Fairview introduces South Africa’s First Skywalk and Playpark for its Goats!
With a lineage of great entrepreneurs, innovators and winemakers, it’s no wonder that Fairview constantly finds itself at the forefront of the wine and cheese industry. Now, 35 years after its famous Goat Tower was first built, this is still the case, with the introduction of a new landmark attraction – South Africa’s first skywalk and activity playpark for goats.
“They constantly innovate every single aspect of the customer experience, which has led to their success,” says international wine tourism consultant, Peter McAtamney, an international guest speaker at the recent The Business of Wine and Food Tourism Conference held in Cape Town in November 2016. McAtamney, founder of Wine Business Solutions, an Australian firm that provides performance improvement solutions to the wine industry, ranks Fairview as the leading visitor experience in the world: “In my experience and from the numbers we see through benchmarking of wineries across Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States, there is no more commercially successful cellar door than Fairview.”
McAtamney’s statement is supported by Fairtrade-accredited wines that have pioneered new varieties in South Africa, exceptional cheese (Fairview recently received a prestigious gold rating for its Chèvre Roue Goats Milk Cheese at the 2016 World Cheese Awards), an award-winning deli, a country-style restaurant, and an unforgettable, fairy tale-like Goat Tower – all of which are part of what makes a visit to the much-loved Fairview farm a world-class experience. The Fairview Goat Tower was built in 1981 when Charles Back and his team realised how much the goats loved to climb on top of things. Adored by children and adults alike, the legendary tower has become a visual icon of the Cape Winelands and symbolic of Fairview’s commitment to creating a welcoming environment for all visitors.
But now, the most important members of the farm, Fairview’s goats, have been given a bigger and more exciting playground to explore – a lush green paddock situated adjacent to the tower. A brand new skywalk bridge has also been built, which will take the goats from the Goat Tower, across the path to the other side of the garden, where their newly built paddock welcomes them.
“During kidding season this year, we decided to bring the goat kids up next to the Tasting Room to give our visitors a chance to interact with our beloved farm mascots,” says Charles Back. “We received such an overwhelmingly positive response that, we created a large paddock for the kids to take up permanent residence right next to our Goat Tower. Here, under the shade of the oak trees, all are welcome to say hello to our goats and build lasting friendships with them. To ensure our older goats don’t feel left out, we’ve added a skywalk from the Goat Tower into the grassy paddock, encouraging cross-generational interaction,” adds Back.
Members of the public are encouraged to visit the Fairview farm and experience the new Skywalk Bridge and paddock. Guests can watch the baby kid goats as they take turns on a “goat see-saw”, balance on a “surfboard” and climb and play on a number of other obstacles. This bigger and fun-filled playground is perfect not just for Fairview’s precious goats, but the whole family, too. Visitors can feed the goats by purchasing a bag of goat food for R10, with a R2 donation going to the Animal Welfare Society for every bag sold.
Aside from all the fun interaction with Fairview’s furry friends, a delicious new range of treats and snacks will be available from the new outdoor food stall, such as fresh fruit smoothies and frozen yoghurt that are both made with Fairview’s signature, all-natural yoghurt. Kid-friendly boerewors rolls with ‘a twist’ will also be on sale. Adults can kick back and experience the wine tasting options at Fairview’s Tasting Room, or indulge in the delicious country-style menu available at the Goatshed restaurant (which also has a kids menu). Apart from the range of delicious wines and cheeses, a scrumptious selection of preserves and freshly baked breads is also available from the Shop & Deli. There really is something for everyone at Fairview!
For more information please contact Fairview on +27 21 863 2450 or info@fairview.co.za. Visit the website at www.fairview.co.za.
