Visit Knysna, Knysna Tourism, Garden Route, South Africa

Author: Keagon Borchards

Pink Loerie™ 2022 highlights not to be missed

Posted on by Keagon Borchards

The Pink Loerie™ Mardi Gras and Arts Festival in association with Men International will host a spectacle of not-to-be-missed events from 29 April to 1 May as it returns to the Garden Route town of Knysna after a two-year COVID-19 hiatus.

“Not only will the international singer-songwriter sensation Cassa Jackson be headlining the festival,” said Festival Director John-Louis O’Neil. “Mr Gay World™ South Africa 2021 Shanon Kannigan will lead the annual street parade.”

The street parade features high on the programme for Saturday 30 April, but festivities kick off with a VIP dinner and fundraising auction on the Friday. “Cassa Jackson will be supporting Lionel Ritchie later this year, but she’s coming to celebrate the festival’s 22nd birthday with us first,” said O’Neil. “We are also extremely proud to host her first South African performance.”

Having appeared on stages including Wembley Arena, Cassa Jackson will perform at the VIP function hosted by Villa Castollini. Shanon Kannigan will lead the event as guest MC and auctioneer for the fundraising auction.

Tickets to the VIP dinner and fundraising event with Cassa Jackson and Mr Gay World ™ South Africa Shanon Kannigan are available at https://charityaffair.africa/shop/.

Saturday is packed with fun and entertainment with highlights that cannot be missed.
• Girls just wanna have fun with Wendy Dewberry hosted by The Queen, 10 Queen Street from 8am to 2pm.
• A pre-assembly point cocktail event with live entertainment hosted by Oaks on Main, Knysna Main Street, from 9am to 2pm.
• Unleash the animal / Superhero in you street party, Gray Street between Nelson and Rawson Streets, 2pm to 4pm.
• Knysna Pride Street Parade from Rawson Street to The Waterfront Knysna Quays via Gray Street, 4pm, led by UK pop sensation Cassa Jackson and Mr Gay World™️ South Africa 2021 Shanon Kannigan.
• Official After Party from 4:30pm to 11pm at The Waterfront Knysna Quays with UK pop sensation Cassa Jackson and guest artists, and be taken on a journey of sound by DJ’s Nick, Quinton Kelly, Nukes and more.

All COVID-19 prevention regulations will be adhered to and access to the street party and after party will be limited to 2000 attendants each.

“Monday 2 May is a public holiday,” said O’Neil. “This means everyone can enjoy the farewell lunch with live music hosted by Olde’s Pub & Grill on Sunday afternoon.”

“As well as celebrating the diversity of our community, the festival hopes to highlight local business and tourism in Knysna,” he continued. “This is an open invitation to businesses in Knysna, who may be running specials during the festival, to send us their advertisements so we may publish them on our social media platforms.”

“We are looking forward to bringing the festival back to Knysna this year,” O’Neil concluded. “It is high time that everyone gets to let their hair down and have fun again.”

Cassa Jackson is brought to the Pink Loerie™ Mardi Gras and Arts Festival in association with Men International courtesy of Marshall Arts Talent, ETC Zone Centurion and Jacaranda LGBTQIA+ Pride Festival. She has over 170 000 followers on TikTok and more than 180 000 monthly listeners on Spotify.

The Pink Loerie™ is an annual celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and ally (LGBTQIA+) culture and identity held in the picturesque town of Knysna. The festival hosts a series of cultural, entertainment and community fundraising events and aims to highlight local business and tourism in Knysna and the Garden Route.

Thank you to the people of Knysna, the Garden Route District Municipality, Knysna Municipality, Wesgro, Visit Knysna and our other partners for working with us to make the festival a reality this year.

Olde’s Pub & Grill’s farewell lunch offers set menus from R200pp and bookings are essential, book at 044 382 6514.
Contact office@pinkloeriefoundation.com for advertisement specifications and submissions.
For more information, news, and updates, visit www.facebook.com/pinkloerie or www.pinkloerie.co.za.

Big-Hitters Of Modified Saloon Car Category Set To Take On 2022 Simola Hillclimb

Posted on by Keagon Borchards

The Modified Saloon Car category at the annual Simola Hillclimb is renowned for lining up an exhilarating array of the wildest, most powerful and fastest tin-top racing cars in the country. The 12th edition will be no different when these no-limits beasts of King of the Hill are let loose on the challenging 1.9km course on 7 and 8 May 2022.

Simola Hillclimb regular Pieter Zeelie threw a spanner in the works last year when he claimed his first King of the Hill crown in his highly modified 2002 Toyota MR2 Super GT, powered by a turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 Toyota engine. His faultless performance in the all-or-nothing Top 10 Shootout secured a winning time of 40.402 seconds, knocking 2019 champion and pre-event favourite Franco Scribante and his radical multi-winged 2016 Nissan R35 GT-R off the top step of the podium.

