WILDERNESS NEWS - A small group of invited guests gathered at Fairy Knowe Hotel on Tuesday 2 May for the official unveiling of a statue by Hoekwil artist Ian Visser.
This relaxed, but glitzy event, formed part of many centenary celebrations that will be taking place this year. The hotel has been in the Dumbleton family for almost a century and it is commonly known as the grand dame of Wilderness.
In 2021 the hotel was sold to its current owners, Dave and Helena Savage, and went through a major revamp in the last three years.
"The statue called Spirit of Place, represents the sense of belonging, sense of community and sense of identity for all those who step over our doorstep, which coincides with our logo, 'may all who come as guests, leave as friends'," said Helena.
Visser also created the statue of Leentjie which was erected at Leentjiesklip during the course of last year.
The statue was toppled from its pedestal by a freak wave on Saturday 16 September 2023, but it was reinstalled on the very same spot at Leentjiesklip where 'she' was officially unveiled on Wednesday 1 November, in a special ceremony.
Artist Ian Visser with hotel owners Helena and David Savage. Photo: Jeff Ayliffe
LEFT: Well-known Wilder-ness historian Hugo Leggatt spoke about the history of the Fairy Knowe Hotel.‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
