Voorkamerfest-7th Sept '13 TT
Time Out & Traveltime offers friendship and fun                       Travelling down roads least travelled                                    Visiting places not normally seen by tourists                                Great company and excellent meals are to be expected                              It transfers you out of your everyday life!

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TIMEOUT - Past Outings

SPRING FLOWERS
WEST COAST NATIONAL PARK
Postberg Flower Reserve
22nd
August '13

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The slide show above shows select  photos taken over the 5 days on tour.
(Click on the thumbnails to enlarge a specific photo)


 A TRIP UP THE WEST COAST TO VIEW THE SPRING FLOWERS

Thursday 22nd August dawned with cloudy skies after a few days of intermittent rain. We were hoping for clear skies and sunny weather which would make an ideal day for flower viewing.
Our 44-seater coach collected its first load of passengers in Constantia and then headed for Tableview to pick up the balance, resulting in a full load of 43 passengers.

Heading up the R27 (West Coast Road) we had a comfort break at Vyge valley Farm Stall where the previous evening rain was evident in the large puddles of water around the property. This is a favourite stopping place when travelling up the West Coast - they are renowned for their freshly baked bread, pies and confectionery.

Our entry into The Park was delayed by the need for all passengers to comply with the indemnity conditions and to supply ID information.
Following weeks of rain, the Park was looking "lush". There were many sightings of game and birds as we made our way to Postberg, which is situated to the west, about 25km from the main entrance.

Postberg Flower Reserve is only opened to the public in August and September each year and plays host to thousands of visitors keen to view the spectacle of colour.
On entry into the reserve we spoke to the entry personnel about us parking the coach at the western extremity of the park and allowing the passengers to walk on the road to the top view point as we were concerned that the vehicle was too heavy to reach the top. They consented, with the proviso that we walk on the road and not in amongst the flowers.
Needless to say within 20 minutes of us exiting the coach we were "ordered" to get back in and continue our journey in the vehicle and not on foot. There were another two  similar vehicles in the Park and the officials didn't want 60 people walking around!

We managed to drive the coach to the top viewpoint and took in the spectacular views across the lagoon as well as the various colorful displays of flowers, which even though not fully open, due to low sun levels, provided a worthwhile spectacle. Our return trip took in the flowers and game along the coast line via Plankies Bay en route to our lunch venue, Geelbek Restaurant (within the Park).

Geelbek is the only restaurant within the Park and has a good menu. We visited the Park in the previous week to check on the restaurant and decide on a menu for today.
We were offered the Fish & Chips and Calamari & Chips as standard fare for groups. This obviously helps their kitchen cope.
We weren't impressed with the fish and decided on a few more choices for the day.

Regrettably the service was not good on the day and some people complained about the lack of substance in the chicken curry. There were two groups occupying the restaurant over lunch, but if Geelbek accepts bookings they must be able to cope. This has been addressed with management who confirmed that they had inexperienced staff on duty that day!

Considering the less than perfect weather, we believe the viewing was reasonable and the day in the park provided good company and some sunshine during our walk-about.

We were not so lucky in our 5 day Spring Flower Tour up to Nieuwoudtville where the rain really played havoc with our arrangements and to top it all we awoke to snow one morning. See this report by clicking on the link below

SPRING FLOWER TOUR

Published 5th September'13

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