Sunset over the Knysna Lagoon

I spent the weekend in Knysna for work and didn't have a lot of free time, but that did not stop me from dashing down to the Knysna Heads just in time to catch the sunset.  It's been a few years since I've spent some quality time in Knysna and I seriously need to make a plan and get back there to explore the forest a little more than I have in the past and also get down to places like Noetzie again. Hopefully soon.

Blue and yellow on the Knysna Lagoon

 

It was a late afternoon on a gloomy day, our only day, in Knysna and I was taking a walk around Leisure Isle with a couple of friends.  The mission was actually one of a Geocaching kind, but two of us had our cameras with us as well and once the cache was found it became a photography trip.  With not a lot of sunshine around it meant that there would be no spectacular lagoon sunset so we found ourselves a couple of subjects in these two row boats moored a few meters away from the island.  It wasn't long and we were both flat on our tummies to try and get a low angle and a nearby fisherman was so interested in what we were doing that he nearly missed the slight tug on his line.

The iconic Knysna Heads

What are the icons of the Garden Route? There are a few.  The adventure activities in the Tsitsikamma, Storms River Mouth, the view over the Beacon Isle Hotel with Robberg in the distance, the Knysna forest, the lakes around Sedgefield and Wilderness, Kaaimans Bridge outside Wilderness (especially when the Choo Tjoe still ran), Outeniqua Pass in George and the Dias Museum in Mossel Bay.  I left one out on purpose.  Probably (one of) the biggest icon on the Garden Route must be the Knysna Heads and, directly linked to it, the Knysna Lagoon - which is actually an estuary.

Road tripping to Cape Town and spending the night in Knysna was the perfect excuse for a drive up to the view site on top of the Knysna Heads.  Located on the Eastern Head, it has a breathtaking view of the Western Head and the opening into the Knysna Lagoon.

The Eastern Head is mostly a upmarket residential area where most of the houses have views we can only dream of.  The Western Head area is part of the Featherbed Nature Reserve so the area is protected and not developed.  Thank goodness.

Another view site just down the road gives one this magnificent view of the lagoon with Leisure Isle in the middle and the town in the distance.  It was a greyish day so I just slapped it with a bit of HDR for the effect. 

The Goukamma River

On my way to Cape Town recently I decided to grab a couple of Geocaches, one of them a cache called Back Stab Bridge just west of Knysna.  The cache was situated close to the turnoff to Buffels Bay next to the old road and took me to this beautiful spot. And that is where the caching reference to this post stop.  While cars were flying by on the N2, I could stand on the old bridge and enjoy the beauty of the area while snapping a couple of pictures.

The Goukamma River flows past this spot down to its mouth at Buffels Bay.  Goukamma is a named from the Khoisan word for “dark waters”.  The dark color of the river water originates from tannin picked up in the forest through which the water passes.  The river is ideal to paddle on while getting in touch with nature and on a warm late summers morning looked very inviting.  Unfortunately the long road to Cape Town (along with a couple more Geocaches) were calling.

Noetzie - Kastele op die strand

So 'n paar kilometer buite die Tuinroete dorp Knysna, aan die einde van 'n grondpad, is 'n baie unieke plek met die naam Noetzie.   Noetzie (Khoi-San vir Donker Water) het 'n pragtige strand en strandmeer omring deur inheemse woude, maar wat Noetzie laat uitstaan is die feit dat daar verskeie kastele langs die strand is.  Die area is reg van Knysna se begin jare af 'n plekkie waar die plaaslike inwoners oor naweke gaan kamp het.  Die eerste kasteel is in 1932 uit plaaslike klip as 'n vakansiehuis gebou met verskeie ander wat in die volgende paar dekades gevolg het.

Knysnakoppe

Die Knysnakoppe by Knysna in die Weskaap is een van Suid Afrika se bekendste natuurlike landmerke en word gereeld in reistydskrifte en brosjures gesien.  Die Koppe is ook een van die gevaarlikste ingange tot 'n natuurlike hawe in die wêreld met menige bote wat al hier deur die branders omgeslaan is of op die rotse geloop het.

