Sedgefield Village

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Sedgefield Village - there's more to it!

Sandwiched between the better known towns of the Garden Route, Wilderness and Knysna, Sedgefield village is happily for many, an overlooked piece of ribbon development on either side of the N2 highway. This highway links two major cities of the Cape region, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.

The road-side buildings – a few modest houses and unpretentious shop fronts have disinclined travellers to stop here except to refuel their tanks at the petrol station and to obtain some sustenance at the adjacent convenience store.

Sedgefield on the N2 Highway

From Sedgefield village the magnificent Outeniqua Mountain range dominates the furthest distances gazing inland and in the foreground, between the sea and the mountains, the lakes, forests, rivers and fynbos-covered dune mountains crowd the landscape.

Sedgefield from Gerickers Hill

The attraction of Sedgefield village is the demure and unassuming way it blends into its natural surroundings. Just behind the visible mix of houses and shops that front the N2 highway, the village relaxes against the gentle curves of the Swartvlei Estuary as it broadens in a shallow lagoon before entering the Indian Ocean, its’ southern boundary.

The Swartvlei Lagoon and Estuary form a natural boundary on Sedgefield village's west side. Its natural eastern boundary is the only fresh water lake in the area known as Groenvlei and also as Lake Pleasant. An ancient and imposing sand dune, now covered in vegetation and forest, some of it plantation, some of it indigenous, hems Sedgefield in on the northern side.

Groevlei from N2

When I stand on top of this dune at a place called Cloud Nine, a popular spot for paragliders to take off from, I can see over the frontal sand-dune to a vast expanse of ocean. I have an impressive bird’s eye view of Sedgefield village, which seems to be nearly completely surrounded by water as the Swartvlei Lake extends behind this dune.

Some thousands of years ago, the sea lapped at the foot of the Outeniqua Mountains and Sedgefield did not exist. It was under the sea. Proof of that time, is evident in the area for those interested in geology. When the sea retreated, archeological research along the present coastline shows that many places were Strandloper camping sites for several centuries.

Protected Dune

Today however, Sedgefield Village is home to a small but thriving community with a unique flavour due to its makeup of a fairly large contingent of retired people from all over South Africa who contribute their time and expertise in many ways to the town’s well being and to the working people that provide its infrastructure and daily services.

There is a seasonal influx of tourists and other visitors who maintain holiday homes here. We also receive a considerable number of “swallows”, mostly retirees fleeing from European winters to soak in our sunshine, who come and rent/own cottages/apartments in southern climes for the 6-8 months of our summer.

People are friendly and newcomers are quickly made to feel at home. We are still meeting new people all the time. I’m not surprised to find many folk from all walks of life attracted to this little piece of heaven. My husband and I are amongst those who have been drawn here. After 15 years of holidays along the Garden Route, in 2002 we bought some land, built a house on it 4 years later and mid-2007 our dream became reality – we now live in Sedge.

View from Cormorant Street

view of Sedgefield Lagoon from Cormorant Street

Nearly everyone we chat to concedes that they are living in paradise and the longer they live here, the more they appreciate it. When I meet people who have been here for years already, I love to hear how much they still enjoy living here. I feel exactly the same. The longer I’m here, the more I love Sedgefield.

Cola Beach, Sedgefield

And what we’ve noticed is that dogs in Sedgefield Village have the best life ever! Come rain come shine, summer or winter, dog owners take their dogs walking. We live alongside the lagoon, a popular place to walk, so we see a constant parade of walkers, early morning and in the late afternoon. There’s some open ground near by where the dogs run free and socialise. They also get to collect their p-mail, keeping up to date with the latest doggie news! Their owners look on and socialise too. Dogs are allowed on Myoli beach and have great fun playing together and fetching sticks thrown into the waves. Its good exercise for them. There aren't too many dogs bored with their lives in Sedgefield!

Sedge dogs

Sedgefield village has pretty much all the regular shops and facilities people need in the normal course of their daily life. There’s a couple of banks, supermarkets, a chemist, several liquor stores, a greengrocers, hairdressers, hardware shops, restaurants, coffee shops and take-aways, clothing shops, health shops, gyms, doctors and dentists, veterinary services, a police station, security services, estate agents, a travel agent, a stationers, computer services, a 2nd hand bookshop and furniture shop, nurseries and garden services, and a retirement home. There’re garages and car hire services. There’s a bowling club, tennis courts, a mashie golf course, a library. There’s two primary schools, but children have to travel to either George or Knysna to attend High School - not far – half an hour either way!

the Village of Sedgefield

Small town shopping also offers some unconventional surprises. For example you can buy fresh flowers, stone ground flour and honey from Robertsons’ Butchery. On Fridays he sells a decent cooked portion of a meal like Chicken Biryani for R20-00. Plants are sold from Sedge Concrete, marmalade, preserves and honey from the laundry on the Main Road, homemade cakes, savoury tarts and biscuits at the hardware store, Build It.

Another brand of stone ground flour can be bought at the Aroma Bottle Store and fresh vegetables can be purchased most days outside the shop. Courier deliveries can be sent to the local pharmacy for you to collect there if you won’t be home on the day and the tobacconist in the little mobile van on the Main Street opposite the Total Garage regularly sells pockets of oranges and potatoes.

The Electrical shop in the Spar Square sells dog food and Two Sparrows, the 2nd hand bookshop also sells potted plants. Full take-away roast dinners can be ordered in advance (supply your own plates) for a very reasonable price from Steam Whistle-stop Station Shop for Wednesday lunchtimes. On Fridays, organic vegetables are sold outside Venus Ear Tea Garden from 11am onwards. You can take your own milk bottle and collect fresh milk at Hartmans' Butchery.

If you really cannot find what you’re looking for or you simply want a day at the Mall and to take in a movie there’s no need to feel deprived on that score. Knysna is 25km one way and George is 35kms the other way, on a very scenic route either way. It’s quite easy to access some major “retail therapy”!

But Sedgefield village is really about the outdoors and our natural environment which we just live so very close to. We feel part of the lagoon, the beaches, the forest, the mountains - its all right here - wherever you walk - you see it, feel it and breathe it and somehow, there's no other place quite like it!

Some of Sedgefield's seniors, the sociable Walkie Talkies who did a walk around the Knysna lagoon to celebrate the 2010 Soccer World Cup held in South Africa! Three teams trained along the Garden Route, the French and Danish in Knysna and the Japanese in George.

ADVERT

Visit Liz and Basil at Shop 10, Sedgefield Centre (opposite Spar)
Open 10am-7pm (winter) 10am – 8pm (summer)
New releases, Imports, Cinema Nouveau, Playstation 2, Old Films etc. There are Happy Hour promotions from time to time.
Discounts for Senior Citizens.
DVD players can be hired for the night.
Arrange Contracts or pay cash.
Some retail therapy is available.

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Chef Ulma @ Groenvlei