A route to explore 

This guide takes the form of a road trip following the N2 as the main route from west to east, as this is the direction in which the history of the area unfolded, (even though the Portuguese used Mossel Bay and later Plettenberg Bay for supplies – without actually occupying the territory – before the expansion from the Cape). The Garden Route officially starts at Riversdale and ends just over 300 km away at Storms River. The dry rolling hills from Riversdale to Mossel Bay seem very different from the lush forests of the later part of the journey bu in terms of geologythey share the same features. The mountains on the left are a continuous ripple of the Cape Fold Mountains (consisting of hard sandstone). These mountains were buckled, bent and folded when South America and the Falkland Plateau smashed into Africa when the continent of Gondwana was formed 180 million years ago. On the right is the Atlantic coast that, by contrast, was formed when Gondwana finally broke up and drifted apart 60 million years later. The land between the mountains and the sea varies in width from 45 km to a mere 5 km (The narrower the gap, the more chance there is of forests). This coastal plateau, 200 m above the sea, was once a wave-cut platform, under water when sea levels were at their highest 20 million years ago. At its lowest, the present shoreline varied between 2 km and 30 km out to sea.

Once on the N2 again, while driving towards the Great Brak River, note that the land is undulating and lower than the surrounding coastal plain. This area is situated in one of those parallel mudstone formations discussed earlier, which resulted in faster erosion. 

The seaside holiday village of Hartenbos is the next stop. In 1734, Sias Meyer, a frontiers-man, was rewarded with this area for saving sailors from a ship that sank close by. What put Hartenbos on the map was the establishment, during the Great Depression, of a getaway place for Afrikaners where they could celebrate their culture. The main attractions are the beach and river, but don’t miss out on the Voortrekker exhibition at the Hartenbos Museum. It is also interesting that this is where the N2 of yesteryear, the Kaapse Wagenweg (‘Cape wagon road’) which ran all the way from Cape Town, broke away from the N2 of today. The reason for this was that the forests from George to the end of the Garden Route were impenetrable, so the early traders and visitors cut a road over the Outeniqua Mountains, six kilometres west of the present-day Robinson Pass. The Attaquas Kloof Pass (named after a local Khoi-na group) was once an elephant trail. It took travellers to the eastern front but, with the construction of the Montagu Pass behind George (1848) and the Robinson Pass (1869), this old pass was no longer used.

Returning to the N2, you leave Hartenbos and travel over the Little Brak River (considered, in 1752, to be the last place on the eastern side of Africa inhabited by Christians!) and then on to the Great Brak River. The holiday towns here have both river and sea frontage. Great Brak originated from the establishment of a toll bridge (1859) that was managed by the Searle family. Unlike most tollkeepers, the Searle family put their hearts and souls into this area and created enterprises from which the whole community benefited. They established a corn mill, a leather and shoe factory, a tannery and a wool-washery but, to top it all, in 1924 they built a hydro-electric power station that still functions. 

The next town on the N2 is Albertinia (originally Fonteinvlei) which was founded in 1900 and named after a predikant (Dutch Reformed minister). Fronting the N2 are shops and amenities that make it a popular rest stop. Behind these, is a working town, with farming, thatching, mining and one of the largest Aloe ferox production areas in the world. You can visit an aloe factory and then pose next to the largest sculpture of an aloe in the world. This is also the home of Louis Oosthuizen who won the British Open in 2010: it is here, as a young golfer, that he honed his skills on the local nine-hole course with greens made of sand and oil.

Further along, the road is flanked on the right by Aasvoëlberg, a remnant of the Cape Fold Mountains. In 1918, a large diamond found on its slopes caused much excitement. Just before the Gouritz River Bridge on the left is the entrance to the Garden Route Game Lodge, one of the first to re-introduce into the Cape the big five and other game previously present. (By 1809, the Cape buffalo had been shot out in this area.) The Gouritz River (named after the Gourikwa Khoi-na who lived on its banks) is millions of years old and was a major obstacle for early explorers. The first of the three bridges to cross this section of the river was built in 1892.

What really put Gouritz on the map was the first bridge swing off these structures (in 1986) by Hilton Davies, a rock climber from Cape Town. His friends, Andy de Klerk and Neil Terry, who had base-jumped off the bridge, decided that the change in the wind meant it would be a bad idea for Hilton to jump so, instead, he jumped off the bridge using his climbing ropes. His mad act was followed by a few climbers and friends from Cape Town: this saw the start of the first commercial bridge swing (known as the King Swing) in South Africa in 1989. Kiwi Extreme introduced bungee jumping in 1991, but sadly, this activity was stopped in 2009 as the old road bridge was deemed unstable.

