Travel in South Africa - from Cape Point to Sea Point
Cape Peninsula
At Cape Point
“Visiting Cape Town from time to time seems to be a yearning deeply rooted in the genes of European-South Africans, because this is where 99% of our Western ancestors set foot on shore since 1652.” This was my thoughts when we began our tour a couple of days ago.
Enjoy a picture tour of -
- The first phase of our journey - From Klerksdorp to Matjiesfontein.
- Second phase - From Matjiesfontein to Strand (Western Cape) .
- The third phase was all about the Cape Winelands, Stellenbosch, wine tasting and strawberries,
- The fourth phase was the first half of our tour of the Cape-Peninsula – from Muizenberg to Cape Point - (the eastern side of the peninsula, facing False Bay).
And now we are ready to travel from Cape Point to Sea Point, all the way on the western side of the Cape Peninsula.
From Cape Point to Scarborough - a conservation village established in 1996 -
From Scarborough to Kommetjie (small basin). This suburb of Cape Town boast with evidence that prehistoric peoples used the basin-shaped inlet as a fish trap.
Ocean View, before 1994 a township for strictly Coulereds
The Cape of Storms
Noordhoek
Noordhoek (north corner) is the next suburb on our route to Sea Point. On its beach, at the southern end, we see the remains of the steamship SS Kakapo which stranded in 1900. Before modern navigational aids were introduced, many ships ran upon the rocks along the South African coastline, therefore it was called the ‘graveyard of ships’. The original name of the “Cape of Good Hope” was in fact Cabo das Tormentas (Cape of Storms). named by Bartolomeu Dias when he finally managed to reach the cape on 12 March 1488.
The Cape of Storms points to the west, and this indicated to seafarers from Europe to the Far East that they have reached the end of Africa and it was time to turn left. For seafarers from the Far East to Europe, it was time to turn right. Sadly, in the fog and stormy waters, seafarers became confused with all the capes along the South African shore. And so they built lighthouses, but the navigators could still misjudge the shape of a cape and turn their ship too early and run upon the rocks. Eventually the advent of modern navigational aids came to their rescue.
Read more about shipwrecks off South Africa’s coast HERE
Read more about Noordhoek HERE.
Noordhoek
Click thumbnail to view full-sizeFrom Noordhoek to Houtbaai
From Noordhoek to Houtbaai (Wood Bay) we challenge a mountain called Chapmans’ Peak. Its giddy precipices right into the Atlantic Oceans inspire many motorists to rather cross the peninsula to end up on its eastern side from where they can reach Cape Town via a safer route – a route all motorists are compelled to take when the Chapmans’ Peak Drive is closed due to snow or heavy fog.
Read more about Chapmans’ Peak HERE.
Houtbaai
Houtbaai is a town (not merely a suburb of Cape Town).
Languages spoken in Houtbaai are English 59.7%, Afrtikaans 32.9%, Xhosa 1.3%, Other, 6.1%.
Read more about Houtbaai HERE.
From Houtbaai to Llandudno
Llandudno is a suburb of Cape Town, exclusively for the very rich.
From Llandudno tourists may enter the isolated Sandy Bay - the only beach – actually place - in South Africa where people may appear naked in public.
Remarkable, and to be interpreted by the reader, are the languages spoken in Llandudno: English 85.5%, Afrikaans 6%, Xhosa 3.3%.
The racial makeup: Whites 87%, Xhosa’s 10.3%, Coloured 2.%, Other 0.5%.
Read about Llandudno HERE.
Read more about Sandy Bay HERE.
From Llandudno to Sea Point
The suburbs flow into each other -
Oudekraal Beach – a beautiful beach with spiritual and historical significance for the Muslim community.
Camps Bay – Read about its interesting history HERE.
Clifton – another suburb where only the very rich can afford to live.
Bantry Bay – also exclusive for the affluent citizens of South Africa and foreign countries.
Interesting, and again to be interpreted by the reader, are the languages spoken in –
Bantry Bay: English 71.5%, Afrikaans 12.4%, Xhosa 3.8%, Zulu 1.7%, Other (such as Portuguese, Italian, Greek, Hebrew, Yiddish) 10.5%
Clifton: English 72%, Afrikaans 15.4% (mostly Coloured housekeepers), Xhosa 3.2%, Sotho 1.2%, Other 8.3%.
Camps Bay: English 79.4%, Afrikaans 9.4%, Xhosa 2.1%, Other 9%.
Languages spoken in the entire Cape Town - English 67.68%, Afrikaans 22.53%, Xhosa 2.71%, Other 4.72%
(Source: Wikipedia)
Sea Point
At last we are in Sea Point, our ‘headquarters’ for the rest of the week.
In 1776 Cape Town suffered a smallpox epidemic. Sam Wallis, a commander serving under Captain Cook, kept his men isolated in this area between Signal Hill and the Atlantic Ocean. He named the area Sea Point. It quickly grew as a suburb. Two-three decades ago, neglected by absent landlords, it was considered to be a breeding ground for criminals. But local as well as foreign investors realised the suburb’s potential, and today it is considered to be one of Cape Town’s affluent suburbs.
Read more about Sea Point HERE.
Begin this picture tour of the Cape Province from the beginning
Our agenda for the next day
We have only 3 days to see as much as possible of Cape Town and immediate region.
But first dinner and a good night's rest.
Tomorrow is another day.....
To be published soon.....
© Martie Coetser 30/11/2014
© 2014 Martie Coetser