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Western
Cape |
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Province:
Western Cape |
Capital
City: Cape Town
Languages:
isiZulu (80%), English (16%), Afrikaans (2%)
Population: 8,
417 000
Total %
of Population of South Africa:20,7%
Area Size: 92
100 sq km
Total
% of Area of South Africa:7,6% |
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Cape Of
Good Hope |
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Western
Cape, The Cape & South Africa's Mother City,
Cape Town
Cape
Town, South Africa's Mother City, has one
of the most dramatic natural settings in the world.
The city's suburbs are spread out below a massive
flat-topped mountain which is often covered by
its famous tablecloth of swirling clouds. On each
side, the sentinels of Lion's Head and Devil's
Peak guard Table Mountain, while stretching away
from Lion's Head is the 'lion's rump' of Signal
Hill. Cradled in a bowl, the city has lying before
it the sweep of Table Bay and Robben Island, where
Nelson Mandela was once imprisoned.
North of Cape
Town, the quiet West Coast towns of Langebaan
and Saldanha
Bay lure the visitor with their sandy beaches,
clear waters, great number of seabirds, spring
wild flowers and fine seafood restaurants.
Inland, the backbone of the Cape's famous wine
industry is centred around Stellenbosch.
Rich vineyards and large wine estates however
reach into the Overberg, the Boland and the Little
Karoo and even beyond. They also extend into the
fertile valleys of the Berg, Eerste, Hex and Breede
rivers.
Accommodation in Western Cape, Mossel Bay |
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| Guest House
> Guest House Full Service |
| Western Cape |
Mossel Bay |
| Tel:
+27 (0)44 - 044 690 4364 |
Fax:
+27 (0)44 - 086 680 55 99 |
| As an intimate new B&B, Linkside 2 offers visitors a complete personalized experience. Meticulous attention to detail and imaginative finishing touches are complemented by first-class luxury and exqu... |
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| Price Range:Budget - R50.00 - R500.00 |
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INFORMATION  |
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Tavern Of The Seas
Jan van Riebeeck came from Holland to establish
a revictualling station for the Dutch East India
Company, whose ships ploughed around the Cape
on their way to trade in the Far East. He cast
anchor in Table Bay on 6 April 1652, came ashore
and soon constructed an earthen fort and laid
out vegetable gardens. It was not long before
a permanent settlement was established that not
only supplied much-needed fresh vegetables, fruit
and meat to passing Dutch ships, but also to those
of friendly countries.
Over the years Van Riebeeck's settlement steadily
developed into a 'tavern of the seas' as ships
stopped, not only to pick up fresh food and water,
but also for their sailors to come ashore and
relax for a while.
With expansion in trade, the outpost grew into
a town as more and more settlers came to establish
new homes. Van Riebeeck's settlement began to
expand beyond the slopes of Table Mountain, Devil's
Peak and Lion's Head, and many settlers moved
out of Cape
Town, seeking the soils and opportunities
that lay across the mountains to the east.
In 1795 the British ended the Dutch occupation
of the Cape in order to deny their enemy, France,
the opportunity to establish a base there, and
thus ensured British ships an unfettered passage
to the East. In 1802 the British felt that the
threat had passed and so they returned the Cape
to the Dutch.
However, when France again began to flex its muscles
the British invaded the Cape for a second time
- in 1806 - and after a short but fierce battle
at Blaauwberg,
they took over the colony. This time they stayed,
setting up a permanent administration which lasted
until the latter half of the 19th century when
responsible government was granted to the Cape
and the Cape parliament was established, with
its own elected representatives.
Cosmopolitan
Cape
Town
Cape
Town's unique cosmopolitan character derives
from a blend of European, Asian and African influences.
In its three and a half centuries of growth it
has taken from Holland, reflected in a rich mix
of Cape and Dutch architecture; it has taken from
England, leaving the unmistakable stamp of Queen
Victoria; and it has taken from Java and elsewhere
in Indonesia, evident in its mosques, Malay Quarter
and Cape Malay culture. And underlying it all
is the unequivocal and tangible rhythm of Africa.
Onto this unique Cape rootstock has been grafted
a modern city with a flourishing commercial, financial
and industrial infrastructure. Skyscrapers, freeways,
shopping malls and sprawling suburbs have radically
altered the face of Cape
Town, one of the fastest-growing urban sprawls
in the world.
Its phenomenally successful Victoria and Alfred
Waterfront is one of the country's foremost tourist
attractions and with its working harbour, outdoor
entertainment and buskers, hotels, waterside pubs
and restaurants, museums and bustling shopping
complexes, it is not hard to understand why.
