Day 329: Knysna, SA – 01/12/10

It’s cloudy when we wake up which was not predicted at all.  Mike’s neck is playing him up and I make him lie on the floor while I give it a good stretch.  Terry walks in, bursts out laughing and takes a picture for the blog.  Mike says he feels much better afterwards but I think he just says that to get me to stop.

Photo:  Mike getting his neck stretched

We potter around all morning then I cook up all the bacon which was defrosted in our freezer and have BLTs for lunch before going up to Terry’s golf club at Simola for a look around.

Terry gets his golf clubs out of the car and just walks off.  Mike points out that he has left them and Terry informs him that someone will come down to the car, collect them and put them in a buggy for him.  Mike’s face is a picture.  They don’t do that at the municipal course in Redditch!

The grounds are lovely, and on a nice day the views over the fairways and looking down to the sea must be fantastic, but today, the wind is blowing and after a quick look, we head for the bar and order hot chocolate.

Photo:  Simola Golf Club, Knysna

We leave Terry hitting some practise balls on the driving range and drive to The Heads to see it from the perspective of the shore.  Although it is overcast, the sea is very calm when we arrive and getting through looks as if it would be no trouble at all.  But the entrance is narrow wherever you look at it from.  First we go along the sea level boardwalk and look from the cafe, where Ann and Terry were supposed to be when we arrived.

Photo:  The Heads – calmer than when we came through

Photos:  Jean on the rocks – as sure footed as a mountain goat – especially in flip flops

Then we go up to the top of East Head.  As usual, there’s the strange arrangement with the parking attendants.  In every car park in Knysna there are guys in fluorescent vests who helpfully wave you into a parking spot or wave you out.  Some have proper little slot boxes that they carry and others don’t.  When you return to your car, you give them some money.  If they have a box, the money goes in.  If they don’t, it doesn’t.  Nobody seems to know how much money you should give them and they never ask for a set amount, although if you drive off without giving them any, they chase you for a few yards then give up.  It’s all very weird.  Today’s attendant is a bit of a comedian, and waves us in with a theatrical wave and bow, promising that he will keep our car nice and safe and that we should take our time.  There are five attendants here, lolling around on the grass, about 15 parking spaces and a total of 3 cars.  Go figure.

The views on a sunny day would be wonderful, and it’s a good place for whale watching apparently.  However, it’s also a long drop straight down onto the deadly looking rocks below.

Photo:  Don’t look down!

Photo:  And don’t lean on the railings!  Me, Victoria, Mike and Ann

When we get back to the car, our attendant leaps up from his position lying on the grass, ready to show us how he has been protecting our car from all sorts of thieving miscreants.  He earns R5, the amount we usually settle on - I think it should be less than this but we rarely have smaller amounts.  Ah well, I’m used to being high on the ‘sucker’ scale.

Back at Chez Rose on Rio Street, I continue to cook up the remains of our defrosted freezer.  This time it’s crab sticks cooked with garlic, onions, white wine and creme fraiche.  The misguided addition of avocado oil takes the flavour to a new, perhaps never to be attempted again, direction.  Well, we learn all the time.  Ann takes one look at the crab sticks and has smoked trout with her pasta instead.  Coward.