Photo: Brian Berkman
While less than 30 minutes from the N2 and the Garden Route Mall, the four-star graded ArendsRus in George feels entirely remote with verdant yellowwood forest and blue-tinged hydrangea in its gardens also heavily planted with clivia, lavender and fynbos.
ArendsRus offers uninterrupted power and a meshed Wi-Fi system that delivers connectivity through the vast area. It is located in Geelhoutboom at the foot of the Outeniqua mountains.
Most notable, however, is that the accommodation is perched on a ridge with a green chasm below. Time spent on the roomy and elegantly decorated balconies will be rewarded with wonderful nature and birdlife views.
Farmer’s Weekly joined BirdLife South Africa’s avitourism manager, Andrew de Blocq, on a sunrise walk in the glorious gardens. BirdLife SA supports avitourism through the training of community bird guides, maintaining a network of recommended accommodations, tour operators, and course providers, overseeing the birding routes and administering the South Africa Listers’ Club.
They are also behind GoBirding.co.za, a useful portal for all birding matters. De Blocq has more than 750 birds on his South African list.
“We saw the African dusky flycatcher, which has the habit of flying from post to post and hawking insects,” says De Blocq, adding: “We also saw the sombre greenbul, which has a piercing call and is ubiquitous in any forest environment, as well as the bar-throated apalis, which is very territorial and also responded to its call being played back to it.”
Discussing the question of using recorded bird calls to beckon other birds, De Blocq says it is a complex matter. In some cases, when the bird being called will not be frightened or concerned that the call indicates a threat, it is okay to use such apps, but then only at low volume and for short periods of time.
“An African goshawk was flying above the gardens in its morning territorial display. It has a clicking call that is mimicked by the fork-tailed drongo. The young forest buzzard is a resident raptor tied to the afromontane forest habitat and was flying above the garden begging for food from adults,” he says.
Farmer’s Weekly stayed in one of the five romantic timber en-suite cabins, with a queen-sized bed with fine Egyptian linen, two-seater couch and generously sized bathroom with tub and separate shower.
A stained-glass window with a bird design is illuminated as day breaks. They also offer luxury tents and camping sites as well as two self-catering units. The swimming pool is heated and delicious country-style meals are served in the restaurant.
Expect hearty farm-style portions at ArendsRus. Founded by the Joubert family in 2013, they opened ArendsRus Barn Yard as a wedding venue a few years later. In 2020 they planted 4ha of macadamia trees and another 12ha in 2022.
ArendsRus is also a key point for the route joining the Bo-Langkloof and the Garden Route for the Garden Route Camino hike. There are seven mountain hiking trails where the orange-breasted sunbird and Victorin’s warbler can be seen nearby.
A requirement to accessing their trails is to download an app that gives hiking directions and geolocates your position. Trails are free to access for residential guests but are also available to day-trippers at a fee.
Botanical Garden
Make a point of visiting the Garden Route Botanical Garden in George, which has become an excellent birding spot with a wide array of birds. Now just over 16ha, an extra 6ha of rehabilitated natural forest is soon to be added. Along with other Garden Route birds, expect the Knysna turaco (loerie), forest buzzard, chorister robin-chat, Knysna warbler and blue-mantled crested flycatcher.
The tiny Cape reed frog was seen in an iris blossom during our visit. Curator Christiaan Viljoen is a knowledgeable and passionate guide. He even named his newborn daughter Narina after the sought-after Narina trogon bird.
He tells Farmer’s Weekly that the first week of November is extremely popular in the botanical garden as they have their annual indigenous plant sale.
“We have over 150 species of birds in our garden which is, I think, more than Kirstenbosch Garden has,” he says.
“We also have 38 different species of Odonata, which are the dragonflies and damselflies,” he adds.
Pointing out a wild peach tree, he says the cyanide contained in the tree doesn’t harm the black-and-red caterpillar which feeds from it and that the caterpillars in turn attract the cuckoos.
He shows how the wild elder tree first grows horizontally like it does here over a stream before it grows vertically.
River Safari
The next stop is the Ebb and Flow rest camp in the Wilderness section of the Garden Route National Park and a languid boat trip hosted by Mike Raubenheimer, of Wilderness River Safaris. He has extensive knowledge of the ecology and birdlife on the Touw River and Island Lake, both sites on which he offers guided tours.
Kingfisher trail
The trip is adjacent to the Half-collared Kingfisher Trail, which is profiled on the GoBirding platform and an excellent route to spot the Narina trogon and Knysna turaco. The other skipper, Chris du Toit, who has circumnavigated the globe twice, also guides river trips that include a river shuttle service from Ebb and Flow to almost outside the Wilderness Hotel.
Book cruises on Viator or via Activity Bridge. Visit arendsrus.co.za.
