Let me start by saying I know absolutely nothing about music as I've also only just moved to the glorious city of Cape Town. So leaving the comfort of my flat in town in the early hours of Saturday morning to head out towards a festival near Swellendam (that I'd never heard of) came with a few uneasy feelings, as I actually had no idea what to expect during this last weekend's annual Up the Creek music festival. Nonetheless, off I went to check this scene out.

Click here to see the line up of bands >
Channel 24 gallery of bands on stage >

The initial delight for me was being able to drive a portion of the Garden Route to get there, and I perved over this stunning piece of South Africa for around 220kms. The sun was belting down, the sky was cloudless and the road was empty - three important ingredients for the perfect road trip recipe. We turned off just before Swellendam and cruised down a road nestled between typically gorgeous Cape farms.

Up the Creek is notable for the fact that it welcomes families with open arms. Due to the number of people permitted to attend, the generally civilised vibe and its proximity to Cape Town, this is an ideal festival for the little ones with music and the great outdoors to entertain them. There's also an absence of the excess debauchery and puddles of vomit I have heard about from similar gatherings.

It was insanely hot when we arrived, so without pausing to unpack we headed straight to the river for a cooling down dip. The campsite is perched on a hill right above a riverbed, and in I plopped with a number of other brightly-attired people also looking to escape the heat.

As I mentioned earlier, I am no huge music expert, but what I do know well is travel. Let me be the first to tell you that the setting for Up the Creek is extraordinary. While the guitars twanged on the stage, I walked up to the top of a nearby hill and sat and looked at the 360-degree view I was spoilt with. Blue mountains cut a gap between the brown field and the clouds, which were being toyed with by the setting sun.

After a satisfying sit, I headed back into the main area to get down to some jolling, and I wasn't to be disappointed, with cheap drinks, good tunes and a superb atmosphere in the air. People were genuinely happy to be there, and I met a whole lot of strangers just by sitting and lounging around (not while I was attempting to dance, unsurprisingly). The type of person this event attracts seems to be nice and easy; there was no drama whatsoever.

The food and goods on sale at the stalls were all affordable with a bowl of stew and rice for R20, pizzas ranging from R25 to R45, beers at a pop over R10. The hippie gear on sale is allegedly very good and well-priced, but I am not exactly sure what a hessian shirt or dream catcher goes for these days.

Taking into account the setting, the closeness to Cape Town, quality and price of food,the bands who played (the music journos tell me they were decent), family-friendliness and cleanliness of the facilities (read: bathrooms), I think that R375 per ticket for the Saturday night was more than reasonable.

I guess I'll see you at Up the Creek next year?