The view from our guesthouse in Mossel Bay still does not disappoint this morning. But we are leaving, but still do not want to go home (I guess this is not an abnormal emotion to have after such a satisfying tour!). Why not visit Hartenbos again? We go there every summer, but this is winter and with the snow and all on the mountains we should try it – we have never done it before. It is off-season and accommodation should be very reasonable. Over Christmas it is an entirely different story altogether and, even if you have a lot of money, you will find it close to impossible to find anything to rent at such short notice.

We drive straight to the ATKV reception in Hartenbos (it is the largest self-catering resort in South Africa and belongs to the organisation that promotes the Afrikaans language and culture – the ATKV). To our utter disappointment the entire resort is closed due to Covid! But we will not be put off by this unfortunate state of affairs and Anette starts calling private numbers advertising on the internet. We find a private beach house, Raaswater, close to the beach. The owner, Mrs Elsa Venter (Tel. no. +27 82 802 8713) is living on the top floor (her husband died a couple of months earlier) but rents out the entire ground floor. It has a good location and is well-equiped.

It is still raining today but the weather forecast looks excellent for the next couple of days. It is well-known that the climate around Mossel Bay is of the most temperate in the world, so even during winter a clear day should still be very enjoyable on the beach. I cannot wait. You can almost say I grew up in Hartenbos as a child – I have many, many happy childhood (and adolescent!) memories of summer holidays spent with my parents, siblings and friends on the beach, at the outdoor games facilities, at concerts and at braais. ATKV-Hartenbos is very well-equiped for entertainment and it gets even better in the high summer season.

The next morning is a brilliant day. I walk down to the beach and then all the way to Diaz Beach near Mossel Bay. Kilometers of uninterrupted, white beach sand. That is South Africa for you! Upon my return I sit down to watch the ocean and the little children playing. Eventually, I find myself sleeping on the sand with the waves breaking and snow on the nearby mountain peaks in the background. This feels surreal to me – in South Africa you do not normally go to the beach with snow in the background because it is either summer or you do not feel like going to the beach while there is snow nearby. I wish I had brought my swimwear with me.

In the end, we end up staying for three days. I braaied every evening including “tjoppies and worsies” (chops and sausage) for Elsa who enjoys a good braai every now and again.

The day to return home has arrived.

We drive home on the N2 the way we normally do when returning from Hartenbos, passing Albertinia, Riversdale, Heidelberg and Swellendam. Just after leaving Riviersonderend we are so enthralled by the canola fields that are now in bloom, that we decide to take a detour via Greyton. This will allow us to stop and take pictures without endangering our lives with high-speed vehicles zipping past us. Who wants to end such a tranquil holiday using an high-way if you can finish it in the same style as the rest of it?

We turn off on the R406 and stop many times to take wonderful pictures. The display of colours, from the yellow and green of the canola fields to the blue mountains at the back and the white snow on their peaks, is awe-inspiring. There is very little traffic on this road and we can basically stop wherever it makes a good picture. We drive to Greyton, a quaint little town with many art, restaurants and outdoor things to do. From there we continue to Genadendal, the oldest mission station in Southern Africa (1738). Just outside the town we decide not to continue with the R406 to return to the N2, but to take a small dirt road directly to the R43. Just after the rains this road is quite slippery and muddy but, since we are not in a hurry, our speed cannot be broken! It winds through a really beautiful area we have never seen before. And then we stumble upon a place called Helderstroom which we did not even know existed! From a distance you can see neat rows of similar-looking houses as well as what eventually transpires to be a modern medium and maximum security jail complex built next to each other. I guess no-one aspires to end up in jail one day but from a scenic point of view, this must be the place to be!

From Helderstroom we continue on this dirt road until we join the tarred R43 and turn right towards Villiersdorp. This road is much busier and eventually we cross the Theewaterskloof dam wall. It is the largest dam that supplies the Cape Peninsula of water. After the severe droughts of 2015 to 2018 that almost caused Cape Town to run out of water, the dam is now near full again. In Villiersdorp we turn left on the R45 and we return to Stellenbosch via Franschhoek.

My, o my, how interesting did this tour of ours not turn out! South Africa is such a diverse, scenic and big place that you have endless possibilities for touring. Anette and I may not own many material things but we have countless memories of the most beautiful places imaginable. We trust you have enjoyed the trip with us!