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 Author: Leon Nell
This guide to Knysna traces the history of the town back to its origins in the 18th century to its ongoing development to become South Africa's most beautiful coastal town. Its geology, history, forest, vegetation, wildlife, coast, lagoon, marine life, and special points of interest, such as arts and crafts, are all given coverage. Leon Nell was born in Zambia and moved to South Africa in 1964. Here, he served as a nature conservator for 14 years, managing a nature reserve and supervising a number of smaller reserves in Mpumalanga. Nell was named Conservator of the Year in his division in 1994 for his work as chairperson of the Study Group Committee of Endangered Species. He moved to the Western Cape in 1997 and is the author of the highly acclaimed The Garden Route and Little Karoo (2003), as well as Knysna: A visitor’s guide to South Africa’s most popular coastal town (2005).
Twice winner of the Engen Most Popular Town Award in 2000 and 2002, Knysna is a boom town where millionaires rub shoulders with artists, sculptors, Rastafarians, fishermen, golfers, tourists and beggars, who are drawn by its magic and splendour. It has great natural beauty and numerous points of interest, ranging from the coast, lagoon and its marine life, to the spellbinding hiking trails in its mysterious forests with their secretive creatures, such as forest elephants and Knysna Louries (turacos); from historic buildings to the luxury and extravagance of indigenous and exotic oysters and locally brewed beer in contemporary Knysna. Although Knysna's popularity has increased immensely in South Africa over the past years, it has especially gained a reputation overseas. Tourists flock in their thousands to experience the wonderworld it has to offer. The climate is mild to warm, with a yearly average of 16,9° C, and there is an annual rainfall range of 700 mm at the coast, rising to 1161 mm inland at Buffelsnek forestry station. The temperature of the water in the lagoon in summer averages 18° C. Occasionally, a large body of cold water averaging only 10° C may move towards Knysna due to the dynamics of the Agulhas current, driving some marine species to seek refuge in the lagoon. The main tributary of fresh water is from the Knysna River, with a number of small streams flowing down from the higher-lying areas. The three main landmarks are the famous Knysna Heads, having the Indian Ocean in the south as their backdrop, the Knysna lagoon in the centre and the haunting beauty of the Outeniqua Mountains in the north.
The most striking features of Knysna are the lagoon and the magnificent Heads. The Heads, cliffs, and hills to the east are part of the Table Mountain rock formation and consist of immense portions of medium- to coarse-grained sandstone - an important class of sedimentary rocks, consisting of consolidated deposits of predominantly sand-sized, quartz-rich grains, cemented by various materials, including silica and calcium carbonate. Knysna's catchment area, the freshwater environment, with all its rivers, lakes and streams, which are fed by rain, lies within the Cape fold mountain- belt, with its extended faults and vast east to west corrugations, while the locality of the town is believed to be part of a drowned valley that silted up.
1. Enjoy Knysna's delicious oysters in one of the town's many restaurants |