FOOD & WINE This is ostrich country The historic CP Nel Museum Multi-coloured ostrich eggs for sale 76 |ISSUE 8|www.mzanzitravel.co.za | MZANZITRAVEL End of the road, Jeffreys Bay miles astray / shutterstock.com
Compared to other towns along Route 62, Joubertina is a mere 111 years young; founded in 1907 by the Dutch Reformed Church on the farm Onzer and named in honour of Uniondale’s Dutch Reformed minister, WA Joubert. The town has a railway station that once served its best-known train on the narrow gauge line, the Apple Express. The line runs all the way from Avontuur near Uniondale to Loerie and on to Van Stadens River in the Eastern Cape. The Apple Express ceased operations in 2011, but efforts are underway to reopen it. Since December 2017, using the restored NG15 NG119 steam locomotive, the Apple Express started running a limited summer holiday special service between King’s Beach halt and the airport in Port Elizabeth. Follow the Langkloof Fruit Route that lies between the Tsitsikamma and Kouga Mountains around these parts at blossom time, and you will be overwhelmed by the fragrant experience. The Langkloof blossom festival is held here usually in August. The Kouga Wilderness, located near Joubertina in the scenic Kouga Mountains, offers the visitor numerous activities such as bird watching, boulder-hopping, 4X4 routes, fishing in the nearby Kouga River, abseiling, rock-climbing, horse riding, hiking and swimming in natural mountain pools. MatsiMela Your Perfect Contact Info: For information about the town, call +27 (0)42 273 1516; for Kouga Wilderness,call +27 (0)42 273 2067. Kareedouw The last Langkloof town along Route 62 before you reach the coast at Humansdorp and Jeffreys Bay, is the small town of Kareedouw, situated between the Tsitsikamma and Zuuranys mountains. The town’s name is derived from the Khoi phrase meaning ‘path by the karee trees’. A former Prime Minister of South Africa from 1966 to 1978, John Vorster, is buried in the memorial garden next to the Dutch Reformed Church. Kareedouw is the gateway to the Langkloof Mountains and is 120 km from Port Elizabeth. The town has retained its old world rural character, with most of its streets still untarred. The village is simply laid out on a grid, with tin-roofed houses and a large old stone church lining them. The town is located an easy, relatively short drive from scenic places such as Churchill Dam, Plettenberg Bay, Jeffreys Bay, Cape St Francis, Storms River Mouth and village, the Garden Route National Park and the Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area. The town’s economy depends on farming and forestry. The famous Rensilfier furniture factory located here, produces fine black-, yellow- and stinkwood furniture, while there is a statue in memory of woodcutters in the centre of the town. Kareedouw also provides the only entrance from the south to the Baviaanskloof Mega-Reserve. The Kareedouw Pass over the mountains to Plettenberg Bay is a spectacular drive. Contact Info: For more information call Tel +27 (0)42 288 0700, or Gamtoos Tourism on Tel +27 (0)42 288 0208. Jeffreys Bay…end of the route Go ahead, treat yourself to a decadent selection of SOAPS, EXFOLIATING SCRUBS, BATH SOAKS, BODY BUTTERS, FIZZ BALLS, beautiful OILS & much more… The final stretch of the eastern section of the lovely Route 62 and the Langkloof ends at the junction with the N2 freeway, some 14km from the town of Humansdorp and 28km from Jeffreys Bay. The N2 bypasses Humansdorp, with a short road connecting it to Jeffreys Bay. Alternatively the R102 can be taken which passes through Humansdorp. From here the N2 carries on to Port Elizabeth and Nelson Mandela Bay Metro. Jeffreys Bay is of course world-renowned as a surfing destination, where major international and national surfing events take place each year. Nearby Cape St Francis with its ‘super tubes’ is known as the place of the ‘perfect wave’ or the best right hand point break in the world among surfers. The area is almost one big, continues holiday resort with lovely beaches and the distant mountains in the background. There is also a large marina here. Pubs, restaurants, surf shops, other shops, lodges and B&Bs are plentiful, with much to do and see in the surrounding district. Contact Info: Call Jeffreys Bay Tourism on Tel +27 (0)42 293 2923 or email jbaytourism@telkomsa.net Available in Retail Stores & Online. www.matsimela.co.za
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