South Africa - Part 5 - Winelands to Cape Town

OCTOBER 2017 – JANUARY 2018

From the Cederberg Mountains we headed south and back into the northerly section of South Africa’s Western Cape wine region. Our destination was the historic town of Tulbagh and our accommodation was in a farm cottage just outside of town. With the exception of our first day, our stay in Tulbagh was pretty relaxed. A gentle hike through an apricot orchard in the foothills of the Witzenberg Mountains occupied one day, exploring Tulbagh’s historic Church Street another and a day doing nothing completed the local activities.

Tullbagh Mountain

Hiking in Tullbagh Mountain via Apricot Orchard

Tullbagh Historical main street

Drying apricot in Tullbagh area

Looking for shade in really hot place Tullbagh

So back to that busy first day. You may recall from the previous blog, that Anne’s camera had stopped working and that Olympus Customer Services were looking for a solution. Well, part of that solution was to deliver the camera to an Olympus agent in Cape Town, for them to send it off for repair. So our busy first day was a trip to Cape Town and back, almost 300km and 4hrs driving. We had the address and it was in central Cape Town, this first meant negotiating the traffic congestion then finding a parking space. This achieved, we made our way to the shop, only to find that customs issues would prevent them helping us. So, disappointed we retraced our steps back to Tulbagh and contacted Olympus again to find another solution.

From Tulbagh it was a shortish drive southeast to our next destination of Montagu. Tucked away in a valley amongst the Langeberg Mountains, Montagu is an attractive town full of historic buildings. Our accommodation for the 5-night stay was in one such building, a small but beautifully presented thatched cottage, not dissimilar to the one we had in McGregor. Montagu was ideal for us, the cottage was comfortable and allowed us to self-cater, the town had good amenities and the Montagu Mountain Reserve was 1km away, which offered plenty of hiking opportunities. Needless to say we hiked almost every day, once through a river gorge, once into the heart of the Montagu Mountains and once to a viewpoint overlooking the town. Because of the heat, all these hikes were done in the early morning, leaving the rest of the day to relax or do some of those admin jobs that are essential for this kind of lifestyle. I had to do my online tax return one afternoon, a simple exercise, once you manage to acquire all the various codes needed to access the forms.

Badskloof Trail in Montegu

View of Montegu from Nature Garden

Hiking in Montagu mountains

Blue House Montegu

Very steep walk worth the effort for this pretty waterfall

Montagu Mountain Reserve

Five nights was just about right for Montagu, we loved every minute, but it was time to move on. So we did, next stop Swellendam. A little house on the outskirts of town would be home over the Christmas period; the hosts even put a Christmas tree in it for us. Our time in the area followed a common pattern for us, a couple of visits to the Bontebok National Park (one hike, one drive) and a hike in the Marloth Nature Reserve kept us amused. We did however follow tradition on Christmas Day, eating and drinking too much, and watching a lot of TV.

Our lovely accommodation in Swellendam

Local Wildlife

Bontebok NP

Still in the winelands, we next headed west back towards Cape Town to the village of Franschhoek. An enjoyable drive, avoiding the N1, took in some spectacular scenery, cumulating in the accent and decent over the Franschhoek Pass. Franschhoek is a very smart and a moneyed type of place. It was definitely the most touristy we had been in since we left Hermanus, at the start of the trip. Our accommodation for the first few nights was about 10km out of the village, at the Bellingham Homestead. We had a room in a converted period manor house, dating back to the 18th century, with a two century old Sumatran four-poster bed to sleep in. The manor house was set in 5.5 acres of manicured gardens, which would have been beautiful if it wasn’t for the flies, which in turn was within the grounds of the posh Anthonij Rupert Wine Estate. We had to go through the estate security gate to get in and out each day.

Bellhingham Homestead

Bellingham Homestead Wineyard

Franschhoek Lavender field

Our bed, a 18th Century from Sumatra a gift to the King from France supposedly

Apart from a shopping trip to Somerset West (Anne’s iPad had died on us so we went to try and get a replacement – no luck unfortunately) our activities were as usual, hiking in the surrounding countryside. Now I am sure everyone reading this will say not another hike he is raving about, but this one does deserve a mention. It was in the Mont Rochelle Nature Reserve, just outside Franschhoek, about 10km long and called the Uitkyk Trail. The trail started at the Reserve office, already spectacular as it is situated at the top of the Franschhoek Pass, then winds up into the Franschhoek Mountains. At about one third distance it branches off into a hidden valley full of Fynbos (flora endemic to the area), at which point the only sounds we could hear were the birds above our head, the baboons on the hill side and the gravel beneath our boots. We continued to climb up into the valley (very hot now, as we were sheltered from the wind), following the Perdekloof Stream until we reached the Uitkyk summit. And the summit view was the icing on the cake; incredible views of the secluded Wemmershoek Valley lay before us. And what made it even better was that we had it to ourselves, the early start paid dividends.