The question is, can he do it again? “I am up against competitive machinery and drivers, especially the four-wheel drive Nissans which gain around 1 to 1.5 seconds on us from the start to corner one, and I know Dawie Joubert made some extensive changes to his Lotus,” Zeelie says. “All of these drivers have serious intent on winning, so reaching the Top 10 in 2022 will already be a huge achievement. I will certainly do my best and hope to get a top-three position.”

Zeelie isn’t taking the title fight lightly, with an eye on competing internationally too: “The modifications never stop, and we spent most of our effort on aerodynamic changes to the car. We’re hoping to get some extra downforce and reduce drag, and also managed to get a little bit of extra power from the Toyota engine,” he says. “Some changes were made for my planned endeavours in the FIA International Hillclimb Cup in Europe later this year to make the car FIA-compliant, and we’re shipping it overseas straight after the Simola Hillclimb.”

As for what makes the Simola Hillclimb special, Zeelie highlights the fantastic nature of the event as a whole, as well as an interesting personal affinity with Knysna: “We always make it a social and business event with clients, family and friends joining us from all over South Africa. The adrenaline, together with social side, makes it very special for us, and I’ve always enjoyed hillclimb events.

“The Knysna Forest is where my family originally lived until they were forcefully removed,” Zeelie points out, referencing historical books such as Fiela se Kind, Kringe in die Bos and Toorbos that regale the troubled past. “Our family has a very rich history in the Cape and Knysna since 1648, and I am busy finalising a book about them.”

Whether Zeelie will be able to write his name in the Simola Hillclimb record books for a second time remains to be seen, but he certainly faces a stern challenge – most notably from multiple winner Scribante, behind the wheel of his time-attack inspired Nissan R35 GT-R with its distinctive massive front and rear wings.

In 2021 Scribante set a new official record time for the Modified Saloon Car category of 39.303 seconds in the Class Finals. However, a less-than-perfect run in the Top 10 Shootout saw him cross the line in 40.522 seconds which relegated him to second place for King of the Hill. “Our objective this year is to get the car reliable, as we’ve had numerous issues developing this car,” he says. “We don’t even know yet what the GT-R is capable of because we’ve always had to work around a variety of problems.

“We’ve looked at the gearbox and clutch issues, and for now we’re not aiming to go faster but to be more reliable,” Scribante says. “When we’ve maxed out the reliability then we will take it to the next level in the years to come.” The Scribante name will also be represented by Aldo and Silvio in a pair of highly tuned 2011 Audi S4s – the latter making the switch from a Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo driven last year.

As indicated by Zeelie, Dawie Joubert is sure to be a formidable opponent once again in his twin-turbo Ferrari V8-powered 2001 Lotus Exige, which has been upgraded since its debut last year. Joubert notched up an impressive time of 39.888 seconds during his best qualifying run in 2021, and will be aiming for an even better time when it counts in this year’s Top 10 final. He will be joined by brother Charl in a turbocharged Honda V6-powered Elise, while Craig Czank returns in his Lotus Exige, having opted for a Nissan R35 GT-R twin-turbo V6 engine, with the Simola event being used last year as the initial shakedown test for the car.

The Van Zummeren family always draws a crowd in their loud and wild Nissan GT-Rs, and Martin returns to the fray in his explosive four-wheel drive 2002 R34 after missing the 2021 edition. He will be backed up by his two sons, with Wade stepping back into his rear-wheel drive R34 GT-R after delighting the crowds in dad’s car last year, along with brother Jody in a four-wheel drive 1994 R32 GT-R. Another interesting new rival will be former touring car racer Farouk Dangor, who joins the Nissan GT-R brigade in a 2001 R34 GT.

However, there’s another serious contender that should never be underestimated. With three consecutive King of the Hill titles in the Road and Supercar category (2017-2019), Reghard Roets has taken over the reins of the BB Motorsport Nissan R35 GT-R formerly campaigned by Wilhelm Baard.

Roets certainly knows his way up the 1.9km Simola Hill and has been doing extensive testing in his new steed which powered Baard to victory in 2017 and 2018. If reliability issues with the car don’t hamper his efforts, the popular production car ace is sure to be in the thick of the battle until the final flag drops on Sunday afternoon.

Several other competitors are likely to be slugging it out in the thrilling Top 10 Shootout, including Franco di Matteo who recovered from a crash last year to power his way into the Top 10 final in the NOS-boosted Jaguar XKRR V8 Super Car. Charl Arangies finished third last year in a Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo, but returns this year in a similarly-powered V10 Audi R8 LMS GT3, while Anton Cronje remains another driver to watch in his rapid Subaru Impreza WRX STi after he claimed the sixth-fastest time in 2021.

