Activities in Robertson and Riverton Farm Activities

Walk / Hike: Our guests are welcome to explore the farm or hike through the forest along the banks of the Breede River. Young children must please be accompanied by an adult as our young thoroughbred horses are unbroken and not tame ponies.

Fresh Water Fishing: The Breede River has mainly bass & carp. Catch and release, unless you are going to enjoy a fish braai! The winning fish in the October 2011 AH Marais & Seuns Hengel Kompetisie was caught in the Breede at Riverton by Johan Le Roux. "Na 10 min se gesukkel om my vriend wakker te kry het ek die karp na 30 min uitgekry. En ja, natuurlik was ek die ope wenner." A carp weighing in at 9.75 kg! Bait; Mielies with Bingo dip. Line; 5.5 kg kingfisher. The carp was released.

Paddle-skiing / canoeing: If you haven't brought your own we have 4 paddle-skis, 2 canoes and assorted life-jackets. Remember to paddle up stream in the river so that the current can assist you back, otherwise the farm dam is great for this type of activity! An indemnity form must please be signed before use of the canoes and paddle-skis.

Swimming: The river has a lovely sandy beach to build castles or relax in the shade of the many trees. The river is very deep here. Further downstream there is a spot for youngsters to paddle under supervision. Always employ the buddy system when swimming in the river or the farm dam.

Tadpoling: Remember the joy of catching tadpoles as a kid? Mid to late Spring the farm dam is teaming with tadpoles!

Bird watching: The garden is home to Cape Sugarbirds, Finches, Wagtails, Robins, African Hoop -hoos etc. A walk around the farm will delight you with flocks of Ibises, Sacred Ibises, Guinea Fowl, Egyptian Geese, Herons, Egrets, Hadidas etc. Answer the Fish Eagles call and stroll down to the river to find the flock of rare Darter birds (Latin name Anhinga rufa), all 3 species of Kingfishers, ducks, geese, etc.

We are very exicted as in September 2011 we had several sighting for the first time of a pair of Blue Cranes that are not usually found in this area. There is a Sasol Birds of Southern Africa field guide in the sitting room of Barry House, but we recommend that you come armed with your Roberts or Newman's.

Wildlife: The river area is also home to a family of Otters, the endangered Riverine Hare with its exceptionally long ears and white circles round the eye, and seldom spotted Lynx.

Cycling: You are welcome to bring your bicycles. Off road tires with inner liners or Tufo tubeless tyres are recommended for the thorns.

See a Mare foaling / August to mid-November: Should you be in the enviable position that a mare is ready to foal whilst you are visiting and want to be woken up to watch, please sms the name of one person who will be responsible for waking everyone else, the word "foaling" and your cell number to Duncan Barry on 082 335 8951.

The foaling units are adjacent to Barry House. Dress warmly as the foaling is done outside in as natural a manner as possible and to prevent the foal from slipping on cement when it first tries to stand.

Horse riding: Horse riding can be organised on a nearby farm.
Website: www.robertsonridingschool.co.za or Tel: Leandri on 072 291 7631.

Animals: Cows, goats, rabbits and a variety of other animals are usually resident on the farm.

Living close to nature is a wonderful privilege, but it does require a slight shift in thinking and awareness.

Should you venture down to the river in summer or take a marvelous walk through the forest please check yourself for ticks afterwards. Should you find one it is important to scrape it off so as not to leave the head behind to fester.
Stick to the beaten paths through the forest so that you can see where you are walking. Most snakes will sense you coming and hurry away before you see them, except for the lazy, poisonous puff adder that gets extremely annoyed when trodden on.
Bees are vital for the pollination of our fruit. The bees won't disturb you, if you don't disturb their hive.
Drink bottled water or filtered rainwater from the spout in the kitchen. The tap water comes from the farm dam and hasn't undergone any chemical processing as you have in the city.
Please do not flush any non-biodegradable objectives down the toilets as this may upset the eco-balance of the septic tanks.

Robertson offers wine tasting, golf, river cruises, horse riding, sky diving, an exotic birds paradise, cactus garden, antique shops, art galleries, game drive, fine cuisine, fast foods and more.

Barry House is ideally situated close to town, the horse riding school and the airstrip.

Barry House is close to the top wine estates in the area; Bon Courage, Springfield, Majors Hill, Cloverfield, Zandvliet, Excelsior, Arabella, Viljoensdrift, De Wetshof and Van Loveren.

In the sitting room of Barry House you will find a book that we have prepared for our guests that highlights activities in our area and provides contact details.

Enjoy a late breakfast under the Pepper Trees at Café Maude on neighbouring Bon Courage Wine Estate. Low GI meals available. There is a mini jungle gym to keep the children occupied. Start your wine tasting at Bon Courage - you won't be disappointed!

Just a tad further down our road you will find Viljoensdrift river cruises. Select your choice of delicacies from their Deli to make up a picnic lunch to be enjoyed on board the hour long river cruise.

Birds Paradise on the outskirts of Robertson is a must if you have young children to entertain. Over 300 cages of exotic birds and monkeys, an outdoor mini-zoo (crocodiles, lemurs, porcupines, etc), large jungle gym and swings, curio shop and tea room.

Robertson is blessed with many great places to eat at. We have only named a few below.

Bourbon Street on Voortrekker Rd, Robertson, is a must for the best steaks in South Africa!

Good Seafood can be found at the Ocean Basket, next to Pick 'n Pay, in Church Street.

Debonairs Pizza and Rapid River Spur can be found at the Mall, off Voortrekker Road, near KFC.

Breakfast is served all day at the Oude Kombuis restaurant at the entrance to Robertson. Their 3 egg ommelette is legendary. In season a lunch of Waterblommetjie and Lamb neck potjie can be enjoyed on a Sunday, accompanied by live classical guitar music.

Note: Outside of Festival Weekends wine tasting on a Sunday is limited to Robertson Winery and Springfield Wine Estate. Both close at 15:00.

The 18-hole golf course is a good mix of short and long holes with Danie Obermeyer signature bunkers providing an added challenge. The superb changing facilities, bar and the spectacular view from the wrap around patio all ensure a great day on course.

One of the highlights of the golfing calendar is the RLCS Golf Day presented by Breedenet. With over R 30 0000 worth in accommodation, wine, rugby books, snore aprons, golfing accessories, etc. to be won. Robertson Logos Christian School donates 10% of the proceeds to Charity.

EVENT: RLCS Golf Day presented by Breedenet Wireless Internet Solutions
DATE: Sat 18 Feb 2012
TEE-OFF: 07:32 - 08:36 and 11:40 - 13:22
FORMAT: 4BBB prefered drive
AWARDS CEREMONY: 19:00
ENTRY FEE: R1600 per 4 Ball
EARLY BIRD ENTRY FEE: R1400 per 4 Ball paid before end Jan 2012

Also a RLCS 9-Hole Golf Sundowner from 16:00 onwards on Friday 17 Feb 2012 with prizes for the winning Ladies, Gents, Parent & Child and Scholar partnerships.

Putting Competition from 16:00. Open to golfers and non-golfers. Closest to the Pin prizes for all the above categories.

Robertson is home to the Western Province Sport Parachute Club that was established in 1972. Operating as Skydive Robertson, it is a training and recreational Club. In a first for the Western Cape, the South African National Skydiving Championships was held in Robertson in April 2011.

Have a look at their website to find out over which weekends the Club will be jumping:
www.skydive.co.za. Tel: 083 462 5666 to book your skydive.

The Lord of War movie starring Nicholas Cage and Ethan Hawkes features the Robertson airstrip!

If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you. Anon

If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.
Anon