Blog - Plett Vacation Rentals | Luxury Vacation Rentals in Plettenberg Bay

Discover Paradise: Your Ultimate Guide to Plett Vacation Rentals

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0200

Welcome to Plettenberg Bay, where pristine beaches, lush landscapes, and unforgettable adventures await. Nestled on South Africa's iconic Garden Route, Plett Vacation Rentals offers the perfect blend of luxury, comfort, and convenience for your dream getaway.

Why Choose Plett Vacation Rentals?
1. Diverse Accommodation Options Whether you're seeking a cozy beachfront cottage, a spacious family villa, or a modern apartment with panoramic views, Plett Vacation Rentals has something to suit every taste and budget. Each property is meticulously curated to ensure your stay is as comfortable and memorable as possible.

2. Unparalleled Locations Our properties are strategically located to provide easy access to Plettenberg Bay's top attractions, including pristine beaches like Robberg Beach and Central Beach, as well as renowned nature reserves like Robberg Nature Reserve.

3. Exceptional Amenities Enjoy the comforts of home with our fully-equipped kitchens, comfortable living spaces, and modern amenities such as free Wi-Fi and Smart TVs with access to streaming services. Relax and unwind on private balconies or by the poolside, taking in breathtaking views of the surrounding beauty.

4. Personalized Service At Plett Vacation Rentals, we prioritize your comfort and satisfaction. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff are always available to assist with any inquiries or special requests, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable experience from booking to check-out.

Explore Plettenberg Bay
1. Outdoor Adventures Embark on a journey of discovery with Plettenberg Bay's array of outdoor activities. Hike along scenic coastal trails at Robberg Nature Reserve, go whale watching or dolphin spotting, or indulge in thrilling water sports such as surfing and kayaking.

2. Wildlife Encounters Visit Monkeyland and Birds of Eden, where you can observe a variety of exotic birds and free-roaming primates. For an up-close encounter with big cats and other wildlife, Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary is a must-visit.

3. Cultural and Culinary Delights Immerse yourself in Plett's vibrant culture by exploring local art galleries, markets, and historical sites. Sample delicious cuisine at waterfront restaurants or visit nearby vineyards along the Plett Wine Route for wine tastings and scenic views.

Plan Your Escape Today
Whether you're planning a romantic retreat, a family vacation, or a solo adventure, Plett Vacation Rentals offers the perfect accommodations to make your stay in Plettenberg Bay truly unforgettable. Book your slice of paradise today and experience the best of South Africa's Garden Route with us!

Visit Plett Vacation Rentals to explore our properties and start planning your dream vacation in Plettenberg Bay. Your adventure begins here!

Wikipedia

Fri, 02 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0200

HISTORY OF PLETT

Long before Jan van Riebeeck landed at the Cape, Portuguese explorers charted the bay in the 15th and 16th centuries, the first being Bartolomeu Dias in 1487. Ninety years later Manuel de Perestrelo aptly called it Bahia Formosa or the Beautiful Bay. The first European inhabitants were 100 Portuguese sailors marooned here for 9 months when the São Gonçalo sank in the bay in 1630.[3] The survivors built two small boats which they used to link with a passing vessel. A stone that they left behind on Beacon Island, known as the Van Plettenberg Stone, is now in the Cape Town museum. In 1763, the first European settlers in the Bay were stock farmers, hunters and frontiersmen from the Western Cape.

A stinkwood navigational beacon was first erected on Beacon Island in 1771. The original was a square block of stinkwood, inscribed with the latitude and longitude of Plettenberg Bay and erected to enable mariners to check their location. It was replaced by a stone one by Captain Sewell in 1881.

