A howling southeaster picks up in Cape Town the day I leave for Robertson. With a white-knuckle grip on the steering wheel, I tune the radio to Kfm and turn my thoughts to the journey ahead. This trip is the last thing standing between me and my December holiday, but I can hardly complain about closing off the business year with a journey into wine country.
Interestingly, my research taught me that a century ago Robertson derived its fame and wealth from something other than grapes. The town was founded in 1853 and named after a respected minister of the Dutch Reformed Church, Dr William Robertson, whose parish included Swellendam and surrounding areas. The early townsfolk made wagons and tended small subsistence farms, but things changed at the beginning of the previous century.
Fashion in Europe at the time revolved around ladies’ hats adorned with ostrich plumes. During the resulting ostrich boom from 1900 to 1914, a single feather could fetch up to £5 in London – an enormous sum of money at the time. The families who pursued ostrich farming in Robertson became wealthy and built manor houses, like the one still seen at Excelsior wine farm. But then World War I happened and dampened all such frivolous pursuits. The ostrich fad faded and the farmers turned their focus to grapes.
Modern Robertson is a key stop on Route 62 – the so-called “longest wine route in the world”, which goes all the way from Worcester to Port Elizabeth. Strictly speaking, the R62 only starts 20 km east of town on the other side of Ashton, but it’s the thought that counts.
Welcoming committee
This story is from the March 2020 edition of go! - South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 2020 edition of go! - South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The wilder shore
The final leg of a 30-day trek across East Africa sees lan Tyrer and the Africa - Wild & Untamed crew explore both shores of Lake Malawi. Get ready for an overloaded ferry, a croc attack and being surrounded by elephants...
A river runs through it
Sabie is onthe Drakensberg escaromentialongMpumalanga’s famous Panorama Route. Want a weekend away surrounded by forests and waterfalls? Here's wnat you need to know.
TAKE A HIKE
Harkerville's mini Otter
Sweet & juicy!
This issue's recipes all include lush seasonal fruit like nectarines, plums and apricots. Enjoy!
Big mountain magic
On a clear day, as you approach the Cathedral Peak Hotel, it happens involuntarily: You start to grin. You'll be standing up there soon, gazing over this valley, and the scuttling of ground-level life will seem irrelevant. Join us on a five-day adventure into the heart of the high Drakensberg
Your next weekend away
A self-catering house in the Tankwa, a campsite next to the Orange River, a guest farm near the Drakensberg... Toast Coetzer travelled a lot last year: Here are six of his favourite places to stay if you're planning a road trip or weekend escape.
A life through binoculars
If the name Hugh Chittenden sounds familiar, it's probably because you see it every time you use your Roberts Bird Guide he's one of the co-authors. He lives in Mtunzini on the KZN coast and birding is as much part of his day as a cup of coffee.
Wanderlust in the park
All great cities have great parks, writes Dara Kell: spaces where you can exhale and slough off the stress and grime of urban life.
The Kalahari remembers
The Kalahari is a place of magic and heartache, where drought is an ever-present threat. Drive a loop from Upington to the Kuruman River and discover soulful landscapes, brilliant skies and resilient people who never give up.
Take a Hike
Hug a baobab in the Bushveld