Table Mountain
Cape
Town's most famous landmark is the 1 086-metre-high
Table Mountain. On clear days it is visible from
as far as 200 kilometres out to sea, and it has
provided a beacon of hope to countless sailors
and an unforgettable sight to all who visit the
city.
Application has been made for the mountain to
be declared a World Heritage Site, not only because
of the dramatic statement it makes within the
urban context of Cape
Town, but also because of its richly diverse
flora.
Many of its over 1 400 species are endemic and
the red disa (Disa uniflora), known as the Pride
of Table Mountain, is particularly well known.
The big game that used to roam the mountain -
such as Cape lion, leopard, hippo and buffalo
- has long since been exterminated, and today
only small mammals, such as baboon, dassie (rock
hyrax), steenbok and the Cape grey mongoose, are
found here.
Since 1929, two cable cars have ferried visitors
to the summit of Table Mountain, a journey which
rises from 366 metres to 1 067 metres above sea
level in about 5 minutes. From the top, the magnificent
views over Cape
Town are unparalleled.
Table Mountain dominates the chain of mountains
that form the prominent backbone of the Cape Peninsula,
much of which is included in the Cape Peninsula
National Park.
The front of Table Mountain, which faces north,
drops precipitously to the city below, but its
back gives way gradually to Constantia Nek and
then the Constantiaberg range takes over, continuing
until it diminishes in a sharp point and disappears
into the sea at Cape Point.
The west face of Table Mountain is made up of
the Twelve Apostles - a beautiful series of 12
sandstone mountain buttresses which overlook the
magnificent beaches of Camps
Bay and Clifton, and the southern Atlantic
Ocean.
The east face commands a view over False Bay,
Kirstenbosch, the southern suburbs of Cape
Town, the Cape Flats and the distant Hottentots-Holland
Mountains.
Some 60 million years ago, the Cape Flats were
covered by sea and when the water receded, a vast,
sandy region of drifting dunes was revealed. Hardy
shrubs and trees were planted to stablilize the
sands, and today it is one of Cape
Town's most densely populated areas. |
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Cape Of
Good Hope |
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Kirstenbosch
Nestled in the lee of the southwestern slopes
of Table Mountain, the South African National
Botanical Garden at Kirstenbosch was a gift from
Cecil John Rhodes to the nation.
In 1895 Rhodes, mining magnate and Prime Minister
of the Cape, purchased 560 hectares of virtually
upspoilt land, and after his death in 1902, bequeathed
this land to the state. In 1913 the whole area
was proclaimed a national botanical garden.
Kirstenbosch's fascination stems from two sources
- the rich species diversity of the flora that
is propagated, studied and preserved there, and
its remarkable setting, with its hills, slopes,
streams, forests and its beautiful mountain backdrop.
At present no less than 6 000 of South Africa's
21 000 plant species are represented in the gardens.
Cape Of Good Hope
The 7 675-hectare Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve
is situated at the southern tip of the Western
Cape province, about 80 kilometres from Cape
Town.
Its attraction arises from a marriage of scenic
beauty, a major display of Cape flora and fauna,
and an absorbing history of maritime misadventure.
Many vessels, wrecked by the turbulent seas, have
found their final resting place along this rocky
coastline.
The reserve is not only of great importance for
the conservation of flora and fauna, but it also
provides a variety of outdoor recreation facilities
for Capetonians and is a major tourist attraction.
Cape Point is washed by the waters of the Atlantic
Ocean, with its own intertidal and marine
life system. It will eventually form part of the
Table Mountain National Park and application has
been made for it too to be proclaimed a World
Heritage Site.
Glorius
Winelands
The Western Cape is renowned for its wine and
deciduous fruit industry. It was not long after
Jan van Riebeeck's arrival that it became clear
to the new settlers that the region had fertile
soil, a temperate climate, access to perennial
water and an abundance of sunshine - all the ingredients
necessary for the cultivation of vines and deciduous
fruit.
Van Riebeeck planted the first vines shortly after
he landed and in 1659 the maiden wine was tasted
in the Cape.
In 1685 the governor of the Cape, Simon van der
Stel, was granted a shady valley with sunny slopes
behind Table Mountain and he established Constantia,
the genesis of the South African wine industry.
Constantia's
manor house, Groot Constantia, is now a museum,
but its vineyards and cellars are still operative
and together they make up one of Cape
Town's most enticing drawcards.
