I travel

Found this

2009-09-14T04:08:00.001-07:00

When going through one of th small towns we spotted a great idea. Behind one of the petrol stations there were a nice big piece of grass with this sign on it.

Birds Paradise

2009-09-06T23:54:00.000-07:00

On our way back from Onverwacht we stopped at Robertson to visit a very interesting place. It is called Birds Paradise.

We decided to take a look around while we are passing through Robertson anyway and found this must visit. It is a bird sanctuary with 200 cages you can visit. They have the most amazing collection of birds and some other animals.I saw some birds I never even knew existed.

What impressed me most though was the neatness of the whole park. You did not see any cleaners running around though. It almost seemed as if there was no staff.

We will definitely be coming back here again.

Fencing the garden

2009-09-03T03:15:00.000-07:00

Having recently been retired on a disability income far less than my usual income I decided to start a vegetable garden to help support my family. Due to the nature of the area we live in, the fruits of my labour dissapear at night. To stop this I have to get it fenced on. An ordinary wire fence will do fine if I can fund it.

If you would like to help click here

Dassie Fontein

2009-09-01T03:57:00.001-07:00

If there were ever a worthwhile stop on the N1 in the Overberg then it is this one, especially when you are hungry. Actually, this is one of our regular stopover points when we go up the N1.

Dassies Punt started as a wagon with a few home made things and were build out to an attraction people drive miles for to visit. It consists of a few small shops selling items produced locally. Here you can browse for hours if you want to look at everything. It’s not simply another craft market though. The place has a character of its own.

The main attraction to me though is the restaurant. Here you really get more than what you pay for. The menu has local moms-kitchen type of food on. This is where you sit down for a meal you won’t easily forget.

When you travel up the N1 this is worth the stop.

Onverwacht

2009-08-31T03:51:00.000-07:00

It is a quiet out of the way place, in a beautiful mountain. At Robertson on the R62 you turn away to McGregor and from there you travel up a gravel road for about 15 kilometers before you get to the set of bungalows. Built piece by piece with the love and care you only find in a family owned business it is a work in progress. Onverwacht Accomodation were born from an idea, and grew over the years.

At the moment work are being done to get electricity installed, but we did not miss that luxury. As soon as we arrived, the kettle came on and the coffee came out. Then we settled down to enjoy the view. Te two sets of bungalows have a rustic quiet atmosphere. Once you sit down at the viewpoint that overlooks the valley outside the front door you forget about the outside world. It all seems so far away.

It is only later when you start looking for something you forgot at home that you realize how far away you really are from everything. We really enjoyed our stay, but I do have one tip though. Don’t forget to pack enough snacks, there are no shops close.

The toy museamm

2009-08-26T01:21:00.000-07:00

On the way back from Cape Agullas we stopped over at a small town called Napier. This in one of those proverbial one horse towns; something they do have though, is a small ice cream factory. They make the most wonderful ice cream.

They don’t have a lot of tourist attractions, but one thing that is a definite must see is the toy museum.

The lighthouse at the end of the world.

2009-08-25T02:14:00.002-07:00

Last year, when on leave we visited the farthest point south on the African continent, Cape Augullas.

The highlight of the visit were visiting the lighthouse. It is hard to imagine that someone once stayed there full time. It is even harder to imagine that there were no town at the time. The tower watchman lived in isolation, left to his own mercy.

The bottom part of the building were built as a house for the tower watchman. In the bottom picture we are looking down at its roof. We climbed up the steep stairs inside the tower. I am sure the guy that stayed here were a tee totaler. One miss step can stnd you on quite a yourney. Even the space between levels are higher than the normal floor to ceiling we are used to.

Before we went outside the guide warned us that the wind are very strong. He told us to remove everything that is loose. Even false teeth can be blown away. We thought he were joking untill we got outside. At ground level we were having a peacefull day. Up on the tower we had to grab on for dear life. When you walk out that little door you loose any fear of hights, the fear of being blown away for real is much stronger.

