Fun tops the menu in Wilderness
By
Leon-Ben Lamprecht | Published 1 December 2008
Take a leisurely paddle and an easy 2 km walk to the waterfalls.
JoshWood, barman at the Beach House Backpackers in Wilderness, seems to me at first to be either remarkably laid-back or extremely thorough. He pours me a whisky and adds the ice cubes one by one.
Over a game of pool he tells me his parents moved from Pretoria to nearby Sedgefield six years ago. He relocated to Wilderness three weeks ago.
He reckons once you know where you want to retire, you might as well move there immediately. Why wait until retirement age?
Wilderness is the perfect place for him, he says, while taking aim at the black ball. He likes the peaceful existence in this coastal town. The pace of life here is so much more… humane.
Next morning, as I’m standing on the backpackers’ balcony, watching the waves slapping against the rocks, I can’t help thinking he’s onto something.
“It’s called Wilderness because it was a wilderness,” says Hugo Leggatt, who’s called it home since 1947 and still wants to write a book about the place. “At least, that’s what George Bennet thought when he bought land here in 1877 and had to name his farm.”
After Bennet’s death, the farm ended up in the hands of the company Wilderness 1921 Ltd, which divided the land into erven. That’s how the village started.
Former president PW Botha retired in Wilderness; and American folk singer Rodriguez, who is still popular in South Africa for his Cold Fact album and hit single
“Sugarman”, occasionally visits his daughter Eva and her husband Juan, who live in the village.
There’s no shortage of places to eat in Wilderness. In fact, if you stand across the road from the Caltex garage (the only petrol station in town) and throw a stone in any direction, you’ll probably be able to break a restaurant window with every throw – Monks, Pomodoro, Bistro Mikado’s, a coffee shop or two… Guesthouses are also as common as former Springbok coaches.
All the residents I meet are affable. Over lunch at the Wilderness Grille, the waitress calls me “hon” and “darling” while telling me about everything there is to do in the area.
The tranquillity is contagious. By the third day I’m also cruising around town at 40 km/h.
If they ever held a beauty contest for South African towns, Wilderness has an excellent chance of winning the Miss Photogenic title, or at least being one of the first princesses.
6 things to do in Wilderness:
1. Paddle and hike upriver
I dip my paddle in the water and glide deeper into the kloof. Lush green slopes rise on either side of the river. A wealth of birdlife goes about its birdy business.
I’m headed for the Touw River waterfall. Chris Leggatt, owner of Eden Adventures, recommended it as the best day outing on the water.
First you paddle for a kilometre or three in the Wilderness National Park until you reach a pebble beach. Then you tackle the rest of the route on foot.
I haul the kayak out of the water. From here it’s an easy 2 km walk in flip-flops to the waterfall, because most of it is along a boardwalk.
The waterfall turns out to be two falls. First you see the little one, and then you clamber up a rope ladder fixed to a rock to get to its big brother.
The dark-brown water is too inviting not to take a dip.
Time: Set aside a whole morning for this outing.
Cost: To hire a two-seater kayak, the rates are R60 for an hour, R180 for three to five hours, and R250 for the whole day. The conservation fee for the Wilderness National Park is R16 per person (if you don’t have a Wild Card).
Contact: Eden Adventures 044 877 0179 or 083 628 8547; tours@eden.co.za
Close2. Hug a yellowwood
The information sign at the Big Tree near Woodville says the tree is 2 m in girth. Surely that can’t be, I think. It’s got to be bigger than that! A previous visitor who must have thought so too carved the number “1” in front of the “2” – 12 m sounds more like it.
The sign also reads that this yellowwood is about 800 years old and 33 m high, with a crown width of 34 m. If the tree were Victor Matfield, I’d be a Chihuahua.
From the tree there’s a 2 km footpath through the forest. It’s well worth the walk. Some of the trees have nameplates: yellowwood, white alder, ironwood, beech, candlewood…
After a few hundred metres I stop to take a picture of a toppled yellowwood. Suddenly a husky appears as if from nowhere. The dog and I just look at each other.
“Ripley!” a voice calls from somewhere. “Ri-i-i-p-ley-y-y!” The dog pricks its ears. Then it disappears.
Believe it or not.
Time: If you just want to see the tree, you only really have to park and get out of your car. Budget about 40 minutes for the forest walk. There are braai facilities at the parking lot.
Where? Take the old George–Knysna road, direction Knysna, until you see the signs for the Big Tree after 4,7 km (get a map from Eden Adventures in the Wilderness National Park).
Cost: Free.
Close3. Get a bird’s eye view
Wilderness has two lookout points that you shouldn’t miss. At the top of the uphill slope on the N2 from Wilderness, direction George, is a parking lot. You’ve probably stopped there in the past, but next time walk down below the Kaaimans Pass to the Dolphin’s Point lookout 500 m further. (You have to look hard to find the steps of the short path; they’re easy to miss.)
