Friends and Explorations

We've had a lovely time recently as we had visitors - old friends from Potchefstroom stayed with us on the farm for a few days, and we showed them the Garden Route, with relaxed days on the farm in between.

The day after they arrived, we went to Victoria Bay - me and my friend got fried while swimming and were bonded by mutual redness the remainder of their stay. It was a proper hot beach day though, ice cream included. On the way back via Montagu Pass, we stopped for a relieving cold swim in the spring dam and a group photo. 

The Outeniqua Mountains. 

Cool off. 

A background doesn't get better. 

We showed them the little town of Uniondale, and visited people living on a very isolated farm near Haarlem. We also drove Prince Alfred Pass in the mist, and through the stunning Knysna Forest (we did this once before). 

Uniondale's church. 

Prince Alfred Pass in the mist.

Excellent marketing through curiosity. 

Pit stop. 

Symmetry.

We stopped at the 'Dal van Varings' (Valley of Ferns) and two big yellowwood trees. Cool, wet, misty and mysterious, the Peterse loved the forest.

Ferns. 

April 2nd Kids Outing

On April 2nd, my mom and 7 kids went on a fun outing to Vic Bay, Wilderness, and Knysna (similar to what we did with ouma Elna during February), because 1) we had to pick up some more piglets at the farm near Knysna, 2) my parents decided it's a way of thanking the 'team' for their help with our horses every day, and 3) me and Kate (the friend from up the mountain) had to be taken to George anyway because of a youth camp we were going on.

 The majority of the morning was spent at Victoria Bay.

There weren't too many people as it was a cool day - we swam nevertheless.

"Die hele spul".

After fun on the beach we drove to Knysna, where we had KFC at a beautiful little church.

Our picnic table.

A stroll around the church.

Driving up the rough dirtroad of Gouna, we took a walk in the forest (the Terblans walk). It was not raining in the rainforest, and it was noticeable how different the forest-atmosphere was compared to our previous wet walk with ouma.

The starting point.

Multiple Walks and Italian Ancestors

In this week's blog I will share about a very nice outing we had with ouma Elna during February.  Nature in many forms (such as ocean, mountains and forest) are both very close to us and we made a day outing of exploring the variety. Thursday February 26^th we left at 7am for George, our first stop on a one-day tour of Victoria Bay, Wilderness and the Knysna forest with my gran. We popped in at Vic Bay just so my gran could see what it looks like; she thought it very cute and cosy, and adored the houses right next to the beach. We had a nice and short stroll along the paved walkway.

Smile!

 The pier.

Vic Bay.

Next we drove to Wilderness, which is very different from Vic Bay with it’s loooong white and sandy beach.... After a delightful walk along the coast (skipping stones on the water, getting wet and dissecting Cnidarians, Gastropods and Bivalves (jellyfish, ‘sea snails’, and mussels and such...sounds impressive though doesn’t it)), mom, dad, gran and Theuns drank tea at the fancy beach restaurant and Maarten and me went for a swim.

Wilderness beach.

Onwards we drove to Knysna, where we had KFC for lunch, and then departed for Gouna, located in the beautiful indigenous Knysna forest.

In the Knysna forest, we hiked a part of the Terblans Nature Walk on Kom se Pad, an area made famous by Dalene Matthee in her Forest Book ‘The Mulberry Forest’ (1987) in which Gouna and Kom se Pad features. Her other Forest Books include her most famous book, Circles in a Forest (1984) as well as Fiela's Child (1985), and Dream Forest (2003).  The Mulberry Forest book bought publicity to the fate of several Italians who came to South Africa in 1881 in hopes of starting a silk industry. Persuaded by government under using false pretences, the Italians who arrived here were shocked when they realized they were expected to cultivate mulberry trees and start a new life in the untamed Knysna forest, which in those days still had lots of wild elephants!

Into the forest on Terblans walk.

 Moss.