Today our Walk 4 SOS Huskies journey was mostly spent driving the Mahindra PIKUP along the coastline. I know, I know – this is supposed to be a walk for Huskies, not a drive for Huskies! But where the heck are we supposed to walk?
We left Waterside Lodge Wilderness this morning and drove through George to Glentana hoping to walk along the beach to Mossel Bay. Des (aka The Fossil) stopped to get a pic of me at the “Welcome to Glentana” signboard. I wanted him to add “Except Dogs” onto the sign but he doesn’t like doing graffiti.
So, we took the Glentana Beach turn-off to start our walk. It (would have been) a 27km hike along the beach from Glentana to Mossel Bay and I was really looking forward to getting my paws wet. But…
See the map above? See that long stretch of beach? See the signs below? No Dogs Allowed!! The Fossil stopped at every seaside village along the coastline and every beach access had the same sign. And that “We Are Here” pin on the map? That’s where we ended up – but more about that later.
Eventually, we pulled in at ATKV Hartenbos and parked at the Lagoon Mouth – the only spot we found where dogs are allowed, and we finally enjoyed a short walk on the beach. By now it was late afternoon and we still didn’t have a pet-friendly place to sleep tonight!
The Fossil spoke to Hannelie at Mossel Bay Tourism and she referred him to a few places but they were all full ’cause of the long-weekend. He phoned about twenty other places and those who bothered to answer his call were not pet-friendly (or human-friendly by the sound of it). And then he got hold of Steven from Cheetah Lodge Guest House near Mossel Bay.
This is where that “We Are Here” pin on the map comes in. The pet-friendly Cheetah Lodge is about 10km from Hartenbos, at the turnoff to Brandwag from the R328 road that goes from Oudtshoorn to Mossel Bay. It’s a farm-like guesthouse with a big spacious garden and heated pool. And chickens, and turkeys, and a cow, and horses, and really interesting smells (for a dog that is, humans just don’t have our finely tuned senses :-).
Steven’s wife (and animal-loving host), Bronwyn did the meet-and-greet as she welcomed us to the expansive Cheetah room (it’s actually the Honeymoon suite) that has a deep verandah overlooking the pool and garden.
They have 4 more African themed rooms, and a self-catering unit that can sleep 4 people, but we only needed the one room and the Honeymoon Suite suits me just fine (even though I’m not married to the Fossil – I adopted him – or rather Des’s wife Beverley did, but he’s the one I walk every day).
Of course, the Fossil liked the bathroom (the tiles are nice ‘n cool for me) but Huskies don’t need to be bathed as often as humans do (one of the many benefits of adopting a Husky, by the way!).
So, next time you’re travelling between Oudtshoorn and Mossel Bay (hopefully with your dog), make a booking at Cheetah Lodge and experience Steven & Bronwyn’s unique hospitality for yourself. And don’
That’s all for now human folks. Wanna talk to us? WhatsApp the tall fossil hanging onto my leash. Here’s his number: +27 (0)82 374 7260.
JAXX
PS. That extra X on the end of my name is supposed to be a kiss (yeah, I know it’s soppy).
BTW: if you happen to be anywhere along our walking route between Plettenberg Bay and Cape Town during late July to mid-August 2021, look out for us. We’ll be walking along the beach (or not), or on a hiking trail (unlikely), or along the side a main road. Come over to say “Howzit Husky Boy!” (and ” Hello Fossil Man” if you want).
