101 Trail Guide | 2010

Southern Comfort Western Horse Ranch

Southern Comfort Western Horse Ranch is a Bohemian hideaway with a 4x4 obstacle course, located slap bang in the middle of the Garden Route’s millionaire mile, halfway between Plettenberg Bay and Knysna.
This 25 ha rustic farm that is owned and run by the Glinister family is a quirky family getaway, filled with people, dogs, cats, birds and horses.
The actual off-roading is reserved for an obstacle course in the valley below the main house. The track, which borders on the Knysna forest, circles through areas with indigenous trees, giant ferns and fynbos, and over streams on its short but challenging course.
Set on the slopes of the valley, the course comprises 30 natural and man-made “testers”, and is great for learning the limits of your vehicle. It’s tight, cambered and dotted with some nasty, gravity-defying incline turns.
There are also see-saws, log pole crossings, a bridge, numerous axle-twisters … and for those who like a challenge, a section with loose rock on a very steep incline. And let’s not forget the waterhole, and obstacles such as the Cliffhanger, Cul de Sac and Big Dipper – all steep and tight up-and-overs.
Southern Comfort is also an affordable place to base yourself while exploring the Garden Route. And while you are honing your off-roading skills, the kids can run free and unattended, with the family pets and farm animals … just like they did in the old days.

What you need to know

Accommodation:
There is a tree house that is 8 m up in the treetops, backpacker’s dorms, a self-catering cottage and a farmhouse. And that’s aside from the Indian teepee camp and traditional camping options. Choose catered or self-catering.

What else?
Quad bike and off-road bike trail, guided forest quad bike outrides, forest horse rides and overnight horse rides, hiking trails - and an Indian massage (no, really). The farm also has a games room, pool table, table tennis and swimming pool.

Contact:
Annelize and Magriet Glinister 
044 532 7885,
076 459 8662; 
schranch@mweb.co.za,
www.schranch.co.za

Best time to go: All year round

Nearest towns: Plettenberg Bay (15 km); Knysna (17 km)

How long will I be driving? Up to 4 hours

Full Review | Richard van Ryneveld (August 2008)

Smack dab in the middle of the Garden Route’s millionaire mile, Richard van Ryneveld found a bohemian hideaway with a 4x4 obstacle course.

The life-sized prancing white stallions that are flanking the entrance gate made me feel as if I’ve slipped a gear and wandered into a 1960s Janice Joplin concert by mistake. But I had just arrived at Southern Comfort Western Horse Ranch on the Garden Route.

Situated halfway between Plettenberg Bay and Knysna, right next door to the Garden of Eden, this 25 ha rustic farm owned and operated by the eclectic Glinister family is simultaneously a forest getaway, a nature-lover’s retreat, a bohemian hideout and, more importantly, a 4x4 destination.

Southern Comfort is not your typical 4x4 trail location; it’s not even your everyday family destination. Rather, it’s a quirky family farm, filled with people, dogs, cats, birds, horses and other critters.

An Indian teepee camp, a tree house 8 m up in the treetops and a sod farmhouse are among your overnight options.

Daytime activity options are a 4x4 obstacle course, a quad- and off-road bike trail, guided forest quad rides, forest horse rides, hiking trails − and an ‘Indian’ massage (no, really).

Each family member has a different responsibility. Devey, the “Cowboy son” and creator of the two horses flanking the entrance gate, is in charge of the horses. Known for his horse skills, he operates the horse trails into the forest for which Southern Comfort has become so well known.

His brother Martin, the “Indian-medicine-man son”, is the massage therapist,
while Eben, the “outlaw son”-cum-son-in-law, is in charge of operating the quad-bike trails.

Playing cowboys & Indians – in 4x4s
The actual off-roading which I had come to experience is Glin’s department. I figured that is a good thing because if the family patriarch could drive a 4x4 half as well as he flew one of his homemade fabric-and-wood aeroplanes, I wanted to drive with Glin.

The off-roading is reserved for an obstacle course in the valley below the main house, bordering on the Knysna forest. It circles through areas with indigenous trees, giant ferns and fynbos and over small streams on its short but challenging course.