Uitkyk Trail Mt Rochelle Nature Reserve

Hiking on the Uitkyk trail in Mont Rochelle Nature Reserve

Meeting with local on the Uitkyk Trail

Uitkyk Trail end at a magnificent view point

Uitkyk Trail end

On our way back from the Uitkyk Trail

Vista Trail Mt Rochelle Nature Reserve

Early View of Franschhoek Valley from Mt Rochelle

After leaving the Bellingham Homestead we remained in Franschhoek, but this time in the village. Some friends we had met almost a year ago in Chile, Neil and Nikki, had invited us to go and stay with them for a few days, an offer we gladly accepted. They were at the end of an incredible one-year journey that had taken them from Cape Horn (at the bottom of South America) to the Cape of Good Hope (at the bottom of Africa). A journey that they had done by land mostly, through South America, North America, Asia (mainly Russia), North to South Europe and then North to South Africa (missing some of the dodgy parts). To celebrate that achievement they had rented a villa in Franschhoek and invited friends and family to join them, luckily for us not everyone could make it so there was room for us to. What then followed was five very enjoyable days socialising and having fun with 11 people we had never met before (we had only met Neil and Nikki briefly in Chile), but were good friends by the time we left. Our stay with them coincided with New Year, so that was a good occasion to get to know each other and celebrate together. We also hiked together, explored the wine estates together and were all there to see Neil and Nikki cross the finishing line at the Cape of Good Hope.

King (or Giant Protea) the South Africa official Flower

Hottentot Holland Nature Reserve

Hiking in the Hottentot Holland Nature Reserve

Posh Place where we had a great time with Friends in Franschhoek

Preparing for the Festin du Nouvel An

Time to eat all the food

CapetoCape at Cape of Good Hope their final destination

Our journey continued from Franschhoek on to the sleepy coastal village of Betty’s Bay. Here we had rented a house up in the hills, with views of the ocean from the front and the mountains from the back. It seemed very quiet after the villa, just the two of us, not thirteen. Although we both agreed that, as much as we love just being the two of us, being with other people did us good and was very enjoyable. Maybe we were also lucky that they were such a good crowd.
We had a week in Betty’s Bays, to the surprise of many locals, but it had been planned to be one of our chill-out stops, and that what is was. Most of the time we spent relaxing on the balcony admiring the view, as well as getting a few admin jobs out the way. But it wasn’t all down time; we did get out and explore the area on foot and by car. One such occasion turned out to be very memorable.
The day was cool, after the previous day’s rain, so we decided to go for a hike. Our location choice was the Kogelberg Nature Reserve and the route was the Palmiet River Trail. It was a beautiful hike alongside the Palmiet River with mountains towering above us on all sides. The outwards section of the hike took us along the river edge with the return section along a jeep track about 100m above the river. It was along the jeep track that we had an encounter that will stay with us forever. Unbeknown to us, just on the edge of the track lay a Cape Cobra. It wasn’t until it reared up, with hood spread wide and hissing that we knew of its presence. It was on my side, so I jumped away quickly shouting “Oh my goodness”, or something similar, whilst the snake returned to the ground and slide of into the undergrowth. In the end it was quite an amazing experience, as none of us got hurt and we got a very good sighting of a Cape Cobra in the wild. Another one to add to our dangerous snake encounters list (more of that & Cape Cobra facts below).

View from our accommodation in Bettys Bay

Kogelberg Nature Reserve

Protea

Palmiet River

Dragonfly Gold

Dragonfly Red

Dragonfly Yellow

hiking in Bettys Bay Area

View of Bettys Bay

Cape Cobra - as seen on our hike in the Kogelberg Nature Reserve

Our final stop before returning home was in the heart of Cape Town. Here we had a small but comfortable loft apartment, with panoramic views over the V&A Waterfront out the front and Table Mountain out the side windows. The first thing we noticed, although not intrusive, was the noise. We had been in quiet remote places for most of our stay in South Africa, so it was a change to hear city noise.
Although we were in the city centre, it was relatively easy to get out of town to the attractions on the city boundaries. This meant that we had a mix of activities, in and out of town. A visit to the V&A Waterfront one day.

Unusual advertising in Cape Town, the Q is do you think it is in order of importance?

Waterfront Cape Town

Street Musicians in Cape Town

Nelson Mandela

A hike in the Cape of Good Hope National Park the next.

Olifantsbos Bay - Table Mountain National Park (Cape of Good Hope Region)

Chacma Baboons feeding on shellfish (a behaviour believed unusual in primates) at Olifantsbos Bay

Chacma Baboon feeding on shellfish at Olifantsbos Bay

Female Chacma Baboon with baby

Bontebok feeding near the oceans edge

Rock arch on the Olifantsbos circular hike

Followed by a plateau walk on Table Mountain

Table Mountain Cable Car

View from the Table Mountain plateau - circa 1000m above sea level

View from the Table Mountain plateau

View from the Table Mountain plateau

View from the Table Mountain plateau

View from the Table Mountain plateau

Rock Hyrax on Table Mountain plateau

Table Mountain plateau flora

View from the Table Mountain plateau

View from the Table Mountain plateau

View from the Table Mountain plateau

Table Mountain from Bloubergstrand

and a finally few self guided city walks to explore Cape Town’s hidden secrets.

