Reclamation to Shipwreck to Well Found Yacht

The Khoi and San, hunter gatherer and nomadic farming people, sparsely populated this area before Europeans arrived and the plains teemed with mega fauna, big and small animals of a great species diversity. Bartholomew Diaz sailed by in 1488 and ten years later Vasco de Gama found the first all sea route from Europe to India around South Africa thus opening up the commercial route for the spice trade avoiding the problematic overland journey from Constantinople (Istanbul) to Peking (Beijing).

Portuguese Bartholomew Diaz stands on his plinth reminding us of this and, appropriately, overlooking the business district that is built on land reclaimed from the sea by the Dutch; who are, as some of us know from our early years schooling, very good at reclaiming land. Remember the little boy who plugged a hole in the dyke with his finger to prevent a trickle becoming a flood until help arrived.

Our shiny red bus then turned away from the water and Duncan Dock with its empty cruise liner terminal and headed into the town centre along Heerengracht, right along Strand to the right of which was once the Quayside and then left along a short section of the very old and characterful Long Street, along which we walked yesterday on a town trek, more about that later.

Buitengracht, New Church and Kloof Nek Road all merged in that order into the road heading towards the Mountain. A left at the roundabout and we were on Table Mountain Road, and glad we weren’t walking as it left behind it the tree line and climbed through a switchback to our destination; the Cable Car Lower Station and from there to our return you already know our story.

Four hours later and our many questions answered, we were back on the bus for the spectacular ride through Camps Bay and on to Clifton with its four, guaranteed ‘windless beaches’. Real estate agents sell properties on the basis the new owners and their guests can go to the beach without any fear of getting sand in their eyes. No new builds are allowed to block the view from the road which was very nice for us.

At one of the bays further around this sales assertion is on thin ice as you can see from the trees in front of the apartments, where the wind hits the walls and windows of the buildings and bounces back onto the trees in an attempt to push them across the road.

More seriously, this is a very exposed coast in a southern storm as happened during the Great Storm of 1865 when countless vessels, including the R.M.S. Athens foundered with loss of all life. Her man-made engine block you can see in the photo is a durable reminder of the fragility of man and a nice little target for swimmers and snorkellers. Even on the benign day we were there the swell hitting the shore and breakwaters was impressive.

We left the bus at Green Point beside the lighthouse with its grazing geese and walked the seaside promenade around Mouille Point to enjoy the views of where the Atlantic Ocean meets the shore in spectacular style. Soon we were back at the V & A Waterfront and looking forward to relaxing back on board well-sheltered Zoonie.