The bay housed a barracks for the Dutch East India Company in 1776. The Governor of the Cape, Baron Joachim van Plettenberg, renamed the town Plettenberg Bay in 1779. In 1869 the barracks was bought by St Peters Church and used as a rectory for the next 70 years.[4] Today it is the privately owned Old Rectory hotel & spa

In 1787/88 Johann Jerling erected a timber shed commissioned by the Dutch East India Company; the remains can still be seen and are preserved as a provincial heritage site.[5]

In the 1830s, Plettenberg Bay was a stopping point for ships travelling through during the winter time, heading to India.[6]

As of 1833, the population of Plettenberg Bay was estimated around 400, with half being white, according to diplomat Edmund Roberts who visited the area.[6] Edmund Roberts noted that the bay had a large abundance of cattle and sheep. He also recognized "the excellence of its butter" and a timber industry.[6]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plettenberg_Bay

Blue Flag Beaches

Mon, 07 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0200

Plettenberg Bay has some of the most beautiful beaches in South Africa. The town’s 20 kilometres of picturesque Indian Ocean coastline features pristine, unspoilt sandy beaches. Throughout the year, you’ll find beach goers of all ages soaking up the sun and enjoying the many outdoor activities on offer.
Plett has received Blue Flag status for six beaches during the 2019/20 season. This includes Robberg 5 (11th year), Keurboomstrand (9th year), Nature’s Valley (8th year), Lookout (6th year), The Dunes (4th year) and Singing Kettle Beach (3rd year).

https://www.cxpress.co.za/editors-desk/every-vote-counts-to-get-plett-in-top-spot-on-africas-leading-beach-destination-podium/

Ecology Around Plettenberg Bay

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0200

Fynbos and flowers

The small Cape Floral Kingdom between Cape Town and Grahamstown (0,04% of the world’s land mass) contains 8500 different flowering plants. This is more than is found in the entire Northern hemisphere. There are 27 common species of Ericas in this area, our special ones being Erica formosa and Erica newdigateae. There are a great many wild proteas and the list of geophytes that can be seen is extensive. Shrubs typical of fynbos are blombos, berzelia and bitou giving the local fynbos its particular character. Longstone Park on Beacon Isle Crescent is being developed as our local botanical garden.

The abundance of plants and flowers also serves as natural remedies and in KwaNokuthula being surrounded by such plants it is used as traditional remedies, the most famous which is known as impepho. This herb is often used for ailments like flu and it is also believed that usage can rid one of bad spirits. Sangoma’s (Traditional Healers) use this impepho for their trance dreams and to make contact with their ancestors.

Indigenous forests

Between 1777 and 1939 much of our indigenous forests were exploited in the timber trade. Although it is the largest tract of natural forest in SA. only 65 000Ha of the original forest remains today. The Outeniqua yellowwood or kalander is a true forest giant reaching over 50m in height. Other magnificent specimens are the ironwood and stinkwood trees. Trees in our forests are often numbered to identify species. Our forests harbour many species of ferns including the seven week fern which is prolific in the Tsitsikamma region. Colourful lichens on rocks and tree trunks and many species of mushrooms are also found in profusion.

Birds and land animals

More than 260 species of birds have been sited in this area with its unique four habitats, namely the forests, fynbos, wetlands and the coastal region making this area a birdwatchers paradise. Special birds include the Knysna Loerie, Narina Trogan (both found in indigenous forests), the African Black Oystercatcher (coastal), and the Orangebreasted sunbird (fynbos). A list of the most interesting birds that can be seen in this region is enclosed on page 9. Common mammals that may be spotted include the bushpig, dassie, caracal. genet, baboon, vervet monkey, blue duiker, bushbuck, grysbok, leopard, mongoose and the Cape clawless otter. The most common species of reptiles include the dwarf chameleon, boomslang, night adder and puff adder.

Rare and unique insects can also be found here. The humble silver-spotted caterpillar unique to the coastal belt of the Southern Cape helped lay the foundations of a century-old church at The Crags near Plett . Today, the St Michaels and All Angels Anglican Church, situated on the out-skirts of Kurland Village, stands largely due to proceeds of sales of the striking, silver-spotted moths, which emerge from the rare larva known as leto venus. The silver moth, called the coco, also has a symbiotic relationship with the keurboom tree of the area where it serves a vitally important function in the eco-system of the coastal region.

