Along the N2 there's a turn-off to Rheenendal and the Red Barn, a new destination restaurant that's easy to find. From the smell of hot coffee and bacon, they're clearly in business. Local patronage is always a good sign and we're pleased to bump into Knysna's florist, Deepee of Ecozest, taking a break after a steady stream of late-season weddings. He strongly recommends the potted egg with chives and parmesan cheese. The bacon comes from nearby Glen Faye, a farm and artisan butcher. As we leave, macadamia farmer and co-owner of the barn Robert Legg arrives, looking only a little wistfully at his hijacked former-workshop-turned-Oyster-Festival-Hotspot. But you can't have it all....

THE RED BARN IS THE first restaurant in Rheenendal and gets its name from the large American-style barn on Fern Gully farm that it occupies.

There are some real treasures on the menu, inspired by the wealth of organic farms in the area, but the real magic of the place is that it seems to be where the locals meet, laugh and share their latest adventures - while making visitors feel at home. And isn't that what country life is all about?

For those visitors who want to take a little bit of the local ambiance home with them, the store sells jams and pickles as well as arts and crafts from the Knysna area.