PlanetEye

There is one little community in Arniston that really stole our hearts not only because of the people but the fact that it really felt like time has stood still. The town which dates back to the early 1800's is nestled along the Southern Coast of the Western Cape. The only town in South Africa that has two official names Arniston after the Arniston Ship that wrecked along the shore and then there is its original name of Waenhuiskrans (meaning Ox Wagon Cave)named after the cave on the shore line which was big enough to house several ox wagons in.

The area is believed to originally be inhabited by Standlopers, Bushman who lived along the coastline and off the ocean. Unfortunately there is very little of their existence left except for a few story teller's tales and cave paintings. Waenhuiskrans/Arniston first came to the notice of Europeans when a British ship called the Arniston carrying mainly wounded soldiers but also women and children wrecked along the coastline in 1815 with only six people out of 378 surviving.

There are 2 sides to Arniston- the commercial 'developed' tourist side, and then the original fishing cottages set in a small enclave .The latter is the side that stole our hearts with its white washed thatched roofed homes that havnt changed for centuries.

It was one of these little white-washed cottages with a thatched roof we stayed in on the edge of this vibrant little fishing community. This is one of only 2 houses in the fishing village that is hired out to tourists. The very basic yet homely cottage had all the we needed to relax and enjoy our time there. As we were travelling in the heart of winter we enjoyed the evening in front of a roaring fire after enjoying a lovely meal at the only restaurant in the town ( Waenhuiskrans Restaurant).

There are a few activities to do in this secluded hideaway such as hikes to the Waenhuiskrans cave (at LOW TIDE only!!!), swimming, land based whale watching but just taking it easy and speaking to the locals is more than enough by itself.

Women villagers in the fishing village have established a development project where the women are trained in various crafts and have recently established a small curio shop.

Arniston is a great little spot that we would definitely recommend for anyone looking for a hideaway to relax. This is most certainly one of the Western Capes hidden treasures...

During our travels in the Overberg region of the Western Cape we stumbled on yet another of the Capes secrets. A hideout not only for nature lovers but also those majestic Southern Right Whales and a host of other animals. The reserve includes a part of the Indian ocean that stretches out for approximately 5 km.

Situated along the southern coastline between Bredasdorp, Arniston and Cape Infanta, the reserve stretches over 34 000 hectors with some amazing dunes, unspoilt coastline and dramatic cliffs. It is a very popular spot for hikers, birdwatcher, whale watcher.

We visited the reserve the day after some heavy rains and the potholes were as big as baths but the best part was that the animals were twice as active. As soon as we entered the gates we encountered a large herd Eland, the largest but slowest antelope in the world. One of their amazing attributes is that they are able to jump over a fence 3 metres high -and from a standing start!

We then made our way along the muddy tracks towards the coastline where we walked for about 5 minutes to finally make our way along a rope and wooden walkway that overlooked the unspoiled coastline, cliffs and over 30 southern right whales frolicking in the waters very close to shore. It was was so amazing as they could be seen so clearly with the naked eye.

The flora that can be found in this reserve is similar to all the other reserves in the Western Cape with its Fynbos (meaning fine bush). There is also a large variety of Proteas, Ericas, Restios all of which have adapted to the environment.

It was a great place to visit and we would love to give you some more information however the Management of this reserve was not very friendly or helpful. We tried for many weeks to book an appointment to ask them to explain about the mysteries and wonders of this lovely place without any success or even a reply.

We will endeavour to bring you more reviews of this fantastic reserve as and when the management become more willing And accommodating.

So we never got petrol in Elim but we did spent at least an hour with locals running from house to house looking for petrol, trying to figure out where the nearest petrol station was and in which direction it was. The experience was hysterical to say the least because everyone was saying it was in a different direction.

Anyway while driving we were really concerned that we might run out of Petrol and get stuck on a dusty road in the middle of nowhere. We kept calculating every few minutes how long it would take for Andrew to run and find the petrol station that closed at 1pm .

Finally we got to a petrol pump outside a little shop called Jenny's Café after travelling for over 40 minutes over a few hills. I have never seen a shop like this before it had everything from hand knitted items to tools and in the centre there was a snooker and pool table. Anyway we asked for petrol and went outside to a lonely little petrol pump. Jenny, an old women in her 70's ,came out armed with a knitting needle!! yes a pink knitting needle was needed to make the pump work .Everyone we met was extremly friendly and hospitable and just kept chatting and chatting and chatting but finally we managed to say our goodbyes and got to wander about this "town"

This miniature town called Wolvengat (meaning Wolf Hole) is so small if you blink you will miss it. We only saw a total of 5 houses and the Farm 215 which is a four star country house which is a n interesting hideaway for anyone who is looking for total isolation.

just remember too go with enough petrol in case Jenny has her knitting on the go !!!!

In our travels through the Overberg Region of the Western Cape we took a step back in time in yet another little town called Elim (meaning Palm Tree). Situated between Stanford and Cape Agulhas is a town that was established in 1824 as a Mission Station by the Moravian Church to house mostly freed slaves. An interesting fact is that to this day only people who are members of the Moravian Church are allowed to live in the town.

Anyway we nearly never made it to Elim as its a lot further than the guide book states and there was definitely NO petrol station as they indicated. So be warned there is NO PETROL STATION in Elim!!! DO NOT trust the guide books as the authors very seldom travel to places to make sure that their words are correct.

