FEATHERBED EXPERIENCES IN KNYSNA

THE FEATHERBED COMPANY in Knysna, is a family owned business, and has been in operation for the past 20 years.  The Company endeavours to give visitors to Knysna ?an unforgettable experience on the Knysna Lagoon ? The lagoon correctly speaking is really more accurately defined as an estuary. There are five fresh water rivers flowing in from the surrounding Outeniqua Mountains meeting with the surge of sea water flowing in from the Indian Ocean through the mighty headlands ? known as the ? Heads ?

All the ferry trips run by the Company, whether it be the classic ? John Benn ? our floating restaurant ; the fun and interactive ? Old Three Legs ? or the newest addition to the fleet, the luxury ? Paddle Cruiser ?  offer commentary on the history, ecology, bird life and other interesting stories whilst cruising to the Heads.

Knysna is steeped in history, which all started with a demand for timber in the early 1800?s. The wood cutters braved unknown territory seeking out the valuable hardwoods found in the Afro-Montane forests around Knysna, the Stinkwoods and Yellowwoods being the most sought after. The vast forests and unexplored regions at that time were home to many large mammals such as elephants, Cape Buffalo, leopards, some of which were hunted out and other such as elusive leopard, bush pigs, bushbuck and the tiny blue duiker remain in small numbers, in pockets of protected forest.

The Norwegian Thesen Family arrived in Knysna in 1870 and were instrumental in transforming the then small settlement into a large town and recognised trading post.
They traded in timber and transported goods and passengers between Cape Town ; Durban and Knysna with their fleet of Steamships owned by the Thesen Steamship Company. They also owned the island formerly know as Paarden Island which was named Thesen Island. Here a sawmill was built and wood was brought down from the forests to the factory and then loaded onto the ships to be taken to other ports in South Africa and overseas. The Thesen family sold the Island to Barlows in 1971, and it was subsequently sold in the year 2000 to a housing development project, which is what we see today.

In 1928 the railway between Knysna and George was completed and this became a faster and safer mode of transport for the timber out of Knysna. This meant that with the decline of ships entering the Knysna harbour, it was de-proclaimed as a harbour in 1954.

The ? Knysna Heads ? are famous, not only for the grand sandstone cliffs, which tower above the entrance but also for the immense danger and many recorded shipwrecks which have occurred over the past 150 years. At first glance from the waters edge or from one of the viewpoints on the eastern or western Heads, one often wonders where the danger lies, but it is regarded as one of the most dangerous ports in the world.  One of the first obstacles in the entrance was ?discovered ? by the ? Emu ? ship in 1817, when entering through the heads, she struck a submerged rock and subsequently became the first recorded shipwreck in the Heads, the rock was thereafter named Emu rock. There are also two sandbars which stretch across the entrance, deflecting winds and powerful currents which make it a harbour entrance respected by the most experienced skipper.

On the western Head we have ? Featherbed Nature Reserve ?  privately owned by Mr William Smith ( the Maths and Physics guru of the Learning Channel ). He inherited part of this property from his father ? Professor JLB Smith ( the world renowned scientist who identified the Coelocanth ( a fossil fish which was thought to be extinct 180 million years ago ).

Featherbed Nature Reserve is a South African Natural Heritage site and is a pristine piece of paradise close to the ever growing and expanding town of Knysna.
It is also home to a unique breeding programme of the rare and endangered Blue Duiker ? one of the smallest antelope species in the world.
Featherbed is a prime example of the term ECO-TOURISM, where in order to protect the splendour of the natural beauty, visitors are permitted to visit the Reserve in a controlled manner. Numbers are limited and access only permitted in the company of one of the Reserve?s specialist guides. Visitors can enjoy a drive onto the Reserve on a 4X4 unimog vehicle with trailers, stopping at magnificent viewpoints on route. The knowledgeable guides will share information on the history of the Reserve, the area and the bygone shipping era. The optional 2,2km guided walk takes you through Milkwood forests, onto the steep sandstone cliffs, through wonderfully aromatic coastal fynbos and into the ancient Khoi Khoi caves.
On the coastal walk back, one often sites the resident Black African Oyster Catcher, one of the rarest coastal birds in South Africa. The contrast of the bright red beak and claws against the black feathers is always a wonderful sight.

Featherbed derives its name from the bygone sailing days when ships on route to Knysna would spend many weeks, sometimes months at sea, and then when they made it safely through the ? Heads ? they would drop anchor in the safe, calm bay then known as
? Bests Cove ? and enjoy their first restful night?s sleep, so the sailors named it Featherbed Bay and so the name has stuck.

Written by Debbie Stanley ? Marketing Manager ? The Featherbed Company