Marine environment

Between 70 and 2 million years ago, the ocean stretched inland to the foothills of the Tsitsikamma mountains. The existing coastal plain is one of the best examples of wave-cut terracing in South Africa. 80% of the Tsitsikamma National Park is marine reserve extending 5,5 kms out from the shore. Daily records of sea temperatures show an average of 10 up-wellings of cold water p.a., mostly in summer. These are caused by persistent easterly winds making cold water from the ocean depths rise to the surface. Dense fog results and occasional fish fatality occurs.

Marine life and reefs

More than 100 species of fish are known to occur along this coast. Fish found on the reefs are highly susceptible to exploitation. Marine reserves play an important role in restocking over-fished areas. Some species found on reefs include zebra, doublesash butterflyfish, blacktail, roman, elf, galjoen and yellowbelly rockcod. Some of the finest soft coral reefs in the world are found here with sponges, starfish and many shellfish including our unique Pansy shell. Common marine mammals are dolphins, whales and seals. During winter months, the spectacular Southern Right Whales are resident in our bay when they arrive up from the southern oceans to calve.

About Plettenberg Bay

Mon, 13 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0200

Plettenberg Bay is a premier holiday destination situated on the Southern Cape coast of South Africa. Plett, as it is popularly known, has sweeping golden beaches, the iconic Robberg Peninsula, intriguing lagoons and estuaries, towering indigenous forests and unpolluted rivers, vineyards and wine estates.

Known as “Bahia Formosa” (beautiful bay) by early Portuguese explorers, the “Plett feeling” is easy to experience. With its moderate climate and beautiful vistas over the Indian Ocean, Plett’s about lazy sun-filled beach holidays (on any one of our six Blue Flag beaches) and activities ranging from adrenaline to leisure. This includes hiking, mountain biking, abseiling, bungy jumping, sky diving, marine safaris, boutique shopping and wine tasting. You’ll be spoilt for choice with some of SA’s award-winning restaurants, wine farms and other lifestyle experiences. Plett is home to wildlife sanctuaries, game reserves, whale and dolphin watching, birding, canoeing and kayaking, sailing … and so much more.

Situated between the hills covered with indigenous Fynbos and the Bitou River is the tranquil and rural village of Wittedrift, a bird and nature lover’s paradise.

From Keurboomstrand to the Robberg Peninsula there are 15 kilometers of beaches punctuated by the river mouth and an island. The river, lagoon, bay and beaches are much used by fishing and boating enthusiasts and offer the best shore based whale watching of the area.

The Crags is situated 20 kilometers from Plett central and has become one of the must see areas, with polo fields, wildlife sanctuaries, theatre and an abundance of art and craft offerings along its vibrant ‘Cruise the Crags‘ route. And once there, head down the scenic R102 to tranquil Nature’s Valley with its untouched indigenous trees, forest and beautiful pristine coastline for a glimpse of historical beauty. It is also the only town within a national park.

Further down the N2, nestled in the great forests lying at the feet of the fabled Tsitsikamma mountains is the quaint hamlet of Storms River offering teeming bird life, vast expanses of Cape flora, delicate eco-systems in wetlands and lagoons, gigantic trees and adrenaline pumping activities such as the world’s highest bungee jump and tree canopy tours.

Whatever you choose, make sure to take advantage of all the Plett has to offer to experience that “Plett feeling”.

Open for Business Travel

Tue, 02 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0200

With the recent change on 1 June 2020 to level 3 - we are now allowed to assist in supplying business travellers accommodation.

Please feel free to contact us directly on 0718709110 more information.

National Parks and Nature Reserves

Mon, 27 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0200

There are an abundance of National Parks, Nature Reserves and Game Reserves in the Cape Garden Route and especially so in the Plett environs. The most famous of all are the Tsitsikamma National Park and the Robberg Nature Reserve, the latter being earmarked as a world heritage site.

Where the booming breakers of the Indian Ocean relentlessly pound rocky shores, where temperate high forest and fynbos roll down to the sea in an unspoilt verdant carpet, where ancient rivers carve their paths to the ocean down rocky ravines. This, “the place of much water”, is the Tsitsikamma National Park.

