This was a truly spectacular and wonderful day in every respect. Sat back in England months ago I dreamed and planned this day. In many ways it was to be the culmination of our trip - to visit the bottom point of the Africa continent. We were blessed with great weather and visibility. It was stunning and at times very emotional - the enormity of where we were. Totally memorable.
A quick recap of how we got there.
We drove ourselves. From Cape Town aim for Camps Bay. Stop and see the 12 Apostles. 12 impressive rock outcrops high above the bay.
We moved on the fishing town of Hout Bay. We drove to the end to be rewarded with spectacular views and smells in the wonderful setting of this natural harbour. The entrance is dominated by the Sentinel with Chapman's Peak on the other side.
Then a drive up the windey and steep Chapman's Peak. The guide book describes this as one of the world's great Ocean drives. It looks down on Hout Bay. It is wonderful but we never felt - dangerous.
Eventually you climb down to Simons Town (the SA Navy base) and follow the road to Cape Point in the Table Mountain National Park. There is an entrance fee - it is relatively busy but not by UK standards. The scenery is open, beautiful and spectacular.
Now some confusion. When I was a boy the bottom of S America was Cape Horn and the bottom of S Africa was Cape of Good Hope. The bottom of SA has been revised! It depends on what criteria you use. Some books say the bottom of Africa is now Cape Agulhas - about 300km away by road - but visible to us from Cape Point. However Cape Point and the close by Cape of Good Hope is where approximately the currents from the two great Oceans - the Indian and the Atlantic first mingle and mix - and they do form a natural and prominent "horn". When sailors round Cape Point they are around and into another ocean. Cape of Good Hope seems to be relegated in status to the most South Westerly point of the African Continent. For my purposes and for just about everyone else's - today we have been to the bottom of Africa - ha!
From the car park at Cape Point we walked up to the Old Cape Point Lighthouse. This is the busy bit. The lighthouse was built in 1860. We then made the longish walk down to the newer (1914) lighthouse - built because the old one was too often dangerously shrouded in cloud. There are many fewer people on this walk. What a place. Brilliant views of the competing oceans - the scale, the colours, the white surf, the cliff panoramas - incredible numbers and variety of sea birds - and seals. We are at the end - amazing.
Later we make our way back and take the path to Cape of Good Hope. It looks close - but perhaps small by Cape Point standard but it a wonderful and rewarding walk. We pass high above the fantastic white sanded Dias beach with its crashing surf and get to Cape of Good Hope which we clamber up on to. Wonderful wonder panoramas. We eat our late lunch - take photos of course - and sat with our binoculars looking at the ocean - kelp forests - sea birds in their thousands - what fantastic environment for them. Emotional, moving - bringing tears to my eyes now just thinking about it. What a privilege.
On the way back we cannot resist Dias beach. The long long decent down the wooden stairway. The beach is fantastic. Pristine. The surf is like a wild cauldron. Wow!
We head back. Simon Town harbor - picturesque - the last of the sun on us as we sit outside having a SA craft beer. An English style fish and chip takeaway. Days cannot get much better than this !! Thank you. So fortunate with the weather in an area world famous for howling winds.
A quick recap of how we got there.
We drove ourselves. From Cape Town aim for Camps Bay. Stop and see the 12 Apostles. 12 impressive rock outcrops high above the bay.
We moved on the fishing town of Hout Bay. We drove to the end to be rewarded with spectacular views and smells in the wonderful setting of this natural harbour. The entrance is dominated by the Sentinel with Chapman's Peak on the other side.
Then a drive up the windey and steep Chapman's Peak. The guide book describes this as one of the world's great Ocean drives. It looks down on Hout Bay. It is wonderful but we never felt - dangerous.
Eventually you climb down to Simons Town (the SA Navy base) and follow the road to Cape Point in the Table Mountain National Park. There is an entrance fee - it is relatively busy but not by UK standards. The scenery is open, beautiful and spectacular.
Now some confusion. When I was a boy the bottom of S America was Cape Horn and the bottom of S Africa was Cape of Good Hope. The bottom of SA has been revised! It depends on what criteria you use. Some books say the bottom of Africa is now Cape Agulhas - about 300km away by road - but visible to us from Cape Point. However Cape Point and the close by Cape of Good Hope is where approximately the currents from the two great Oceans - the Indian and the Atlantic first mingle and mix - and they do form a natural and prominent "horn". When sailors round Cape Point they are around and into another ocean. Cape of Good Hope seems to be relegated in status to the most South Westerly point of the African Continent. For my purposes and for just about everyone else's - today we have been to the bottom of Africa - ha!
From the car park at Cape Point we walked up to the Old Cape Point Lighthouse. This is the busy bit. The lighthouse was built in 1860. We then made the longish walk down to the newer (1914) lighthouse - built because the old one was too often dangerously shrouded in cloud. There are many fewer people on this walk. What a place. Brilliant views of the competing oceans - the scale, the colours, the white surf, the cliff panoramas - incredible numbers and variety of sea birds - and seals. We are at the end - amazing.
Later we make our way back and take the path to Cape of Good Hope. It looks close - but perhaps small by Cape Point standard but it a wonderful and rewarding walk. We pass high above the fantastic white sanded Dias beach with its crashing surf and get to Cape of Good Hope which we clamber up on to. Wonderful wonder panoramas. We eat our late lunch - take photos of course - and sat with our binoculars looking at the ocean - kelp forests - sea birds in their thousands - what fantastic environment for them. Emotional, moving - bringing tears to my eyes now just thinking about it. What a privilege.
On the way back we cannot resist Dias beach. The long long decent down the wooden stairway. The beach is fantastic. Pristine. The surf is like a wild cauldron. Wow!
We head back. Simon Town harbor - picturesque - the last of the sun on us as we sit outside having a SA craft beer. An English style fish and chip takeaway. Days cannot get much better than this !! Thank you. So fortunate with the weather in an area world famous for howling winds.
 |
| First view of the Cape of Good Hope |
 |
| Cape Point views |
 |
| Cape Point |
 |
| A dangerous Brown Snake |
 |
| Bruvs reach the Cape |
 |
| Sea patterns are amazing. Currents mixing? |
 |
| Surf Dias beach |
 |
| Simons Town Harbour |
 |
| 12 Apostles Camp Bay |
 |
| Views of Hout Bay. Chapmans Peak behind |
 |
| There are 9 seals down there! |
 |
| Cape Point from Cape of Good Hope |
 |
| Cape Agulhas in the far distance from Cape Point |
 |
| Dias beach |
No comments:
Post a Comment