Mossel Bay to Wilderness 

Beyond PetroSA you will enter Mossel Bay. This seaside town is nestled in a bay shaped like half a heart. This interesting shape, repeated in other bays all the way up the Garden Route, is due to sea currents and the underlying geology. Looking out to sea over these bays you will see a headland on the west (right) side and a log-spiral bay on the east (left) side. The coast of the Garden Route is made up of repeated parallel formations (running north/south) of hard sandstone (worn-down ridges) and softer mudstone (a build-up of sediment deposits in the troughs after the folding of the sandstone). When the strong Benguela Current sweeps down the coast towards Cape Town, it eats away at the softer mudstone that, over millions of years, has formed these bays.

Today, when crossing the Great Brak River on a double-lane highway, you climb up to the coastal plateau overlooking the sea. In the time of the Searles, the old road swung up the valley. This old pass was built by Henry Fancourt White in 1840 and remained the standard route to George for many years. This pass – a gravel road, steep in places and beautiful – can be followed today. Henry also built the Montagu Pass and his, son Ernest, renamed his father’s house – originally Blanco House – Fancourt, now a hotel and famous golf estate. (Ernest and his sister died tragically after a meal of poisonous mushrooms.)

Back to the N2, after climbing up the Great Brak Pass (built in 1981 to replace the single-lane pass of 1963 which can be seen just below you), the road continues towards George on a flattish plain which, from Great Brak to Wilderness, is situated on a massive granite pluton. This is why this part of the coast has remained less eroded and has retained its height above the sea.

Nearly 100 years after the first European had started cutting wood from below the Outeniqua Mountains, the British government, which had just won control of the Cape for the second time (1806), established the district of George (1811), to maintain control over the ever-eastward expansion of the Cape Colony. To keep the Dutch settlers happy with their new masters, resident woodcutters were given six free plots and the first landdrost (magistrate) was Dutch. So, the old VOC post was the beginning of a small town which has steadily grown into a city. It was named after King George III for one reason only – to extract aid through flattery.

Early visitors held a common perception when describing this hamlet under the mountain: ‘more of a garden than a town, the prettiest town in the world’, ‘a more pleasant town I have not seen in Africa’. Besides its beauty, endless timber, fresh water and abundant wildlife, it was a peaceful and safe place to live. (In 1834, Sir John Wylde congratulated George on the fact that there had not been a single criminal case there for three years running.)

The only drawback to George was its situation in a geographic cul-de-sac, hemmed in by mountains, sea and impenetrable forests. The town was losing business from the eastern front and the Little Karoo as business was flowing over the Attaquaskloof Pass. 

A coastal route through Wilderness was established by means of the Kaaimansgat Pass. Governor van Plettenberg, in 1778, was one of the first to venture through this gorge with wagons. This pass remained in use but at one’s own peril. Knysna was better served by sea or by crossing the Outeniqua Mountains and doubling back over the rough Duiwelskop Pass (established by farmers in 1772). The town became obsessed with passes. First, the Cradock Kloof Pass (1812) was hastily built but, because of its horrid gradient, it was used with reluctance. 1847 saw Fancourt White establish the beautiful Montagu Pass, which was only replaced, using modern expertise, much later. 

Wilderness to Knysna 

After leaving George, you have two options: to take the Bain’s Pass Road (also called Seven Passes Road), which takes you through breathtaking wooded countryside, or to take the Kaaimansgat Pass, described by the explorer, George Thompson, in 1827, as ’...one of the most frightful-looking spots Iever beheld.’ Thanks to modern engineering, the horrors have been taken out of this spectacular pass over the Keerom (‘turn back’) River, today known as the Swart River. Keep an eye open for the cliff faces on either side of the road. You are now leaving the granite pluton that underlies George and driving down through the cleaved and folded metamorphosed sediments known as the Kaaimans Group. This rock is very old and was put down about the same time as the rock you can see at Sea Point in Cape Town. Before entering Wilderness, you cannot help noticing the picture-postcard cottages on the west bank of the river. During the 1940s, a dentist had his practice in one of these houses – patients had to be rowed over the river to keep an appointment! 

From the Dolphin Viewing Point, have a look at the spectacular railway bridge that spans the mouth of the river. This bridge was a big challenge when the railway line to Knysna was being constructed. In 1905, a railway line between George and Knysna was suggested but, because of the challenges involved, it was only completed in 1927. The Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe train ride became one of the major attractions in this area, bringing steam train enthusiasts from around the world. A spin-off was the famous man-versus-machine race, with runners racing the train from Wilderness to Knysna. The severe storms of 2006 put an end to the railway line but the Friends of the Choo-Tjoe (www.friendsofthechoo-tjoe. co.za) are raising funds to get the line up and running again.

