Hi there everybody, its been a little while since our last post, have either been to busy or when we have had time, no internet connection.
Well from Storms River we went to a spot called Plettenberg Bay - a beautiful spot on the South Coast. It was too windy and cool to sit on the beach so instead we hopped onto a boat and when in search of whales. It took a while but in the end we spotted a group of 3 humpbacks. They were great - but a bugger to take pictures of, they keep going under the water! The backpackers was really nice - decorated in African prints, we even had a small sitting room. We also had our first Braai or South African BBQ - a real tradition. They use wood to make the hot coals rather than charcoal - nice way to cook though, especially with a glass or two of local pinotage.
Our next port of call was Wilderness National Park. It is a beautiful spot which encompasses bush, rivers, estuary lagoons and beach. We took a small, but well appointed forest hut rather than camping (it was quite windy - a weather theme that continues for 2 weeks!) We did a couple of walks and spent quite a lot of time bird watching (I seem to have become a birder!). Mind you one of the birds we did see was the Knysna Lourie - an outrageous green and red bird, so I was quietly chuffed about that. Good thing we like birds really as our forest hut had a resident pigeon with chicks just outside the front door!
The weather continues sunny as we turned north away from teh coast and crossed a low pass to enter the area known as the "Klein Karoo" and went to a town called Oudtshoorn, "The Ostrich Capital of South Africa".
It was a nice provincial town in a semi-desert landscape with a few attractions such as the Cango Caves (not that great actually), various ostrich farms, which we resisted, and Meerkats - which are completely unresistable. There is a chap (Mr Meerkat! aka Grant) who is a researcher on Meerkats and other burrow dwelling animals and who was the key reaearcher who enabled such series as Meerkat Magic with Nigel Marvin as well as films by Simon King and National Geographic. By getting teh meerkats used to his presence and using some special distraction techniques we were able to be within feet of WILD meerkats. We had to be there by 5.45 outside the burrow that they had gone into the previous night so that we were visible and ready to be inspected when the first Meerkat popped its head out of the burrow. They are brilliantly social animals - and it was interesting that because the meerkats accepted us, other wildlife such as some nearby Springbok did not regard us as a threat. After sunning themselves the group (15 in all as some were down in the burrow guarding babies) headed off, feeding as they went and we followed in fact they were at one time all around us. Very special. If you are interested type in Meerkat Magic to YouTube for grant's meerkat diary.
Oudtshoorn was strangely well endowed with fine restaurants - we had an excellent meal at one called Jamima's - some of the best lamb I have had, accompanied by another bottle of good pinotage of course!
We headed west along route 62, through the rugged, fynbos (fine bush) covered valleys. It is beautiful country - the mountains are so steep and craggy - they do not seem to go in for foot hills or anything, just vertigenous cliffs and long, long ridges. We stopped at a wee place called Calzidorp to do a port tasting, but actually did more wine tasting than port at the De Krans cellar. If you can get hold of a bottle or two of their merlot, or Turago Nacional then do so! We ended up in Montagu - a small service town with several vinyards and very pretty cape dutch architecture. The guest house we stayed in was forgettable, but we did a fine day walk in teh nearby hills and rewarded ourselvs with a nice meal and the inevitable bottle of wine - but chardonnay this time, not pinotage!
Continuing west on R62 we stopped one night in Worcester. It is not a real tourist destination but did have a very fine botanic garden and teh largest brandy distillery in teh world. Well we had to visit! KWV is a massive local producer of wine and brandy. Brandy is very widely drunk in SA and has a long tradition (like Gin in London). They drink 3 or 5 year old brandy with coke or lemonade or tonic, lets face it at that age it is so rough you have to mix it. But there 15 year old was pretty good - luckily Rhonda was driving.
Stellenbosh was destination I had wanted to visit as it is known for its excellent wine, good retaurants and old architecture. It was very windy and showery when we were there (a portent of teh heavy rain and floods that followed teh day we left!) but we really enjoyed it. We booked a wine tour so that we did not have to drive and so visited 4 vinyards, tasting 5 wines at each as well as doing a cheese tasting and having an excellent lunch. We were quite merry on our return - I think they make excellent reds but was not so convinced about teh whites. although they grow lots of Sauvignon Blanc I think it is too hot to produce a really excellent example. S.A is actually quite cheap to travel in as teh Rand is weak (about 15 to teh pound). On our final night in Stellenbosh we had a very posh 2 course dinner and it seemed like alot of money ZAR 525 - but that is actually only 35 pounds, so a bargain.
I will add Our west coast and cape town adventures when I can and hopefully some pictures too. Keep well,
Murray