The other picture. Thats me - no not the lady in the blue dress; the guy with the pose.

A day in Hot water

2009-08-20T01:55:00.001-07:00

No holiday spent in Montague is complete without going to Avalon Springs. There is a golfcourse and shooting range on the edge of town and numerous other activities to keep you busy, nothing as nice as the hot springs.

When you go to the hot pools you can book in in the morning, then go someware and, provided you don't take off your tag, come back in later. Its open till 11 in te evening so you can spend the whole day having fun.

History in Montague.

2009-08-19T00:38:00.000-07:00

InMontague you find so much of the South African History it almost feels unreal. If you come from the south you meet history even before you get to town.

Way back when the British built a Fort to protect the border. I cannot say for sure if it were to protect the colony from an attack from the north or whether it were to stop stragglers from leaving the colony. They found the perfect spot to do this this though. The fort is built on a narrow ridge, with a perfect view of th vally on both sides. No one can pass this point without being seen on both sides. This being the only way to cross the mountains with relative safety, few went any other way.

Its a steep climb up to the top but the view is worth the climb. I added a picture of the actual path going up (looking from the top). I also added the view through one of the shooting holes in the fort. To see mory you will have to get my book.

Right below the Fort you find two more marvels of engeneering that made history in its own time. One is the 'tunnel' wich ewre blasted through solid rock right below the Fort. It is about 30 meters from one side to the next and today it would be just another small earthmoving job. when it were built though it was a first in this country.

The other, being rather standerd for the time were the road. How they built it and why anyone would risk theil life on something like that I dont know.

Things to do in Montague.

2009-08-17T05:08:00.000-07:00

After unpacking we headed for the tourist info first (picture on the left), then down to Badstraat 102. That is always our first stop, even when we are just passing through. Montague nuts - we go nuts for nuts. They have any nut you can think of and dried fruit, at fobulous prices.

After that comes the real fun.

At the tourist info we picked up a map that said Art and Crafts route. This is one of two tourist maps they hold. On this they had a listing for old houses gallerys and other interesting places like the Teddybear Collection. We both love houses, so we took a walk and found the most beautifull old houses, most of them close to town centre. The other tourist map is for all of the other attractions in and around Montagu.

There is lots in Montague to keep you busy for a week or more, but since this were a short trip, we skipped the rest of the crafts route and popped in at the Old Church museam at 41 Long street. I added a picture of the old hand carved pulpit still on display. There are a lot of other things to see here. You will have to take your own pictures or get the book.

After getting out of the church, we went down to the war memorial for those who died in the second world war and then on to Kanon Kop where there is an old British canon dating from way back when. This is just some of the historical sites in this small town. You will find more history here than in most school text books.

From Kanon Kop we made a quick visit to the Old Mill House and the start of the Badkloof walking trail ended our first days visit. The Mill House is still in equipped the same way it hsed to be before the last war. Outside you can see the water wheel that ran the mill. The badkloof trail runs down to Avalon springs, about an hours walk from start to end.

We just had to end the day in the hot water at Avalon Springs, more about that in the next posting.

Arriving in Montague

2009-08-12T23:49:00.000-07:00

Coming into Montague we went by the first landmark on Montagu Pass. The English Fort is a military outpost from a different era. It overlooks the only access point to Montague from the south. The British set it up as a border outpost. You can either come up the road, or up the river. Both ways you have to pas the Fort. I decided to leave exploring for later.

Crossing the bridge into town we came to the Floodmark for the 2003 flood, then we pased the actual entrance. We were finally here. Tired after the trip we decided to go drop the bags and get some coffee. I added the floodmark picture and the town entrance. The floodmark are high enoughto resch my shoulder.

We went on to Tanner Street and Rainbow Glen. Here we had a lovely surprise. Penny lane we booked was not available due to construction. We were upgraded to Almond, the one closer to the river. I loved this one even more.

