George, Mossel Bay and on inland

From the Knysna area we continue west on the N-2 stopping to check the coastal towns of Wilderness and Victoria Bay, but as they were utterly deserted, head on into George—which lies about half way between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.

Although the entrance to town is missable, the small downtown area is quite attractive.  After landing accommodations, we wander around the main street, and later in the afternoon find a  small botanic garden at the edge of town which makes for nice walking, with the impressive Outeniqua mountain range as a backdrop.

The following day we return to the coast, visiting Mossel Bay, where we wander through the very interesting museum and grounds that feature the landing of Portuguese explorers Bartolemeo Dias and Vasco da Gama.  Along with the replica of the sailing vessel used by Dias-- sailed down to SA from Portugal to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the landing--, there are legions of interesting old maps(mostly copies, but interesting nonetheless), as well as a small shell museum, and the famed “Post Office Tree”, a sprawling, ancient milkweed tree used by sailors as a “mailbox”.  Those returning to Europe took mail back, while those heading to India and SE Asia brought mail with them to those then remote parts.  In some small way the past flickers to life in the midst of the more modern world in Mossel Bay.
 
A tiny bit further down the road lies the Point, where enthusiasts surf in what looked like a treacherously rocky bay, and then a mite further down the coast to Dana Bay, where we picnicked on yogurt and fruits while surveying the horizon for the whales that are now calving along the coast. 

From George we move further inland, over the beautiful Outeniqua mountain pass, and into the valley where we’ll find the town of Oudtshoorn—whose claim to fame and past wealth is the ostrich feather.

		George area VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL