Driving through Cogman’s Kloof as you approach Montagu from Cape Town promises something very special.  After leaving Ashton and heading towards the mountains, the road criss-crosses over the Kingna River several times and the mountains you enter on either side are just breath-taking.

It’s the Cape folded mountain chain — one of the world’s oldest mountain chains — in all its glory – jagged, grey, green and orange.  Dramatic!  Colourful!  A rock climber’s paradise and a photographer’s dream.

You’re entering a visibly different world.  And every curve in the road brings more surprises.

And then you come to the hole in the rock, guarded by the old English fort above it… Alice’s rabbit hole into Wonderland has nothing on this!  Montagu’s Dassie¹ hole?

Montagu-Ashton Tourism’s tagline is Expect the Unexpected which, apart from scenic beauty, is not entirely true… you have to explore to discover it.

The town’s strengths are that it lies on Route 62 – the wine estates of the Robertson Valley, the charming villages of Barrydale, Bonnievale, Macgregor are all nearby, and it presents an array of activities that will keep most happily occupied.  Hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, family tractor rides to a mountain top, river cruises… the list goes on and on.  Local produce is another reason to visit.  Muscadel wines are synonymous with the town but then there’s also dried fruit and nuts, jams and soaps, superior craft produce and, something I want to explore on my next visit, the Alpaca farm just outside the town.  Montagu’s weekly market on Saturdays is worth a visit!

The town itself is an architectural gem – with abundant examples of fine Cape Dutch and Victorian architecture.

Tourism holds the key to Montagu’s future and winning Best Town in the SA Destination Awards provides an opportunity to grow and develop the brand – the lifestyle that locals and visitors buy into.

It is not a town that reveals itself easily.  Many, many people drive through the town’s Long Street – the provincial road linking Ashton and Barrydale – wondering what all the fuss is about and many don’t even stop.  Yes, it is a pretty road with a number of coffee shops and restaurants… but not a single pavement cafe and little sign of visible life.  And unless you read the signage, travellers won’t be aware of the town centre in Bath Street one block up. Long Street was once one of the most beautiful streets in South Africa – lined with massive oak trees – until provincial engineers messed it up with unnecessary road widening…

I arrived for the final assessing of the SA Destination Awards programme on a festival weekend – the Montagu Makiti Festival.  Part of Bath Street was closed, the weekly market spilled out into the street and a procession, with a local band and drum majorettes, motorbikes, floats and happy participants filled the town with life and colour.  What a great place to be!

Another weekend and I encountered a ghost town after the weekly Saturday market closed at lunch time.  Driving around town showed no activity.  But… the info office came up trumps when I went in on the Sunday morning to ask what one can do on a Sunday.  They printed out two pages of “What to do on Sundays” and there was more than enough to keep one fully occupied.

Two people have really stood out in Montagu so far.  I first met Gert Lubbe 40 years ago when he bought Arcadia, a students’ losieshuis (boarding house) in Stellenbosch and converted it into D’Oude Werf – one of the Western Cape’s premier small hotels.    Today he owns Montagu Country Hotel (an art deco gem) and was the instigator of Route 62.  At the back of the hotel there’s the most exquisite garden with two swimming pools – a veritable oasis.  And there’s a sign that explains more about Gert than words can express.  Montagu Country Hotel is renowned for its warmth and charm.

The other person is Helen Gooderson who started the RAD Foundation – to develop the arts especially among the youth in the area.  The town is fortunate to have someone with her enthusiasm, passion and drive.   CapeInfo has pledged its support for her ventures in the coming year.  They can only be good for Montagu and the whole area.

¹ Dassie – Rock Rabbit (Rock Hyrax, Procavia capensis)  and not a rabbit at all.  Its closest relative is the elephant, so what a perfect subject for a whole new, uniquely South African story!