[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Header” _builder_version=”4.27.6″ custom_padding=”0px|||||” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” title_text=”TFA 3″ background_image=”https:\/\/gogardenroute.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/TFA-3.jpg” sticky_enabled=”0″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_blurb title=”The Garden Route: A Coastal Masterpiece” image=”https:\/\/gogardenroute.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/480445005_1169075021887691_643997841074380497_n.jpg” _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#FFFFFF” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
To travel from the heart of the Garden Route into the Hessequa region is to move between two worlds\u2014one of dramatic coastal forests and another of ancient open plains where the first chapters of human history were written. Together, they form a narrative of resilience, discovery, and “sparkling water.”<\/p>\n
The Garden Route is South Africa’s most storied road trip, a 300-km stretch where the mountains and the Indian Ocean are in a constant embrace.<\/p>\n
The Labour<\/strong>: They used hand-saws and axes to fell giants, then used teams of oxen to drag the logs along\u00a0<\/span>elephant paths<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>to reach timber merchants in Knysna.<\/span><\/p>\n End of an Era<\/strong>: Over-exploitation led to the\u00a0<\/span>1939 Woodcutters Annuities Act<\/strong>, which finally annulled their rights to harvest indigenous trees and provided them with small pensions. <\/p>\n <\/span>The Knysna Elephants: From 400 to One Conflict & Decline<\/strong>: As settlers moved in, elephants were hunted for ivory or killed as “pests” by farmers. By 1876, about 400 remained, but massive culls\u2014including one by Major P.J. Pretorius in 1920\u2014devastated the population.<\/span><\/p>\n Current Status<\/strong>: Today, the “ghosts of the forest” are nearly gone. Research suggests only\u00a0<\/span>one lone female<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>may still roam the wild, though there are occasionally unconfirmed reports of a small handful.<\/span><\/p>\n The Industry Today: Tourism & Conservation Garden Route National Park: Established in 2009, it protects 160,000 hectares of forest, fynbos, and coastline.<\/p><\/div>\n Historical Experiences<\/strong>:<\/span><\/p>\n
<\/strong>The region was once “elephant country,” with herds numbering in the hundreds roaming from Knysna to the Tsitsikamma.<\/p>\n
<\/strong>The primary industry has shifted from\u00a0<\/span>timber extraction<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>to\u00a0<\/span>eco-tourism<\/strong>.<\/p>\n