Whoever emerges as this year’s triumphant King of the Hill, there’s guaranteed to be plenty of excitement and fireworks on the road to victory!

Online ticket sales for the Simola Hillclimb, along with more information on the event, are available on the website: www.simolahillclimb.com

Knysna Wine Festival Returns

Posted on by Keagon Borchards

For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the Knysna Wine Festival is finally back in person on the 8th and 9th of July 2022 to celebrate its 15th anniversary at this year Knysna Oyster Festival.

There are a few changes this year, but the event provides an opportunity for the South African Wine industry to showcase its award-winning and exceptional wines.

Some 40 wineries will converge on the Knysna Wine Festival in July, to offer unlimited tastings of more than 200 varietals.

The Knysna Wine Festival will once again take place during the Knysna Oyster Festival on the 8 & 9 July from 5:30 – 9:00 p.m., and in addition to wine, guests can enjoy craft beer, Gin, various liqueurs, whisky tastings as well as a taste of some South African artisan craft cheeses and olive oils.

“We are very excited to finally have the wine festival after two years without,” Knysna Wine Festival event organizer Belinda Hobson said. “We’ve got great wines already signed up this year, and our festivalgoers are in for a real treat.
It’s fantastic to be showcasing the wonderful bounty that our region offers.”

Wine lovers will have the choice of purchasing tasting tickets, which include tastings from the 40 or more wineries on hand, a commemorative wine glass, and an informative tasting booklet. Once you’ve finished tasting you can purchase all wines at cellar door prices either to enjoy on the day or stock up your cellar.

Prices for the wine tasting are R180.00 pp and will be available on Web tickets at https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/event.aspx?itemid=1514368605 as well as Knysna Tourism Office and Sedgefield Cycle Worx’s. Please note a limited number of tickets will be available.

Food will be provided to purchase at the Premier Resort the Moorings – Knysna pop-up restaurant, and what would a premier event of The Knysna Oyster Festival be without the opportunity to indulge in delicious Oysters.

Follow us on Facebook @GardenrouteWineFestival
Email: infoknysnawinefestival@gmail.com

Classic Car Friday guaranteed to surprise and delight

Posted on by Keagon Borchards

Classic Car Friday at the annual Simola Hillclimb always delivers an exceptional variety of cars unlike anything that you will find at a vintage car show or classic racing festival. From some of the most iconic and historic automobiles in South Africa to finely tuned racing cars that redefined motorsport over several decades, the mix is simply extraordinary.

It is also extremely rare, and equally satisfying, to see each of the cars driven up the 1.9 km Simola Hill with unbridled vigour, regardless of whether they are merely tinkered with on weekends by enthusiast owners, or are pristine and extremely valuable showpieces that could easily take pride of place in any museum collection.

What makes it even more appealing is that the drivers are equally varied – from devoted classic car enthusiasts to some of the country’s most esteemed circuit racers and rally drivers. That all of this takes place in one of the most scenic parts of South Africa, with a relaxed and thoroughly welcoming atmosphere amongst competitors and spectators alike makes the Simola Hillclimb, which takes place this year from 6 to 8 May, a motoring and motorsport festival like no other, and the must-attend event of the year.

Once again headlining the entry list is Franco Scribante, six-time winner of the event and reigning Classic Conqueror. He returns this year with his impeccably prepared 1970 Chevron B19 sports racer, after winning last year’s event with the rapid Chevron B26. This follows a rule change that has tightened up the regulations to ensure that the cars use period-correct engines and running gear.

“We had to run the B26 last year to be competitive against the Minardi F1 car, but I am glad that the class has returned to the original spirit of Classic Car Friday and I’m looking forward to driving the B19 at the Simola Hillclimb again,” Scribante says.

“We’ve gone back to the original specification for the car, and it has the period-correct Ford BDG 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with Lucas mechanical fuel injection, pared to the Hewland FT200 transmission as used when this car raced in the early 1970s,” he says. Scribante powered the B19 to victory in 2019 with a time of 42.574 seconds up the Simola Hill, but his best time yet of 41.432 seconds was achieved in 2016. “There’s no reason why we can’t get back into the 41-second mark with the car this year and maybe go even quicker.”

As always, it will be fascinating to see whether Scribante can beat that time and, more pertinently, whether anyone will be able to challenge him for the 2022 Classic Conqueror crown this year.

