I set my GPS and said goodbye to a wonderful time in Franschhoek. I drove out of the Valley, over a mountain with rounded tops and scrub bushes all over it. I descended into the valley that was probably once rich wetlands but currently looked a little dry and barren at the edges. I remembered that South Africa was going through a terrible drought since 2016 and was back at about 70% what it needed to be. I drove from the wetlands into farm county where the farms were as varied as the landscape around them. Tons of sheep or goat farms. A few cattle ranches and most surprising of all was the ostrich ranches. There were hundreds of ostriches in each of the ranches and of all sizes. Little babies and big tall adults. I would have stopped to take pictures but the speed limit on these lovely highways was 120km/hr and there weren't any great places to stop. The ranch lands turned into beautiful fields of crops. Rolling fields of golden grains swaying as the wind blew over them. It could have been Alberta if it had been flatter. What a wonderful drive and it took me less that 5 hours to get to where I needed to go. I was still not speeding, I just didn't stop until I reached the coast. The Mercedes was a great car to drive, very smooth and cornered like it was on rails. It was also very easy on gas as I still had half a tank full so didn't feel the need to stop.
The roads were like everywhere else I have driven. Lovely well maintained highways, local roads with some pot holes etc and rods in the towns had little or no shoulders.

Ok so why Knysna of all the places to stay along the garden route? For me there was really no other place once I learned that Knysna was known for her oysters, and that there was actually a place here called Oysters R Us. It was decided.
Oh there are other things to do besides eat oysters twice a day for 3 days. There is a farmers market where I can buy other things to eat on the Saturday and since I have a kitchen where I am staying, I was going to try to enjoy my deck by having my dinners on it. Did I mention that I can buy oysters here@!!!!!! I can also drive to the docks and go whale watching or oyster sucking on an oyster tour or go for an estuary cruise. I might do all those things but, for sure, I am eating oysters.