Let us inspire you with some entertaining stories...
Tell us about your experiences, what was your best family outing this year?
Discover the magic of the Millwood Forest, Knysna
Enya (7) and James (5) love following forest trails. There are so many interesting things to discover: shongololos, mushrooms, ferns, snails eating apple, foam in the river and of course, getting dirty.
I never really believed in the last Knysna elephant, and it certainly never occurred to me that we could very well come face to face with a lady leopard. James and I nearly did when we decided to explore the Millwood Forest at sunrise, while the rest of the party still slept. We met a bushbuck and a little later James noticed the spoor of a leopard. From that moment, the Knysna Forest took on a totally different meaning for me.
"That is so exciting!" said Craig from Forest Edge when I tell him about our discovery. "We had heard about a female leopard that comes to the Millwood Forest to nurse her newborn cub, but I didn't realise that she actually comes that close to the gate of the park."
I'm glad I rented one of their self-catering cottages for the weekend. James is all eyes when Craig gives me a full brief of the different walks and picnic spots in Millwood Forest. He knows the area well and enjoys sharing his knowledge of the forest with me. All hyped-up, I go back to our cottage and wake-up the rest of the family, urging them to get ready for a walk.
Checking out the Drupkelders Trail
The trail to the Drupkelders starts a mere few metres past the gate of Forest Edge. We soon disappear into the thickness of the forest, leaving the last rays of sunlight behind us. I proudly show my husband and friends the leopard spoor in the mud and silently we turn left at the Drupkelders sign. From there the path leads us deeper and deeper into the forest and after a while it starts meandering downwards. It is quite steep at some places and we hold onto branches and rocks to keep our balance. The children however are real monkeys and hop effortlessly from one rock to another. Little by little the chirping of the birds starts filling the air. I wonder how much lower this trail is going to take us and what awaits us at its lowest point. I spend a lot of my time watching my feet, but this time when I look up to soak up my green surroundings I am delighted by the sight of a crystal clear rock pool and waterfall. Enya, James and their friends had noticed long before me the stream that runs through the kloof and that fills the rock pool on its way down. What a sight! In summer this is a wonderful spot to enjoy the scenery and cool down in the fresh mountain water. At this time of the year though, we decide to stay out of the water and the children will too... "What is this yellow paint, Mommy?" Enya wants to kow. I turn aroung and see how she touches the lichen on the boulders. It feels rough under her fingers. "Let's kneel down," I tell her, "and see if it's more than one millimetre high." The other children join us and are fascinated by the fact lichen grow at a 'speed' of 1mm per year.
The way up takes a bit more than an hour, about double the time it took to walk down to the rock pools. We'll all be glad for the workout... afterwards.
We spend the rest of the day relaxing on the stoep of our cottage at the very edge of the forest, fantasizing about leopards. The children play in the jungle gym and looking at them, I wonder where they get their limitless energy from. When night falls and the dark forest is all around us, nobody mentions it, but I'm quite sure we all wonder what creatures are watching us... Except Enya and James, for whom it's obvious that the only living night creatures are Hans and Gretel, Forest Edge's resident donkeys.
Off to Jubilee Creek
We could walk all the way from our cottage to Jubilee Creek, but with young children in tow we prefer to drive the 20 minutes to the picnic site and start hiking from there, or is this just a convenient excuse to cover our laziness?
It is here, at Jubilee Creek, that the gold diggers at the end of the 19th century panned for gold. We follow the trail alongside the stream and I find it hard to imagine that this serene area once was 'the place to be' during the gold rush. Soon after the first nugget of gold was discovered in 1876, prospectors from all over the country flocked to Millwood and in no time a whole town popped out of the ground. The town had a post office, a law court, three newspapers , several shops and six hotels. All this to become a ghost town in 1893 when the gold seam stopped delivering. As we follow the trail we discover entrances to mine shafts that are almost completely covered by the indigenous forest. "Let's go in and check it out!" James shouts all excited. It takes a while to talk him out of it, and the prospect of a waterfall definitely helps to win him over... It's a lovely walk that takes us through river beds until we reach the waterfall throwing itself into a beautiful crystal pool. The children go for a swim, but I don't venture any further than my ankles in the, according to my internal thermometer, icy water.
