KNYSNA NEWS - Knysna’s Featherbed Nature Reserve has announced that it will resume its eco-tours of the reserve on 1 December.
The Featherbed Co has been rebuilding the infrastructure and facilities as well as rehabilitating the vegetation since the Knysna Fires in June 2017 razed the restaurant and tourist facilities and left most of the plant life reduced to ashes.
Martin Hatchuel, the horticulturist employed by the Featherbed Co to assist with rehabilitation, says the vegetation has recovered remarkably.
“We lost almost all our fynbos and coastal thicket, and part of our coastal forest – although the forest suffered the least amount of damage. In the process, though, almost all the rooikrans on the reserve was burnt to the ground. This opened a window of opportunity for us, and we employed a team to remove, by hand, the rooikrans seedlings that germinated in the aftermath of the fire.
'Biodiversity flourishing'
“The result is that the vegetation of the reserve has recovered remarkably, and the biodiversity is flourishing, which will offer returning guests a whole new perspective on the incredibly diverse nature of the reserve,” says Hatchuel.
The formula for visiting the reserve will remain unchanged.
“Visitors who want to enjoy a tour of the reserve will be transported on board our ferry, Spirit of Knysna, from our terminus at Cruise Café on Remembrance Drive, to Featherbed Nature Reserve. At the reserve, our guides will lead them on a 4x4 journey to the top of the Western Head with its spectacular views over Knysna and the lagoon. Guests will then have the option of either following our 2.2km coastal walk or returning by vehicle to the restaurant; and after lunch, we’ll return them to town by boat," says sales and marketing manager Nicole Tunmer.
The Featherbed Co's eco-tours of the Featherbed Reserve are set to resume on Saturday 1 December after the June 2017 fires destroyed much of the reserve. Photo: www.ellephoto.co.za
Restaurant rebuilt
The Food Forest restaurant has been redesigned and rebuilt from the ground up. The new facility will offer indoor and outdoor dining, as well as an upper-level bar with sweeping views of the lagoon, Tunmer adds.
“In the near future, we will announce exciting new tour options and facilities that will be accessible by private boat or scheduled water shuttle. These will include our popular Featherbed Beach Bar, which we are currently rebuilding – also from the ground up," Tunmer continues.
“We know that these attractions will appeal to visitors and our fellow Knysna locals, so please watch the local press for launch dates and further details.
“In the meantime, we’re very excited to reopen our standard eco-tours. They were the tours that started our business and remained our core product for 32 years – until the fires.”
Find out more
More information at www.knysnafeatherbed.com
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