The Bonnie town of Bonnievale 

Bonnievale is the official 10th stop along the route from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth on the Route 62,  the world's longest wine route. Known as the "Valley of Cheese and Wine", for one main reason, the wine (of course!), and two famous cheese factories that are found in these beautiful valleys. A commonly known brand is Parmalat, and the second is the Mooivallei Suiwel, famous for Riggs Butter and their Gouda and cheddar production. 

We mentioned "Riggs" butter, which was named after a very important man in the history of Bonnievale,  Christopher Rigg,  a Scottish immigrant who arrived in Bonnievale in 1900 with his wife, who had lost two daughters already during their infancy. In 1903 his wife, Lilian Moon, gave birth to their 3rd daughter, whom they named Mary Myrtle. 

Rigg was praised for his genius in engineering in building an irrigation canal system, which fed water from the Breede River through to the dry land that was a problem in the area, and transformed the fertile land into arable land. That canal is still the source of essential irrigation to the lands today.

In 1911, the Riggs family lost their 3rd daughter, Mary Myrtle, to Meningitis. Her dying wish was that her father would build a church in Bonnievale, which he did, and named it Myrtle Rigg Memorial church, in her honor. It is said that it is the only church ever built as a dedication to a child. The church is made of Italian marble, a front door imported from Zanzibar and stones from a nearby hill. It still stands beautifully today, and a wonderful place to visit.

After exploring some of the history of Bonnievale, it is time to find the Bonnievale vineyard offerings, not forgetting that the Route 62 is the longest wine route in the world! We recommend a visit to Goedverwacht Wine Estate, where you can enjoy their "Goedverwacht Platters and Picnics",  where they can prepare special picnic platters, paired with their wines, and set out overlooking the beautiful vineyards. (Don't forget to book ahead though!). Other wineries we would suggest visiting are Bonnievale Wines, and Arendsig (see our shared video of Arendsig below, which also shows the beauty of Bonnievale.) 

Following in the footsteps of this breathtaking part of South Africa, Bonnievale offers beauitful hiking trails, fishing, horse riding, 4 x 4 trails and a variety of other activities. If you fancy a swim in the Breede river, you could opt to do a little trip on the Breede River Goose, where you can don your swimming costume, and take a dip alongside the boat, or drop a fishing hook along side, all whilst enjoying the scenery, with some tasty food and refreshments. 

Once you have stocked up on your favourite cheeses, and sampled some of the excellent wines of Bonnievale, it is time to head towards our next stop along the Route 62, Ashton!