Wilderness is predominantly a holiday destination. This is not the place to immerse yourself in history but rather to indulge in nature and numerous outdoor pursuits from beach activities, fishing, hang-gliding, hiking, biking, canoeing, birding and rock climbing to water skiing. Of historical note, however, is that this was the home of ‘Die Groot Krokodil’ (‘the big crocodile’), P W Botha, the finger-wagging South African president at the height of the apartheid era. It is ironic that, when he died in 2006, his house (Die Anker), was sold to Sango Ntsaluba, a well-known Black businessman.

Five lakes are the main feature of Wilderness (referred to as the Lake District in the ‘70s). Their origin makes this type of lake (which can only be seen again 1000 km up the east coast in KwaZulu-Natal) extremely rare. This landscape was formed because of soft rock, the rise and fall of the sea level over thousands of years and a strong, consistent wind. During the period when the sea level was low, the coastline was much further south than it is today, leaving this area high and dry, and rivers cut wide, open valleys owing to the nature of the soft, young rock. 

When the sea level was at its highest, these valleys were flooded. As a result of this process having occurred a number of times, soft calcified rock (consisting of organic sea life and sand cemented together) and, over time, large sand dunes formed, creating landlocked lakes. Today, all these lakes are fed by rivers and sea water that permeates the sand dunes. The one exception to this is Groenvlei (just past Sedgefield) which, of the five, is the only freshwater lake: you will note that no rivers run into this mysterious stretch of water.

There are three places worth visiting before you get to the hill overlooking the Knysna Lagoon and the end of Wilderness. 

The first is the town of Sedgefield which, with its beaches and fine estuary, is predominantly a holiday destination. Back on the road you pass Groenvlei, climb over a crest into the beautiful Goukamma River Valley, then immediately after crossing the river, take a right-hand turn to the seaside resort of Buffelsbaai, the second place to visit. The third place to visit is an area above Knysna which played a large role in the development of the town. Rheenendal is reached by a road leading inland from the crest of the hill overlooking the Knysna Lagoon. In the early days, the state forest was here and hundreds of thousands of tons of timber were cut out of this part of the Garden Route. Bain built the Phantom Pass to facilitate this endeavour; later, this pass became the starting point for the Seven Passes Road. Today, there is enough to see here to warrant a full day’s excursion. Your first stop is Portland Manor which will give you a good idea of how the rich lived on the backs of thousands of poor woodcutters living deep within the forest. (If you are interested in the heart and soul of this area, read Dalene Matthee’s novels Circles in the Forest and The Mulberry Forest.)

Knysna was founded on the timber industry but, in 1875, a gold nugget was discovered at Millwood: this started a mini gold rush with over 600 diggers. By 1886, attention had been drawn away from Millwood Creek to the mountainside where a reef was discovered. Millwood became a town with permanent buildings and hotels and a population of 400, with another 600 miners living in the forest, but only 127 kgs of gold were mined there, so it never became the El Dorado that people hoped for. When the Witwatersrand gold boom began, the miners left in droves. Today, there is still ‘gold in them thar hills’ but Monk’s Store – a corrugated-iron cottage – is the only permanent structure remaining. It is a museum and tea garden from where you can walk up the trails and visit old mine shafts and graveyards and see old mining equipment. (Take a torch to visit the Bendigo mine tunnel.) This area (26 km from the N2) also offers picnic areas, walking trails, mountain biking and lots of tree hugging!

Knysna to Plettenberg Bay

The Knysna Lagoon is crossed on a new causeway that has replaced the old bridge upriver near Phantom Pass. Driving along the northern bank before entering the town, you will see road cuttings that tell an interesting story of when this ancient basin was formed. The lagoon was blocked off from the sea by a ridge of hard Table Mountain quartzite which, over time, was breached between the Knysna Heads. Because the basin was reshaped by tide-dominant periods and river-dominant periods, we see conglomerate rock with different strata of rock that has been reworked numerous times since the Jurassic period. The roundness of the boulders and pebbles cemented into this rock formation (Enon conglomerate) indicates that they were shaped by water abrasion long before being introduced into this newer formation.

A few million years later, Knysna saw the first European settlers. This was not an easy place to settle as it was cut off from the rest of the world by mountains, sea and forests. When Le Vaillant visited this area in 1780, he noted that there were three poor woodcutters’ houses. More people settled here but the late 1700s saw advance guards of the Xhosa’s westward movement, resulting in the destruction of farms through burning. The first person of note to settle here was James Callander. After surveying the coast and lagoon, he tried to persuade the Cape government to establish a harbour.