Tsitsikamma National Park stretches 65kms along the coast from Natures Valley to Oubosstrand with the heartland of the park stretching some 5 km to sea, protecting a wonderland of inter-tidal life, reef and deep-sea fish. Dolphins frolic in the breakers, surfing and playing for the sheer joy of life and the gentle giant of the ocean, the southern right whale visits here, coming inshore to breed.

The most important of the nature reserves is Robberg Nature Reserve, offering great walking and hiking trails and is an excellent view site for cliff based whales and dolphins sightings. There are three circular walks of various lengths, caves, and extensive information about Robberg’s geology, archaeology and existing marine life.
Other nature reserves include Harkerville, Keurbooms, Wadrift and Wittedrift.

South Africa needs Open Sky policies to get tourism on track

Thu, 23 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0200

When the dark clouds lift and our skies reopen, how welcoming will SA be to international guests? Will the world’s airlines be invited back to our cities? Will our African brothers be encouraged to stay a night before departing on international trips? Will we welcome the families of the world to share our sunshine?

While the obvious answer would be “of course”, our political reality is somewhat different. Red tape, political egos and downright blundering have left SA tourism way below its potential as a force for economic good. Though development economists of all stripes continue to stress how tourism can be used as a source of employment, policy continues to hinder the laying of the proverbial red carpet.

Given the requirement for tourism and the acute shortage of flight capacity SA now faces, our government should be bold and declare unilateral open skies.
There are three problems to be solved when trying to get people to spend money in your country. First, they have to want to come. Generally, SA has done well on this score. We’re nice people, the destination is beautiful, and our food and wine is comparable with anything on offer. The second problem is administrative. You have to allow them to come. Third, they have to get here. That’s a transport problem.

The past few years bear witness to the most terrible policy “own goals”. Examples include the requirement for parents to produce birth certificates for accompanying children, biometric data collection for visas and, more generally, visas imposed on countries we should be more favourably disposed to.

These have all contributed to the demise of SA as a destination. Transit visas for certain African countries have become subject to arbitrary taxes, punishing travellers who might otherwise visit before flying on to their ultimate destination.

Some of these regulations have been lifted. With others airline officials are unsure whether they will be fined by the department of transport or Airports Company of SA if they let parents on board without paperwork. These regulations were implemented with haste, but it will take the tourism industry years to repair the reputational damage with international travel agents.

Then there’s SAA. Hopefully, Covid-19 will have dealt the deathblow the government was too scared to execute. Apart from the tax billions diverted from schools and hospitals over the years, we should also consider the harm done from crowding out commercial players that could have served those customers and routes.

The government uses entry to our airspace as a bargaining chip in bilateral trade negotiations. While realpolitik may mean it cannot be otherwise, it would be better if entry to our skies and airports were based on our need for tourists, rather than non-tourism related issues fought out over the conference table.

SA should revisit its policy in respect of airport slots. Now, high-demand slots at OR Tambo and Cape Town are dished out by a slot co-ordination committee, using an 80% use-it-or-lose it rule to decide on the best allocation. Commercial trading of high-demand slots, such as that used in the UK, is a far superior solution to allocation by committee.

While politicians talk excitedly about the prospects for tourism in SA, they should be judged by their actions as evidenced by policy. For an industry that purportedly contributes about 10% of GDP, why is the department of tourism considered such a junior ministry? Given the potential for this sector surely it is time for the appointment of a senior political player to this role?

For a brave minister, one solution is for SA to revise its “freedoms of the air”, a concept rooted in the Convention on International Civil Aviation of 1944, which sets about describing general rights to which countries sign treaties. The first two freedoms are described as transit freedoms and relate to the right of international traffic to fly over countries and, if necessary, to stop at local airports for technical reasons.

The next level of basic freedoms includes the right to fly between two countries, one of which must be the airline’s country of origin. The highest freedoms allow flights between domestic cities where passengers may fly on to the airline’s country of origin. An example would be an Australian airline flying between cities in New Zealand, which may involve a third leg to Australia.

