On Monday morning we headed back to Grahamstown via a public access road through a private game reserve. We saw some beautiful nyala, impala, water buck and warthogs. On the way back to Grahamstown we passed a large paddock where there was a donkey and a zebra who are known locally for being inseparable. At Grahamstown, we dropped off our luggage and the dogs at the house and then headed to Rhodes University for the Arts Festival where we had lunch and spent a pleasant afternoon visiting the art exhibitions.
On Tuesday morning we walked in the rain into town past some Central African crafts stalls to Avis to collect our rental car. Then we headed off on the next stage of our adventure to Storms River Mouth where we checked into a chalet which had a lovely verandah facing the beach. We saw a vervet monkey, a blue duiker and dassies on the way in. We walked past the restaurant along a path with spectacular views to the suspension bridge across the river mouth.
The next morning we woke up at 7.30 am and drew the curtains on to the verandah so that we could enjoy the view of the beach. We saw some dassies on the grass and the rocks and Keith went outside to get a closer look. He crumbled a slice of bread which made them all rush over to the patch of grass in front of our verandah. After breakfast we packed up the car. At first we drove back towards Storms River to get another look at the view from the Storms River Bridge. On the way we stopped at The Big Tree – a 36 metre tall Outeniqua Yellowood. We walked on to the Storms River Bridge with great views from both sides of the bridge but it was really windy, and we were glad to head back to the car.
We turned the car around and headed towards Sedgefield, past Plettenberg Bay and we stopped at Knysna for lunch. After lunch we decided to take a walk to the waterfront. To do this we had to walk through the car parks of some of the shopping centres next to the local minibus stand. There were a few local stalls there and a few Rastafarian-style black males loitering around. We saw a couple of them smoking marijuana through a hollowed out carrot! We walked along the waterfront looking at the shops. It was only a short drive to Sedgefield after that and we found the corner cottages (purchased by Grandpa Hockly in the eighties) easily. After we checked into Wagtail Cottage we drove to the beach where we had a short walk around the headlands.
On Thursday morning, the alarm went off at 6.30 am and we drove to the Giant Kingfisher walk at the Ebb and Flow National Park. We saw Knysna Turaco Loeries in numbers, a kingfisher, and cormorants on our way up the river to the waterfall. We crossed the river on a pontoon at one stage. We arrived back at about 11.00 am and drove along the N2 and then the N12 past George and up the Outeniqua Pass, after waiting for a truck accident to clear, to Oudtshoorn. We walked up the main road looking at the old sandstone buildings and shops. We saw great (expensive) ostrich products and mounted animal heads and skins. After lunch we looked through the excellent CP Nel Oudtshoorn Museum with its history of the Ostrich booms and busts, and reconstructions of a pharmacy, general store, bank, dining room, bedroom and the old Jewish synagogue. There were also displays containing magnificent Ostrich feather costumes, firearms, mounted heads, fine porcelain and china, and musical instruments. Then we walked down to Le Roux Town House as the best example of a "feather palace" with amazing furniture and fittings. We drove back to Sedgefield with a beautiful Little Karoo sunset behind us.
On Friday morning we had another early start. We checked out of Sedgefield and headed down the N2 and made great time until the turn off at Heidelberg. There was heaps of mist which was really spectacular but a bit daunting to drive through. There were lots of beautiful green pastures filled with grazing sheep and cows and Keith took some photos of ostriches in the mist. As recommended by Keith's dad, we took a scenic detour off the N2 to Barrydale through a pass in the mountains, and then the wine country towns of Montagu, Ashton, Bonnievale, and Swellendam where we stopped for lunch. We arrived in Cape Town around 3.30 pm and settled into Paul and Robyn's (Keith's cousin) house at Mowbray.
The next morning we drove to the Victoria and Albert Waterfront and parked in the secure car park. It was a beautiful sunny day but extremely windy. Table Mountain was swathed in cloud – known locally as the "tablecloth". We went to the craft markets first and then wandered around the Waterfront admiring the views of the dry dock, Table Mountain and the shops, but we only saw a solitary seal swimming through the docks. Then we walked into town and up St George's Mall and then Green Market Square. We walked through the Company Gardens which was the Dutch East India Company vegetable patch, where we saw some very tame giant squirrels and Egyptian geese with their goslings. Then we went into the Iziko SA National Art Gallery which we found disappointing (because we don't appreciate modern art) except for some great black and white photos of South African life in the past. We walked back down Long Street admiring many old buildings which have now been converted to lively bars and backpackers' hostels before reaching the car and driving home to Mowbray. We saw a Turkish bath at the top of Long Street and were accosted by many beggars.
Keith's cousin Teresa came over on Sunday morning and following Teresa's instructions, we drove to the start of the Platteklip Gorge trail up Table Mountain. We had expected it to be cold and windy and had prepared accordingly, but instead there was no wind and it was a clear and sunny day. The walk was a mainly vertical slog up steep rough-hewn stone steps and as we climbed we got very hot and sweaty. The views of Cape Town from the top were spectacular and we were entertained by a large group of fat happy dassies basking in the sun and munching on the greenery. After walking around the top, we ate our lunch, admired a peregrine falcon floating in the air, and then began the long climb back down the mountain. We were really glad that we had climbed up earlier in the day as by this time most of the trail was exposed to direct sun.
Then we went to Allie and Ann's (Teresa's parents) place via a scenic drive along the coast. We drove past Camps Bay and stopped at the wharf at Hout Bay where we saw seals frolicking near the pier. We drove inland to Constantia Nek and stopped at the Groot Constantia Vineyard for a quick look at the main house and cellar shop which featured beautiful whitewashed Cape Dutch gables. We had a lovely barbecue (braai) with steak, pork chops and three types of boerewors cooked on an open wood fire. After dinner we drove back to Paul and Robyn's place and to our relief we managed to find our way home easily.
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