Cape Town Off the Beaten Path Tips by PEE-WEE

Jan Van Riebeeck is a great father figure in South African history.
He was born at Culemborg, Holland in 1619 and at 21 joined the Dutch East India Company as an assistant surgeon.

He was sent to Batavia,where he changed his occupation to assistant clerk.
He was recalled to Holland in 1648 after trouble about his involvement in private trading.

He left the company , married Maria de la Queillerie and embarked on several private trading voyages to Greenland and the West Indies.
His relationship with the Dutch East India Company had remained cordial , and in 1651 he accepted the leadership of a proposed settlement at the Cape.

With his wife and infant son he boarded the flagship 'Drommedaris' and sailed from Holland on 24 December 1651, accompanied by the 'Reyger' and the 'Goede Hoop'.

The three ships made a quick voyage for those times.
On 5 April 1652 Table Mountain loomed into view over the horizon.
Usually it took at least 120 days to reach the Cape from Europe, but the three ships had completed the voyage in 104 days with the deaths of only two people,and little serious sickness.

Just before sunset of the next day the three ships entered Table Bay.It was empty and calm.

The next day Van Riebeeck went ashore to select the sites of a fort and vegetable garden.
He worked diligently and soon passing seamen were able to replenish supplies in plenty.
Cape Town was established as "The Tavern of the Seas".

He was promoted to commander in 1654 and remained as the head of the settlement until 7 May 1662, when he was again transferred to Batavia.
His wife died there and he remarried.
He eventually became secretary of the Council of India and died in 1677.

Always hoping for higher rank,he had never realized that his place in history was assured as the founder of the settlement at the Cape, and that it was to be in South Africa where he would be most honoured.

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This peak , 1001 metres high, flanks the eastern side of Table Mountain.
It was originally known as the Wind Mountain, but takes its present name from a local legend.

Van Hunks, a retired pirate, was said to spend his days sitting beneath a clump of trees at Breakfast Rock, a large boulder on the saddle of land connecting Devil's Peak to Table Mountain.Van Hunks would smoke a mixture of rum - soaked tobacco.

One day, so the legend goes, the devil confronted Van Hunks at Breakfast Rock and challenged him to a smoking contest.
The contest is said to continue throughout the summer months, in winter Van Hunks suffers from rheumatism and is unable to climb the mountain, and to cause the "tablecloth" of cloud which sometimes lies on Table Mountain.

On the slopes of Devil's Peak the British, during the first occupation of the Cape, built a pair of small forts.
They also dragged an armament of cannon up the slopes and although these were never fired in conflict they remain today,symbolically standing guard over the city,Table Bay and the mountains of the interior.

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HAve yourself a trip to the top of Table Mountain by cable car where you may view our mother city, Cape Town.

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Function house and wellness centre.
Adjacent to Boulders Beach Lodge lies penguin Place Function house and wellness centre.
Situated just footsteps from Boulders Beach home to the African Penguin and 10 kilometres from Cape Point Nature Reserve, Penguin Place is a haven for private functions or conferences.

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Phone: 021 786 1825

This is a regular tour to the charming 'off the beaten track' seaside village of Hermanus. Famous for its giant aquatic summer visitors, Hermanus has established itself as one of the continents most desired tourist destinations. But there is far more to this bustling seaside town than her whales.

Join ME on a tour that includes dramatic mountain passes, beautiful coastal estuaries, secluded seaside retreats of the rich and famous and one of the most scenic coastal roads in the world.

Hope you enjoy the tour ,the whales are awesome.

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Chapman's Peak Drive was the brain child of Sir Frederic de Waal, the first administrator of the Cape Province.Work on the road began in 1915 after engineers, geologists and surveyors determined the best route along the soft band of shale between the mountain's granite base and the overlying sandstone,the route,an engineering feat at the time ,was formally opened in 1922.

Rock falls were a constant threat from the start.However a series of unfortunate rock fallevents and mountain fires finally lead to the closing of Chapman's Peak Drive in January 2000.

The route was rehabilitated over a period of four years.Rockfall protection measures including catch fences, half tunnels, slope stabilisation and concrete canopy structures were completed in November 2003,this allowing the drive to be reopened as a toll road on 21 December 2003.

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Table Mountain: The easiest way to reach the summit of Table Mountain is via the Cableway, taking about 5 mins, but offering stunning views in all directions thanks to its rotating floor. For the more adventurous visitor there are several hiking routes, which range from gentle to challenging. Allow at least ½-day and probably a full day if you intend to walk to the summit - the spectacular views across the Cape and the City are well worth the effort.

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Simon’s Town: South Africa’s third oldest European settlement with a rich cultural heritage and a number of excellent museums, e.g. Simon’s Town Museum in its Residency Building (dated 1777), which also provides guides for walking town tours. The town also offers excursions of its naval base and for the more active sea kayaking.

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Cape Point: One of the regions most frequently visited sites is the southernmost tip of the Cape Peninsula, part of Cape Peninsula National Park. It offers dramatic viewpoints, a number of secluded beaches & picnic sites and a superb diversity of native fynbos species.

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Gordon's Bay to Cape Agulhas
This stretch of coastline is an absolute must for nature lovers and especially marine enthousiasts, who have done the Big Five. Dive with Great White Sharks and go and see Whales and land-based African Penguins - the ultimate marine thrill

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