it looks - we had to sit behind a dune for protection from the wind |
That forest is, bizarrely, shaped like a map of Africa. If
you squint. Just as impressive was the sight of paragliders negotiating the
strong winds to land from the headland onto the beach below.
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| And the bit with no power...that's Malawi! |
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| Two of these gliders seemed destined to crash at one point, though probably missed each other by a comfortable margin |
The halfway point of the Garden Route is a sleepy town
called Knysna. The area contains a lovely, calm lagoon.
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| Small boats moored around the pretty lagoon at Knysna |
The calmness dissipates somewhat when you see the lagoon
from above and observe where the water enters the lagoon. The ‘Two Heads’ guard
the scenic town and showcase the power of the waves when they crash and clash
against the rugged rocks.
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| Imagine a boat from 400 years ago trying to enter that... |
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| The Heads are also described as 'the resting place of many fishermen'. Lovely thought, that... |
Near Knysna is a place called Knoetzie which I had seen
recommended on a travel blog. It looked simple enough on Google Maps…
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| 17 minutes, they said...try double that. |
…whereas the reality was slightly different and unsuitable
for our little Polo…
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| One of the smoother sections of gravel KP undertook |
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| The township at the entrance |
The beach itself, down a series of uneven, haunting steps,
seemed abandoned. An old castle hung precipitously on the edge of the higher
land above. A hidden treasure of a place, though a bit eerie.
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| Step through to find beach bliss... |
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| Buildings are few and far between, not to mention unique in architectural style |
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| Exploring Knoetzie |
I guess the allure of the Garden Route is the ‘route’: the
journey. The allure is certainly strong, though we’d have enjoyed it more if
the temperatures had been stronger as well.
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| A mountainous pass between Outdshoorn and George |
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| Rolling down a hill from Wilderness, with a lagoon on the right |
The views when driving are spectacular, just as they were
when we were driving along Route 62 on our way to Mossel Bay. Once again, some
lovely drives around this lovely landscape.
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| Windy, wavy and wonderful |
Love you all
Matt
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