Goukamma Nature Reserve on the Garden Route

By Roxanne Reid
Cold, wet, wintry weather. Not ideal for a seaside destination like Goukamma Nature Reserve on the Garden Route, between Sedgefield and Knysna. Luckily CapeNature was one step ahead of us at Otters Rest, our chalet for the next few days.

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They’d thought to provide a fireplace in the lounge for just such weather. The deck and braai, with a wide view out over the Goukamma River and estuary and towards the Indian Ocean breakers, was perfect for more summery days.

River, estuary and ocean, CapeNature's Goukamma Nature Reserve has it all

Otters Rest has understated style: big open-plan kitchen with microwave and stove/oven, where we roasted lamb on our second night; huge table for meals; two bedrooms; bath, shower and two loos. It’s upmarket accommodation at an affordable price if there are four of you to share. Underpinning everything was the hum of the sea, though not close enough to keep us awake at night.

Otters Rest sleeps four and has elements to please both winter and summer visitors

You could also stay at Fish Eagle Loft (above Otters Rest and with the same view), three renovated rondavels nearby, or the rustic Mvubu bush lodge on Groenvlei lake. Cape Nature has recently taken over management of three secluded properties at Buffalo Valley: River Lodge, Vlei Lodge which overlooks a small vlei, and my favourite, Forest Lodge, which burrows in indigenous forest with a deck and boardwalk down to a private beach along the river.

Clockwise from top left: Buffalo Valley's Vlei Lodge and Forest Lodge, a rondavel and one of the reserve's picnic sites

There’s plenty to do at Goukamma if you enjoy nature and walking. You can choose between six walking trails from 4.2km to 15km, from beach walks to dune walks with coastal fynbos, and forest walks that offer a good chance of seeing some of the 220 species of birds that have been recorded in the reserve. You’ll almost certainly hear the sombre greenbul calling in the forest and catch a flash of red as a Knysna turaco glides from tree to tree. 

Even in winter there are tortoises and colourful flowers to be seen on walks in the reserve

If you’re not a lover of hiking, birds and plant life, there’d be little point in coming here because it’s the trails that make it special – a way to leave the hurly burly behind and listen only to the sounds of the forest or the sea. For us it was special for its quiet, even though it’s jammed between busy areas like Buffalo Bay and Sedgefield on the Garden Route.

You can also hire canoes or pedal-boats to explore the river, go fishing for alien bass on Groenvlei lake (get a permit from the reserve office), or go angling with a rod from the sea shore if you have a licence. Visit between July and December and you might see southern right whales too.

Part of Goukamma's charm are its wide open spaces and the ability to get away from the Garden Route buzz

On our last evening we wrapped up warm and sat on our deck to drink in the view and listen to the thick-knees calling as the sun painted the clouds pink. The next morning two wagtails whistled goodbye and the sun broke through as the cloud cleared. Next time, we plan to visit in summer and braai on that deck with its views of the river, the sea and the sky.

Read more about some of the walks at Goukamma in this blog post I wrote for Getaway magazine.

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