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Question of the Day: Google Maps vs Waze vs Apple Maps vs physical paper maps?
Opportunity came knocking (Knysna)
- Thread starter Pitbull
- Start date
Datura
Captain Faptastic
Pack your things. Relocate. Live a little. It is an amazing place to live.
SlinkyMike
Honorary Master
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2006
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Make your own decision but let me just add one comment: Knysna is magical. You have kids as I remember and frankly I cannot imagine anything more amazing than growing up in a place like that.
iCubed.Saajid
Well-Known Member
Pitbull - are you currently living/working in JHB? If so, then yes, Knysna will be like a dream, like being on a permanent holiday.
I live in JHB, but have been going to Wilderness (about 10-15 km out of Knysna) for holiday, twice a year, EVERY YEAR, since I was 7 years old (last 20 years! sheesh that's long). We visit Knysna 2-3 times on every trip, and also pass through there very often on our way to Tsitiskama, Nature's Valley, Plett, etc. What a beautiful, awesome place, clean, friendly, fresh, relaxed. The whole garden route is really awesome. If you've found a job that you enjoy, at a salary you are comfortable with, in a setting as beautiful as Knysna, you'd be really crazy not to accept it. The only major consideration is family - they'll be far away for you, which does kinda suck. That would be the main issue for me. But perhaps for a few years of your life, it wouldn't be so bad?
About the traffic - it does suck during peak periods in Knysna, as everyone has pointed out. But I'd rather sit in traffic for a few weeks a year in a place like Knysna, than sit in traffic in dirty polluted JHB with agro bad tempered motorists rushing to work, every day of the year. Even Saturdays, traffic can be hectic in certain areas. Don't forget all the roadworks, road blocks, accidents, taxis, metro cops out to catch you speeding everywhere, etc. Compared to JHB, traffic in Knysna really is a non-issue, and all these complainers seem totally ridiculous.
About shopping - you'll get everything you need in Knysna, it's not that bad. But for a fuller experience, goto George and Garden Route Mall. It's about a 30-45 minute drive from Knysna. Thing is, this is THE MOST BEAUTIFUL drive you will find anywhere in the country. Very relaxing, great scenery, especially past Wilderness and throught the Kaiman's Pass. No need to speed. Just enjoy.
Perhaps you should look for accomodation in Sedgefield - a smaller, less busy town, about 10 minutes out of Knysna. Nice beach, and very close to the Swartvlei beach - one of the best in the whole Garden Route area. Also the drive to work everyday from Sedgefield to Kynsna would be 10 minutes, but it will be a beautiful drive, no traffic, nice scenery.
Damn. I need a holiday. Back to work.
UPDATE: Check out the area on Google Maps, using Satellite imagery, and especially using Google StreetView: Drag the little orange man over one of the roads, if the road turns blue, there a StreeView images for that road, and just drop the man to start loading the images.
You'll be sold immediately.
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=wilderness south africa
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=knysna south africa
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=sedgefield south africa
I live in JHB, but have been going to Wilderness (about 10-15 km out of Knysna) for holiday, twice a year, EVERY YEAR, since I was 7 years old (last 20 years! sheesh that's long). We visit Knysna 2-3 times on every trip, and also pass through there very often on our way to Tsitiskama, Nature's Valley, Plett, etc. What a beautiful, awesome place, clean, friendly, fresh, relaxed. The whole garden route is really awesome. If you've found a job that you enjoy, at a salary you are comfortable with, in a setting as beautiful as Knysna, you'd be really crazy not to accept it. The only major consideration is family - they'll be far away for you, which does kinda suck. That would be the main issue for me. But perhaps for a few years of your life, it wouldn't be so bad?
About the traffic - it does suck during peak periods in Knysna, as everyone has pointed out. But I'd rather sit in traffic for a few weeks a year in a place like Knysna, than sit in traffic in dirty polluted JHB with agro bad tempered motorists rushing to work, every day of the year. Even Saturdays, traffic can be hectic in certain areas. Don't forget all the roadworks, road blocks, accidents, taxis, metro cops out to catch you speeding everywhere, etc. Compared to JHB, traffic in Knysna really is a non-issue, and all these complainers seem totally ridiculous.
About shopping - you'll get everything you need in Knysna, it's not that bad. But for a fuller experience, goto George and Garden Route Mall. It's about a 30-45 minute drive from Knysna. Thing is, this is THE MOST BEAUTIFUL drive you will find anywhere in the country. Very relaxing, great scenery, especially past Wilderness and throught the Kaiman's Pass. No need to speed. Just enjoy.
Perhaps you should look for accomodation in Sedgefield - a smaller, less busy town, about 10 minutes out of Knysna. Nice beach, and very close to the Swartvlei beach - one of the best in the whole Garden Route area. Also the drive to work everyday from Sedgefield to Kynsna would be 10 minutes, but it will be a beautiful drive, no traffic, nice scenery.
Damn. I need a holiday. Back to work.
UPDATE: Check out the area on Google Maps, using Satellite imagery, and especially using Google StreetView: Drag the little orange man over one of the roads, if the road turns blue, there a StreeView images for that road, and just drop the man to start loading the images.
You'll be sold immediately.
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=wilderness south africa
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=knysna south africa
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=sedgefield south africa
Last edited:
spiderz
Honorary Master
oh, btw ... if you decide not to take the job, let us know so we can apply for it ... 
davemc
Executive Member
Pitbull, don't sell up, rent your current place out and go for it, even if it's only for 4 years or so it is one heck of an adventure.