It was George Rex, however, who was to take Callander’s stillborn idea to fruition. Rex entered the Knysna scene in 1804 after a short stay at a Batavian internment camp at Stellenbosch. Said to be of royal birth as the son of George III and Hannah Lightfoot, he was a man of many mysteries, but there is no doubt that he put Knysna on the map. He acquired most of the land there and made his homestead (Melkhoutkraal, which was 2 km from the turn-off from the N2 to the Heads) a welcoming stopover for everyone from common people and explorers to top government officials.

Rex started farming and developed the timber industry on a large scale. After he had won his hard-fought campaign for Knysna to be recognized as a harbour, his family piloted shipping through the Heads for a number of years. The first ship to attempt the passage through the Heads, the Emu, was wrecked but, ironically, the Podargus, which sailed to the rescue ,became, in 1816, the first across the threshold into the Knysna Lagoon. Rex attempted to establish a local shipping industry with his 140-ton stinkwood brig, the Knysna, but it was the arrival of the Norwegian Thesen family in 1869 that, in fact, established the shipbuilding industry and dominated it until steam ships took over. Many ships made it through the Heads, but many sank before it all came to an end in 1953, when Knysna lost its official status as a harbour because of the railway line. 

Knysna reinvented itself as one of the premier tourist destinations in South Africa, using its rich history and its natural beauty. For those seeking leisure, there is a myriad of boating activities, world class golf courses, food festivals and shopping in the town centre. For those who enjoy exploring there are thousands of acres of ancient forests (with elusive wild elephants) to walk through, mountain biking, birding, fishing, and visits to Featherbed Nature Reserve and the Heads to satisfy your needs. (Look out for the extremely rare Brenton Blue butterfly found only at Brenton-on-Sea: this butterfly was the first invertebrate in Africa to be saved by government intervention after a great deal of work by dedicated conservationists, led by Dr Dave Edge. Also look out for another rarity, the Knysna sea horse.) Those wanting a historical fix can start at the little village of Belvidere and visit the Holy Trinity Church before taking in the other churches and historical buildings in Knysna itself, and the Knysna Fort above the Provincial Hospital; then end with a visit to the grave of George Rex, considered the founder of this town.

The journey continues from the Knysna basin by climbing onto the coastal plain, which maintains the same height till Plettenberg Bay. This is mainly a forestry area, but off this part of the N2 there are a number of places to visit. Just after Hornlee, you can explore the R339 which takes you to Diepwalle (visit the Forest Legends Museum) and Prince Alfred’s Pass. The large, ancient forests can be experienced on walks long and short and by mountain biking, and offer the greatest chance of seeing the elephants. Opposite the turn-off to the R339 is a road to Knoetzie, a little coved beach which can only be reached by over 100 steps.

When the British took over the Cape, they moved the main harbour in this region from Plett to Knysna, which was devastating for the former. Plett reinvented itself years later as a premier holiday destination so that, today, many people view Plett as the Saint Tropez of the south, the place where the who’s who of South Africa go on vacation. Its attractions vary from nature to bling and opulence. Robberg Nature Reserve is a good place to start with nature. (This peninsula consists of a younger sedimentary rock called the Robberg Formation, not Table Mountain quartzite, which is unusual for this part of the world). 

Hiking and views of the ocean with its marine life are drawcards, while a visit to Nelson Bay Cave, home to Stone Age man, should not be missed. Beacon Isle was important early on in Plett’s history: a navigational beacon was placed here in 1772. In 1912, it became a whaling station for eight years, after which the remaining buildings were used as a fisherman’s hotel. This was replaced by a new hotel in 1940 which, in turn, was demolished to make way for the iconic building we see today. The other big attractions in Plett are its three main beaches – Robberg, Central and Lookout.

On leaving Plett, you cross the Bitou River, which flows in a flat valley much too wide for the small river we see today. The conglomerate pebbled rock face (seen as you cross the bridge) tells of a more ancient and powerful river. Within seconds, you will cross the Keurbooms River, considered the border of the Outeniqua’s land in 1770. What lies on the eastern bank was considered the Tsitsikamma (Khoi-na for ‘bright and clear’), an area described by early explorers as more impenetrable than that around George and Knysna. It took the great fire of 1869 to open this area up and, within a month, Thomas Bain had started surveying a route through to Port Elizabeth.

The rest of the journey to Storms River is what the Garden Route, with its deep gorges, giant ancient trees, mountains and rugged coastline, is all about. Another stop on your journey will be at the Tsitsikamma National Park, the starting point of the famous Otter Trail which ends at Nature’s Valley. Day walks to waterfalls, deep forests, canoeing up the tight gorge, suspension bridges and an underwater dive trail are some of the main attractions. After a breathtaking journey of just over 300 km, we can understand why the likes of Francois le Vaillant, Carl Thunberg and George Thompson revelled in the exploration of the magnificent Garden Route.