Golden Thread Itinerary
A Vintage Train Journey along the Garden Route
4nights/5 days
A scenic wonder round every corner.
Golden Thread tours span the spectacular coastline from George, over the famous Kaaimans River bridge to Wilderness and Knysna, through the seven tunnels of the magnificent Montagu Pass to Oudtshoorn and the stark beauty of the Little Karoo.
Day 1
CAPE TOWN-WINE LANDS-BREEDE RIVER VALLEY
Check in this morning will begin at 10:00am in the Blue Train VIP Lounge alongside Platform 24. We will board t We depart out of Cape Town at 11:00AM, pulled by vintage electric locomotives and travel through the northern suburbs of Bellville and beyond and soon find ourselves in the splendor of Paarl Valley. A service stop at Dal Josafat, where we switch to a steam locomotive, sees us steaming onwards to Worcester via the picturesque Nuwekloof Pass at Tulbagh. We change to a diesel locomotive at Worcester and we branch on to the non electrified secondary mainline. We will travel through the wine and fruit growing area of Robertson to Ashton. This area is well know for its peach and apricot orchards which dot the landscape. This area is also well now for its horse farms and most of the countries top race horses are bred near here. Here we will depart the train and travel by bus the short distance to the lovely Van Lovenen Wine Estate for a traditional South African braai or barbecue and wine tasting. Then we proceed to Hartenbos, with a diesel engine for our overnight run.
Day 2
GARDEN ROUTE--UNION LIMITED
We steam out of Hartenbos at 6:30AM passing through some of the most spectacular land and seascapes in South Africa. We steam along the coast past Klein Brak River. After crossing the Maalgaten and Gwaaing gorges, we arrive in George at the foot of the majestic Outeniqua mountain range. Once again we change steam locomotives and tackle the Spectacular Montagu Mountain Pass cut through the Outeniqua Range which is the rail-link between George and Klein Karoo. During this journey the train climbs over 3,000 feet in fifteen miles as it snakes its way through tunnels and along narrow ledges till it reaches the desert country of the little Karoo. We arrive in the Ostrich capital of Oudtshoorn in time for lunch. This afternoon we tour Oudtshoorn visiting the Cango Caves, an underground wonderland of limestone formations. Afterwards, we will continue on to a working ostrich farm for a tour of the farm. We will learn about history of Ostrich farming in the area and the old Ostrich barons of the early 1900's. We will also have a chance to ride an ostrich. We enjoy a scrumptious dinner in Oudtshoorn where we overnight.
Day 3
GARDEN ROUTE
This morning we depart Oudtshoorn and steam on through some more Klein Karoo scenery towards Camfer where we start our descent via the Montagu Pass to George. From George we will board the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe and steam the preserved Heritage line to Knysna. The view is outstanding as we chug along the coastal resorts and through the wetlands where many of aquatic birds feed, and towering forests where woodland species nest. After leaving George we descend to Victoria Bay then we cross Kaaimans River Bridge. This is arguably the most photographed railway bridge in the world. Shortly after departing the town of Wilderness we cross the bridge at Ebb and Flow. Next we cross the Swartvlei lagoon at the village of Sedgefield. Then it is on to Knysna,, a popular resort town that ranks among the most scenic in the world with its ideal setting, overlooking the lovely Knysna Lagoon . The entrance to the lagoon is guarded by two huge sandstone cliffs known as the Heads. We will take a cruise to Featherbed Nature Reserve, where we can take a trailer ride to the top of Western Head for an amazing panoramic view of the lagoon and then enjoy lunch under the Milkwood trees before cruising back to Knysna and returning to the train by coach for dinner and overnight stay in George.
Day 4
GARDEN ROUTE
Early morning departure from George as we steam along the garden route. The fields and meadows are blanketed in bright pastels and the vistas are outstanding. The whole Cape is awash with color as all the spring wildflowers begin to blossom. It truly is a spectacular time to visit this area. We will make a stop at Hartenbos, one of the popular holiday resorts on the Indian Ocean, to service our locomotives. We bit farewell to our steam engine at Hartenbos and start the overnight run behind diesel to Worcester.
Union Ltd. Train Compartment (B,L,D)
Day 5
CAPE TOWN
We have an early departure behind steam from Worcester and enter the colorful fruit growing areas at Wolseley. We follow the Kleinberg river through the Tulbagh Kloof mountain pass, past the Wheatlands of Gouda and Hermon before our last locomotive service stop at Dal Josafat, where we switch to a vintage electric engine. We have a final run through the winelands at Paarl then we continue to Cape Town for arrival at 11:30AM. |
