Local Personalities: Ernst and Christl Stoeckl
Beverly and Graham Theobald of Showme drove out to Ernst and Christl Stoeckl’s beautiful farm to find out why this couple decided to settle here in Plettenberg Bay.
The Stoeckls originate from Germany but moving to Plettenberg Bay meant they had to relocate from New York City.
Prior to coming to the Garden Route, Ernst had lived and worked in South Africa, Spain, the United States and, of course, in Germany.
Christl, after leaving Germany, spent some 30 years in the Big Apple.
As we drove through the gates, we were immediately struck by the beauty of the farm. We were welcomed by Ernst and Christl and their dogs. Ernst’s sense of humour had us at ease in no time and Christl made us feel right at home with tea and biscotti.
Q: Ernst, how long have you and Christl been in Plettenberg Bay?
A: About 5 years now
Q: What made you decide to come to Plett?
A: To do justice to this question, I think I should say at the outset that I have seen many beautiful places around the world as my working life turned me into a resident of three different continents. Sometimes I can hardly believe it myself, but in my last job, 140 companies in 120 countries were reporting to me, which meant I had to travel quite a bit. And whilst moving around on business, there came a time when I began to ask myself where I would spend my “last 40 years,” (laughs). At the end of the day, Christl’s and my answer was PLETTENBERG BAY.
Why?…. because like no other place we know, Plett stands for QUALITY TIME!
Q: Can you elaborate a little bit?
A: First the obvious: Location and climate. To the North: Mountains and the Karoo; to the East: the Tsitsikamma Forests; to the West: the pristine coast line of the Garden Route; and to the South: the “neighbouring” Antarctic, some 8000 km away (laughs). No wonder the word pollution is unknown in Plett. And the climate is moderate – that is to say, very healthy.
Second: If you reach the stage of your life where you do not primarily manage your income any more but rather your cost, Plett has a lot to offer in terms of value for money. I like to tease visiting friends from New York by telling them that what they require back home for tips during a week feeds us comfortably from Monday to Friday. And this statement includes the odd crayfish and our very nice local wines!
Third: The social scene of Plett has a fascinating fabric. Like everywhere in South Africa, people are very friendly and outgoing and welcome new arrivals from far away. But in addition, there is this phenomenon that besides the old Plettonians who have lived here for generations and the seasonal holiday crowds, there is a species I like to call the “New Permanents.” These are people like us, who look back on a professional life in some other parts of the world and then decided to settle in Plett where they start a kind of second life.
Where else have you come across a former Italian Fashion Designer who makes a popular ice cream, a Canadian Investment Banker running a restaurant, a game reserve owned by a former Commodity Trader, a Corporate Finance guy turned photographer or Motor Industry Executives turning farmer…. I could go on. If you want a second life —- come to Plett.
Of course, not everybody is retired here. Many have to work hard to make a living like anywhere else in the world. But I observe a “Plett way” of going about it which I admire – at least most of the time: when the surf is good at our beaches, it may be difficult to reach the local plumber or carpenter but when these guys are finally out of the water they are all wonderful people and solve your problems immediately and with a smile on their faces.
And Fourth: the cultural scene. Plett is, of course, a small seaside resort and not a metropolis with numerous theaters and concert halls but what I like about our area is that participation in culture and art is widespread when it comes to personal and active involvement as opposed to just being a consumer thereof.
Q: As one of the “New Permanents” as you call it, what made farmers out of you and Christl?
We must be honest. When we first decided to settle in Plett, we planned to build a beach house. But then a friend of ours offered us Highlands Farm. We decided to buy it, knowing that this meant a complete change of our model of life.
Soon we began to understand why being a farmer is the dream of so many South Africans. It seems to be human nature that when you grow older, you enjoy being closer to Mother Nature….
Q: And the animals you farm are very special animals…
Yes, we looked for animals that are relatively maintenance-free and the choice was game – we brought in Zebras, Hartebeest and Springbock and then Ngunis – an ancient African breed of cattle that are wonderful to have and are very owner friendly, so to speak.
Q: What makes them owner friendly?
There is a genetic reason for it. The Ngunis migrated centuries ago from Northeast Africa with the Nguni tribes down the East Coast. In the process and in accordance with African tradition they lived very closely with humans, being sheltered in the kraal every night. This is one reason why they are easy to handle, which is a point most valuable to amateur farmers like us. At the same time, they became very hardy animals during their trek. Ngunis have tremendous endurance, resisting heat, cold, lack of food and water; they are highly resistant to tick borne diseases which are such a problem in our coastal areas. I don’t want to bore you but they have other excellent qualities such as early fertility, ease of birth and so on. My professional farmer friends claim that no breed can beat the Ngunis when it comes to Kilogram meat per Hektar land.
Q: Christl, how have you adapted to this life of farming?
A: Good question ! After the long time in New York with a wonderful job – I worked for the same group as Ernst during my last corporate years – I had of course become a bit of a big city girl, enjoying the attractions of a metropolis. But we were fortunate to have a country escape in the forests of New Jersey where we spent our weekends. Thus, despite our working weeks spent in Manhattan, we never lost touch with nature and enjoyed deeply the rural side of our existence.
But from a cottage in New Jersey to a farm in Africa – can you hear Baroness Blixen saying these magic words ? – it is quite a step.
Initially, we asked ourselves sometimes “why are we doing this ?”, “do we know enough to run a farm ?” or “wouldn’t life be so much easier when we sat in a holiday home overlooking the Lagoon?” .
Thanks, however, to some wonderful people working for us and a group of farmers in the neighborhood – and I mean serious farmers – who spare no time to help us with advice, we got off the ground quite well. Today we even have a kind of unofficial competition with other amateur farmers higher up and lower down in the valley. And, I am proud to report that a few days ago we had our first cattle sale !
I never thought I would have larger fields of Agapanthia than any nursery of the area or that I would concern myself with the eradication of alien trees. But that is Plett. The best place I know for active enjoyment.
Q: Outside farming, what other interests do you enjoy following?
A: Ernst: Well, obviously, this is a paradise for golfers. Consequently I continue my lifelong efforts to raise my skill level to the point that I can call myself a Golfer without blushing.
Exploring the area through short trips is another pastime of ours. Presently, our favorite destination is the Baviaanskloof Nature Conservancy area on the other side of the mountains. This is of course no wonder seeing that our farm is right on the famous Prince Alfred Pass.
A: Christl : When Ernst is on the fairway, or should I say :on the driving range, I enjoy my time in Pilates classes, in my book club or by having a world class massage. All facilities which make a woman’s life comfortable and pleasant are available in Plett on a surprisingly high level considering the size of our community.
And then, I love to host family and friends, either when they stay with us on the farm or just join us for a dinner party. We have many friends literally from all over the world; Highlands is a favorite destination for them.
You can truly say “ If you want to be sure that your loved ones and friends come and visit you often, move to Plett !”