Cape Town - Half a century ago, the Cape Route 62, like the famous Route 66 between Chicago and Los Angeles, gave little towns and villages between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth a slice of the tourism pie.
The route passed through a multi-textured patchwork of little farming villages, including Calitzdorp, Barrydale, Montagu, Bonnievale and the historic mission station communities of Zoar and Amalienstein.
For these remote communities, the route afforded new opportunities, giving these pin-prick-sized places a new breath of life.
During the 1950s this winding ribbon of picturesque villages became a buzz of activity with a skills renaissance that brought more and more curious visitors to this out-of-the-way part of southern Africa.
Route 62 became an ultimate tourist destination. Everything from craft beers to fancy cheese, hand-woven fabrics and artworks were all in the seductive mix.
Then, just like Route 66, progress dictated a different story. Direct fast routes, major highways, were carved into the countryside and the little villages that had prospered and welcomed visitors, went into hibernation.
George Griesel, a farm manager at the newly crowned top breeding stud at Klawervlei near Bonnievale, says: “When you come here, you are stepping back in time. It’s like the clock has stopped and nobody knows how to wind it up.”
He should know as he relocated to Klawervlei from Hillcrest with his family several years ago.
“It’s real country living,” he says. “No frills, very tough winters, but a freedom like you’ve never known. Locking our doors at night? No, we don’t do that.”
The time warp thing is good news for preservation. Nothing is spoilt. Buildings that were erected 100 years ago are still there in Bonnievale and the surrounding villages. Old farming money still rules the land and communities seem happy to stick to themselves.
A local farm stall owner, selling a range of cheese and dairy products outside Worcester, admitted he last went to Cape Town three years ago.
“We live a peaceful life here behind the mountains. We wouldn’t want it any other way. We don’t have fast-food outlets. What for? It would spoil the history that we love.”
My interest in travelling Route 62, well the beginning of it anyway, was to visit South Africa’s champagne horse country. For it is here, tucked away in some of the most stunning scenery you will ever see, that many of the country’s top racehorses are bred. It’s Kentucky, African-style.
Well, maybe not so African. When you first spot Klawervlei Stud, the showcase “palace” for prize stallions like Captain Al and the new English “jewel”, Twice Over, it looks like on offshoot of Versailles, an expensive one at that.
Lofty archways, beautifully manicured gardens, ornate gates, gold leaf and cool interiors, all a far cry from old Ned in the barn.
There’s a joke in these parts that when somebody tries to make this pristine area too commercial bad things happen.
“Look at this,” says George, our guide at Klawervlei. “Somebody tried to build the first boutique hotel complex on the banks of the Breede River. The river came down like it’s never done and washed the whole thing away.”
He points out one remnant of this failed attempt – a bathroom washbasin knocked skew by the water. “Nobody has tried it again,” he says with a laugh. “We leave it like it is just to show what happens when the gods get cross and go a little crazy.”
However, don’t let George put you off. The Breede River Valley is an unsung part of the Cape, often overlooked by the visitor as it’s a little out of the way – 188km from the centre of Cape Town.
The plus side is that accommodation is generally reasonable.
In McGregor a good B&B will set you back no more than R500 each. In less fancied places the cost is as little as R200 a head.
Originally known as Lady Grey in the Route 62 heyday, McGregor has a profuse offering of 19th-century Cape architecture. It is also known as an artists’ paradise.
I loved Eensgevonden Vineyard Cottages in Rawsonville – no TV or cellphone coverage. The cottages are on a working wine farm in a stunningly beautiful position with 360-degree views stretching across the great expanse of the Breede River Valley and the magnificent mountains that surround it.
The farmstead is a national monument – the oldest farmhouse in the valley, dating back to the 1720s.
The Robertson Wine Valley, an integral part of the area, is alive with wineries, from Ashton, Bonnievale and McGregor to Robertson. Those more used to the Franschhoek wine legacy will be amazed at the variety of wines produced here, with nearly 48 wineries to choose from.
The valley is a paradise for those who love scenic drives with flower-fringed roads taking you from wine farm to wine farm.
If you go there, don’t miss the “wine on the river” experience – an open-air wine festival on the banks of the Breede River from October 17 to 19.
See what I mean about hidden gems?
Sunday Tribune