One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Situated within an Unesco World Heritage Site. Part of a National Park. Not just one of Cape Towns most iconic landmarks, but also one of South Africa's. Who I am? Sound like a question from a game show with the obvious answer being Table Mountain. Now I hope nobody got it wrong though. Table Mountain was on the top of our list of places to visit while in Cape…
The very first thing we looked up and booked when we decided to go to Montagu was the legendary Montagu Tractor Trip. "What makes a tractor trip so special?" you ask. Well, this isn't just any old tractor trip. The trip takes place on Protea Farm about 35 kilometers outside Montagu and was started in 1985. The tour meanders it's way up the Langeberg Mountain to an altitude of 1500m above see level with some of the most breathtaking views you can imagine. We…
The Karoo landscapes are beautiful and always give you something new to photograph. Driving back from Gauteng I stopped for a quick break outside Steynsburg and snapped this farm gate with Karoo koppies in the background.These specific Karoo koppies in question are Koffiebus (Coffee pot) and Teebus (Tee pot).
The Twelve Apostles is probably the second most photographed mountain around Cape Town after Table Mountain's table top. The Twelve Apostles is part of the Tabel Mountain range as it stretched down towards Cape Point. The area in the distance is Camps Bay, an affluent area with a beachfront fringed by palm trees and trendy restaurants and night spots. I always forget that my camera has a panorama setting, so I haven't used it much. I did try it out…
Little dry flowers on top of the Swartberg Pass outside Oudtshoorn. I am always amazed at the resilience of plants growing in an area where in summer the temperature can top 40 degrees Celsius and in winter is often covered in snow.
The Swartberg Mountains just after sunset seen across a field full of ostriches
Driving east through the Gamtoos River Valley from the Baviaanskloof side towards the town of Patensie, the road wounds along a section between the river and Enon conglomerate cliffs. If you keep one eye on the cliffs above while watching the road with the other, you may just spot one of the valley's landmarks. The profile of Queen Victoria. I'm not sure who would have been the first person to recognise her, but with a bit of imagination you can…
As you cross over the Montagu Pass from George into the Klein Karoo you enter a small village called Herold. Herold is tucked away in the mountains at the end of the beautiful historic pass. The town developed as a result of the the pass that was constructed in 1847. The town grew quite rapidly as travellers along this new road to the Klein Karoo needed a place to stay as well as other essential services. It continued to be…
The ruin of the old toll house on the Swartberg Pass (here and here) can be found at the start of the pass on the Oudtshoorn side of the mountain. I would have wanted to spend some more time at the ruin getting photographs, but it was hot (around 40 degrees Celsius) and the family was getting impatient in the car.
Travelling from Mossel Bay to Oudtshoorn a week or so ago, we made a quick stop at Eight Bells Mountain Inn for a site inspection. Although I haven't been to Eight Bells for a while, it used to be one of my regular overnight stops when I was a tourist guide. The morning of our visit there was quite a lot of fog on the mountains around the area and I got this shot looking from the hotel across to…