Competing in Class H8 for pre-1977 single-seater, sports and GT cars, he will once again be up against the similar 1971 Chevron B19 of Peter Jenkins, with a third Chevron entering the fray. However, in this case, it’s in the form of a 1972 Chevron B20 F3 single-seater entered by Josh Dovey, which is powered by a 1.6-litre Lotus TC engine compared to the 2.0-litre Cosworth Ford BDG engines in the two Chevron B19 sports cars, and also found in the 1977 March 77B Formula Atlantic single-seater that will be driven by Ian Schofield.

Other big-hitters in the class will be Robert Wolk in an ex-Jody Scheckter 1969 Lola Formula Ford T200, and Chris Knezovich in the thundering 1970 McLaren M10B F5000 powered by a 5.0-litre Chevrolet V8 engine.

On the sports car front, Clive Corder returns in the elegant 1969 Lola T70 that was raced last year by rally ace Enzo Kuun, and he will be going up against the iconic 1970 Porsche 917, driven by Robert Flooks, which is powered by a Porsche 930 Turbo engine.

Saloon cars
Class H7 hosts the pre-1990 racing saloon cars (six cylinders and above), and will again feature the Simola Hillclimb’s unofficial burnout king, Graeme Nathan, at the wheel of the screaming 1972 BMW 3.0 CSL, along with Rui Campos in a 1974 Porsche 911 RSR, Andre Bezuidenhout in his mighty turbocharged Martini-livered Porsche 911 RSR and Riaan Barnard in a Ford Capri of the same year. Some of the more modern contenders in the class include a 1989 Ferrari 348 driven by Enzo Kuun and a 1983 Porsche 911 RSR Iroc piloted by Craig Wessels.

Four-cylinder saloon racing cars are grouped into Class H6, which is set to be extremely competitive. Daniel Zeelie has the lone Ford entry with a 1982 Escort, lining up against Ian Kilburn in a 1972 Datsun GX Coupé and Trevor Tuck in his immaculate 1974 Alfa Romeo Giulia 2000 Rally. Then there’s a brace of Porsches, including Andre Bezuidenhout’s son, Jandre, who will be driving a 1985 944 Turbo Cup – the exact car that kicked off his father’s racing career decades ago. He will be joined by the Checkered Flag entries of Geoff Mortimer and George Fouche, both driving 1981 924s, along with Michelle Hambly Grobler in a 1989 944.

The Lindenberg Racing contingent is well represented again this year in Class H5 for pre-1970 racing cars (six cylinders and above), with Paige Lindenberg behind the wheel of the huge 1968 Ford Fairlane V8. Justin Needham takes over the mighty 8.8-litre V8 1965 Shelby Cobra Mk3 replica from his father, Charles, and is joined by younger brother Jonathan in a 1967 Ford Cortina Perana, along with James Temple in the stunning 1965 Shelby Daytona Coupé.

Class H4 for four-cylinder pre-1970 racing saloons sees Peter Kaye-Eddie back in action in his 1965 BMW 2002, competing against Ron Hollis who switches from his regular Jaguar E-type to race a 1964 MG Midget this year, along with Kurt Behm (1969 Fiat Abarth), Francis Cusens (1969 Fiat 124 Sport Coupé) and Dave van der Merwe in a 1968 Renault Gordini.

There will be a fierce battle for Class H3 honours for pre-1985 road cars, with the V8-powered big guns including the supercharged Shelby Ford Mustang 500CR of Simola Hillclimb regular Ivan Marx, Chis Champion in a 1973 MGB GT V8, the AC Cobras of Clayton Kimber and Richard Hutton, and a Ford GT40 MkII driven by Charles Needham. Don’t discount the six-cylinder cars, featuring Alexander Krahe’s 1965 Jaguar Mk2, or the venerable Porsches, including Jennifer Abbot’s 1970 914/6 or Gavin Rooke’s 911 of the same year – the latter driver returning to his much-loved Porsches after competing with a Ferrari 308 GT4 last year.

Ashley Baud heads up the four-cylinder contingent in H3 in a 1967 Alfa Romeo GT Junior, along with Bill Annetts’ 1968 MGB GT, a 1981 Ford Escort driven by Liam Watts (son of Hillclimb regular Brent Watts) and Andre de Lange in a 1979 Opel Kadett.

The pre-1965 road car line-up in Class H2 is no less interesting, and arguably even more varied. Hedley Whitehead and Andrea Krahé will be competing with a pair of 1964 Austin Minis, while Barry Ingle tackles the Simola Hill again in his iconic, 2021 class-winning 1955 Porsche 550 Spider along with Richard Clarke in a 1962 Lotus Coventry Climax Mk14 Elite. Warren Lombard will shake things up with his 1965 AC Cobra against two entries from the Parnell Bruce Collection – the sumptuous 1956 Jaguar D-type driven by Brian Bruce, and a road-going 1965 Ford GT40 with Peter McPherson behind the wheel.