Seepampoentjie

Almal wat al langs 'n Suid-Afrikaanse strand gestap het moes die een of ander tyd êrens 'n seepampoentjie opgetel het.  Ek weet 'n seepampoentjie is 'n "sea urchin" in Engels, maar het nog altyd gewonder of dit dalk 'n ander naam in Afrikaans het wanneer dit nog leef.  Die eerste een wat ek besluit om te vra was my goeie vriend Google.  Hy laat my selde in die steek en hierdie geleendheid was nie anders nie.  Penny Nyren se boek Ontdek Stande was bo-aan die soeklys en daarin sê sy dat 'n lewende seepampoentjie 'n see-engel genoem word.  See-engele woon gewoonlik op koraalriwwe of in rotspoele en het skerp penne wat hulle hele dop (skulp) bedek.  Hierdie gevaarlike penne word gebruik om hulle te beskerm en is gewoonlik giftig.  Probeer om nie in een van hulle te trap nie, want daardie einste penne breek maklik in jou voet af en kan maklik infeksie veroorsaak.  Die seepampoentjie in die foto het ek gekry op 'n rots by die Knysnakoppe en moes deur iemand daar neergesit geword het nie lank voor my nie.

Knysna forest roads

The are two ways of exploring the indigenous forests around Knysna, by car and on foot. 

Several forest roads take one all over the forests surrounding Knysna from down by the Knysna River up to Gouna, across to Millwood and over the Prince Alfred Pass.  The road in the picture is called Kom se Pad.

The best way to really connect with the forest is by going on one of the many hiking trails criss crossing throughout the forest. This is the only way to get close to nature and smell the forest. The Terblanche Trail is just one of them.

Random around the Knysna Heads

I still have a couple of odd pictures from our last visit to Knysna which I haven't posted, most of them taken around the Knysna Heads.  Thus I decided to do a "Random ..." post featuring pictures take around the Heads.

The view from the top of the Heads is amazing and this is where most tourists visiting Knysna would come for a couple of pictures.  In the picture is a catamaran as well as a helicopter both doing sightseeing trips through the Heads.

The afternoon sun glittering on the Knysna Lagoon as seen from Coney Glen Beach side of the Heads.

Another picture from Coney Glen Beach with the afternoon sun disappearing behind the cliff

The beacon on the rocks at the Eastern Head is one of two beacons (the other one is on Leisure Isle) that are used by boats to navigate through the dangerous entrance of the Heads into the Knysna Lagoon.

Sunset across the Knysna Lagoon from the top of the Heads

Along the jetty

On a recent visit to Knynsa I was looking for spots to photograph the sunset from and found this jetty pointing directly at the Knysna Heads in the distance.

The view towards the Knysna Heads from the end of the jetty

Oysters catchers on a rock

The sign on the rocks at the Knysna Heads says "No Diving", "No Swimming" and "No something else I couldn't make out", so the only ones making use of the rock are the Black Oyster Catchers who would just walk along and pull oysters off the rocks.  No diving or swimming necessary.

Bondi the sailor bulldog

South Africa has it's share of famous dogs with the two best known ones being Jock of the Bushveld and Just Nuisance.  A lesser known dog, or a small monument to him anyway, can be found at the waterfront in Knysna.  The Royan Navy sloop HMS Verbena was part of the African Station in 1928 when she visited Lourenzo Marques (now Maputo).  The city presented the ship with a pedigree bulldog named Bondi and it became the ship's official mascot.  On a visit to Knysna in 1931 the crew marched to the town hall for a variety concert and Bondi, not wanting to be on anchor duty, tagged along.  It was a very hot day and the heat got to Bondi who collapsed and died.  The ship's records simply stated: 16:00 - "Bondi died ashore". 

