The eastern extremity of the diverse Garden Route National Park encompasses the spectacular and renowned Tsitsikamma section.

Storms River Village, a sleepy hamlet in the heart of the picturesque Tsitsikamma region of the Garden Route , is home to an unusual ‘blast from the past’ in the guise of Marilyn’s 60’s Diner.

Of the four original recognized subspecies of Black Rhinoceros, Diceros bicornis, only three remain and are all listed as critically endangered by the IUCN (the International Union for Conservation of Nature). Once inhabiting the savannas of Central-West Africa Diceros bicornis ssp. longipes is now considered extinct.

Just as the Western Cape’s Garden Route is blessed with some of the most scenic attractions in South Africa, it too features many of the country’s top ranked golf courses – from Mossel Bay’s breathtaking Pinnacle Point Golf Course in the west to the magnificent Goose Valley Course outsi

The Southern Cape coastal resort town of Knysna’s history is linked to a number of enterprising characters such as Stephanus Terblanche, Joachim van Plettenberg, George Rex, George Parkes and the Benns. Prominent amongst these early pioneers one finds a Norwegian family, the Thesens.

The Garden Route’s impressive status as one of the principal South African festival regions receives another boost with the inaugural 2012 Eden Walking Festival to be staged over 5 days from March 31 to 4 April.

The Knysna Basin contains an extensive body of water, commonly known as the Knysna Lagoon, which has been integral to the development of the coastal town of Knysna. Fed principally by the 64km long Knysna River, originating in the nearby Outeniqua Mountains, the Lagoon covers some 1.827ha from the river mouth (the Knysna Heads) to the rapids at Charlesford.

As the Garden Route’s Festival Season gathers steam en route to July’s Oyster Festival in Knysna, a highlight of the calendar is no doubt Sedgefield’s 2012 Slow Festival, to be held over Easter.

It is often surprising how chance encounters give birth to new insights and new ventures. Jaynie and Gordon, owners of Bamboo, the Guest House Accommodation Knysna, recently attended the Getaway Show in Johannesburg where they chanced upon one of Gordon’s long standing friends, whom they had not seen for some six months….let’s call him Dave for the purposes of this blog. Jaynie, for one moment, thought that this was not Dave himself but rather his son, so lean and mean was the man who appeared before her!

Congratulations to Wessel Erwee from Cape Town