You can see the Wilderness coastline disappear on the horizon, and people on the beach are just tiny dots. To the right, the Kaaimans River flows peacefully.
Also drive or cycle to the Map of Africa lookout point, from where you can see the outlines of Africa carved out in the folds of the hills by Mother Nature herself.
The Kaaimans River flows way down all along the outline of “South Africa”, and past the “Congo”, which is full of tall trees.
Sit down on the wooden bench and pause for a while. Take pictures. Show them to everyone you know when you get back home; not many people know about this spot.
Time: A 10-minute drive from Wilderness.
Where? Both lookouts are clearly marked on the map provided by Eden Adventures.
Cost: Free.
Close4. Drive a circular route
It’s just before New Year’s Day. You’re camping somewhere on the Garden Route. It’s hot. The fish aren’t biting.
Relax. Go for a drive. Turn off the N2 into Wilderness and follow the road. A lovely circular route starts just beyond the Protea Hotel, on your left. It twists up the hill to the old George–Knysna road (also called the Seven Passes Road), then goes right through Hoekwil, from where it descends towards the sea and back to the hotel.
After 4,5km you’ll find the turn-off to the Map of Africa lookout over the Kaaimans River (on your left). Get back in your car when the memory card is full and follow the road until it crosses the Touw River. Stop at the bridge, find a comfortable spot by the river, kick off your shoes and listen to the wind and water.
When you get to the T-junction, turn left to the Big Tree or continue towards Knysna.
If you turn right you’ll get to the hamlet of Touwsranten, which will shock you back into the reality of poverty in South Africa. Some distance after the village of Hoekwil you will come to another T-junction. If you turn left here, the road snakes past Island Lake, Upper Langvlei and Rondevlei. There’s a picnic spot next to Island Lake. The kids can splash around in the water or play cricket while you take a catnap at third man.
You can also go bird-watching at the Malachite or Rondevlei bird hide, or take the Brown-Hooded Kingfisher Trail (5 km), before heading back to Wilderness.
Time: Set aside a whole day; it’s 60 km to Rondevlei and back.
Cost: R16 conservation fee to enter the park.
Close5. Ride through the forest
“There is no such thing as a stupid horse, only a stupid rider,” says Amanda Terblanche of Perdepoort Horse Trails.
She has been taking guests on horse rides for 16 years, on a farm she and her husband hire.
She carefully explains the art of handling a horse before I mount Victor, a boerperd: Tug the reins gently to make him stop, pull to the left if you want to turn left, pull to the right if you want to go right…
Initially, Victor and I have a slight communication problem. Every tuft of grass distracts his attention. We’re soon on the same wavelength, however, and we rock gently through the forest.
Amanda says there are leopards in the region, but that they’re quite shy. I don’t like the images that this piece of information evokes.
I lean back in the saddle, the Lucky Luke theme tune playing in my head: “I’m a poor, lonesome cowboy…”
To my dismay, Victor then seems to want to trot rather than walk. Amanda’s instructions notwithstanding, I just can’t seem to get into the rhythm of it.
If you’re not used to riding, you might be pretty stiff the next day, but it’s worth the discomfort.
Time: 90 minutes.
Cost: R200.
Contact: Call Amanda on 082 646 8290. Book to avoid disappointment.
Close6. Eat pizza at a trattoria
In the heart of Wilderness is a cosy Italian restaurant named Pomodoro. Pardon me if I sound a bit breathless, but I had a really good meal here.
You can sit outside on the stoep and enjoy a glass of red wine while you wait for your meal to arrive.
The menu lists pizzas with delicious-sounding toppings (the rocket and Parma ham topping I had was a winner), folded pizzas (calzone) and rich pastas. Lest you forget that you’re in the Southern Cape, there’s ostrich on the menu too.
To me, good food without a good atmosphere is a bit like alcohol-free beer. At Pomodoro, the food was great and the friendly staff and warm atmosphere made me feel right at home.
Cost: About R50 for a bowl of pasta and R45 for a pizza.
Contact: 044 877 1403
CloseWilderness in a nutshell
Where (else) Can I eat?
Rondé View Café. The cheesecake is amazing.
044 877 1433.
The Potjie. Anything from a South African to a Hungarian-inspired potjie is on the menu… and the meal is served in a potjie.
044 877 0731.
Bistro Mikado’s. The German bockwürst and schnitzel are delicious, and the staff friendly.
044 877 1474.
Where can I stay?
Ebb & Flow Camp in the Wilderness national Park.
R125 for a campsite (two people) and R42 for every extra person. R800 for a bungalow (four people).
044 877 1197.
Beach house Backpackers.
From R90 for a dorm bed to R370 per person for an en-suite room.
044 877 0549 or 082 828 0714.
Fairy Knowe hotel.
Between R330 and R500 per person per night.
044 877 1100.
How do I get there?
Wilderness is 410 km from Cape Town, just off the N2, and 340 km from Port Elizabeth.
Close
Comments