Outeniqua Choo Tjoe to Wilderness

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Hi,

We'll be staying in Knysna for a few days. We're a small group of 7- 4 adults, 3 children ages 7-11. We would like to take the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe to Wilderness and back. Is there a way to get out and see anything, or should we come back with the car?

Thanks!

Beth

[Ming]

Hi Beth
The best is to stay on the train. Remeber that Advance reservations are necessary at least 24hours before departure. Trains will depart from and arrive at Knysna station. The quaint village of Wilderness lies east of George between the Kaaimans River and the Goukamma Nature Reserve and is stunning. This is a most enjoyable journey.
Ric

Read the article under road closures in forum as the Kaaimans River Bridge might get damaged from a huge Mountain slide caused by heavy rains in the Wilderness region.

[Ming]

A LEGAL conundrum over the future of the rain-damaged Kaaimans Pass between George and Knysna has derailed plans to reopen the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe train service – one of the Garden Route‘s biggest tourism drawcards.

The popular steam train has been out of action since early August following flood damage amounting to about R19-million on the tracks at several places on the route between George and Knysna.

The Dolphin‘s Point slip, where a R4-million holiday home has been declared unsafe after it started sinking into the Kaaimans River Mouth when a section of the pass directly above it collapsed, is not falling fast enough to determine a possible time of complete collapse.

The Choo-Tjoe‘s current fate is worsened by the fact that all locomotives and coaches were at the George end of the Knysna-George line when the tracks were damaged. The rolling stock used for repairs to areas where the track is inaccessible by road, are also on the George side.

The recently established Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe Action Group has made an official appeal to government to find an urgent solution, which would probably include mechanical or other assistance in collapsing the slip so that final damage assessment and management can be done.

However, Dolphin‘s Point home owner Wim de Beer said his insurance company would not pay out if he or another party assisted the collapse in any way. “According to a structural engineer my house is not safe to live in, but my insurance insists that the buildings are still standing and a legal loophole requires for the house to be completely destroyed for a complete settlement.

“Although the collapse is inevitable, it may take many years and I am not legally allowed to help the process in any way. I am therefore sitting tight and have in the meantime instructed a geotechnical engineer to assist basic stabilisation of the ground so the collapse happens systematically and with minimal damage.”

De Beer said he had not been approached by Transnet, which owns the train tracks below, nor the SA National Roads Authority Ltd (Sanral) which owns the road reserve above, regarding a possible solution.

“Although I don‘t think it is fair to all the people whose livelihood is directly or indirectly affected by the Choo-Tjoe‘s not operating, it is not fair to me either that I should just let my house be destroyed without compensation.”

Action group chairman Johan Coetzee said his group had started an attempt to quantify the implications of the Choo-Tjoe‘s not operating, as part of its appeal to government agencies to take urgent action.

“We have sent out an electronic questionnaire to more than 1 000 members of the tourism bureaus in Knysna, Wilderness, George and Mossel Bay. We received an overwhelming response, which indicated direct and indirect financial implications of the train‘s not operating, as well as significant effects on international tourism marketing strategies.

In one case, an organisation had to lay off 23 staff members as a direct result of business lost. It is clear that the Choo-Tjoe is a tourism icon and an essential part of the local business and tourism industry.”

Coetzee said the action group had already handed a report to Western Cape Finance and Tourism MEC Lynn Brown and intended offering its assistance and availability to any institution that could speed up the process. “We are particularly delighted at this weekend‘s announcement that disaster relief funds of R18-million have been made available to assist in repairs.

“Provincial-level government has made it clear that it understands the urgency of the matter and that it will receive the necessary attention. Now our only concern is the speedy resolution of the Dolphin‘s Point slip situation.”

Eden chief disaster management Gerhard Otto said he had appealed to Sanral, Transnet and De Beer to arrange a meeting with legal representatives to find a workable solution. “We are hoping that a decision can be taken as soon as possible so that we can ensure the quickest possible resolution. We will do everything to make things happen as quickly as possible but until then our hands are tied.”

Choo-Tjoe operations manager Kobus Volschenk said Transnet was desperate to have the matter resolved as soon as possible. “We are not entirely sure what the solution to the problem is, but we hope the meeting will take place next week with good results. We have stopped all work on the George-Knysna line because there is no reason to continue with it unless Kaaimans is in fact open.”

source The Herald

NEWSLETTER from the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe on the 23 SEPTEMBER 2006.

The George / Knysna line has been closed until further notice due to the unsafe conditions below the “slip” at Kaaimanspass. When this slip occurs, damage will be caused to the railway line below, resulting in further delays. We cannot run the risk of reintroducing the Outeniqua Choo Tjoe on this section of line until we have received the assurance of the various authorities that it is safe to operate.

With the above in mind we are introducing an alternative route as follows.

02 November 2006 till 15 December and from 15 January 2007 till 31 March 2007.

Mondays / Wednesday and Fridays

Depart George 10h00 / Arrive Hartenbos 11h40

Depart Hartenbos 13h00 / Arrive George 14h30



Fare : Adult single R 70.00 / return R 90.00

Children under 16 yrs Single R 40.00 / return R 50.00

Under 6 yrs free of charge.

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