Taylored Trips – Mossel Bay, Gamkaberg, Seweweekspoort

Verine spotted an ad somewhere that the Point Hotel in Mossel Bay had a two night weekend special with breakfast so we were on our way and we became tourists in our own country.

We arrived and booked in and were shown to our room which was a rear facing room but it wasn’t too bad because we still had a fair view.

That’s our room there directly behind Verine. The memorial next to her is in memory of those from the area who died in The First World War, The Second World War, The Korean War, The South African Border War and the Iraq War. I see there is even a Guy Taylor amongst the WW1 fallen.

Nowadays though the only things paying their respects are the Dassies.

We explored the area and took a few photos.

For our second night we asked if we could have a sea facing room and no one was more surprised than we were when we walked into this special room.

Someone had booked the room and cancelled but it was paid for and we had Champaign, a fruit bowl, a food platter and the view. Wow.

It’s not everyday that the blue bird of happiness shits on your shoulder but we made the most of it.

We had lunch down at the local hangout on the Point and enjoyed our second day in paradise.

That evening we went back to the Point expecting the place to be packed out but we had it all to ourselves.

Of course I had to!

Classic place but no one there to enjoy it with us.

We tried to stay for a third night but the special was over and they went back to foreign tourist prices so we left.

We went to look at the Back Packers old Trans-Karoo train coaches but decided to go for the thatched chalets at the caravan park where the Buffalo Rally is held because I had driven past there so many times and always wanted to stay there. Man was I wrong!

The chalets were very disappointing although they look lovely from the outside, there is a communal braai area for five chalets and our neighbours in three of the chalets had camped the place out plus the wind was blowing a gale.

This picture was taken the next morning when all was back to normal.

But all was not lost! Because it was so unpleasant there we decided to go to the pub we had seen at the Back Packers earlier and that was a big plus. What a lovely place it turned out to be and then I was really disappointed we hadn’t booked in there to stay in the train.

The next morning we did a few detours and checked at a caravan park for future possibilities, bought some wood from an old man next to the road who looked like he wouldn’t make it through the day and then joined the R328 and went up through Robinson Pass without stopping at Eight Bell’s Hotel this time and then we took another road less travelled to the left to Volmoed.

If I called Volmoed a town I would be lying. It consists of a classic old church and a just as classic old house and maybe another two or three other buildings. That’s it! Here, have a look.

This church dates back to 1910 and to think that a church this size was needed in those days and not 10 kms away there is this beaut also in sandstone in a “town” or should I say settlement, called Hoopvol and built in 1909! (See “Trip to Port Alfred – March ’06” for more details on this church)

Just down the road from Hoopvol and Volmoed is the Gamkaberg reserve and they have various accommodation options. The only one available to us for the night was the Stables which suited me just fine. I loved this rustic, charming little abode the moment I saw it. I could make this my home any day.

Unfortunately we only had the one night there and as they say all good things must come to an end and we left the next morning knowing we’d be back.

However, our trip wasn’t over yet and I’d looked at the map and seen that we weren’t that far from Seweweekspoort Pass which we had never done so off we went and we soon forgot about how heartsore we were leaving Gamkaberg because Seweweekspoort Pass is spectacular. A lovely road winds through high folded mountains and it was food for the soul. As this was August it was still quite cold and there was snow on the high peaks making some lovely waterfalls.

This time it was all over and we had to go home.

We had had four days of heaven in paradise just around the corner from where we stay.

And then we got home and realized that home is also paradise.

Until next time, “Keep on Tripping”