You wait at the bridge until the car coming off the island is across, then it is your turn. It has worked that way for generations. Great Brak River lies halfway to George on the N2, founded in 1859 by the Searles, an English immigrant family who ran toll houses here and built a shoe factory. The factory still produces, trading now as Bolton Footwear, and it is the biggest employer in the village. The old family houses stand on the island, and the estuary in front of it runs about a kilometre long and half a kilometre wide, shallow and warm in summer.
- northeast of Mossel Bay, about twenty minutes
- 17 km
- founded by the Searle family
- 1859
- the length of the lagoon
- 1 km
- game drive at Botlierskop, adults (August 2026)
- 890 rand
A small museum tells the story of the Searles and the village; check the opening hours with Mossel Bay Tourism first. The second reason for the detour lies behind the village: Botlierskop, a private game reserve with 6,000 hectares of fynbos and the Big Five running free. A guided three hour game drive costs day visitors 890 rand per adult, half for children, leaving at 9am or 1pm (August 2026, rate period until September 2026, after which it goes up). And the beaches between Great Brak and Mossel Bay, Glentana and Little Brak River, hold full Blue Flag status for the 2025/26 season.
- Time needed
- half a day, a full one with a game drive
- Cost
- village free, game drive from 890 rand (August 2026)
- When
- all year
- From Mossel Bay
- 17 km, 20 minutes
Our tipBook the 1pm game drive and cross the bridge onto the island beforehand. A coffee by the water, a walk around, and then you have elephants and rhino in the fynbos until evening.
Great Brak River: frequently asked questions
How far is Great Brak River from Mossel Bay?
17 kilometres northeast, about twenty minutes on the N2, halfway to George. George Airport is only 15 kilometres further on.
What does a game drive at Botlierskop cost?
A guided three hour game drive costs day visitors 890 rand per adult, and children from three to eleven pay half (August 2026, rate period until September 2026). Botlierskop lies between Mossel Bay and George near Great Brak River, with departures at 9am and 1pm.
What is the island in Great Brak River?
A residential area in the river with old houses, joined to the mainland by a single lane bridge. The island is the quietest part of the village the Searle family founded in 1859, and it sits about twenty minutes from Mossel Bay.