Given the requirement for tourism and the acute shortage of flight capacity SA now faces, our government should be bold and declare unilateral open skies. This should include not only the right of any airline to visit our country, but the right for foreign airlines to fly routes between SA’s towns and cities. Unlike the past, this would offer the best service and lowest prices to citizens and international visitors alike.

Written by Neil Emerick, NightsBridge Director and Founder. The original article appeared in Business Day live on 19th of April 2020.
Photo by Jerry Zhang on Unsplash

Weather in Plettenberg Bay Yearly

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0200

Plett is renowned for its warm, pleasant summers and mild, sunny winters. It is characterized by almost year-round sunshine with warm summers (October-March), with temperatures rising to 27°C (80,6°F) and sometimes even touching thirty Celsius (90° Fahrenheit).

Winter is typical of the Cape Coastal area, fluctuating between mild, clear weather and cold, rainy days during the rainy season. One can expect to be changing clothes as the day progresses from the cool dawn through the warm day and into the cool night. The average winter temperature is 17° C (63° F).

Rest assured though, that in general, the weather of Plett will greet you with a hospitable display of sunshine and temperance.

Support us during lockdown

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0200

There is no doubt Coronavirus is going to have an affect on us all, including a lot of new and small businesses like Plett Vacation Rentals. With this in mind we would like to ask a big favor
Go to my business page below:
www.facebook.com/plettvacationrentals
Scroll across the tabs at the top, all the way to the right, and go to -
'COMMUNITY'
Click 'INVITE FRIENDS'
Click 'ALL'
Wait 10-15 seconds for the invitations to send
it’s as simple as that
COMMENT DONE & I’ll do the same for your businesses!
Supporting small businesses doesn’t require spending money. It’s as simple as sharing, liking and promoting us! Your help with this really is appreciated!
Thank you
#borrowedpost #payitforward

Plett Beaches

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0200

Dreaming of pristine, unspoilt sandy beaches?

Plettenberg Bay has some of the most beautiful beaches in South Africa. The town’s 35 km of picturesque Indian Ocean coastline features 15 km of pristine, unspoilt sandy beaches. Throughout the year, you’ll find beachgoers of all ages soaking up the sun and enjoying the many outdoor activities you’ll find in Plett.

Plett beaches are considered by many as the best beaches in South Africa, and testimony to this is the fact that Plett has been nominated 5 years in a row for the award for Africa’s top beach destination.

Lounging in the soft, warm sand is only the beginning. Surfing, skimboarding and bodyboarding are popular among locals and visitors. With up to 12-foot waves, the beaches along Plett’s coastline are home to some of the best waves in South Africa. Have a surfing lesson, visit during the “Robberg Fine Foods Classic Beach Regatta” or even try your hand at one of our many sea adventure races. You may also want to cast a line or charter a fishing expedition and try your luck along the coast.

Exploring the underwater world is fun and exciting, as it is home to fish, stingrays, dolphin, seals, sharks and whales – even the occasional octopus!

But you don’t have to dive to experience the amazing marine life hidden just below the waves. Plett’s impressive ocean safaris give you an up-close look at marine life without having to get your hair wet!

There are many different beaches to choose from in Plett. Some have lagoon areas for young children and others are hot surfing and bodyboarding spots for the more adventurous. Plett has six premier “Blue Flag” status beaches, including Robberg 5, Lookout Beach, Keurboomstrand, The Dunes, The Singing Kettle and Nature’s Valley.

CENTRAL BEACH

Often the busiest beach in Plett. Life guards on duty in season. It’s the launch site for Marine Safaris, dive charters and ocean kayaking tours and facilities include restaurants, bars, public toilets and the local National Sea Rescue Station; 2 km / 2 minutes from Plett Central.

ROBBERG BEACH

Popular for long – long – walks, Robberg Beach stretches for kilometres between the Robberg Peninsula and Beacon Island. Facilities include public toilets and various parking areas; 2 km / 2 Minutes from Plett Central.

