South Africa - Greyton, Western Cape

 

Greyton is one of the many "Small Towns of South Africa" and it's an easy drive from Cape Town. Whether you pop in for the day or the week-end, there is enough to enjoy in this quaint town, where horses and the odd cow roam freely. The owners of the cottage where we stayed advised that we could open the gate for the horses. And, lo and behold, on Sunday morning the horses had their heads over the gate waiting to be let in! This was a totally amazing experience with about 6 horses on the lawns at one stage. They were very peaceful and munched away on the grass - they even came right up to our bedroom door to "steal" some of the bird food! It was a 90 minute experience that we won't ever forget. 

The Sonderend Mountains of Greyton offer many photographic opportunities, plus hiking trails.

A drive on the surrounding gravel roads can be very rewarding - view the farms with huge herds of cows, we saw a new dam being scooped out, a meerkat taking a rest in the shade of a water tank, some blue cranes and lots of road building action. 

For those who love shopping there are a number of interesting and quirky shops dotted around the village. Take time to browse and don't forget to get your chocolate fix from the legendary Von Geusau Chocolates. Stroll around the Fiore Garden Centre to source something for your garden or just take a breather and enjoy a meal in this tranquil setting. For other treasures, continue browsing!

The Greyton Nature Reserve was established in 1977 by Professor Brian Rycroft and, at 2200 hectares, this is the 3rd largest reserve in the Western Cape. There are many trails to choose from and the flora is beautiful. Entrances are at Park Street, where there is a parking area or from the east bank of the Gobos River. We met a number of hikers who has completed the Bosmanskloof Trail and they still looked fit and healthy! 

THE BOESMANSKLOOF TRAIL

The Boesmanskloof trail is one of the most popular hiking routes in the country, and it’s easy to see why. The starting point is right here in Greyton, a short hop from Cape Town. The trail winds through the deep and untouched Boesmanskloof gorge, past Oak Falls, before you hike up and out to Die Galg, where overnight accommodation sits perched right on the edge of the gorge. Most hikers stay over in Greyton on Friday, start the 14km hike on Saturday morning, and make the 14km trek back the next day

There are numerous shorter trails - check the Information Office for full details. Remember to take water, hats and cell phones!

Gobos - 1-4km - Gentle, Hardepeerkloof Trail 5km - Challenging, Knietjieshoogte walk 5km - moderate, Loerkop Trail 3km - moderate, Maermanskloof Trail 5km - challenging, Platkloof Trail 3km - gentle, Noupoort Walk 2km - Gentle, Breakfast Rock Trail - 7.6km = Challenging, Gifkllof Trail - 7km -Moderate

Greyton's appeal lies in the beautiful homes that are dotted in the village. Many of these roads are still untarred. The village was founded by Herbert Vigne in 1846 as a freehold agricultural village. The plots still appear be be substantial and the Cape architecture is evident, adding to the charm. The leiwater irrigation system is still in place and feeds the gardens of many homes. So look for these channels along the roads. This village makes for an interesting look back at history yet with plenty of modern day conveniences. It truly is a "must visit" kind of town! 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

                         For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

                              www.bradclin.com

South Africa - Greyton and Surrounds

 

Greyton Saturday Market

The village of Greyton lies approx.90 mins drive from Cape Town so it is an ideal village to visit on either a day trip or for a relaxing week-end. Nestled in the Riviersonderend Nature Reserve, the drive towards Greyton is very scenic. When the canola fields are at their best, this remains a wonderful drive for photographers.  We were a little too early - the fields are better later in August and September.

Driving towards Greyton

Greyton is well known for their Saturday Farmers Market. Fresh produce, homemade delicacies, arts and crafts, pancakes, coffee and plants. The market takes place every Saturday from approx. 09.30 to 12.00 noon. So do get there early - the coffee queue gets crazily busy as do the other food stalls. We enjoyed a delicious jaffles, mini quiches and, for my sweet tooth, a mini carrot cup cake.

Children are also catered for as there are horse rides available.

The locals frequent this market to browse, chat and even bring treats for the local dogs! 

We met the fascinating Dr Michael Kock, a Wildlife Veterinarian whose book is called "Though My Eyes". This incredible story of a life-long career has 600 pages, 1400 photographs and weighs about 3.5kg! The book is distributed in America, United Kingdom and South Africa. This amazing coffee table book will take many moments of both joyful and intense reading and is sure to delight all with a passion for wildlife. Find out more at: https://through-my-eyes.co.za/

If you would like a signed copy visit Michael at the Morning Market in Greyton!

Trails in Greyton Nature Reserve

After indulging at the Morning Market, we felt the need for some exercise so we headed to the Greyton Nature Reserve. With various trails to choose from, there is at least one to suit all levels of fitness. The views are beautiful, the walk was serene and peaceful.

The areas around Greyton are very scenic and ideal for bikers and photographers. There are also various trails for both hiking and biking - pop in at the Tourist Centre for more details.

For food lovers, there are many options to choose from such as our favourite, the Oak & Vigne Cafe. Great for a long, lazy lunch. They do all day breakfasts so you don't have to jump up at the crack of dawn to enjoy your favourite meal of the day! They are sometimes open at night - there will be a chalk board on the Main Road if this is the case. Others include, but are no limited to:

Rupert's Bistro, Abbey Rose, 1854 Restaurant.

 

So after all that daytime activity, we wondered what was on in Greyton on a Saturday night. We struck it lucky with Restaurant 1854 who often have live bands performing. This time is was "The Breeze" a trio of musicians who, according to their spouses, enjoy a gig together just for fun. 
Robin Auld is a professional musician, song-writer and poet with 20 albums to his name. Born in Zambia, he lived between South Africa and Scotland and is now based in Cape Town. 
https://www.robinauld.com/
Rob Nagel is a Big Brass Man from the legendary Blues Broers. Rob has been playing for over 3 decades and boasts a massive beard - you can't miss him in the street! 
The 3rd member of the group is an American import to South Africa, Michael Canfield on drums and percussion.

"Michael has played with some of the biggest names in rock and roll, from Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley through to Paul Simon, Billy Idol and Bob Dylan, in a career spanning more than five decades. He’s done the Grammy’s, the Oscars and busked in the streets of New York City. In South Africa he’s worked with everyone from Johnny Clegg to Boeremusiek legends Radio Kalahari Orkes, to The Black Cat Bones" 

So, all in all, a fun night out. Check the 1854 Restaurant's Face Book page for new line ups. 

The Greyton Village Walk will take you to a number of Heritage Buildings - ask for the map at the Tourism Bureau.

"The Old Potters Inn Bed & Breakfast was once the home of the Mays family and is one of the oldest buildings in the village. It is a National Heritage building"

"The Oak & Vigne Café. The very old portion of the building was once used as a school, until the school was moved over the road into the building that now houses the Theewaterskloof municipal offices. The adjacent Vanilla Café is in an upgraded old barn, believed to be used by the blacksmith in the days of horse and wagon"

"The Post House is on the corner of Main Road and Uitkyk Street. It too is a National Heritage building and was once a post office in Greyton"

Greyton has a crazy mix - beautiful homes, heritage buildings, incredible scenery, nature walks, biking trails, live entertainment, loads of good restaurants and horses roaming the streets. What could be better than a week-end in this tiny town!! 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

    For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

 www.bradclin.com