Class H1 was covered extensively in our previous Classic Car Friday preview, and introduces a new handicap format to provide a level playing field for the wide range of pre-war cars competing, which range from 1926 to 1946.

#SimolaHillclimb

Pink Loerie™ Mardi Gras and Arts Festival swoops back

Posted on by Keagon Borchards

Contrary to rumours, the iconic Pink Loerie™ Mardi Gras and Arts Festival will once again be painting Knysna myriad shades of pink this year with its 22nd edition.

The ever-popular LGBTQ arts and culture event returns after a two-year COVID-19 break, running from Friday 29 April to Sunday 1 May 2022 (Monday 2 May is a public holiday).

“As we resume a post-COVID normality, we’re excited to once again welcome both visitors and locals alike to the Garden Route’s original and premier pink event,” asserted Festival Director John-Louis O’Neil.

“We are delighted to announce that we have partnered with Men International South Africa and therefore the festival will be known as the Pink Loerie™ Mardi Gras and Arts Festival in association with Men International South Africa,” O’Neil revealed. Men International South Africa assists new up and coming male model talent to reach their full potential.

An annual festival highlight is the Mr Gay Mardi Gras pageant. The winner this year will receive a “golden ticket” that guarantees a spot among the Mr Gay World™ South Africa finalists. O’Neil further teased that an international artist would be flown in to headline the Pink Loerie™, with details to be announced soon.

He invited LGBTQ-friendly businesses that would like to support the festival to email office@pinkloeriefoundation.com. “We are still in need of some auction items as well as accommodation for the artists and committee members,” O’Neil said.

The full Pink Loerie™ Mardi Gras and Arts Festival in association with Men International South Africa programme will be announced on 20 March 2022.

The Pink Loerie™ is an annual celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) culture and identity held in the picturesque town of Knysna. The festival hosts a series of cultural, entertainment and community fundraising events.

For more information, news, and updates, visit www.facebook.com/pinkloerie or www.pinkloerie.co.za.

One-of-a-kind sculpture to welcome visitors to Knysna’s Judah Square

Posted on by Keagon Borchards

Following months of hard work, planning and preparations, a towering 2.2m likeness of Hailie Selassie now stands proud on the mount at Judah Square, Knysna – home to the biggest community of Rastafari in Southern Africa. Looking out over the township of Khayalethu, powerful hands posed in a diamond-like gesture, the traditional Rastafari symbol of the Seal of Solomon, the statue will welcome back visitors from far and wide.

 

Press release: Western Cape claims four in the Top 50 of the 100 Most Loved Destinations in the World

Posted on by Keagon Borchards

Tourism Sentiment Index (TSI) – a travel data intelligence solution created by acclaimed destination marketing agency Destination Think – has released Leading Places: The 100 Most Loved Destinations Around the World for 2021, with Knysna ranking in the top 20 at #19, Stellenbosch #23, Hermanus #38, and Cape Town #50.

Welcoming the announcement Western Cape Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, David Maynier, comments: “For three Western Cape towns and the Mother City to be identified in the top 50 most loved places in

the world – following a global consumer sentiment analysis – is an outstanding achievement. The last two years will go down in history as the most challenging years thus far for the global tourism sector, and the rankings demonstrate that Cape Town and the Western Cape is a world-class destination and a firm favourite on the global travel bucket list.”

TSI concluded the rankings through an intensive data study – analysing more than 1.6 billion online conversations and content pieces publicly available about 21,330 global destinations – to identify the 100 ‘Most Loved Destinations’. Tourism Sentiment Index is cutting-edge technology that applies the power of artificial intelligence to the challenge of deciphering sentiment from human expression. This technology produces a novel metric for destination marketing know as the Tourism Sentiment Score®.

With the rankings confirming the destination’s popularity globally, Cape Town and the Western Cape was also very popular locally this past festive season, with domestic visitor numbers tripling between November and December 2021.

 

Gathering feedback from over 160 businesses from across the Province, Wesgro reveals that businesses recorded an uptick in local and domestic visitors. Passenger arrivals through Cape Town International Airport’s domestic terminal reached a high in December 2021, representing an impressive 66% recovery rate when compared to the same period in 2019.

International arrivals also performed well in October, reaching their peak in November 2021 with a 41% recovery rate. Although in December international passenger arrivals were less than a third of what they were in the same month in 2019, they grew by 28% when compared with figures from the previous year.

Feedback received from the attractions was positive, with Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, Cape of Good Hope, Boulders Beach, and Robben Island experiencing significant growth in visitor numbers in both November and December 2021, and Kirstenbosch Gardens having recovered about half of its 2019 figures in both months.