LOOKOUT BEACH (Blue Flag Status)

Formerly Plett’s most iconic beach, this area wash washed away during the 2007 floods but has returned even more pristine within the past three years. This is now popular for long walks along the ocean side from the Lookout parking lot to the river mouth, and then along the Keurbooms River back to the parking area. This has also become a fantastic sun bathing spot, great for surfing and bodyboarding and has ample play area for the entire family. Life guards on duty in season. Facilities include restaurants, bars, public toilets, wheelchair access and limited parking; 1/2 km / 1 minute from Plett Central.

THE DUNES BEACH (Blue Flag Status)

This beach is located between Keurboomstrand and the mouth of the Keurbooms river and is accessed in the west from a walkway opposite the old Protea Hotel, or from the east via a car park near Waves Ave. It is also accessible from The Dunes Hotel & Resort.

KEURBOOMSTRAND BEACH (Blue Flag Status)

A little wilder, but equally beautiful. Life guards on duty in season. Facilities include a restaurant (2 km / 2 minutes), public toilets, wheelchair access and ample parking; 10 km / 15 minutes from Plett Central.

NATURE’S VALLEY BEACH – Blue Flag Status

Nestled between two national parks, this large expanse of beach is in walking distance of the pristine Salt River Mouth. This is birdwatchers paradise! Life guards on duty in season. Facilities include a restaurant, public toilets, wheelchair access and parking; 25 km / 30 minutes from Plett Central.

ROBBERG 5 (Blue Flag Status)

Located in the central area of Robberg Beach, this beach is popular for surfing and bodyboarding. Facilities include wheelchair access, public toilets, wheelchair access and a parking area; 2 km / 2 minutes from Plett Central.

THE SINGING KETTLE BEACH

Located to the east of Keurboomstrand, this beach is accessible from the car park at Enrico’s Restaurant (formerly The Singing Kettle). Walking along the beach takes visitors to Cathedral Rock (sometimes called Arch Rock), an impressive arched natural rock formation representing a cathedral portal and rose window.

DAILY BEACH REPORT

Get a daily beach report here

PRESERVE OUR BEACHES

While you explore nature in all its glory, please help us keep these beaches beautiful for years to come! Most of Plettenberg Bay’s beaches and lagoons are designated “Marine Protected Areas,” so remember:

Deposit all litter in appropriate containers.
Stay on designated trails. Prevent erosion and preserve plant and animal habitats.
DOG-FRIENDLY BEACHES

Pets are not allowed on most beaches. There are designated areas for pets which you can view here.

With such an amazing variety of things to do and ways to relax at the beach, it’s easy to see why Plettenberg Bay is a prime dream holiday destination for visitors from around the world.

History

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0200

Leaving their mark on the region have been an intriguing mix of Middle Stone Age man, indigenous Khoi people, ostrich Feather Barons, woodcutters, farmers, gold-diggers, merchants, sailors, craftsmen, ordinary folk, even intrepid explorers such as Portugal’s Bartholomew Diaz who landed at Mossel Bay in 1488, as well as a modern day diverse mix of tycoons and artists.

Plett’s Nelsons Bay and Matjes River Caves were inhabited by Middle Stone Age man for over 100 000 years with the Khoisans leaving a legacy of tools and ornaments. Deposits of their tools, ornaments and food debris can be viewed in these caves which are still being excavated. One can also observe the geological changes over the past millions of years which affected prehistoric life. Stilbaai, at the coast, boasts shell middens which date back 3 000 years, not to mention an abundance of fish traps. The presence of Blombos Cave, where it’s believed that man first thought abstractly, is a further feather in the Garden Route and Klein Karoo’s history books.

Long before Van Riebeeck landed at the Cape, Portuguese explorers of the 15th and 16th centuries called in and charted the bay, the first being Bartholomew Dias in 1487. Ninety years later Manuel da Perestrello aptly called it Bahia Formosa or the Bay Beautiful. The first white inhabitants were the 100 men stranded here for nine months when the San Gonzales sank in 1630. In 1763 the first white settlers in the bay were stock farmers, hunters and frontiersmen from the Western Cape.