When Van der Stel died in 1712, the estate was
subdivided and over the years, several well-known
wine estates and superb examples of Cape Dutch
architecture - including Klein Constantia, Buitenverwachting,
Hope of Constantia, Nova Constantia and Constantia
Uitsig - were built on the subdivisions.
Today visitors can sample the fruits of the vine
along a number of enticing wine routes - Paarl,
Constantia,
Stellenbosch
and Franschhoek,
for example.
The heart of the wine industry lies in Stellenbosch,
South Africa's second oldest town established
shortly after 1679 when Simon van der Stel visited
there. It has many fine examples of well-preserved
Cape Dutch architecture, and Dorp Street has one
of the longest rows of old buildings surviving
in any southern African town.
Another feature is its large number of oak trees,
the first of which were planted by Van der Stel,
giving Stellenbosch
the apt title of Eikestad, 'city of oaks'.
It initially served as an agricultural centre,
but after the founding of Victoria College in
1881 - forerunner of Stellenbosch University -
its character changed to that of a university
town.
Today it is a delightful mix of student jauntiness
and historic charm.
Southwestern
Cape
Across the Hottentots-Holland Mountains lie a
series of rugged, rolling hills, softened by vast
orchards of apple trees. Nestled among these hills
are the twin centres of Elgin and Grabouw, the
Cape's famous apple-growing area which produces
more than 50% of South Africa's export apple crop.
During the apple picking season (January to May),
millions of apples are graded, washed and then
sent to Cape
Town harbour for export.
The Elgin Valley, watered by the Palmiet River,
also produces pears, peaches, wine and flowers
such as chrysanthemums, roses and proteas.
Beyond Elgin and Grabouw and centred around an
old harbour is Hermanus,
once a fishing village, but today a popular holiday
destination.
Beyond the breakers that crash into the cliffs
along much of Hermanus's
beachfront, southern right whales can often be
seen frolicking in the waves. Mating and calving
whales frequent these waters each year between
July and November.
A scenic route to Hermanus
follows the coastal road from Gordon's
Bay, hugging the shoreline in places and running
through spectacular mountain scenery. It passes
the seaside resorts of Koeëlbaai, Rooiels,
Betty's Bay and Kleinmond, and is characterized
by its abundant Cape coastal fynbos, especially
lovely in spring.
At Danger Point, further up the coast, an important
chapter was written into the annals of maritime
history, for it was here on 26 February 1852 that
the Birkenhead Drill - the practice of allowing
women and children to evacuate a doomed ship first
- was pioneered.
It was in the early hours of the morning that
a British troopship, HMS Birkenhead, foundered.
All the soldiers stood to attention on the ship's
deck while the ship's women and children passengers
were allowed to climb aboard the few lifeboats
available.
A total of 445 soldiers' lives were lost.
West Coast Splendour
Langebaan Lagoon and Saldanha
Bay are the West Coast's main attractions,
and holiday-makers flock to their shores for the
water sports, seabirds and spring flowers.
The tranquil lagoon, focal point of the West Coast
National Park, is 16 kilometres long, 4,5 kilometres
wide and on average about 6 metres deep, and it
is connected to Saldanha
Bay by a narrow channel.
A variety of fish species occur in the lagoon
and because of its extensive mudbanks, which are
exposed at low tide, it is a favourite feeding
ground for a large number of birds, the most common
being sandpiper, cormorant, flamingo, plover,
gannet and gull.
There was a time when Langebaan also had vast
colonies of oysters, but by a quirk of nature
they died out and the bed of the lagoon is now
covered with an estimated 30 million tons of shells.
In 1985 a core national park consisting of Langebaan
Lagoon, Sixteen Mile Beach and the islands of
Marcus, Schaapen, Jutten and Malgas, was proclaimed.
Land surrounding the lagoon remained privately
owned. Over the years, the World Wide Fund for
Nature-South Africa (WWF-SA), has allocated funds
for the purchase of 16 500 hectares of land encircling
the lagoon.
One of the finest natural harbours in the world,
Saldanha
Bay is virtually landlocked with only a narrow
entrance open to the sea, but its depth allows
deep-draught ships to enter. A bulk-loading facility
has been established in the bay and a giant steelworks
is to be developed a few kilometres from its shores
from where finished product will be exported.
Saldanha
Bay is the centre of the West Coast's important
fishing and cray-fishing industry, which attracts
huge populations of seals and birds. |
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Western Cape Map |
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Travel Agent |
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Hambanathi Travel
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Telephone: +27 (0)33 394 7870
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Email: barky@lantic.net
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