HIGHLANDS
ROAD ESTATE
Oak Valley Flowers
ELGIN
Thursday 20th August '09
Winter
outings are always fraught with concern
about the weather and the cold. Today
was no exception, but it also presented an
added problem. I was advised late on Tuesday
afternoon that the low level bride into the
Highlands Road Estate was in
the process of collapsing. The 44-seater
coach would not be able to pass over it.
Contingency plans were put in place by
owners Mary & Justin
Thursday followed a day of rain and snow in
the mountains, so we were advised to dress
warmly.
First stop was Oak Valley Flowers
where the surrounding mountains were
sprinkled with snow.
Established in 1978, the flower division has
grown to become the largest production unit
and wholesaler of fresh cut flowers in the
Western Cape.
We were met by Carel Malherbe,
who is so very knowledgeable in his
field. The statistics he gave us
made us appreciate why the price of cut
flowers has become so exorbitant.
'The way to a girl's heart' is a bunch
of flowers, and to see the quality of
these flowers was special to us all.
We were taken on a private tour - into the
packing warehouse - all in all a special treat
for us all.
On the left is an arrangement made from flowers
picked on the Estate. Regrettably we were not
able to buy flowers since they were all destined
for Woolworths and other stores in the Western
Cape. The right hand photo shows tulip bulbs
approaching their flowering period.
The damage to the bridge looks insignificant but
up close it proved otherwise. Our coach was
unable to drive along this road and Mary
enlisted the help of her friends to take us down
to the estate. Some of the ladies took the
opportunity to get some exercise, and walked the
short distance to the Estate.
The Estate comprises a tasting
room on the left with a deli on the right. Bridget and Lauraquickly
settled in with a wine tasting. Their Rosé
wine was on special - always a favorite with
ladies!
The open deck is used in good weather as is the
lower deck in front of the trout stocked dam.
The seating was
very tight, but helped to generate some heat to
help keep out the chill. Cynthia & Shirley
share a joke outside.
Service was a bit slow, so Dawn &
Bridget provided a helping hand
to get things moving. Many ladies ended
up helping themselves to wine from the
fridge ("honesty system" agreed to by
Mary).
Theuns our coach driver also got
involved in delivering the dessert. Good
times sharing laughter with friends brightens
our days!
"A cheerful friend is like a sunny day spreading
brightness all around." - John Lubcock ( English Astronomer )
