Hold on for May and the Holden Manz Winter Secret getaway!

I'll admit that I didn't try the Holden Manz boat (pictured left), but I can vouch for the rest of their offering. There's a write-up in May's The Month, but just in case you can't wait, here's their press release:

Spoil your loved one from May until the end of July with a picturesque winter getaway amidst fruit orchards and vines, with the special Winter Secret accommodation package on offer at the luxurious 5-star Country House at Holden Manz, the magnificent Franschhoek boutique wine estate nestled between two rivers with majestic mountain views.

Complemented by exquisite art adorning the interior, with masterfully applied feng shui and a beautiful courtyard koi pond, the gorgeous Country House is the ideal country getaway at one

of the Winelands’ best kept secrets - your own little piece of Franschhoek paradise.

Make your stay even more memorable and pamper yourself with a visit to the Holden Manz spa adjacent to the Country House, where you can choose from treatments such as the signature Holden Manz full body massage (a combination of a Swedish and aromatherapy massage), facials for men and women as well as various delightful body therapies using only local Africology products.

Enjoy a picnic with delicious eats and breathtaking views in the magical setting on the banks of the Franschhoek River, and visit the Franschhoek Kitchen, the signature restaurant above the Holden Manz cellar, where seasoned executive chef Cheyne Morrisby prepares succulent dishes bursting with flavour. Prepared with seasonal, fresh ingredients from the estate’s own fruit orchard, vegetable garden and chicken coup, you will have a delicious variety of winter dishes to savour during your stay.

The ultimate in relaxation, the intimate Holden Manz Country House with exquisite lunches and dinners at the Franschhoek Kitchen is the ideal winter warmer.
 

The special Winter Secret rate from May to the end of July at the Country House is R995 per person per night. Picnics are available the whole year, except for the month of June. Phone 021-8762738 or e-mail collette@holdenmanz.com for bookings at the Holden Manz Country House.

The Franschhoek Kitchen is open for lunch and dinner from Tuesdays to Saturdays and Sundays for lunch. Call 021-8762729 or e-mail wayne@holdenmanz.com for bookings. The Holden Manz tasting room is open daily from 10h00 to 17h00.

Visit Holden Manz on Facebook or www.holdenmanz.com. To reach Holden Manz, turn right at the Huguenot Monument in Franschhoek and follow the signs for two kilometres.

GPS coordinates: Latitude: 33° 56’ 7” S; Longitude: 19° 6’ 54” E.

Smuts was no Bathmophobe...

The Publisher tackles Table Mountain | The Month April 2012

Until I had followed a group of American students up Skeleton Gorge I had no reason to doubt the old adage that ‘there are more stars in the sky than there have been words spoken’. Now I’m less sure. Fortunately, being considerably older, my more frequent rests ensured a distance between us that eased both the relentless pounding at my ears and that on my knees.

Enjoying one such rest on my way up the wooded eastern side of Table Mountain, I find myself regretting the previous night’s excesses and my keenness to impress the Editor, and wonder: Was it on John Maytham’s Rapid-Fire Quiz that I first heard of Bathmophobia - the
fear of slopes or stairs?

Nursery Ravine and Skeleton Gorge are both stepped routes that run up Table Mountain either side of a large slab of rock near the top called Nursery Buttress, and are often described as providing ‘the easiest and quickest ways up the mountain’. If you were enjoying the cricket at Newlands and had extremely powerful binoculars, you’d see a tired, middle-aged guy half way up disagreeing with this. And before you ask – there’s technically no difference. Both ravines and gorges are ‘deep, narrow valleys with steep sides’.
Indeed they are.

So, having paid your R40 entrance to Kirstenbosch Gardens (or stolen in free from Constantia Nek), you’ll soon find yourself on the forested contour path faced  with the decision of Ravine or Gorge. From here, above the gardens, both start gently with plenty of shade on a hot summer’s day and the mottled sunlight illuminates the upward paths that snake through ferns and labelled trees. Now heading into autumn, the streams barely drip.

Nursery Ravine, I think, is slightly tougher. The lie of the land dupes you initially and then becomes unrelentingly steep as the wooden and stone steps zigzag up the ravine to a wooden staircase that signals the top. From here a 500 metre walk through the peaceful, leafy wonderland of Nursery Valley brings you to the sandy edge of the Hely-Hutchinson Reservoir and an opportunity to cool off.

Skeleton Gorge, I gather, is the more popular route and Field Marshal Smuts’ preference. Because I envisage him as an old man, I’m impressed, but conclude it must have been his favoured walk when he was a young, fit officer. There’s a sign that warns of ‘steep and dangerous conditions ahead’ at the start and, although a more ‘even’ ascent, is not without its fair share of steep ladders and slippery rocks.

Either way you’re booking out a good two hours of ascent and will go from about 160 metres above sea level to 740 metres! The awe and size of Table Mountain only becomes apparent when you’re as close up as this and the views (and photo ops) are plentiful on both routes – especially over the Peninsula and to False Bay. To many, I’m sure, the reservoir will be a welcome surprise so my advice is not to rush the knee jarring decent and rather take some time exploring the top of the world.

Easter fun at Rhebokskloof Wine Estate

Head down to Rhebokskloof Wine Estate over the upcoming Easter weekend and enjoy a fun-filled day in the beautiful Paarl valley.

The rest of the press release:

An Easter egg hunt in Rhebokskloof’s beautiful garden promises to entertain both young and young at heart while grown-ups can enjoy a tasting of the estate’s award-winning wines.

An Easter culinary feast await at The Rhebok Restaurant with their renowned Sunday buffet lunch offering everything from freshly baked farm-style bread to traditional South African pickled fish, roast beef and

much, much more.  Lunch will be served between 12pm and 3pm and kids under 12 eat for free.

Those who want to enjoy the last few days of summer in the outdoors, can book a scrumptious picnic basket to share on the estate’s rolling lawns. Kids get to do it Tom Sawyer-style with a classic stick-nic – a picnic wrapped in a cloth and tied to a stick. A hiking trail, guided horse riding as well as quad-biking can also be enjoyed.

Nestled between two valleys at the foot of the majestic Paarl Mountain, Rhebokskloof Wine Estate is one of the oldest and most beautiful wine farms in the Cape Winelands and known for its award-wining Shiraz wines.

The estate will be open for wine tastings and other Easter activities from 10:00-15:00 for the duration of the Easter Weekend, while The Rhebok restaurant will be open from 08:00-17:00 on Good Friday, Sunday and Easter Monday and from 08:00-22:00 on Saturday.

Bookings are essential, to make a reservation or for more information, phone 021 869 8386.