After travelling on long dusty roads to get to Elim we arrived with a bang in a town that seemed dead and deserted as Sunday morning church service had just started, the Police Station was even closed (do criminals only work Monday to Friday 9 - 2pm !!!!!!)

The town streets are lined with fig trees and pretty little white washed cottages with thatched roofs. Nothing really seems to have changed since it was established.

As expected the main feature in this pretty little town is the Church with a courtyard adorned with lovely palm trees. In the court yard you will find the only monument that commemorates the freeing of the slaves back in 1834.

One of the last working watermills in the Western Cape can be found in Elim. It definitely adds a graceful and elegant feels to technology from another era. In 1974 the watermill was declared a national monument but was neglected until it was restored in 1990 and today you can enjoy some of the most scrumptious breads, biscuits and cakes in their tea room.

There are several roads in the Overberg that lead to Elim and we do recommend that you spend a few hours and chat to the friendly locals that went running all over town to find us petrol....

Staying in the Overberg region of the Western Cape we just had to travel all the way over to the most southerly tip of Africa.

Cape Agulhas can only be described as rugged, windswept, beautiful and remote. After having an eventful and hilarious journey (but that's an article for another time). We travelled on gravel roads and we got stuck in the presidential convoy but finally entered the little coastal town of Cape Agulhas and it took our breathe away.

The Cape Agulhas National Park is one the Western Cape's little treasures. One of the main features in the park is the Cape Agulhas lighthouse that dates back to 1847 and is the second oldest working lighthouse in South Africa. It was built to assist the ships that were on route to and from the East via the Cape, because the coastline is very rough and to this day ship wrecks can be seen all along this coastline which is within the the national Park. Today there is a lovely restaurant in the lighthouse and after a meal you can work off the kilos by climbing the seventy one steps all the way to the top for one of the most amazing views. Its also interesting to pop in at the lighthouse museum where you can see remains of an ancient stone fish-trap that was used by the Khoisan, (indigenous people who lived along this coastline).

This is the region where the Indian and the Atlantic Oceans meet however it is not something that can be seen from the shore or can be pinpointed to an exact point as the currents move. But you can take a photo of a landmark that gives you the co-ordinates of the official southerly point of the African Continent 34° 49' 58" South and 20° 00' 12'' East.

No fires are allowed in the National Park as the landscape is covered in Fynbos that only grows in the Western Cape region. We spent a day driving around the park viewing birds, small wildlife and of course the ocean with its many whales.

This a place that has captivated many explorers throughout time and somewhere we would definitely recommend. Keep an eye on Planeteye to find out more on this region...

Cape Agulhas is situated all the way at the southern most tip of Africa and is where the Indian and the Atlantic Oceans meet. It is not something that can be seen from the shore as the ocean currents constantly shift and the colliding point can be many hundreds of kilometres out to sea.

The Agulhas current is recorded to be one of the world strongest as it follows south along South Africa's east coast. Resulting in an amazing contrast in marine life between the warm Indian and the cold Atlantic. You can be totally mesmerised by the bright colours and dazzling patterns of tropical fish such as Angel Fish, Butterfly Fish, Damsels & Surgeon fish to name a few.

Off the Western coast of South Africa flows the cold Benguella current that flows towards the north of the continent. Along this coastline you will find one of the richest fishing grounds in the world. The residents of these cold waters have mastered the art of camouflage. Some of the amazing fish that can be found in the Atlantic are Shysharks, hag fish, ragged tooth sharks and other dazzling fish.

There are several companies that offer diving tours or diving equipment for hire along the Western Cape's coastline. The only condition is that you have a valid Open Water One Permit, Discover or Advanced Scuba Qualifications or PADI Permit.

If you not have any of the above mentioned permits to dive but you would still like to enjoy the ocean and all the wildlife why not go on an Eco tour where you can view whales, birds, seals, penguins, sharks and many many more from the safety of a boat or canoe.

If you are not able to able to view these brilliant fish in their natural habitat then you can always visit the Two Oceans Aquarium at the V & A Waterfront in the City Centre .

The oceans around Western Cape is amazingly diverse with the cold Atlantic on the west cost and the Warm Indian Ocean that stretches eastwards after Cape Agulhas, the most southerly tip of Africa and also the place where the two oceans meet.

Situated at the V & A Waterfront you'll find the Two Oceans Aquarium that is a great place to spend a rainy day in Cape Town. They display the vast and amazing diversity of the waters off our coastline. It is listed as one of Cape Town's Top attraction with over 3000 living species ranging from sand fish to the majestic ragged tooth shark. Some of the other marine life you could see are seals, turtles, penguins.

One of the activities to really enjoy was the touch pools where you can get up close and personal with a variety of small marine plants and coral.

For those in search of an adrenaline rush (and are a certified diver )a session in the predictor tank can be an amazing experience. Staying at the predictor tank a great thing to do is watch the fish being fed daily at 3pm and the sharks getting fed on Sundays at 3pm.

The Two Oceans Aquarium is also one of only 2 kelp forest displays is the world with the other being in Monterey Bay in the USA.

There is also a lovely restaurant where you will find everything fishy(veggies catered for too) and also some scrumptious desserts. There's also a curio shop. The whole attraction is open Monday to Sunday from 9:30pm to 6pm everyday of the year.