Prestwich Memorial, the bones of Cape Town's forgotten dead

Historic Tram Tracks the remainder of an almost forgotten transport network started running in 1863 and used until 1930

The Slave Church Museum South Africa oldest mission church were missionaries came to educate not preach religion to the black community

Mullets Optometrists South Africa first Optometrist housed in a beautiful Art Deco building

We are still here memorial to destitute children

Each plaque contains the destitute child details and a request from family to reclaim the child within 6 weeks of the add. If not the child future didn't look bright (semi enslavement)

We Are Still Here memorial A mosaic memorial to destitute children of Cape Town

Wooden Cobbles dating back more than 150 years

Jetty 1

Breakwater Prison Treadmil

Then this amazing journey was over and we caught our flight back to the UK, to start the next adventure.

V&A Waterfront with Table Mountain backdrop

Personal Observations & Interesting Facts

Supermarkets
During our stay in the Eastern and Western Capes of South Africa, we have found the supermarkets to be not dissimilar to those in the UK. However, one thing that did stand out as a difference was their product display policy. In the UK, and throughout most of Europe, complementary products are displayed together. This is not necessary the case in South Africa. Shelf space is at a premium so every gap must be filled. This results in some unusual combinations, we have found pasta with the toiletries and hair products with the tinned fruit. At least this makes you visit all the aisles, not just where you might expect to find the product you want.

Christmas
Christmas is celebrated in South Africa just the same as in the UK, but not with the commercial overkill. You see a few Christmas promotions in the supermarket, but more as a reminder than a ploy to make you buy more than you need. There are no Christmas trees or lights in public places, which would probably seem out of place anyway. And there is no Christmas orientated advertisements on TV, this is especially noticeable by the lack of advertisements targeted at children. It’s all quite refreshing really; back to the old values of Christmas dare I say? (Especially as I am one of the least Christmassy people you can meet). Oh, but there still is Christmas music playing everywhere, so they haven’t got it totally right yet.

Hitch Hiking
Hitch Hiking is illegal on major roads in South Africa, and there is a road sign to indicate this. However, on minor hitching a lift is allowed. The usual method is to stand by the side of the road, extend one arm with a hand displaying a thumb whilst using the other to display a 20 rand note (just over one pound sterling).

TV Bleeps
The use of the word “God” is taken very seriously in South Africa (“thaw shall not take the lords name in vein”, sort of thing). This is followed through on TV programs aired. For example, you will hear “Oh my bleep” or “For bleep sake” or “Bleep only knows”, which on some occasions can become a bit annoying.

Water Shortage
The Western Cape, and in particular the Cape Town area, have a severe water shortage. Poor winter rains for the past three years have left the reservoirs very low and with demand rising all the time, the situation has got serious. We passed one of the major Cape reservoirs in the area, on our way to Franschhoek, and it was only 22% full. There is a possibility that water will have to be tankered into Cape Town by February 2018 if the imposed restrictions don’t work.

Reservoir almost empty

The Cape Cobra and Dangerous snake encounters
The Cape Cobra is a large venomous snake with frontal fangs and can grow to a length of about 1.5m. It lives predominately in the Western Cape but can be found much further afield in South Africa. It is active during the day and generally preys on rodents.
Only about 10% of the 151 snake species found in Southern Africa are dangerous to humans. Very few human deaths from snakebite are recorded annually in Southern Africa, with a figure of around 10 fatalities per annum usually quoted. Most of these deaths are caused by bites from Cape Cobras and Black Mambas.

During our many years of travelling, we have encountered dangerous snakes on three occasions.
The first was in Swaziland, where we inadvertently crossed the path of a Black Mamba. It reared up, looked very displeased, but fortunately went on its way.
The second occasion was in the Amazon Jungle where we were staying with a local tribe. This time it was a Fer de Lance (the most venomous South American snake), which had come into our shower through the floorboards. Unfortunately our hosts had to kill it, otherwise it would keep returning.
The third occasion was of course today, with our Cape Cobra encounter.

Table Mountain
This iconic backdrop to Cape Town was voted one of the “New 7 Wonders of Nature” in 2011, a title it truly deserves. Table Mountain was formed by igneous and glacier action about 520 million years ago, making 6 times older than the Himalayas and one the oldest mountains in the world. The Khoi/San, the original inhabitants of the region, named it “Hoerikwaggo” meaning “Mountain of the Sea”, but its modern name originates from its flat top.
The mountain’s famous tablecloth is a meteorological phenomenon that causes cloud to tumble down the mountain slopes like billowing fabric. The Khoi/San thought this to be the mantis god pulling an animal pelt down to extinguish mountain fires.
At its highest point, it is 1,085m above sea level (Maclear’s Beacon – the focus of our recent hike). The flattish top is accessed, either by a step climb up its side or by a cable car. The cable car was installed in 1929 and an estimated 26 million people have used it to date.
At the top, provided there is no tablecloth, you have magnificent 360-degree views over Cape Town and the surrounding area. A must for anyone visiting Cape Town.