Bondi was buried on the wharf and it became a tradition for visiting British ships to tend to his grave.  This tradition ended during the second World War when no British ships entered the Heads and the only times a British crew tended the grave was when the HMS Nereid visited, its last visit being in 1953.  It seemed that nobody cared for the poor Bondi anymore.  The tradition was revived by the South African Navy in 2001 and in 2004 the Knysna Animal Welfare approached local sculptor Karel du Toit who created a bronze statue of Bondi.  The sculpture was unveiled at the Knysna Quays in 2004 and all donations put in the box at it's feet goes to the Knysna Animal Welfare.

Knysna Quays

Most visitors to the town of Knysna on the Garden Route end up at the Knysna Quays Waterfront at one time or another.  The Knysna Quays consist of a small boat harbour, an area with shops and restaurants as well as very upmarket houses and apartments.  Yachts are moored all around the waterfront both inside the small boat harbour as well as outside in the lagoon.  As the Knysna Lagoon is one of the main attractions in the town, there are a number of charter boats, ferries and catamarans that depart from the waterfront on cruises of the lagoon.

From the Knysna Quays a number of canals lead towards the part where the houses and apartments are situated.  All the restaurants on the waterfront looks out over either the canals, the harbour or the lagoon with some of them right on the water as in the picture above.

One of the highlights for kids visiting the Knysna Quays is when the walkway bridge lifts up to allow a yacht through.  When the bridge lifted up on this occasion there was a guy and his kids in a canoe coming down the canal and everybody clapped hands for him because it looked like the bridge lifted up specially for him.  The next moment this big yacht came sailing though right behind them.

In addition to the restaurants, there are a number of shops that line the walkways of the waterfront.  This big artistically carved yellow wood tree stump is one of the many other features that you will find alongside the shops.

Aloe and mountain silhouettes after sunset

The view from the top of the Knysna Heads are stunning in all directions.  Unfortunately I miss judged myself with the sunset as it set to the left behind the hillside and I had nothing to show for my trip up to the top.  Oh well, I enjoyed the beautiful view across the Knysna Lagoon towards the mountains in the back anyway.

Although I didn't get a sunset pic, the silhouettes against the dusk sky is my contribution to Skywatch today.

Noetzie Castles

The first thing people think of when you mention Noetzie is not the fact that its been voted as one of the top 3 beaches in South Africa, but  the fact that there are castles on the beach.  "Castles?" I hear you ask.  Yes, castles.  But not quite like in moats with crocodiles, archers on the walls and dragon guarded towers though.

The first castle was built in the early thirties.  In 1932 Herbert Stephen Henderson was building a holiday home on the western end of the beach using natural stone found at Noetzie.  He was only using local stone for practical reasons and it was never his intention to built a castle.  Somebody jokingly said to him: "All you need to do is to add a few turrets and you'll have a castle".  And so he did.  That set the trend and in the late 1930's he built Pezula on the hill.  This was followed in 1942 by what has become known simply as "The Castle".  His son built Montrose in the 1970s and the Lindsays built Perekuil in the 1960s.

The castles make for great and slightly unusual photography of the beach.  They are all individually owned while some are run as accommodation establishments.  The one castle belongs to the Pezula Resort and here they were carry you on their hands (not literally but close) in 5 star luxury.  I wonder if they will invite me to come and stay once they read this.  Then perhaps I can tell you more about how they carry you on their hands...

Noetzie Beach and Lagoon

Knysna isn't as well known for its beaches as fellow Garden Route towns Plettenberg Bay and Mossel Bay, but one of its beaches does rate amongst the most beautiful and unusual on this coastline.  This beach is called Noetzie.  The name Noetzie is a Koisan word meaning "dark water" and it refers to the water of the lagoon that is darkened by tannin picked up by the river as it flows through the forests and fynbos upstream.

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People have been coming here to camp and relax since the early 1800's when ox wagons followed a rough track down the hill.  Visitors in those days, and still today, enjoyed the beach, swam in the clean dark waters of the lagoon, fished and enjoyed the surrounding forest while the oxen were let loose to graze on the dune vegetation.

