Calitzdorp Holiday Review
As Calitzdorp has become a very popular place to visit, my husband and I decided that we needed to go and see for ourselves what Calitzdorp is all about – or perhaps we went because it is known as the “Port Wine Capital” of South Africa. Situated only 4 hours from Cape Town on the popular Route 62, we knew that our drive there would not be without things to see. We took the N2 from Cape Town, passing through Caledon and Riviersonderend where we had a good breakfast of bacon and eggs and coffee of course. A little way after Swellendam we turned off onto the R324. Driving through Tradouw Pass, just south of Barrydale, was our first inspiring moment as this pass has such incredible views with a river running below, we had to stop a couple of times just to take it all in – especially the stillness and peace. It has also been so well maintained - the parking areas for viewing have been neatly paved and we even passed a maintenance truck of workers who were picking up loose rocks and stones which had fallen onto the road. This pass should not be confused with the “Op de Tradouw Pass” which lies on the R62 route between Montagu and Barrydale. After Tradouw Pass, we passed through Barrydale, which really looked like a great little place (another place to visit in the future), through Ladismith, Zoar and then onto Calitzdorp. We arrived early on Friday afternoon to a bustling town as many of the farm workers had come into town to buy their goods for the weekend. I must admit though, my first impression of the main street, Voortrekker Road, wasn’t the wow! we had when we arrived in Prince Albert. We stayed at “Die Handelshuis” which consists of 2 B&B rooms and a restaurant. The new owner Gaye has been in Calitzdorp since January 2013 and has made a few changes. Unfortunately she has not yet updated the website for “Die Handelshuis” when the previous owners Pieter and Tracy ran it. For example - the Beauty Salon that is referred to in the website no longer exists.
The restaurant is open every day, but only on Friday and Saturday evenings if bookings have been made. Our room was big and comfortable with lounge, kitchen and bedroom areas and we even had our own balcony from which you could look at the stars at night. There was no TV in the room.
In the afternoon we decided to explore the area – we went to De Krans, Calitzdorp Wine Cellars, Boplaas and a couple of antique shops and galleries. There was plenty more to see and do but we did not manage to get to everything. We found a great pub, called The Naked Lady – probably because there were quite a few drawings and paintings of naked ladies around the pub – and spent at least 2 hours just chatting to the owner James and the patrons at the pub. What wonderfully friendly and warm people they were and we certainly felt quite at home. That evening we had dinner at “Die Handelshuis”. The menu is varied and the portions were good. Gaye was great with advice on what to do and where to go and she advised us to visit the market which is held every Saturday morning behind the church in the town, to do the Grootfontein Valley drive and of course to visit the wine farms. We had a good night’s sleep and the next morning after the most delicious full-house breakfast we went along to the market but I must say I was a bit disappointed as I was expecting something much bigger with more on offer. There were probably in the region of 10 or 12 tables – some had old antique goodies and books on sale and there were also some delicious looking pies, cakes and breads on sale. We bought some rusks and marmalade jam which we have since tasted and both were very yummy!
After the market we decided to do the Grootfontein Valley drive. We did the shorter trip of about 60 kms and wow what a fantastic trip! The red stone outcrops in the Red Mountains Nature Reserve were spectacular.
About 30kms into our journey we came across a real little gem – Roger Young Original Handcrafted Furniture and Photography. Roger lives on the property and also offers 1 cozy room for hire. He makes light lunches and teas and coffees for walk-in visitors. He is passionate about his craft and is very knowledgeable about the area. His handcrafted furniture which we saw was superbly made. We sat on the front porch, looking out at the most spectacular view (see pic below), drinking tea with Roger as if we had known him for years. If you do happen to pass his way, you really must stop and meet Roger.
A little further on we came to a fork in the road – right was the road towards the Cango Caves and left was back towards Calitzdorp. We took the left turn and again, came across some great places. We stopped at Oude Poskantoor Gallery and Coffee Shop to have a look at the gallery. The coffee shop was full and there was quite a vibrant feel about the place. We then saw the sign that said Peter Bayly Wines and we decided to see if it was open. All seemed quiet but as we went around to the back of the house we saw 3 people on the back stoep. We immediately apologised for interrupting but we were beckoned to come and join them and it turned out to be Peter Bayly and his wife Yvonne with another visitor. What a fantastic couple they were – they invited us to join them at their big yellowwood table on their back stoep overlooking their 1.2 ha of vineyard and Peter brought out a tray of wines and port which we tasted. We must have spent about an hour or 2 with them, hearing fascinating stories from Peter and Yvonne, how they came to the area, how their white port came about and after buying some of their wine and port we left, again feeling like we had known them all our lives.
We returned to the town after a very pleasant drive – far exceeding our expectations! Saturday night we had a good supper at “Die Dorpshuis”. During dinner we reflected on our time in Calitzdorp and surrounding area, and if we had to compare it to Prince Albert, whilst Calitzdorp town was not as beautiful and neatly laid out, we found the people to be open, incredibly friendly and eager to share their hospitality. The outer lying areas of Calitzdorp made our trip really worthwhile and we would certainly make a return visit.
Barbara Davis, 6 to 8 July 2013
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