As the floods subsided and water levels began returning to normal, we headed out to the Breede River for a few hours of gentle river-rafting.
Saturday morning at 9.30 sharp(ish) we met up at Nekkies campsite just outside of Worcester (Take the N1 towards Paarl for about an hour and a half from Cape Town). The drive there took us through the Huguenot Tunnel (or you can go over the Du Toit's Kloof Pass if you feel a little too claustrophobic to drive through the mountain) and then into the Hex River Valley where on the way to Worcester we drove past beautiful wine farms and eventually found ourselves at Nekkies, right on the Breede River.
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After small introductions and safety briefing, we headed out on our inflatable canoes. The day was arranged by a company called Meet Extreme Adventures who constantly have all sorts of activities on the go. All you need to do is sign up to an event and then turn up! Everything else is arranged through MEA and their local providers (in this case UmKulu, who not only took us down the river but very kindly also brought us back to the campsite at the end).
The weather was perfect, the water was warm. For the most part, we gently followed the current for about 10 km’s (of a possible 337 km), stopping once on a tiny island for lunch and drinks. A canoe was pulled up, tipped over and conveniently converted to a table top, which was then laden with delicious food, drinks, fruit and even chocolates!
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The river was great fun to play in. There were places where current picked up quite quickly and gave us some speed and then others where we went over (ever so tiny) rapids – there were many occasions where canoes lost passengers or passengers lost their canoes… Although I think much of that had to with us looking for any old excuse to get into the water!
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Initially there were few small groups of people who arrived together, but by the end of the day it was one big (and very tired) group that made it back to the campsite. A few inside jokes and lots of mud later we all shared a great day out.
I would highly recommend this little adventure; you don’t need to be an expert (in rafting or swimming!) The scenery is incredible, too.
Surrounded by the gorgeous Cape Winelands, it would be a real treat to make a weekend of it. Rafting down the Breede on Saturday and spending Sunday wine tasting in the stunning Hex River Valley.
If you'd like any assistance with accommodation in the area, please don't hesitate to contact me.
