Simon van der Stel outing to Herold, Montagu Pass
Where the old wagon road from George and Mossel Bay meets the road between the Western and Eastern Cape north of the Outeniqua Mountains, some 700m above sea level and 16km from the sea, with one foot in the Karoo and one in the Cape ‘fynbos’, lies the tranquil village of Herold, where humans have recorded their thoughts on the rocks long before colonial times. This historic place of rich diversity is where the soughtafter honeybush tea is found.
Herold Meander and the Herold community safeguard the history and heritage of the area. They have researched the products and practices of early inhabitants and now make them accessible to the public.
Outing
The Simon van der Stel Foundation: Southern Cape has arranged an outing to Herold on 21 October. Everybody is welcome to participate.
The visit will begin at 09:30 at
Kaukou Tea in the old hostel in Herold. Mr Theo Adams, the main driver of the Herold Meander, will be the host and will inform everyone on the honeybush project, as well as the group’s activities in the fields of protea farming, sheep farming, protecting of heritage structures and the promotion of AgriTourism in general.
From there everyone will then drive to the Montagu Pass where they will be informed on the history and heritage value of the pass. Road construction of the 19th century will be explained and the present importance of the pass will be discussed.
From the Montagu Pass, the group will go to Herold Wines for lunch (optional), a tour of the wine cellar and wine tasting (optional). Herold Wines offers the following specials for participants:
A. Toasted chicken mayonnaise sandwich with potato wedges, salad and tea/coffee: R80; B. Spinach and feta quiche, salads and home-baked bread, tea/coffee: R90; C. Bobotie and rice, salads and home-baked bread, tea/coffee: R100.
Participants are requested to place their orders directly with Herold Wines at Info@ heroldwines.co.za. Payment can be made at Herold Wines during the visit. Participants not ordering beforehand are welcome to order from the menu on-site.
Participants who prefer to do so can bring their own picnic basket with lunch.
The cost for participation will be R100 per person – lunch and wine tasting not included. You are requested to put the money in an envelope with your name on it and to hand it to members of the Simon van der Stel Foundation at the old hostel in Herold at the beginning of the outing at 09:00.
Participants are advised to bring a light folding chair for use in Montagu Pass. The talks will be in English and Afrikaans.
Participants must note that the Montagu Pass is closed to traffic. The barriers blocking the roadway are sometimes illegally removed but even when the roadway is not physically blocked, it is illegal to use the pass and its use causes further damage. The route over Outeniqua Pass to Herold is recommended.
The Montagu Pass is not suitable for normal (not 4x4) motor vehicles.
For enquiries, call Natie (064 471 2090) or Maryth Meise (084 505 1071).