October 24, 2008
By Terri Dunbar-Curran
The prospect of going on holiday nowadays may seem as unlikely as being able to fit into your old bathing costume, let alone finding time to go somewhere and show it off. The great news is that there's a holiday destination less than an hour's drive away with activities for the whole family.
Spier is so close you can pop through for the afternoon if staying in a hotel isn't quite your thing.
The farm was founded in 1692 and changed hands 10 times before 1993. The current owner, Dick Enthoven, is clearly passionate about tourism and the arts.
"Art is Spier and Spier is art," says Rameck Gadziso, who handles guest relations at the hotel. Most of the art is sourced from the local community. Wander through the hotel and you will uncover a wealth of local contemporary art ranging from pottery to paintings and stylish furniture.
The 155 villa-style rooms are just a short walk or golf cart ride from the reception area. The four-star rooms are spacious and each has a large television, mini bar (stocked on request), bathroom and a gas fireplace. There are also a few luxury suites on the bank of the Eerste River, designed by different artists.
The estate is focusing on being environmentally friendly. They use flooring made from sawdust and resin rather than cement. According to Gadziso, the production of cement produces large amounts of carbon dioxide.
There are bins around the estate for organic waste and other recyclables. The food waste is turned into compost. There is already an organic herb garden and Gadziso said the hotel was looking into starting an organic veggie garden. Even the pathways along the river are made from shredded alien vegetation.
Many people visit Spier for the wines and the estate has made it easy to sample what it has to offer before loading your boot full of cases. There are organised tastings every hour where guests are talked through the process of appreciating wine. But for those who just want to pop in for a glass or two, there is the informal tasting centre.
Spier offers various ranges of wines, from the Discover range - which, says Spier's Anthony Kock, is a great introduction to wine - to the Private collection, of which their award-winning shiraz is one.
Kock says Spier uses only screw-tops on its more expensive wines, "but Joe Public thinks you need the cork. They like the pop rather than the click, click click
."
He also quietly pointed out that women were more adept at wine tastings. "Their senses are more in tune." Everyone can smell over 2 000 smells, he says, but women are better at differentiating.
While Spier is home to Jonkers-huis and Moyo, the hotel's restaurant is convenient for guests and serves a buffet breakfast and a varied dinner menu. Options include the risotto and wild mushroom and a game platter with a serving of crocodile.
If that old cozzie does still fit, the hotel has a large communal pool. However, if you're not keen on contending with crowds, there are six private pools tucked away between the rooms.
Two of the main attractions at Spier are the Cheetah Outreach Project and Eagle Encounters.
Cheetah Outreach manager Liesl Smith has been at Spier for eight years. "The main focus is awareness and fundraising to assist wild cheetahs," she says.
The programme currently has 17 cheetahs and it recently cared for five cubs, although it is not a breeding facility.
Guests can meet the cheetahs and learn about the challenges they face.
The programme usually has a few student volunteers from the US, but it also welcomes volunteers from surrounding communities.
Eagle Encounters is certainly not to be missed; the staff at the rehabilitation centre are passionate about the birds.
Andre Cilliers has been a falconer since he was 15 and he prepares injured birds to be released back into the wild. He recently rehabilitated a young African Goshawk, Hercules, which was rescued from children.
"Every bird that is releasable that stays too long is time I could be spending with other releasable birds," says Cilliers.
Mary-Anne, a Secretary Bird who was rescued from a farmer who kept her in a 4m by 4m cage and fed her catfood, cannot be released. She now lives happily at the sanctuary. It's easy to miss Woody, the little owl. Perhaps his strategy of keeping his eyes closed in the hopes that if he can't see you, you can't see him, really works.
If history is your thing there are plenty of old sites and buildings to keep you occupied. You can view the original deeds of the property, see the slave bell and even pop into the oldest cellar in the country, which was built in 1767.
For more information, see www.spier.co.za
  
 
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