By Hilton Purvis
There has been a move in the travel industry lately towards shorter getaways, taken more often during the year.
Short breaks allow one to recharge the batteries, choose the method of recreation more carefully, and, of course, are more easily budgeted for!
Sitting right on Cape Town's doorstep is a little country town that makes the perfect base for such excursions. Swellendam, nestling at the foot of Langeberg Mountain, is famous not only for its youngberries, Koornlands River, ancient oak trees and stately, whitewashed homesteads, but also for its fascinating past and great outdoor life.
Swellendam has been an important travel centre for centuries. The Dutch East India Company founded the town in 1745 as the last outpost of civilisation on the eastern frontier, and after Cape Town and Stellenbosch, is the third oldest settlement in South Africa. By the middle of the 19th century, British settlers had colonised the eastern districts and Swellendam was thriving.
The town served as a useful refreshment station on the long, slow journey up the coast. Nowadays, in addition to serving its local and surrounding community, Swellendam glories in its past by continuing to offer travellers the services they require for rest and relaxation.
In the hospitality stakes you are spoiled for choice in Swellendam, with a variety of accommodation from hotel, guesthouses, B&B establishments, chalets, caravan and camping facilities, to self-catering cottages.
Swellendam boasts the country's top B&B in Adin & Sharon's Hideaway, the first B&B in South Africa to be awarded a five-star rating. Augusta De Mist, Cypress Cottage, De Kloof, Rothman Manor and the EenuurKop-Huisie self-catering farm-stay all offer excellent accommodation. Their contact details, together with another 60-plus establishments, can be obtained from the Tourism Bureau.
Swellendam still lives up to its reputation as a foremost refreshment station and there are many restaurants and coffee shops in the town catering to travellers. Temptations include Bizzie Bee where the locals hang out, Koornlands in a national monument cottage, Mattsen's good steaks, Roosje Van De Kaap's Mediterranean menu, Zanddrift in the Drosdy Museum complex, or One Baker Street, Colour & Coffee and The Old Goal for their teas and lunches.
Due to its central position it is an excellent starting point for tours of the different nature reserves in the area, such as De Hoop, Bontebok National Park, Marloth Nature Reserve or a trip to the wine route of the Breede River Valley and to Montagu in the Klein Karoo.
Golfers hold the nine-hole golf course with its wonderful view of the Langeberg mountains in high esteem. The green fees are moderate and the course is obviously much quieter and less frequented than those in the Cape Town area.
Situated along the southern slopes of the Langeberg Mountains, the Marloth Reserve (028 514-1410) is a botanist's dream. The vegetation is mainly Cape fynbos with proteas, ericas and reeds of which some species occur nowhere else in the world. Small pockets of indigenous forests are remnants of earlier widespread forests.
Typical species are yellowwood, stinkwood, red alder, white alder, hard pear, iron wood, common rothmanie, spoonwood, Cape beech and cherrywood. Klipspringer and grey rheebok occur in the fynbos and bush buck in the forests. The bird life is typical of fynbos with the Cape sugar bird the most conspicuous, although black eagle, buzzards and harriers can also be sighted.
Hiking trails have been established and for those who wish to undertake the entire 81km trail, there are six huts at regular intervals. For the less energetic there are several day walks, or a professional photographer can make arrangements for a guided 4x4 drive.
The rare and beautiful bontebok, red hartebeest, steenbok and the threatened mountain zebra can be seen at the Bontebok National Park (028 514-2735), which is only 6km out of Swellendam. A total of 126 bird species have also been identified here.
There is a charming caravan park on the banks of the Breede River where they also have fully equipped chalavans for hire and where day visitors are welcome to swim, fish or picnic. The park offers two short day walks that are self-guided and are suitable for families, and in season guided walks if there is enough demand.
The unique DeHoop/Potberg Nature Reserve (028 542-1126) has seven distinct eco-systems and the DeHoop Vlei is a sanctuary for waterfowl and other birds. This is an excellent spot to view the southern right whales with their calves from August to November. Cottages and camping facilities are available.
If this is still not enough then consider the sunset and breakfast cruises, the 210m "fuffy" slide, canoeing, water-skiing and the watersnake on the Buffeljachts Dam, "Pot Se Vlot's" double-decker river boat on the Breede River, "Two Feathers" horse trails, mountain biking, abseiling, 4x4 trailing, and motor gliding at the Swellengrebel airfield. You can even arrange to whale-watch from the air during the season!
If you're in a more relaxed frame of mind there are always the studios of local potters and painters, the museum and township walks (not forgetting the Drosdy Museum complex), or even liqueur tasting at the Hermitage Farm. Speaking of liqueur, remember that the wine regions of Montagu, Bonnievale, Robertson and Wellington are only a stone's throw away!
With so much to do you are advised to "catch your breath" and support "Swellendam Alive" at Morgenzon House, a community development initiative supporting small enterprises in the craft industries. Regardless of how actively you choose to structure your getaway, always take time out at the end of the day to sit back and soak up the country air and relaxed lifestyle. It's just the thing for drained batteries!
For more information contact the Swellendam Tourism Bureau on (028) 514-2770, e-mail them at [email protected], or visit their website at www.swellendam.org.za.