Basically, make it happen with minimal risk.
Basically, make it happen with minimal risk.
atomcrusher
Expert Member
Now you've ruined it .... why encourage Vaalies to settle in the WC, and turn it into Jhb-by-the-Sea ?
In fact I see Knysna, and many other areas of the WC, at all times of the year, and I will be getting out of Jhb next year for good when I retire - And I cannot wait. So I have experienced Knysna at both "good" (out of season times) and "bad" (Vaalie holiday times) seasons. Fortunately I am not restricted to holiday during any lemming-season. I plan all my away trips in the off-season .... as a matter of fact, even Jhb can be a great place, when the entire GP is away at 'di's lekker by die see' during the year-end school holidays
But I'm glad you also admit that Knysna - as is any other WC coastal town - is a nightmare when the invasions from up-country are in place. But I intend to travel to Namibia & Botswana during vaalie-season, after I have moved down to WC next year. So I can enjoy the best of both worlds, i.e. the WC in the quiet times, and the desert / bush solitude of Bots / Nam in the vaaliie school-holiday season
wetkit
Expert Member
Luckly nobody has mentioned Buffelsbaai yet, phew!
Geriatrix
Executive Member
Dun dun dun dhuuuuuuh......
Ou grote
Honorary Master
If you live there you won't have to go on vacations anymore.
The whole area within about a 200 km radius is where I usually go on my holidays.
Amazing place to stay.
The whole area within about a 200 km radius is where I usually go on my holidays.
Amazing place to stay.
iCubed.Saajid
Well-Known Member
LOL.. was going to. But there is only one road into Buffelsbaai (AFAIK) which gets destroyed by floods every few years. Also, it is a bit of a long drive (OK not too long) from the town to the highway.. Nice place though, with the lagoon, and rocky areas..
blunomore
Honorary Master
Not too long ago you were thisclose to relocating to Cape Town.
Maybe you just like to think about it every now and again ... cos if you really wanted to, you would have been gone already
Anything is better than Jozi... well perhaps not Pretoria. Knysna is beautiful, relaxed and way fun. Ive dived the Knysna heads a couple of times. Great dive! Have friends living there and they love. Most of the year these coastal cities are great... well until the Vaalie invasions.. but the rest of the year theyre great to live on. Safe(r), beautiful and peaceful.
blunomore
Honorary Master
I cannot imagine living anywhere else than JHB.
I do not like a slow pace.
If I want to relax, I go the countryside or anywhere out of town, where things can come to a grinding halt for me.
Pretoria ... not my cup of tea either.
that seafood restaurant there at one diving spot is the best restaurant i have ever eaten at - seriously - when you mention knysna i think "trees", and that seafood place
Pitbull, If I was you I would go - better for the children as well, and less crime too.
Geriatrix
Executive Member
I'd LOVE to live in the EC. Joburg is not for me.
My plan is to get my 2-3 web apps up and running, earn a Gauteng(and later on US
) income and live in my "huise by die see". I spent 2 weeks there recently and it was heaven. Me and my wife where like different people. In my experience Joburg just brings out the worst in everyone. Everyone here seems like neurotic, angry materialistic badgers.
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RustyPrincess
Expert Member
I personally couldn't live in a small town.
I'm from jhb, and was in the free state this weekend... I definitely would not be able to live in a small town, I would miss my friends and big shopping centres too much...
But if both you and your wife want to go, then why not, you can always come back to jhb if you find you don't enjoy it.
Mods - please fix the spelling in the title... its bugging me
I'm from jhb, and was in the free state this weekend... I definitely would not be able to live in a small town, I would miss my friends and big shopping centres too much...
But if both you and your wife want to go, then why not, you can always come back to jhb if you find you don't enjoy it.
Mods - please fix the spelling in the title... its bugging me
blunomore
Honorary Master
In my experience, if you are an ass, you will be an ass - whether you live in JHB or Koffiefontein
I personally couldn't live in a small town.
I'm from jhb, and was in the free state this weekend... I definitely would not be able to live in a small town, I would miss my friends and big shopping centres too much...
The city has a lot of conveniences in terms of choice, etc.
There is an expo or exhibit or speciality store for anything you can think of !!
You can meet like-minded people on any subject/hobby/activity under the sun.
But to me the absolute best part is the anonimity of living in a city ... if you want to make friends, you can do so .... there are millions of people to choose from ... but you can also be alone and go incognito. The whole city will not know what you did yesterday, what you wore and what you bought .... I lived in a small town for about 8 years ... very stifling ... you get discussed, judged and dissected no end!
Geriatrix
Executive Member
In my experience, if you are an ass, you will be an ass - whether you live in JHB or Koffiefontein
I've seen some nice people turn nasty quickly. But you're right, they might have turned that way regardless of where they live. Assness is encouraged by traffic,overpopulation, daily snobbery and indifference though.
I've never personally experienced living in a small town. One of my friends grew up in one of those small fishing villages and says that although people tend to be nosey, they mostly mean well and watch out for each other. But getting discussed judged and dissected? You just described a trip to Sandton Mall.
But yeah I'm sure everyone is up in everyones business in a small,confined little town. I'd go live in the outskirts though. Like a wild mountain man!