Set on the slopes of the valley, the course comprises 30 natural and manmade “testers”, designed to give you a taste of all the trials you would find in the bush.

The obstacle course is great for learning the limits of your vehicle: it’s tight, cambered and dotted with some nasty, gravity-defying incline turns.

Then there are see-saws, log-pole crossings, a bridge, numerous axle twisters and for those who like a serious challenge, a section with loose rock on a very steep incline.

And let’s not forget the waterhole and obstacles such as the Cliffhanger, Cul-de-Sac and Big Dipper – all steep and tight up-and-overs.

That’s just about the extent of it – unless of course you do it again. So, it may not be a trail that you would go out of your way to experience, but if you feel like a quick adrenalin rush or if you want to test your driving skills before heading off into the “real” boondocks, it really is perfect.

It ain’t five star but it’s home
If you don’t want to go home after the obstacle course, you can camp out or stay indoors for the night. Magriet and her daughter Annalize run the accommodation and grub department.

I self-catered for my first night, but on the second night joined the family for what Magriet calls good Glinister boerekos. The food was indeed unpretentious and delicious, a great complement to a day spent out beneath the trees.

In summer the Glinisters offer an overnight horse ride into the forest, a braai and an overnight stay at the teepee camp deep in the forest. But in winter it’s a bit chilly for that, so I copped out and stayed in the Old Sod House. Like the food it was unpretentious and a wee bit higgledy-piggledy but comfortable and a lot like home.

If you are looking for Egyptian cotton sheets, under-floor heating and a dent of thousands in your credit card, then give Southern Comfort a miss. But, if you are looking for comfortable, clean, unpretentious, old-fashioned hospitality and accommodation to suit, then this is the place for you.

Here, the kids run around freely, unattended amid family pets and farm animals like they did in the old days, and there’s a lot to be said for that.

Drive Out says:  A family destination, Southern Comfort is an affordable base for exploring the Garden Route.  It’s also a challenging place for honing off-roading skills, followed by a tasty home-cooked meal, a hot shower and a comfortable bed. If it is old-fashioned hospitality that you enjoy, place Southern Comfort on your shortlist of places-to-visit.

What you need to know

WHY SHOULD I GO?
Safe but challenging off-roading and affordable accommodation options, all centrally located in natural surroundings and a 100% family orientated environment.

EN-ROUTE
How long is the trail?
It’s an obstacle course/play pit with 30 obstacles.
How long will I be driving?
Up to 4 hours
Maximum number of vehicles:
Unlimited, but treat everyone on the course with consideration.
Do I get a map? Yes
Will my car get scratched? No
Should I remove the running boards?
It’s unnecessary
Should I take a compressor? No
Can I turn around halfway?
Yes, there is a bypass/exit at every obstacle.
Can we have a braai en route?
You may only braai at designated spots on the farm.

THE SURROUNDS
Best time to go? Year round
Can I take my family along? Definitely
Just for the day or the weekend? Both
Are there ablution facilities for day visitors? Yes
Can I see game? No
The nearest town?
Plettenberg Bay (15 km); Knysna (17 km )
How do I get there?
On the N2 to Plettenberg Bay from Knysna, 17 km from Knysna, take the Fisanthoek turn-off after the Garden of Eden. Continue for 2.8 km till you see the sign board for Southern Comfort Horse Ranch on your right. Follow the route markers onto the farm.
The nearest fuel? 3.5 km

WHERE CAN I STAY?
The options are unusual and varied: a tree house, backpacker’s dorms; a self-catering cottage; a sod farm house. And that’s aside from the Indian teepee camp and camping options.

WHAT ELSE
What else can I do there? The farm also offers a games room, table tennis, pool table, swimming pool, horse rides, quad bike trails and guided quad bike outrides. Team-building facilities are available.
Must I take anything special? Swimming gear, sunscreen, hat and hiking shoes – and a holiday attitude

COST?
4x4 Trail: R100 per vehicle per day
Accommodation: R90-R120 pppn
Camping: R60 pppn
Additional prices available on request

CONTACT?
Annelize & Magriet Glinister 044 532 7885; 076 459 8662; schranch@mweb.co.za; www.schranch.co.za

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