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Elgin
Valley
The
Elgin Valley lies at an altitude of about 300m above sea level,
and is enclosed on all sides by mountains, the tallest of
which are in the Nuweberg range. The cooler and wetter climate
enables gardeners to grow an unusually wide range of
plants. Soil range from heavy gravelly clays to free-draining
sandstones. The valley is mainly given over to apples, pears
and vines but the mountain slopes are generally pristine and
support a fynbos flora rich in shrubs, particularly Erica.
The main village is Grabouw, about 75 km from Cape Town.
Bot
River
The
village of Bot River lies below the Houw Hoek pass at the
head of a lagoon that stretches south to Kleinmond and Hawston.
The Bot River itself forms a narrow, sparsely inhabited valley
that runs inland between Bot River village and the Vyeboom
district.
Vyeboom
From
Grabouw the Villiersdorp Road winds north through the beautiful
Viljoen’s Pass, descending sharply into the fertile valley
of Vyeboom. The area is dominated by the giant Theewaterskloof
dam which has flooded former low-lying areas. Large tracts
of privately owned land are now run as a Conservancy.
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