We decided to make the most of The Fernery (our accommodation in Storms River) and have a relaxing day today. The lodge is situated next to a waterfall on 109 hectares of land, much of which is used to grow ferns for the European market. It has two swimming pools, two jacuzzis, a sauna and two cats! It is eco friendly and won the South African tourism and conservation award in 2011.
We spent most of the morning in the swimming pool and outdoor jacuzzi before having lunch overlooking the waterfall and Indian Ocean. It is normally a good location to spot whales and dolphins but the whales have migrated to Antarctica for the summer and despite staring at the sea for a long time we didn’t spot any dolphins! Finally we walked around the grounds for a little while and took lots of photos before getting back on the road.
Our next stop, 180km down the coast, is Port Elizabeth – the official end to the Garden Route. This was the location for the first English settlement in 1820 and consequently many of the roads are named after English towns. For the next two nights we’re staying at Brighton Lodge, just around the corner from Margate Street and Skegness Road. Port Elizabeth is renowned for its beaches, so soon after checking in we took a short walk to the closest beach. We seem to have arrived on an unusually windy day though and we didn’t last long in the mini sandstorm. For dinner we viagra uit india went to the Bluewater Cafe on the seafront and had a relatively early night ready for an 8am start tomorrow!
