Have you ever been experienced? That's what rock 'n roller Jimi Hendrix
asked in the Sixties.
The song's all about life's various pleasures, of ladies and love. To me,
having been experienced refers to my exposure to Mother Nature, to a
sphere that has taught me respect for our environment. Sheer pleasure.
If you haven't learnt this respect you might want to consider a few
options. By far the perfect venue to be tuned into it is Grootvadersbosch,
a small nature reserve that lies hidden at the foothills of the Langeberg
mountains between Swellendam and Heidelberg.
It is
mid-morning and we are sitting in the middle of a misty indigenous forest
of stinkwoods, giant yellowwoods and red pear trees. Everything is quiet,
except for the relentless hammer-hammer of an olive woodpecker with its
characteristic red feathered head. From across the forest roof an olive
shrike is calling for its mate, while the sweet sound of forest canaries
are also heard from time to time.
I am
leaning against a Tolkien-like yellowwood and can sense its calming
presence as I relax.
Two hours
later my partner and I have identified four bird species we have only
previously seen in our bird guide book.. Grootvaderbosch, after all, is
renowned for its variety of feathered creatures. A couple of pleasant homo
sapiens have glided past on one of the many short rambles that criss-cross
the forest floor, while a bushbuck rustled the leaves an earfall away in
the forest thicket. As for the unicorns and fairies, I suppose that’s a
more personal experience...
Afronaut
Mark Shuttleworth mentioned that he was both elated and humbled by his
expeditions in space. My mid-semester getaway-weekend to Grootvadersbosch
had the same effect on me. Firstly because of my ignorance that I had only
discovered this unique place in my thirties - I had only come to hear of
it through Cape Nature Conservation’s concerted advertising campaign. (By
contacting their local reservations offices, I easily arranged my weekend
to remember). And secondly, because of the zone I am in, I was humbled and
impressed by the effectiveness in which the nature reserve is managed and
protected.
The reserve
is, after all, quite something special, something worth protecting. It
started off life as a farm, way back in the 1700’s, and then became a
forest station in the late 1800s where pine plantations were started. By
that time the area had all but been deforested for its hardwood, used for
furniture and building, leaving only about 250ha of the original
indigenous forest tracts intact. Today they say this is the most
remarkable piece of forest in the southern Cape, and surely beats driving
all the way to Knysna to experience the tranquillity of ferns, mushrooms
and mossy trees.
Overnight
facilities are not in your over-the-top guesthouses, but a choice between
two self-catering cottages or a campsite. Although we were only two who
spent the weekend there, our wooden cottage, that so much resembles a slab
of Albany chocolate, could easily give seven people enough space to
breathe and relax. The cottages have all the modern amenities, even
fireplaces. This makes for comfortable living.
The
cottages all have spectacular views and lie on the edge of the forest.
They are a ten-minute walk from the two tree-top birdhides, and from the
start of the challenging mountain bike trail that takes you through the
forest, the fringes of the fynbos-clad hills, and farms of the
Grootvadersbosch conservancy.
A better
place (within three hours’ drive from Cape Town) to find personal solitude
would be hard to find. Be it to the sound of Hendrix or to nature, tune in
and let the good times roll. To quote Hendrix’s repertoire one more time:
“Still raining, still dreaming”, for summer or winter, rain or shine,
Grootvadersbosch is the place to tune in again. Naturally.
For further
information, click on the nature reserves section of Cape Nature
Conservation’s website
www.capenature.org.za or phone 028 722 2412 during office hours.
