Cottages and kids
Richard Holmes finds a Goldilocks hideaway where everything is just right for mammas, pappas and babes
WE were old friends in search of an autumn getaway. Plus, we wanted a place where nobody could hear the screams.
Let me clarify that: where nobody could hear the toddlers’ screams. Or shouts. Or laughter. Yes, toddlers. Five of them, to be precise; a handful in more ways than one. We wanted space to chill out, catch up and not worry about disapproving glares from any neighbours unlucky enough to be holidaying alongside Camp Kindergarten.
We were three families, so three cottages were needed: not too close, not too far apart, cottages that would allow time together as a motley crew of 11, but also downtime from the madding crowd. After hours searching the web, Isle of Sky Farms outside Tulbagh proved to be the Goldilocks option: three cottages, with plenty to entertain both young and old.
On early-morning rambles, while parents nursed coffee and rusks, newborn cows and adventurous chickens kept the kids entertained. The grassy lawn became a free-for-all space of Frisbee afternoons and soccer kickabouts, model airplanes and impromptu golf tournaments. The dogs, Captain the collie and Max the enormous ridgeback-cross, were a bonus, companions for late-night braai chatter and mountain walks.
Ah yes, the walks. The Winterhoek range offers fantastic, although steep, day walks to stretch city-slicker legs. For the slothful, fishing lines can be cast (for us, in vain) in the farm dam. And when we needed to restock our rapidly disappearing cellar, there were wine estates within easy striking distance.
We found mountain views, crisp mornings and plenty of peace and quiet. About the only sound to disturb our stay — ankle-biters not included — was the herd of cows in the nearby pasture, protesting at the absence of hay. The roosters got a little frisky in the early hours, but then any parent will agree: they’ve got nothing on a pack of toddlers.