Spring is springing and the whole forest is fresh, green and we are welcoming more and more guests which is lovely and they remind me what a beautiful place this is! Friends visiting is also a great excuse to try some of the local eateries... One I have been meaning to try for some time now is the Veg Table on the Rheenendal Road. I have heard great things about it but as it is only open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday it doesn't always work out for weekend visitors but my time came and very glad I was too! The restaurant is based in one of the old style, small wood houses on a farm … [Read more...]
Knysna Elephant Park
We had some young friends visit over Easter and unfortunately the weather was not great but it was a great excuse to visit the Knysna Elephant Park. I had not been since I moved to Knysna but I had been before when on holiday (why is it you never visit the attractions on your doorstep). The kids (& most the adults) loved feeding them by hand and getting the opportunity to touch these magnificent creatures. Due to the high number of visitors it is a bit of a production line experience and it can be crowded at peak times but all in all voted a positive experience by our … [Read more...]
Christmas At Maradadi House
With the house now finished the whole family came to enjoy Christmas 2014 at Maradadi House. What a Christmas it was... The house always shows itself at it's best in a crowd with the space to be together to eat and drink but then to find your own sunny or shady spot to read and to sleep. For Bird spotting there is no need to move from the house with sightings of Knysna Lourie, a Narina Trogon and the nightly hoots of the Spotted Eagle Owl. On more active days we walked in the forest, going down as far as the swimming pools which is a steep walk but well worth it. When we left the … [Read more...]
Whispers of History in Knysna Forest
When I walk in the forest I always have a feeling of history, of time passing but little changing. In our bit of the forest this is not strictly true as it was, unfortunately, forested until about the 1950's so we have lost the really big old trees. You can still see one of the cutting pits where the wood cutters dug a hole over which they laid the trees so they could saw them and most of the paths we have would have been access paths. Elsewhere in the Knysna forest you can still see some of the really old Outeniqua Yellowwoods that are over 600 years old and it is well worth a trip to … [Read more...]
Favourite Morning Walk with Dogs
It is one of those walks that makes me grateful to live here and at peace with the world! It is round Leisure Island, through Steenbok Park and on the beach and should take about 1hour 30mins. It is a great walk if you have a dog or not and all on the flat so easy going. The key criteria for the best walk is a low tide as it means you can walk round most the Island on the beach and in a morning the beach is quiet and the dogs have a great time. If you start at Steenbok Park you get a chance to meet many of the other dog walkers and do a bit of socialising, it also means you finish near the … [Read more...]
Leisure Island Festival
The bunting flags blew, the Mitchell’s beer tent went up and the visitors to Leisure Island streamed in. Time for the annual Leisure Island Festival which had a great atmosphere, as usual, and raised money for some worthy causes (I believe it is second only to the Oyster Festival for the money it raises). I know it seems early but I was looking for some nice but different things for Christmas. I found some lovely Christmas decorations made of wire and wool on the “fresh start” stall which supports local children to break out of poverty by encouraging them to collect recycling material. I … [Read more...]
The Blue House
Every time I drive down Highway West towards Maradadi House I pass this little house on the left and it always makes me smile. In the sun it shines with colour; the blue paint work gleams, the flowers bright and the washing flapping. On dark days it provides a bright counter point to the heavy, grey clouds above. If ever a house welcomed and gave out love I believe this one does. Maradadi House has a very different design but I want our house to give out the same feeling of welcome. … [Read more...]
