Round
up your family and friends
and head out to the country,
for an eco-friendly festive
experience in harmony with
nature.
The Green Mountain
Eco Route, the world’s
first biodiversity wine route,
located in the heart of the
Cape Floral Kingdom, is hosting
its inaugural Blossom Festival
- an eco-friendly festive
experience in harmony with
nature. Foodies, winos, sport-,
adventure- and nature-lovers
are invited to round up their
friends and families and head
out to the country to celebrate
the arrival of spring. The
Green Mountain Eco Route spans
an area of 75 kilometres around
the Groenland Mountain and
envelops the regions of: Bot
River, Elgin, Grabouw, Houw
Hoek and Villiersdorp. The
express purpose of this Route
is to nurture the natural
environment, while, at the
same time, allowing for the
social upliftment and sustainable
development of the resident
communities and businesses
and the cultivation of eco-tourism,
which now flourishes in the
area. During the Blossom Festival
each of the members will be
hosting their own unique event
for visitors to, enjoy
Popular
events will include:
The Apple Blossom MTB Classic
and Trail-Run (8 km) at Oak
Valley Estate on Sunday 9
October, which will be a ‘must’
for both novice- and experienced
mountain-bikers and trail-runners.
For further details and bookings
please visit: www.entrytime.co.za
or contact Theresa Bridgman
on 082 658 0112 or tntpromotions@xsinet.co.za.
An Amazing Race following
clues and performing fun tasks
at the different Green Mountain
Eco Route members along the
way – with a big prize
for the winners – will
be a highlight on both days
of the Festival. For further
information please contact
Cany Bugler on 083 456 2181
or info@triactive.co.za.
Bookings can be made in advance
or on the day.
At the Blossom Festival visitors
will also be able to enjoy:
Excellent cool-climate
wines;
Wholesome country cuisine;
Hikes and tours amidst
the blossoming orchards and
fynbos;
Brandy tasting;
Apple tasting;
Outdoor adventures, sports
and activities;
Oak Valley greenhouse flower
tours;
Arts and crafts;
Country picnics;
Fresh organic produce;
Locally produced organic
products including olives
and olive oil, honey, dried
fruit etc;
Milling and bread-making
at an historic mill;
Fynbos and Black Eagle
Trail (led by John Hartnick
from the local community who
has been part of the Green
Mountain Eco Route’s
comprehensive training programme
and heads up ‘walk with
an alien’, making walking
sticks from alien vegetation.)
This hike will offer visitors
a snapshot of the 4 day slack-packing
Green Mountain Trail and one
could be so lucky as to see
some of the 87 red data floral
species and the resident black
eagles caring for their fledgling
chicks;
Farming with olives, including
pruning, preserving, bottling
and cooking with olives;
Kiddies’ activities
including a survival course;
Live music;
Big-screen TV for rugby
lovers.
The
Green Mountain Eco Route, the
world’s first biodiversity
wine route, incorporates the
area around the Groenland Mountain
with the villages Bot River
(Botrivier), Elgin Valley, Grabouw,
Houw Hoek and Villiersdorp in
the heart of the Cape Floral
Kingdom.
Just one hour from Cape Town,
the route is ideally located
for weekend getaways and easily
accessible via the N2 past Cape
Town International Airport and
Sir Lowry’s Pass. For
those travelling further to
the Garden Route and Route 62,
the area makes a great first
stop in the Overberg, South
Africa.
The Green Mountain Eco Route
combines attractions including
wine farms, activities, events,
accommodations, restaurants,
wedding & conference venues.
It offers scenic beauty, natural
diversity of terroir and a wide
range of wine styles. Whether
you want to crank uphill on
your mountain bike, hike through
acres of fynbos, experience
a unique wine tasting with the
winemakers, or enjoy meals made
from locally grown produce,
the Green Mountain Eco Route
has things to do for everyone.
Biodiversity
refers to the various systems
and processes that allow life
to persist over time. When biodiversity
is intact, species and ecosystems
are resilient and adaptive to
environmental changes. But when
biodiversity is lost, nature responds
unpredictably and natural resources
may be destroyed.
The Green Mountain Eco Route exposes
visitors to both the wine and
the biodiversity experience of
each participating producer, promoting
responsible eco-friendly tourism
in harmony with nature.
more...
