Our first day on the Garden Route involved a lot of driving. Before we got to the start of the Route proper we thought we’d go and check out the sand dunes at De Hoop National Park. Its apparently about 2 hours drive from Cape Town but what guide books fail to mention is the driving on unpaved dirt roads. A very rocky and uncomfortable drive but there were some interesting happenings – including my losing control of the car and fish tailing into some bushes on the side of the road and driving on to a barge to be pulled across the river by three men – no motors involved!

De Hoop National Park is meant to be one of the prime viewing spots for the whales but seeing as how the season was July-September we were slightly out of season. Still we made the journey because it seems we both have a fascination with giant sand dunes. It didn’t disappoint – the sand dunes were massive and the beach was completely empty lending to the eerie feel. For those making the journey be wary of the biting flies that hang around the entrance booth – more annoying than painful you don’t want them to get attached.

After De Hoop it was time to start our journey proper to the Garden Route. After stopping at Mossel Bay, where we made a fruitless search for the infamous Post Office Tree and a bite to eat, it was on to Outdshoorn. Jules drove this part of the leg and I must say he did very well because it was pitch black and we were winding up and around some scary mountains.

To say that our first few hours in Outdshoorn were strange would be putting it lightly. We were staying at a hostel owned by a contractor, Francois, that used to work for Jules but it all seemed a little disorganised. This is not to say that Francois was not friendly. He was quite friendly. Very. Friendly. He took us to his house where it seemed he was hosting most of the people attending the just finished Outdshoorn festival – his house had a very hippy commune feel to it. The weirdness factor probably wasn’t helped by the fact that Francois just kept laughing. I don’t think he strung two sentences together – he just laughed. Even though all I really wanted to do was go to sleep it really was quite entertaining to be around Francois and some of his friends who were all in a state of inebriation shall we say? The only person who was in any way sober was Dan the music man who played us a few numbers. Quite good if you like that folksy music.