“It has been encouraging to see the significant increase in visitor numbers at tourism landmarks in different parts of the province. Similarly, many businesses were able to recover some of their losses through the uptick in domestic visitors, which is very pleasing. Wesgro invested in ramping up our domestic tourism campaign ‘A World In One Province’. It’s reassuring to see the hard work pay off. Tourism is a key economic growth sector and job enabler. In collaboration with partners, we are constantly pioneering new ways to ensure that the Western Cape remains a world-class tourism destination”, concluded Wesgro CEO, Wrenelle Stander.

Knysna’s lineup of events and natural offerings make it the ultimate destination for a fun filled festive holiday season

Posted on by Keagon Borchards

Knysna’s lineup of events and its spectacular natural offerings has this holiday season all wrapped up with art, sport activities, live music concerts, festive markets, spectacular festive shows and amazing dining experiences.

To keep the whole family entertained this summer, Knysna has a great lineup of events, such as the Summer Splash Festival, which promises 12 days of non-stop fun for the whole family and the opportunity to max out your holiday time. Taking place from 16-28 December in locations across the greater Knysna area, this festival will have visitors spoiled for choice – from sports activities to art, live music, cultural and Christmas holiday themed events.

Better Live has another spectacular line up of events that people can look forward to when they visit Knysna this summer. The organisers promise 13 incredible shows lined up between 9 December 2021 and 4 January 2022, including a few first-time performances in Knysna by the likes of Majozi, Francois Van Coke and the full Bam Bam Brown outfit. Browse all upcoming events here.

Covid-19 protocols apply at all events and this includes restrictions on numbers – booking in advance is strongly recommended. To find out more about these events and to make a booking, click here.

In addition, with its fusion of diverse natural habitats, Knysna is a proverbial gem of a destination renowned for many things, including:

Beaches
Situated along one of the world’s most beautiful coastlines, Knysna is home to an array of ruggedly beautiful shores and pristine beaches, from the remote and mysterious Noetzie, Bollard Bay with its calm lagoon waters to Brenton-on-Sea and Buffalo Bay who received their Blue Flag Beach status earlier this month, and the stretch of five sandy beaches and sandstone cliffs alongside each other in Sedgefield. For places to see, ways to wander, and signature experiences in Knysna, click here.

Rivers, lagoon/estuaries, lakes:
Waterways offer a myriad of adventurous activities for holidaymakers and the opportunity to swim, fish, boat, sail, snorkel and ski, paddle and SUP, kite and wind surf. Explore lots of unique spots to cool off after a busy summer’s day here.

Forests
Bestrewn with forest walks and hiking trails that allow visitors to explore its perimeters – enjoy numerous day trails in the Garden Route National Park, picnic on the grassy banks of a gently flowing, cola-coloured forest stream as well as hikes with waterfalls and swimming spots. Explore attractions in the Knysna forests here.

Dining
Knysna is famous for offering lavish delights for all of the senses. The Garden Route gem offers some excellent restaurants that are particularly unique, as many of them overlook either the Knysna Waterfront, Lagoon or famous Heads. You can find fish & chips parcels and designer sushi at restaurants on the same road. An alternative outing option is to braai at one of many public braaing spots found in the area.

Knysna Executive Mayor, Lavael Davis, commented: “We look forward to welcoming the holiday makers back to Knysna this summer – the town is ready and has a great lineup of events and offerings for the whole family to enjoy.”

“After the past 2 years of challenging times, there is no doubt that everyone is keen to relax, sit back and enjoy some sunshine and summer. The greater Knysna area is centrally located within the Garden Route area that offers something for everyone. Locally, there is such a variety of offerings: from a full moon swim to guided Knysna Seahorse experiences and meandering along the shorelines – even at moonlight; some of South Africa’s top musicians will be performing live, or enjoy a tranquil stroll in our peaceful forests. Stay, play and recharge,” said Visit Knysna’s General Manager, Colleen Durant.

“There is no doubt that after exploring what this beautiful destination has on offer this holiday season, many people will be inspired to visit Knysna again in the future. Guests can look forward to memorable world-class events, an extraordinary set of experiences and the best accommodation options,” concluded Wesgro CEO, Wrenelle Stander.

#VisitKnysna #Knysna #DiscoverKnysna #StayWorkPlay #DiscoverWesternCape

Cheeky Knysna Oyster Festival “Limited Edition” campaign yields successful results

Posted on by Keagon Borchards

The tongue in cheek ‘Why #WFH (work from home) when you can #WFK (work from Knysna)?’ marketing campaign saw the return of seasoned festival goers alongside fresh faced first timers, with the re-imagined ‘Limited Edition’ yielding successful results in the face of the COVID-19 third wave.

