Drive your own circle in the forest
Rooted in Time is a selfdrive tour through the Knysna Forest that takes you back to an era when elephants wandered and woodcutters’ axes echoed. Alida Kieser was enthralled.
Most people who visit Knysna only go to the waterfront and the Heads viewpoint, but that’s just a smidgen of the town’s appeal. For me and my husband Robert, the real drawcard is the magical forest that stretches all the way to the mountains on the other side of the N2.
It’s a landscape jam-packed with history and stories, as told by Dalene Matthee in her iconic Knysna novels, Circles in a Forest, The Mulberry Forest and Fiela’s Child. There’s darkness – elephants hunted to extinction; woodcutters living in hardship – but also hope: the discovery of gold, modern conservation efforts and the promise of a better tomorrow. Many landmarks in the forest have remained preserved for hundreds of years.
Rooted in Time is a self-drive route that consists of 10 historical sites where you can learn more about the forest. It starts at the Templeman Station (1), about 20 km north of Knysna. Park your vehicle at the Ysterhoutrug picnic site and walk next to a section of the old, rusty railway line. The train transported wood, but judging by the photos on the information boards it was also a fun outing for residents of the forest – they sat on chairs on the open wagons. At the end of the path there’s a deck where the railway platform once was.
The train was nicknamed Coffee Pot because the engine’s chimney looked like one, and it ran 30 km from Diepwalle to Thesen Island on the Knysna Lagoon from 1907 to 1949. Yellowwood, stinkwood and ironwood trees were loaded up and taken to the sawmill, and from there to Cape Town and abroad.
These days, Thesen Island is a suburb with luxury apartments and holiday homes.
From the Templeman Station, it’s 2 km to the turn-off to Diepwalle. On top of the hill, we found the Forest Legends Museum (2),
the Old Suzie steam engine (3) and the Old Forester’s House (4). (See the map on p 56.) The Forest Legends Museum has exhibits of tools and household items used by the woodcutters, like axes, saws, kists and fire screens. When you look at the old photos and newspaper clippings, it’s clear that the woodcutters didn’t have an easy life. They lived so deep in the forest that some of them never even visited a town in their lifetime! Information boards in the room next door explain the history of the Knysna elephants; there’s even a complete skeleton of one.
The Old Suzie steam engine is near the museum. The woodcutters used this colourful engine to generate power twice a week, which enabled them to use equipment like winches to move heavy tree trunks.
A little further along is the stately Old Forester’s House. This stone building was the home of forester David Ernest Hutchins, who built several other stone houses at Gouna, Diepwalle, Harkerville and Fisantehoek. Hutchins arrived in South Africa from England in 1882. Under his supervision, the indigenous forest that hadn’t yet been plundered was managed in a scientific manner for the first time. He also made sure that the new pine plantations generated an income.
You can have a cup of tea on the veranda at the Old Forester’s House. Klara Stuurman, the manager of the tea garden, makes a delicious, creamy milk tart and the freshly baked vetkoek goes down a treat.
We returned to the R339 and made our way to the King Edward VII Big Tree (5) – one of the tallest yellowwoods in the Knysna Forest. It’s
estimated to be more than 800 years old,
37m tall, with a crown spread of 36m and a circumference of 7 m. It’s enormous!
Edward VII ruled from 1901 to 1910; the tree was named after the monarch in 1924, after a delegation of the British Parliamentary Association had lunch under its welcoming shade. The 450 m-long boardwalk to the tree is wheelchair- and stroller-friendly and there are picnic tables and braai facilities nearby.
Back on the R339, ferns lined the road and dappled sunlight filtered through the forest canopy.
Our next stop was Velbroeksdraai (6). This bend used to be so narrow that even the smallest vehicle had to inch backwards and forwards to make it through. Thankfully this is no longer the case – the road is wide with a gradual bend.
There’s a short, 1 km hiking loop here. The forest is dense and confusing and I couldn’t help but wonder how scary it must have been to travel through here in the dark all those years ago. In the museum there was mention of children getting lost on misty days…
Views from above
Spitskop (7), further north on the R339, was the highlight of our forest adventure. At 918m above sea level, it’s the highest accessible peak in the area. Be careful: The steep dirt road to the top has sharp bends and loose rocks, but the view is worth the effort: You can see the Knysna Heads to your right and the Robberg Peninsula in Plett to your left.
The turn-off to the Dal van Varings (8) is opposite the road to Spitskop. This valley of ferns stretches as far as the eye can see. Some are as tall as a man; others only reach calfheight. There’s an easy 450 m-long trail that leads through the ferns to a stream.
It was time to turn around. We drove slowly back towards Knysna – to Kom-se-Pad (9), a well-maintained dirt road that snakes through the hills and into the forest, connecting Diepwalle and Gouna. We rolled down our windows, drove slowly and took in the sights and smells of the forest, always on the lookout for the red flash of a Knysna turaco’s wing. Keep your eyes peeled for the turn-off to the San Ambroso Chapel (10) – the sign is hidden from view and the chapel itself is behind tall trees.
In 1881, 32 Italian families were brought to the forest. They were silk spinners and the
government wanted them to establish a silk industry here. Unfortunately, the people who had made that decision hadn’t done their homework: The indigenous mulberry tree ( Trimeria grandiflora) found in the area was not related to the white mulberry ( Morus alba), which is the silkworm’s only source of food.
The project failed and the families were abandoned by the government. They had to try and make a living as farmers and woodcutters. The chapel was built in 1891 to remind them of their lives in the city of Treviso in northern Italy. It was restored in 2005 and there are exhibits about the history of the Italian families in two of the rooms. The chapel is open to visitors.
We followed Kom-se-Pad to the T-junction with the Old Cape Road. We turned right and drove along the course of the Salt River to Knysna.
After the peace of the forest, Knysna was an assault on the senses: vehicles, boats, shops and people everywhere. For a moment, I wished I were a woodcutter, spending my whole life in the forest...
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?
The full route takes about four hours, depending on how long you linger. The 10 stops are all clearly marked. Get a route map from the SANParks office at Thesen Island or Diepwalle, or download one at sanparks.org/assets/docs/ parks_grnp/rooted-in-time.pdf
Cost: Mostly free. You have to pay a conservation fee of R38 per person to see the King Edward VII Big Tree (free with a Wild card) and you can leave a donation in the box at the San Ambroso Chapel.
Contact: Garden Route National Park (Knysna section) 044 302 5600