When the mining houses at Millwood were taken down and moved to Knysna in the early 1900s, some of them were brought down to Noetzie by ox wagons to be used as holiday cottages.  The first of the castles, for which Noetzie is famous for, was built in 1932 and today there are a number of these castles next to the beach.

The residents of Noetzie have always been aware of the area's natural riches and has for a long time fought for its protection.  In 1999 Noetzie was officially declared a conservancy which means that the natural beauty and biodiversity of the area will stay protected.  The one catch with visiting Noetzie is the fact that you have to park at the top of the hill and walk down a steep path and a number of steps before basking in the glory of Noetzie.

Belvidere Church

Affectionately known as the Belvidere Church, the Holy Trinity Church in Knysna would make it onto my Top 5 favorite churches around South Africa.  The church was modeled on the Norman churches of the 11th and 12 Centuries and was built with locally mined sandstone and timber from the Knysna forest.  Its foundation stone was laid on 15 October 1851 and it was consecrated on the 5th of October 1855.

There is a love story attached to the church as it was built by Thomas Henry Duthie, who was the founder of the village of Belvidere, for his wife Caroline, a daughter of George Rex.  The Duthies built their home on the farm which Belvidere was established on and decided that they needed a church to complete their happiness.  The church would be used to celebrate things like holy days and the baptisms of their future children.

The picture above was taken from the church entrance and in it you see that there are only 5 rows of pews on each side and a nave that is only 5.3 metres (17’6”) wide.  The church is open to the public every day of the week except for Sundays during the church service. 

Enjoying the view of the Heads

Drama Princess enjoying the view of the Heads in Knysna on the Garden Route 

The Knysna Heads

One of the Garden Route's most famous landmark must surely be the Knysna Heads, standing guard over the entrance to the Knysna Lagoon.  Heads is short for headlands and the two Knysna Heads is probably just about as popular for travellers to photograph than Table Mountain.  The Eastern Head, from where the picture above was taken, is home to one of Knysna's most upmarket suburbs with the houses having superb views over the lagoon and ocean, while the Western Head is a protected area and falls within the Featherbed Nature Reserve.

The best views of the Heads and surrounding lagoon and ocean can be had from the top of the Heads themselves.  Driving up the Eastern Head visitors can park their cars in the demarcated area and take a walk along a path that will take them to several lookout areas along the edge of the cliff.  From here you can also see why the Heads is one of the most dangerous entrance / exits to a port in the world.

Another popular spot is at the end of George Rex Drive where you can see the Heads from below.  From here there is also a path that will take you towards the opening itself.

Karatara

I know that the photos in today's post isn't the most scenic, but I wanted to end off the posts about Knysna's miners and woodcutters of the last couple of weeks where it all ended for most of those woodcutters.  The woodcutters eked out an existence in the Knysna forest for about 200 years, frequently exploited by greedy businessmen interested only in their own wealth.  Even though it was a miserable existence it was the only one most of these people ever knew and for this reason they never wanted to have it any other way.

In 1939 the forests were closed to protect them from being completely destroyed and the majority of the woodcutters were "pensioned off" to an area known as Karatara.  Karatara lies perched atop the plateau just north of Sedgefield and approximately 30km west of Knysna.  Today it is surrounded by farmland and breathtaking indigenous forests, but back in the days the woodcutters felt like they have been banished to some far off desolate place.

Karatara is still home to many of the descendants of these woodcutters and is a beautiful and undeveloped little town where many of the old original buildings can still be seen.  The morning of our visit was a bleak and cloudy one which added to the atmosphere I felt all around me.  Although the town may not be an unhappy one these days (except for the normal problems small towns like this has), I just felt the sadness of the days back when the woodcutters were forced to relocate here.  That's what you get when you live yourself into the books you read and I really lived myself into Daleen Matthee's forest books.