I stayed for 2 nights at the Island Vibe hostel in Knysna. Unfortunately due to my complete lack of time management I could only choose a couple of places to stop off at on the Garden Route. Knysna was highly recommended for incredible scenery and the hostel chain Island Vibe has a good name and so it won out over Wilderness.
I was impressed with the hostel. It was quite small and not excessively busy but the place was clean, and had a cute little plunge pool, free and working wifi as well as extremely friendly staff members who made everyone feel welcome and at home. It may not have been one of the hostels with the best facilities but the guys who worked there more than made up for it.
Picturesque is probably the best way to describe Knysna. Everything from the town centre to the surrounding land and coastal areas was exquisitely beautiful. Shortly after I arrived on the Wednesday I went on a small tour of Knysna with one of the staff members. It included having a drive through town and discovering some of the history about Knysna which is linked with the gold rush. Gold was discovered in Millwood in 1878. However, even though it was South Africa's first declared gold field, there was not enough here to sustain a town and miners moved from Millwood into Knysna. The timber industry is extremely important in Knysna and it is this and tourism which help support the area.
Before human inhabitation of Knysna there was a large elephant population in the area. However, the numbers have dwindled dramatically from hundreds to a handful. There have been confirmed sightings of at least three elephants in the area but research has led forest rangers to believe there may be five or six still around but they are extremely elusive creatures. It is a shame the population was decimated but hopefully it may pick up again slowly.
The latter part of the tour and my personal favourite part, was a visit to the Knysna Heads, a natural rock formation which form the entrance to the lagoon and to what used to be the port of Knysna. It is comprised of two steep cliffs which are only 200m apart at their narrowest point and can be as shallow as 18m, depending on the tides. The tidal flow of water is a contributing factor to the danger that the Heads present. At high tide the entire water level of the lagoon rises by just over 1m meaning a large amount of water passes through the Heads each day and can often be unpredictable. Unsurprisingly there are many ship wrecks in this area. Infact it is so dangerous that Lloyd's of London will not insure ships or yauchts passing through the Heads.
The Eastern Head.
The Western Head.
A view of the Heads towards the lagoon.
As seen in the above photos the Eastern Head is developed, mainly luxury holiday homes but there is a visitors lookout point, from where I took many of the photos. The Western Head is privately owned land which was sold under the condition that development is restricted and therefore today it is the Featherbed Nature Reserve. The only building on the Western Head is part of the whale research centre as Southern Right Wales visit the Southern Cape coastline between June and November to mate and calve.
The Knysna Lagoon is a protected area falling under the SA National Parks authority and it is a spectacular sight from the Heads viewpoint. It was an extremely beautiful day when I visited and Leisure Isle, Thesen Islands and Knysna are all visible in the pictures.
I still cannot express how beautiful Knysna was. Yet again this photo does not do it justice.
Leisure Isle visible in the foreground and Thesen Islands, the mass of white houses, in the distance. Shown clearer below.
My wonderful afternoon was followed by a braai in the evening with other guests and the staff at the hostel. Anule, one of the staff members was trying to teach me how to braai properly and so I helped set up the fire and sort out the bricks for the grill etc. I'm not sure how food I was at it but it was fun. We had a couple of drinks and played some pool, very badly on my part but it was still enjoyable. My second day in Knysna followed a similar vein as the first. I meandered into town to get a closer look at shops and historic churches that had been pointed out the previous day on my guided visit. The Main Street through Knysna is pretty, comprised of double storey, old style buildings and a nice market area.
The churches were one of the first structures in this sleepy town and were originally across the way from the prison. However, it's two cells quickly became inadequate and so this was relocated but the churches remain.
Along with these there is a memorial square in the village to commemorate those who lost tier loves in WW1. Both these locations were tranquil and peaceful, giving the opportunity for a moment of reflection.
Following my exploration of town I made my way down towards the Waterfront and the abandoned railway station. There used to be a railway line along most of the Garden Route. Apparently the one from Knysna stretched to Mossel Bay at least but due to bad weather and lack of maintenance the lines have called out of use. It is a shame that the money is not invested into what could be an extremely popular coastal train route. However, the abandoned station is a bit strange to see and thus has become a tourist attraction in its own right. This was, somewhat sadly, right up my street and I enjoyed having a stroll around it.
Knysna's Waterfront has a small selection of shops and restaurants and is situated in the lagoon rather than on the coast. It was originally a port but due to the treacherous Knysna Heads this is not the case anymore. Tourism plays a large role here and the small harbour is full of boats to take people out onto the lagoon and luxury yauchts for those who holiday here in style.
Unluckily there was not enough interest to sail a boat out to the Heads and so instead I left the waterfront and walked to the Thesen Islands located in the lagoon. It was originally an island but is now connected to the mainland via a road with a small bridge to allow the flow of water to continue through the lagoon. The name comes from the Thesen family who discovered the island on their way to New Zealand from Norway and who liked it so much they ended up abandoning their travelling plans and staying. In 1924 the family's timber business set up a saw mill on the Island but this was closed later due to the pollution of the area. Now it is a marina development split into smaller islands which has been developed.
For more information and an interesting and well written history on the Thesen family and Thesen Islands Then and. Now I have included the following photos of information signs as they describe it better than I do.
I had lunch on Thesen Islands with a beautiful view over the lagoon looking towards Leisure Isle and the Knysna Heads.
My last evening in Knysna was like my first; we had a braai, whereby I put my new skills to use, and we played some pool. The only difference was that I had an earlier bed time. The following morning it was time for me to travel on what would be my last leg on the Baz Bus to Swellendam, leaving the gorgeous Knysna behind.
Until next time.
A x
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