I wish we had taken a full picnic hamper with us; the picnic area has several braai spots and one can easily spend the afternoon near the creek dreaming of gold...
Full circle with the Woodcutters trail
Knysna is well known for its indigenous forests and if its name is really derived from the Khoi word meaning 'fern leaves', as some believe, then the Woodcutters trail certainly honours that name.
This circular trail takes us through a wonderland of giant trees and an amazing variety of ferns. The wooden bridges help us to cross the many streams and it feels as if we're penetrating deeper and deeper into the forest. We've just had rain and the air is filled with the fragrances of green leaves, mushrooms and moist soil. We hear frogs calling, but hardly get a chance to see one. Just like the leopard and the elephants, they inhabit the forest in their own invisible way. Enya and James are thrilled. Not once do they complain about being tired; their senses are just too excited about their explorations. For James, the highlight of his hike is probably the mud... he just can't resist a dip...
Although the indigenous forest covers many thousands of hectares, this is only a fraction of what it once was. It is thanks to the on-going efforts of the Department of Forestry and environmental groups that we can explore and enjoy the many facets of this beautiful natural heritage.
More to explore
Next time, we'll bring the mountain bikes and prepare for longer hikes in Millwood forest; there are still plenty of forest activities that we didn't get round to. But for now, I'm happy with yet another outdoor shower to close-off an exciting day. The air is fresh, the water is steamy hot and who knows, I might very well find a nugget of gold blocking the water pipe...
DID YOU KNOW
- There are some 10 000 species of ferns
- They can be as short as a few millimetres and as high as 14m
- They come in a great variety of colours and textures
- However diverse, all ferns need moisture
- Most ferns are propagated from spores
- No matter where you live, there will always be a fern that's happy with what you have on offer.
SNIPPETS OF HISTORY
- The Victorians were unparalleled fern enthusiasts and grew it anywhere: indoors, outdoors, in hanging baskets, in pedestalled pots and in specially glazed 'ferneries'. The fern symbolised middle-class respectability.
- In 1876, James Hooper found a gold nugget on his farm and in so doing started Knysna's history of gold. After the gold rush, the old mining buildings were moved from Millwood forest to Knysna. Thanks to the efforts of a group of passionate people who looked after the mine and moved one of the original cottages back to the site, one can still visit the Millwood mines today. The Materolli Museum in the Millwood Tea Garden gives a good historical overview.
THE WEATHER IN KNYSNA
Knysna enjoys a Mediterranean maritime climate with hot summers and mild to chilly winters. October to December is the wettest time of the year and the area is blessed with abundant rainfall.
HOW TO GET THERE & USEFUL CONTACTS
On the N2 between Sedgefield & Knysna, about 1.5km west of the Knysna lagoon bridge, turn north into Rheenendal road. After 11.5km, just past the Rheenendal Petrol Station, turn right at the Bibby's Hoek sign. Follow the dirt road for 2.2km until you get to an intersection.
Continue straight to enter the Millwood forest park. The various trails (walks and biking), picnic spots and tea room are well indicated.
For the gates to Drupkelders and Forest Edge, turn left at the intersection and continue for 1.5km. Forest Edge is the last property on this road just before the entrance of the park.
Forest Edge self-catering cottages*
Tel 082-4561338 (sms plse)
www.forestedge.co.za
*Certified Kids Of Nature service provider - ask for the special Kids of Nature discount!
A nice winter feature is the fire place in the cottage.
Millwood Tea Garden
Tel 083-4065757 or 083-2545784
yachtselkie@lantic.net
Knysna Tourism Bureau
Tel 044-3825510
www.visitknysna.com
Text by Petra Vandecasteele
Photography by Paul Godard
This feature was published in Country Life Magazine, 2008
DATE : -