Historical figures include the leader of the Griquas, Andrew Abraham Stockenström le Fleur, who by his people, was looked upon as a new Messiah. The name of Le Fleur is intimately associated with the history of the Griqua people in this area and his grave can be seen in the village of Kranshoek on the Robberg/Airport Road.

The village of Harkerville was named for Robert Charles Harker, who, as a Government resident, controlled the affairs of Plett for 21 years. The family graves are one of the highlights on the Plett town day walk.

Plett itself is an intriguing mix of cultures. A woodcutter’s post was established in 1787 and Johann Jacob Jerling, an early inhabitant, was commissioned by the Dutch East India Co. to build a storehouse for house timber which was to be exported.

The Swede, Carl Peter Thunberg, was the first to document valuable observations on the bay and Robberg and the Governor of the Cape, Baron Joachim van Plettenberg, renamed the town Plettenberg Bay in 1779. In 1910 a Captain Sinclair set up the whaling station on Beacon Island to harvest the placid Southern Right whales but this ceased operation in 1916. The first hotel was erected by Hugh Owen Grant in 1940 and replaced in 1972 by the current well known landmark on Beacon Island.

Today this modern town is comparable with Monaco, an exquisite emerald on shores of the azure-blue Indian Ocean; it basks between enchanting old villages. With over 300 days of sunshine a year and temperate climate, it celebrates with passion culture, spectacular nature offers, delicious cuisine, restoration of mind and body, high-adrenaline activities and land and water sports.

But let’s continue our journey in the 1800’s when the growing timber trade led to Thomas Bain building Prince Alfred Pass (1868) and the 90km forest road through the Tsitsikamma to Humansdorp. Three major passes had to be constructed: Groot Rivier, Blauwkrantz and Storms River. The Great Fire of the 1868 claimed to have made Thomas Bain’s task of building the coastal road considerably easier. Bain started construction of the Groot River Pass in 1880, completing the work in 1883 with present road differing little from Bain’s original.

Moving along the road towards modern day Nature’s Valley the first owner, Hendrik Barnardo, was employed at the convict station at Bloukrans established by Thomas Bain when building the road through the Tsitsikamma. Barnardo claimed that the Groot Rivier farm had been granted to his grandfather by Lord Charles Somerset for whom he had acted as beater during hunts in the region. However, according to the Deeds records, a Barnardo had acquired it as an immigrant allotment. Barnardo held only the grazing rights to Nature’s Valley until 1914 when the farm, roughly the extent of the present township, was granted to him. In 1918 Dr. Wilhelm Von Bonde persuaded Barnardo to allow him to build a shack on the lagoon near the mouth. This marked the beginning of development of Nature’s Valley. Today this quaint village is still slumbering in times gone past and offers a tranquil retreat from modern day demands.

Traveling through the decades to the early nineteen sixties, Plett and environs also have had their share of suffering under the apartheid rule of the then South African government. Residents of color who resided in the early town of Plett were forcibly removed to the outskirts of the town where they were settled in various informal settlements of New Horizons, Bossiesgif and Qolweni.

New Horizons was built in 1968 as the first municipal town resulting from the apartheid group’s act. This township was opened without any infrastructure and the bucket system was used as toilets as water was delivered in tanks. Many of the residents were living in the main town of Plett and have colorful and poignant stories about their move.

The first school, Formosa Primary, was built in 1969. Today it is still the only primary school in New Horizons. Theodora Crèche and Elim Crèche were built in 1970, with latter still in operation.

KwaNokuthula is home to a varied number of ethnic groups and is Xhosa word meaning place of peace. More than half the population of KwaNokuthula used to reside in either Bossiesgif/Qolweni, on the outskirts of Plett or even as far afield as the Eastern Cape. Statistics estimates the population to be roughly 60 000. Street names in KwaNokuthula honor those who have been here since time immemorial, or political and social activists.

Covid 19

Sun, 12 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0200

Tips to prevent Covid 19

Plett Facts

Sun, 12 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0200