We found out Rainbow Glen were doing a revamp and by the looks of it I am going to like staying here even more next time. I added a picture of my wife sitting on the stoep at Almond cottage and one of the bedroom. We only found out later that the ownership of Rainbow Glen changed since we were there last so the change were quite a nice surprise.

We dropped our bags and took the key and headed to town. Three minutes drive and we were in central Montagu, in front of the tourist office. The ladies at the Tourism info were their usual helpful self and I left with a map and list of attractions.

The list of attractions definitely comes in handy. It has everything categorized. Very handy, since we are not into wines we simply skip that section. They even have sports facility’s, internet access and a Laundromat on this list. The art and crafts route has a separate list, with a map.

We headed to the farm stall where we usually pick up nuts. If you like nuts, follow Bath road and look out for the big orange sign.

More about the nut place in the next post.

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We got going

2009-08-10T11:51:00.003-07:00

I had no trouble getting out of bed. We didn’t waste time. I think it’s the fastest I packed a car in a very long time. We headed north. I relaxed behind the wheel because I knew something good were starting.

On the way we made a quick detour. We stopped off at McGregor, another small peaceful country town. This little place used to be a totally farm community. Now it still is peaceful but a lot of artists moved here, giving it a new exciting lease on life.

When scouting a location for our next trip the first stop is always the Tourism Info. Here I found Maggie, a very helpful lady, brimming over with information and excitement about what is happening in the area - especially about the festival. ‘We won’t miss it for the world’ I told her. So now you know where we are going next.

I decided to pop in a picture of the Info office as a teaser (and of course the town entrance). The festival is the food and wine fair on the 29th of August. I think threw would be a lot more interesting things to see here then.

We stayed long enough to grab a cold drink and take a short drive up one or two roads. Then we left. On the way out we passed a farm with a lot of donkeys. There’s your family, Mitjie teased and on we went back to the road to Montagu.

We made a short stop at Ashton too we left family there a while ago, so we decided to go see if the graves were kept clean. I took a few pictures from the graveyard, and from the road along the hillside. I simply could not resist it. That is thing about Ashton, it is surrounded with the most beautiful mountains. I added a picture I took of the view of the montains from the graveyard. Even in the dry season the mountains make you wish you could stay forever.

We didn’t go to the Tourism Info though. If we ever plan a trip here it won't be soon.

The town doesn’t seem so touristy anyway. Most of its existence is built around the cannery. It grew a lot over the last few years.

I couldn’t resist taking a picture of the train though. It seems kind f out of place next to the main road so far away from a station.

Glad to be done with all of that we headed on to Montagu again.

The day before.

2009-08-07T06:38:00.000-07:00

Even though it is only a 3 day trip, I am still excited. I love the planning, making the calls and deciding where to stay and what to pack.

The morning of the day before the climax starts building. I started a checklist the day before. Since we decided we are going to stay at Rainbow Glen in Tanner Street I knew what I did not have to pack. We stayed there previously. It’s fully outfitted self catering units and I asked to stay in Penny Lane, same as before.

Rainbow Glen is everything we want for the three days. It’s quiet and comfortable and the best part, the price is right. Actually, I have been some places, and it feels like we get more than what we pay for at Rainbow Glen.

The morning I have been running up and down. I still had to pick up a few odds and ends we needed. This was really exciting. We were going away. Not that I never went anywhere before. What makes this special is that I can tell you the story.

By the time we got to bed, everything was packed and ready to load. All of it stacked neatly in a row in front of the fireplace – food for three days, clothes, toiletries and a bag with chargers and cables for the phones, camera and laptop. We always have space to load modern living. I really wanted to get the sleeping thing over and done with so we can get packing.

What is all the fuss about? We are going to visit a small little Karoo town with natural hot springs and a very interesting history.