With the campaign tagline ‘Stay, Work, Play’ – consumers were enticed to stay the full ten days due to being able to work with fully enabled WiFi and play by curating their own programme by selecting from unique experience available on the ‘Limited Edition’ programme. The predominantly digitally-driven campaign was supported by a paid-for PR component – targeting key domestic markets in Gauteng, Western Cape and the Eastern Cape – with Gauteng removed following the travel restriction imposed in late June.

Kicking off with the ‘awareness phase’, followed by the ‘consideration phase’ – the campaign saw 2.4 million unique users engaging with the content, with the majority of these users being based in Gauteng. Gauteng has always been a key domestic tourism market for the Western Cape, and the high engagement from the province shows the eagerness of Gauteng visitors to come and explore the Garden Route.

“This year we had a real opportunity to tap into a current truth: if you’re working from home, you could be working from anywhere,” explains Visit Knysna General Manager, Colleen Durant. “The Knysna Oyster Festival ‘Limited Edition’ proved to be the perfect antidote to the level 3 restrictions – allowing families to re-imagine their July winter getaway, re-connect with their family unit, and re-discover the beauty of the Garden Route through a select COVID-19 friendly programme,” she adds.

Reflecting on the curveball thrown by the announcement of the move to Alert Level 4, Festival Co-Ordinator, Andrew Finn, comments: “This year’s event organising was not without its challenges, but thanks to the committee already putting together a COVID- friendly event at the heart of the planning, we were able to seamlessly adapt the progamme to provide a ‘Limited Edition’ offering; it even saw us tapping into popular gaming trends through the introduction of the Knysna eSports Cup Challenge, featuring the popular video game Fortnite with teams from South Africa and neighbouring countries taking part.”

As this was the first time the programme was introducing an eSport, only 600 participants could be accommodated. However, the demand for participation was huge, showing a new category of experiences to be included in future programmes.
The semi-final and final rounds of this inaugural event was livestreamed from Knysna. South Africa’s youngest professional Fortnite player RoMike and his team participated live from Knysna, and the finals gained over 1 700 views from across the globe on YouTube.

Main sporting drawcards adjusted their formats, but runners could still run and cyclists pedal at their own leisure, tracking their performance via the Rouvy app.
“With three routes available on the Rouvy app, we received over 3 000 entries, with more than 2 000 active riders taking part in the virtual cycle tour – many of these being internationals, and 180 cyclists participating in the live virtual race held on Saturday 17 July.

Similarly, the Virtual Knysna Forest Marathon invited runners of all capabilities to tackle one of three route options: the traditional forest route of the marathon and half marathon routes from The Farm; or a flat route option leading competitors around a scenic tour of the town,” added Finn.

Offering flexibility, the events could be completed over the 10 days of the festival, with many locals and visitors taking part.

Knysna Executive Mayor, Elrick van Aswegen, thanked the organisers for their efforts saying, “It takes hard work, agility and dedication to pivot an event of this scale at the last minute. It is testament to the organisers’ dedication, community involvement and, more importantly, Knysna’s natural allure that the festival still drew great numbers of holiday makers and day trippers, offering them wonderful family outings, entertainment and activities.”

“The Knysna Oyster Festival has yet again shown its agility and resilience in the face of adversity. We are thrilled with the successful results of the marketing campaign, and the positive uptake from the public to the “Limited Edition” format. With the programme expanding to include new features such as eSports, we hope to see the popularity of the iconic festival grow, and welcome back old and new faces to the quaint seaside village at the Knysna Oyster Festival 2022,” concluded Acting CEO, Yaw Peprah.

Dates for the 2022 Knysna Oyster Festival are yet to be confirmed. Please visit www.knysnaoysterfestival.co.za for updates and information.

#WFK #WorkFromKnysna #stayworkplay #knysnaoysterfestival #KOF2021 #visitknysna #knysna

Brenton-on-Sea’s butterfly inspires Knysna’s metamorphosis

Posted on by Keagon Borchards

Visitors to Brenton-on-Sea, Knysna, won’t be able to miss the creative transformation that’s taking place in this small seaside hamlet – all at the hands of a small group of committed community members and the #knysnaartproject.

Part of the Western Head & Goukamma Conservancy, and perched on the dunes overlooking a 5.5km-long stretch of pristine white beach towards Buffalo Bay, Brenton-on-Sea plays host to some of the most extravagant sunsets in the world. It is also home to the tiny Brenton Blue Butterfly, one of the rarest butterflies on earth and a National Treasure.

