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
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