Greyton McGregor trail

Nine of us hiked the Boesmanskloof trail from Greyton to McGregor on Thursday 8th January. The youngest in our group was Bridgette at eight, the rest of us were reasonably unfit. We started early ( 6.30am) to make sure we could cover a good chunk of the hike before it got too hot. We breakfasted at Breakfast Rock at about 9.00am.

We walked at a very leisurely pace,stopping to admire views and flowers and sometimes just too chat( 8 ladies!!!).We arrived at Oak Falls at about 12.30pm.We were blessed with several hours of blue skies and hot sun, so even the most unadventureous swam for a long time.There is plenty to do at Oak falls if it is warm and sunny.We explored the river downstream,swam,jumped off the rocks into the pool and generally enjoyed the fantastic setting. It can get quite hot as shade is limited for a large group,we rigged up a sheet to provide extra shade.



After hours of enjoying this beautiful spot ( outright winner as the kids favourite part of the hike) we ambled on at slow pace.Still stopping to admire birds,vistas,rock formations (lions,giant birds!!) and caves from a distance (leopards??).It is a magical hike,while you are in the valley you cannot see any signs of human presence and because numbers of hikers are limited by Cape Nature you are unlikely to see many hikers on the trail.This is especially so during the week ( the trail is always busier over weekends).The air is clean, the sky very blue and the mountains have a spectacular clarity.

We took the rest of the hike at the same slow pace.We then took the shorter route via the historic pass.The climb out of the valley is steep but the path is well maintained.The walk along the original roadworks started in the forties is very interesting as the blasting has exposed the mountain side giving some beautiful geological displays.

We spent the night at Die Galg, but in Eagles Nest, a beautiful stone double storey cottage on the edge of the valley. The swimming pool was an unexpected bonus.We had asked Ruth Osthuisen to buy our groceries and bedding was provided, so we had very little to carry.Best of all is that Andrew had taken his bakkie to Die Galg from Greyton and he hiked to Greyton, giving us the bakkie keys hafway!!
The next morning we had a beautiful drive back to Greyton, stopping for coffee and scones in McGregor and spending time exploring our beautiful Little Karoo cousin village.

Everyone really enjoyed the hike, it was hard enough to give us all a sense of accomplishment at having completed the hike, but not so gruesome that it would have dented our enthusiasm for further hiking adventures.

Floods November 2008

It started raining on Monday morning ( the 10th November) and finally stopped on Friday morning.Most damage was to the gravel roads.The storm water drains couldn't cope with the flow of water and the roads became rivers. Some roads have wash aways almost a meter deep. Luckily there wasnt much damage to homes as the Gobos river managed to cope with the all the run-off.However if the Gobos had burst it's banks or if it had rained harder for a few hours, then there would have been serious damage to low lying homes.

Backpacking in Greyton

Zebra Moon now offers backpackers an affordable accommodation option in the Overberg.Greyton is a beautiful country village in which good planning has managed to preserve an architectural integrity. Set right against the Riviersonderend mountains, it is a hikers paradise.

Getting to Greyton is easy as the local bus service runs to Cape Town 4 days a week .The vehicles are new and will get you to Greyton safely. You will also be travelling with villagers from Greyton and Genadendal and will have an opportunity to learn about their lives.The cost of a one way trip between Cape Town is only R110.00(as at 2.11.08)

Contact Details

The most reliable methods of contact are :
Cell Phone :Mark 083 6299 576
E-mail : info@zebramoon.co.za
Telephone :028 254 9039

Web Site: www.zebramoon.co.zavel

Fruit Farming around Greyton

There are many fruit farms around Greyton,mostly drawing water from the Riviersonderend river for irrigation during the dry summer months.Pears,apples,lemons,plums and clementines are the most common fruit types.There are also two vineyards in close proximity to Greyton.
This area produces very good quality citrus and is said to produce the best Clementines in the world.
November 1st- pears have blossomed and are setting fruit,the apples are still approaching full bloom.Pears will be ready for harvest in the beginning of January.
Our nearest organic fruit farm is Esperance Farm of Riviersonderend.The farm is approximately 25kms from Greyton.Esperance is however leasing orchards 4kms from Greyton and these orchards will be converted to organic production.These orchards include pears,apples,lemons,plums and clementines.

Greyton Outdoors

Greyton lends itself to outdoor activities,the beautiful scenery,good weather and fresh air encourage even hardened lounge lizzards to get out.
Walking: the proximity of several routes to the Village make walking convenient.You dont have to drive to the start of the walks-you just walk out your front door,walk a few blocks of our pretty village and you are in the country side.Walks can be chosen to suit any particular need;flatish or steep;long or short.Walks are described and mapped in the guide to Greyton produced by the Greyton Conservation Society.

Hikes
Our most famous hikes are the:
Boesmanskloof trail to McGregor(one day)

Genadendal trail (two days)

Mountain biking - there are several routes or areas available to mountain bikers.

Family holidays: Zebra Moon offers families an affordable holiday in this country village. There is lots to keep busy with including hiking,day walks,river swimming,horse riding and bird watching.

Zebra Moon Seasons, Weather and Events

Greyton is extremely scenic ,being nestled right up against the Riviersonderend mountains and we enjoy some very beautiful sunrises and sunsets.The amount of mature trees also contribute to the beauty of the Village.This treed look is being encouraged and The local Municipality together with Greyton Conservation Society have just planted another 100 oak trees recently.

On Saturday 13th September we had a terrible wind which blew braai embers into a thatched roof resulting in two thatch roofed homes burning down- a terrible tragedy for the unfortunate home-owners and a reminder to the rest of us of the need to be aware of fire safety (fire embers should be extinguished ).

Sunday 2nd November-Fynbos flowers still very beautiful with an incredible variety.We saw a large Cape Cobra (+1.5m)-luckily from a safe vantage point.The Platkloof walk is great for a 2 or 3 hour excursion with a variety of vegetation types and running water.