Cape Town

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Delville Wood Memorial and Table Mountain in the late afternoon

 My quick two day visit to Cape Town for the e-Tourism Africa Summit just wet my appetite for a bit of a Cape holiday again.  Not that I know when I'll get the opportunity but I do know that I need some explore time in the city again.  The three things I would really like to do is a tour of the underground tunnels that run through the city bowl, to hike up Table Mountain via Platteklip Gorge and to do…

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10/09/2014
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Atlantic seaboard sunset

 One of South Africa's most popular sunset view sites is from Signal Hill in Cape Town.  Visitors and locals alike head up to its lookout spots to see the sun set over the Atlantic Ocean.  And that is exactly what I did last week on a whirlwind visit to the city for a tourism e-marketing summit.  The conference ended just before six and I rushed up, parked the car and made my way along one of the paths to find somewhere…

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08/09/2014
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Kloof Nek cannons

Over the years the Cape has been occupied by different countries and there was always a threat of an invasion because of the Cape's strategic location.  Because of this a big number of defensive positions have been set up all around the Cape Peninsula from the time that the first European's colonised the area.  One of these can be seen at the top of Kloof Nek.  Two 12 Pounder Guns were placed on Kloof Nek in 1782 by the Dutch East India Company (VOC)…

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08/08/2014
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Dias Statue in Cape Town

Bartholomew Dias was the first European to discover South Africa.  On an expedition looking for a sea way to the East he sailed around the Cape in a storm without knowing it.  On 3 February 1488 he landed in Mossel Bay which he called the Bay of Saint Blaise.  On 12 March they reached the furthest point of the expedition when he anchored at Kwaaihoek near the Bushmans River mouth.  It was here that Dias planted a stone cross (padrao) before…

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24/07/2014
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Sir Lowry’s Pass lookout

The first sighting of the Cape, False Bay and Table Mountain one gets approaching from the east is from the top of Sir Lowry's Pass on top of the Hottentots Holland Mountains.  The view sight is situated at the top of the pass and about 920 meters above sea level.  The view site gives a beautiful panorama from Gordon's Bay and Strand on the shore of False Bay on the left towards Somerset West and the Helderberg on the right. …

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22/07/2014
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Cape Town big wheel

The Wheel of Excellence (or just Waterfront Big Wheel as most people refer to it) at the V&A Waterfront has become a favorite activity for visitors in Cape Town to do.  The surrounding view of the Waterfront and city from the top is stunning.  My last visit to Cape Town was a brief one and there wasn't time for a trip, but I did snap this pic of it on a walk through the Waterfront before heading to dinner.

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20/07/2014
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V&A Waterfront after dark

I really don't get to go to Cape Town anywhere close to as much as I would like to.  When I do though I make sure I visit some attractions and touristy spots to soak in the Cape atmosphere.  A short two night visit for World Travel Market African meant that I only got to take a quick drive down to Hout Bay for a meeting, walk the streets around the International Convention Centre at lunch time and pop into the V&A Waterfront…

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23/06/2014
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Sir Lowry’s Pass view point

After nearly a day on the road between Port Elizabeth and Cape Town (roughly about 800km and normally an 8 hour drive if you only stop once or twice briefly) one starts to be in a hurry by the time you get to the top of Sir Lowry's Pass just west of Somerset West.  The end destination is within reach after all.  I like to pull over on top of the pass at the view point for a couple of minutes first…

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31/03/2014
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Harbour beacon

Although it looks like a lighthouse it isn't a lighthouse, not quite.  It does have a light though.  What is it then and where did I see it?  It is a beacon at the end of the breakwater forming part of the Port Elizabeth Harbour wall.

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21/11/2013