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In case you are wondering where to find Rainbow Glen:

http://www.rainbowglen.co.za/

Rainbow Glen Guest Cottages

10 Tanner Street

Montagu

6720

Tel: 023 614 1294

Fax: 086 617 2810

eMail: info@rainbowglen.co.za

More Hermanus pictures

2009-07-31T07:52:00.000-07:00

These I took a while ago. The whale tail statue were put up because Hermanus is a prime Whale watching spot . We chose to use this as a motive on a Hermanus range at Disiette's Emporium in the new I Travel section.

The building in the cliff is part of the old harbour.

The picture with the animal skins were taken in a small shopping centre close to the old harbour. The town centre is a maze of interesting little shops.

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To view the pictures in this blog click here or on the thumbnail.

Mac Mac Falls

2009-07-27T10:38:00.000-07:00

On the way to Pilgrims Rest we stopped off at the Mac Mac Falls. This is a natural fall with a spectacular view.

This were a Quick stopover. On the parking there are a lot of stands, run by locals, selling African art to tourists. After a quick browse through the stalls we headed for the trail leading to the lookout point. It is a short downhill walkthere and a bit of a climb back.

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Down at the bottom at the pool there were people. Some ware a road also led down. We didn't have time to go take a look though because it were getting late and we were still looking for a place to book in for the night.

More Displays at the Big Hole

2009-07-24T00:28:00.000-07:00

At the big Hole Museum you find displays reproducing the lifestyle of the era. It includes life size reproductions of homes and bedrooms, bathrooms, etc. all very realisticaly done. Most of these were done in buildings still built at the time the mine were going.In the barroom you see Mietjie standing below a mounted ox head. This ox held the world record for the widest horn span in the world.

Buildings at the Big Hole

2009-07-22T07:59:00.000-07:00

The big hole

2009-07-21T00:55:00.000-07:00

A while back I were fortunate enough to visit the biggest open Diamond mine in the world dug by hand. This is the Big Hole in Kimberly. It were dug before there were even an idea that an industrial revolution can happen. Every shovel of earth were moved by hand and the miners kept digging until they were stopped by groundwater.

Today it is the site of a museum showing the tools and working methods at the time.

If you look at the pictures of the hole you will see buildings on the far side looking lie matchboxes. The actual depth os this hole is incredible.

At the side of the hole You also find buildings and displays from this era. You can take a walk amongst the buildings and look at displays of the clothes and shops of the era.

There are also a lot of trains and coaches and other machines for mining on display.

Below is one of the trains used during the mining.

For those of you who love to travel I added a very nice Sigg water bottle to my shop. Take a look.

Fernkloof, Hermanus

2009-07-19T01:29:00.000-07:00

As you drive through Hermanus you find the Fernkloof turnoff. This is a small valley where nature is still as nature were intended.

It is a place where nature lovers can take long walks. It is also a large collection of local flora. All of the local species of fynbos is represented here.

You can spend a whole day walking up and down here and from the walkways you have the most beautiful view over Hermanus itself. Its an absolute Mecca for picture taking if you love ocean view shots.

Closer to the entrance there is also a more formal garden where you would find an amphitheater and interesting things like the sundial.

This is a must visit on your way through, even if only for a quick stop. J

Hermanus, Old Harbour

2009-07-17T14:21:00.000-07:00

Next to the cannons you find a flight of steps leading down to the old harbour which were built when Hermanus started out.

Tourists travel up and down these steps every day to visit the museum and walk around the harbour, which is still in a good condition. Even though it were replaced by a bigger modern harbour down the coast you can still land a small boat here; if you can get permission.

The cannons at Hermanus

2009-07-16T14:04:00.000-07:00

I decihed to show off a few of my travel pics in this blog. This one were taken in Hermanus. The cannons is a monument dating from the second world war. It is a landmark sitting inbetween the ocean and the old market.

Hermanus is a beautiful coastal town.