Karen Watkins
WE’RE already well into the New Year and your energy levels are already losing steam, what to do? It’s time to escape for a few days, so how about popping over Sir Lowry’s Pass and spending a weekend in the Elgin Valley. Here are a few ideas to get you going.
Stop for brunch at a farmstall
On the left of the N2, at the turnoff to Grabouw, there’s the Orchard Farmstall. A short distance further, and on the right, is Peregrine, a good place to stop and pick up local information about the area at Elgin Valley tourism office. They recently expanded and opened a tourist pitstop. Continue towards Caledon and Hermanus to find Houwhoek farmstall which may be small but has fresh bread and yummy pies.
Go cider, wine or bubbly-tasting
For years Elgin has been known for its apple trade until about 10 years ago when the areas cool climate combined with the optimal terroir made it paradise for wine growers.
Now there are 17 wine estates tucked among the orchards in the valley; but apples are still grown here, in fact about seven million trees, making it the ideal place to brew cider. A new addition at Peregrine Farmstall is Everson’s Cider where Leandré Boonzaaier will pour tasters of some of their brews. Apple cider, pear cider, cloudy or mulled, there’s also a single varietal made with Crupp’s apples. Taste the flavour profiles and subtleties, this isn’t a cider that you drink when the bar runs out of beer, it’s something to be appreciated.
Go off the beaten track
Head south from the N2, on the Highland’s Road and stop to taste wine at the farm of the same name where, if you’re lucky, you’ll be served by owner himself. Since 2004, Highlands Road is the culmination of Michael White’s dream after he identified Elgin as one of the top areas for producing Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. With a string of award-winning wines, a tasting room and a restaurant with decks overlooking the dam, we left with a box of Sine Cera 2011 with Semillion as the dominant component of this blend.
For those who enjoy a good bubbly, Charles Fox is next on the circular drive and where you’re sure to be served by Zelda or Charles Fox. In 2005, they replaced big city life in Johannesburg for an old fruit farm in Elgin. Planting classic champagne varieties they are looking to gradually expand the range of Methode Cap Classique.
Next stop is South Hill Vineyards for more wine, coffee or lunch in the Gallery Restaurant. Once home to neglected apple and pear trees the farm showcases a diverse collection of contemporary local art including large wooden Indian doors.
Hike until it hurts
The Elgin Valley backs onto the Hottentots-Holland Nature Reserve, which is criss-crossed with hiking trails. There’s everything for the hiker from a taste of the peaks, pines and fynbos, head out on the six-kilometre Palmiet Trail or, if you’re feeling strong, tackle the 24km Boegoekloof Trail or the multi-day Landdroskop or Boesmanskloof. For the true adventurer there are two kloofing trails: the tamer 15km Riviersonderend Trail or the ominously named 17km Suicide Gorge.
For super-keen hikers, the four-day slackpacker Groenlandberg, Green Mountain Trail, is a must, traversing a tapestry of fynbos and fruit farms with fine food and comfortable accommodation in four-star guesthouses.
Enjoy the MounTain Bike experience
If you know Raka and the Swing, you’ll know all about the Paul Cluver mountain bike trails. Starting from the amphitheatre in the Cluver Family Nature Reserve, Raka is a bridge built on a massive tree trunk, the Swing is a suspension bridge.
The fun continues with lots of berms, flowing singletrack with some technical riding. Look out for the Mamba, a rollercoaster through a river valley with six bridges. There are some lung busting climbs rewarded with magnificent vistas over the Elgin valley.
The trails are better-known for the Pofadder, a bermed bridge built from wine barrel slats at the foot of a waterfall, thankfully closed on my visit.
Each track is graded according to distance, technical skill and altitude gain with blue being the easiest at eight-kilometre with 220m elevation gain and black being the most difficult at 43km with 1 000m elevation gain. Afterwards go wine-tasting or stop for lunch at Paul Cluver Estate.
Oak Valley also has three MTB trails, established by Pieter Visser, previously the Oak Valley winemaker, who himself was a keen mountain biker. Afterwards, there’s wine-tasting, a deli and restaurant which serves a 'bikers breakfast', amongst other things.
Drink beer in historic hotels
Thirsty after all the exercise, have a beer at the Houwhoek Inn where a giant bluegum tree at the hotel entrance was planted in the 1830s.
Or drive over Houw Hoek Pass to the Overberg dorpie of Bot River. You’ll find it’s well worth a stop, especially the town’s unofficial capital, Botrivier Hotel, where you can rub shoulders with local community members on the veranda or in the quirky bar, established in 1890, or eat in the Bellows Restaurant with décor and traditional memorabilia from a bygone era.
Roast and jazz on Sunday
Shuntin Shed offers pork belly so tender, sticky ribs, or wood fired pizza with wafer thin bases, generous toppings, served on ceramic tiles that stay hot. Sublime. All this washed down with local wines and draught beers while listening to local musicians like pianist Al Jeffery on Sundays.
When the Cape Town to Caledon railway line was constructed, the track, running through the Hottentots Mountains, was an enormous engineering feat and important economic infrastructure until the N2 was built just after WWII. In 1903 this led to the shunting shed looking for a new purpose which it found in 2007 when it became a restaurant and bar, with all the usual railway paraphernalia, even the railway sleeping bunks were converted to seating.