The newly unveiled Wall of Wings now reaffirms this rare resident’s place at the heart of this community and also is one of the “Knysna 5” truly unique, natural attractions, alongside the Knysna Loerie, Knysna Seahorse, Knysna Dwarf Chameleon and the Knysna Leaf-folding Frog. Mounted onto mottled blue tiles that mirror the fluid ocean backdrop and memorialise the distinctive hue of the male Brenton Blue, a giant stainless steel butterfly has its wings spread wide in welcome to visitors.

The Wall of Wings is a collaboration between local artist Helena Gerber, Debbie Young and Dave McRae of Knysna-based LaserWorx and Neels Groesbeek of Knysna Steelworx. Helena, who acted as Creative Director on the Wall of Wings, explained the inspiration behind the installation: “We knew from the start that we wanted a giant butterfly for Brenton-on-Sea. As artists – painters, sculptors, poets, writers – we often draw our inspiration from nature. Butterflies are symbols of beauty, freedom, transformation, mystery and appear in art everywhere – our spirits as human beings are instantly uplifted in their presence. The world would be a much poorer place without them.”

Debbie and Dave, whose laser cutting business was built on the back of developing iconic Knysna gifts and merchandising for the tourist trade, developed the design for the butterfly installation. A contemporary, stylised interpretation of the Brenton Blue, the design will now become the basis for a whole new LaserWorx range. Neels, who volunteered the support of his steelwork services to the #knysnaartproject in response to the initial call for proposals, provided the experience and expertise needed to engineer the creative idea into a 2m-tall steel sculpture that will endure against the elements for years to come. Local independent contractors Desmond Makellie (DesMark Construction) and Phillip Pieterse built and tiled the Wall, in itself a work of art. Together they have been working on projects in Brenton for more than 15 years.

The Brenton Blue Butterfly is close to the hearts of residents. More so since the Brenton Blue Butterfly Reserve was obliterated in the 2017 fires. This small area was the only home of the Brenton Blue and for a long time after the fires there were fears that the species had become extinct. The discovery of dormant larvae deep in the soil however led to an ongoing project to rehabilitate the reserve and re-establish the Brenton Blue Butterfly in its natural habitat initiated by the Brenton Blue Trust. Funding is always a barrier to progress and it is hoped that the Wall of Wings will ignite interest in the conservation of the Brenton Blue and inspire support and donations for the Trust and ongoing efforts to prevent the butterfly’s extinction.

The creation of the Wall of Wings at Brenton-on-Sea, as with the other #knysnaartproject installations underway, inspired broader collaboration with community members to transform the public spaces around the beachfront and the rest of Brenton-on-Sea with colourful mosaics. According to Judy Harrison, Chairperson of the Brenton-on-Sea Ratepayers Association and coordinator of the community mosaic project, the #knysnaartproject butterfly added some momentum to an initiative already underway to brighten up Brenton with new benches, tables and bins sponsored and mosaiced by residents. “When the organisers of the #knysnaartproject came to us with their plans for the Wall of Wings we set our hearts and souls on transforming the walls of the set of stairs at the top of the descent to the beach into a canvas of colour”. A core team of 12 mosaicers, with the adhoc support of other residents, visiting children, and staff of the adjacent Brenton Haven Hotel, spent a combined total of 175 hours on the stunning mosaic murals that now line the steps to the beach.

Colleen Durant, GM of Visit Knysna (the greater Knysna area’s Destination Marketing Organisation), was visibly excited by the first of the #knysnaartproject installations to be officially unveiled. “A single line item on Greater Knysna’s Destination Management Plan has sparked a regeneration project of a size and scale beyond our expectations and imaginings. Communities have been inspired to action – they want to be part of the solution when it comes to reclaiming Knysna’s reputation as a hub of art and creativity.”

#knysnaartproject
In a world where selfies and that perfect Instagram moment is now the most popular way of sharing photos and experiences worldwide, the #KnysnaArtProject is encouraging visitors to Greater Knysna to branch out, explore and discover everything the area has to offer by creating a series of unique photo opportunities. The initiative is an ambitious and exciting collaboration between Visit Knysna (the greater Knysna area’s destination marketing organisation), the Knysna Municipality and the Knysna Art Society.

The Brenton-on-Sea beachfront is one of six iconic sites in greater Knysna area identified for public art placements in phase one of the project. A 2.2m statue of a Rastafari priest is about to take centre stage at Judah Square in Concordia, and a full-size, fully mosaiced vintage VW beetle will soon be unveiled alongside the estuary in Sedgefield. A giant nautilus sculpted from stainless steel and indigenous wood will grace the SANParks waterfront on Thesen Island, and in Buffalo Bay a “boardwalk” of surfboards painted by local artists is building the town’s reputation as a prime surfing destination. Knysna’s central business district will be cheered with the Knysna in Bloom flowerpots being turned into creative canvases for contributing artists.