Western Cape. January - March 2022.
3. Winelands and Onrus.
We had booked our van in at Bush Lapa in Paarl mid January, however on our way the zip on the awning cover broke. They were unable to fix in on our initial visit so we booked the van in the following week.
We took the opportunity to look around their large new showroom - wow! They now have a huge range of vans,nearly all much bigger than ours!
We took the opportunity while in the area to stay with our friends, Colin and Elsa, who live in the outskirts of Cape Town.
Once we'd picked up the van from Bush Lapa we had a few days at a campsite near Franschhoek before carrying on to Onrus.
Karoo National Park to Limieberg Nature Reserve.
We had intended travelling along some gravel roads and mountain passes rather than using the N1, however, just as we turned off the N1 we were stopped by a the driver of a postal vehicle who told us that the road was closed because of recent rain damage so we turned around and used the N1. We stopped for lunch at the Royal Milner hotel in Majiesfontein.
Limieberg Nature Reserve.
We have stayed at the Tweedie Tol campsite before and I booked it as it was close to Paarl. I later discovered that the road between the campsite and Wellington was closed so we had to go back via the N1 to get to Paarl which meant an early start on the morning we left.
We took the opportunity to do a couple of short walks from the Tweedie Tol campsite and found that there was a new path to the river which avoided having to cross the road.
We spent one day having a drive around the nearby winelands. We had hoped to (once again!) do a wine tasting at the Drostyhof Museum but, sadly, it's changed hands and although the museum is still open there is no wine tasting! After having lunch in a cafe in Tulbagh we returned to our camspite via some of the smaller country roads and stopped at Jason's Hill Wine Estate where we had a great wine tasting in beautiful surroundings.
Colin & Elsa
It was lovely to spend a few days with Colin and Elsa and catch up on news. One day we had a drive out to the north of Cape Town and ended up having lunch at Bloubergstrand followed by a walk along a windy beach.
Franschhoek
We spend a few days at Franschhoek Camping which is located on Heuwelsig Farm, just 5 km from Franschhoek. Unfortunately Kevin had a very sore wrist and had to visit a doctor who confirmed that it was gout. A course of anti-inflamitories sorted it out and he is now on daily tablets which should help reduce the risk of it returning.
We had a lovely site with great views over the local area.
The view from our site.
There were several free-range hens around the site.
Sunset.
Franschhoek to Onrus
We drove over the Franschhoek Pass and then headed south passing the Theewaterskloof dam to get to Onrus.
As you drive up the Pass there are several places where you can stop to admire the view.
Once over the Pass the lanscape changes to fynbos.
The Theewaterskloof dam is the 7th largest in South Africa - lovely to see it so full.
As we headed south we passed through sections of farmland, many with huge circular irrigated areas.
Onrus
Onrus is a small holiday town close to Hermanus on the South Coast and we spent several days there exploring the area. We were able to walk to the 'beach' and also enjoyed walking around the town, noticing that hardly any of the houses had security gates or obvious intruder deterants.
The campsite is huge but, at the end of January after the school summer holidays, was faily quiet.
The rocky beach area with a walkway to a tidal pool.
Coastal Drive east from Onrus.
We drove along the scenic coastal road to the Harold Porter Botanic Gardens where we spent a couple of hours wandering around. On our way back we stopped for lunch at Kleinmond.
From the outskirts of Onrus we could see across the Palmiet lagoon.
The road follows the narrow strip of land between the mountains and the sea.
The Harold Porter Botanic Gardens are set in a lovely location on the lower slopes between the mountains and the sea and is in the heart of the Cape Fynbos region. Once inside you can walk around the 'formal' garden and also follow several walking trails which go up the hillside amongst the fynbos.
The view from the cafe veranda.
There are several streams running through the gardens.
From one of the walking trails we had an excellent view of the 'formal' gardens down below. The small town of Betty's Bay and the sea are in the background.
Fynbos on the lower mountain slopes.
Strolling along one of the paths.
Crossing a bridge over this deep gorge.
A rock agama enjoying the sunshine.
We stopped for lunch at Kleinmond and had a tasty meal of fish and chips from a restaurant overlooking the small harbour.
The small sheltered harbour at Kleinmond.
We followed a narrow path along the rocks.
Coastal Drive east from Onrus.
Our intention was to visit the Danger Point lighthouse so we headed east and then south around the Klein River lagoon and through the town of Gansbaai until we got to the lighthouse - sadly closed!!
Klein River lagoon.
Danger Point lighthouse.
We looked for somewhere to eat in Gansbaai but didn't fancy anywhere so we drove back to Hermanus where we had an excellent meal. Hermanus is famous for whale watching between June and November. Nothing to see in January but we did walk along the coastal path which has great views of the bay.
There were several works of art along the coastal path.
A view to the east from Hermanus.
Last updated: November 2022