South Africa Trip Report, Day 4: Cape Point Drive, Chapman's Peak

May 24, 2016, Tuesday: Cape Point day trip 

A sightseeing drive to Cape Point and around the Cape Peninsula is a “must do” day trip when visiting Cape Town. The Cape Point day trip is one of Cape Town’s top tourist attractions and ranks among the most scenic drives in the world.

Clockwise scenic drive 

We chose to do it clockwise. The following route is a circular route approximately 140 kms in total and takes us in a  clockwise scenic drive around the peninsula passing the following towns & beaches

Coming from Cape Town via the False Bay side:

Cape Town – Muizenberg– Kalk Bay– Simons Town– Boulders Beach– Cape Point– Scarborough– Noordhoek– Chapmans Peak Drive– Hout Bay– Cape Town.

Of course we need good clear weather to enjoy this ride and Chapman’s peak drive is closed in high winds and adverse conditions.

The weather forecast predicted rains till 1 PM but we started off on our drive by 8am. There was a slight drizzle off and on and it added to the mystique of the surrounding hills.

Boulders Beach Penguin Colony:

Penguins are becoming an endangered species and conservationists have taken steps to protect the African penguin. There is a flourishing colony of some 3000 penguins in the Boulders beach and they are a much visited attraction.

When we reached Simons Town, there were plenty of boards announcing the presence of penguins. We made our way to the Boulders beach.



No rain. We got our free tickets showing the wild card and ID and rushed on to the viewing platforms.

Penguins were sitting around in their nests –we saw one sitting on eggs. 

After enjoying close up looks, we went onward… there were several young ones nestling with their mother, cute little ones walking around. We reached the end of the platform and saw the bay and beach area with several hundred penguins. All a very peaceful sight and not a sight of any other tourist!

We then went to the separate beach section with the celebrated rocks in the shape of huge boulders. I stepped on a big rock here and slipped, fell flat on my back. I had been carrying our sweaters and jackets and I dropped all in a small puddle of water! Thankfully I was not hurt!

We then went to the sandy beach with more penguins



and enjoyed the tranquil scene for a while before making our way back to our car.

I had dropped my nice red stole in the beach, then dropped my white base ball cap at the car park! Quite a careless thing to do! I only hope some one is using them… they are nice pieces and I can’t picture them in the trash!

By now rain had totally stopped. We drove on to Cape Point.

Cape Point

Besides its scenic beauty Cape Point has a lot of historic significance.

Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias was the first to round the Cape Peninsula in 1488. He named it the “Cape of Storms”, for the notoriously bad weather, which can blow up quickly. By day, it was a navigational landmark and by night, and in fog, it was a menace beset by violent storms and dangerous rocks that littered shipwrecks around the coastline.

A decade later, Vasco da Gama navigated the same route and sailed up the coast of Africa, successfully opening a new trading route for Europe with India and the Far East. An explorer John II of Portugal later renamed it as the “Cape of Good Hope” because of the great optimism engendered by the opening of this new sea route to India and the East.

The whole area is now a national park and a World Heritage Site. Table Mountain National Park includes the majestic Table Mountain chain, which stretches from Signal Hill to Cape Point, and the coastlines of the Cape Peninsula. This narrow stretch of land, dotted with beautiful valleys, bays and beaches, contains a mix of diverse and unique fauna and flora.

There are 2 points a little apart, one named Cape Point and the other Cape of Good Hope inside the Park. A scenic drive through the National Park leads us to the parking area at Cape Point. The speed limit in the reserve is 60km/h! The direct drive from the gate to Cape Point will take 10 to 15 minutes.



From the parking, we can trek up to the old light house or take the cable car (a 3 minute ride in the Flying Dutchman funicular that transfers visitors from the lower station at 127 m above sea level, to the upper station at 236 m above sea level Adult: R58 (return) / R48 (single)

Lighthouse Trail

The lighthouse (1859) stands at 249 metres above sea-level on the highest section of the peak and is now used as the centralised monitoring point for all the lighthouses on the coast of South Africa. 

It’s an uphill trek but relatively easy and we walked up, enjoying the views. From the top viewing point, we can watch massive whales during their annual migration (July-Nov). It was not the right season, we just enjoyed the panorama.

 Then we walked down, seeing the remains of a secret radar station used during WW II. .



Definitely recommend the walk to the Flying Dutchman Funicular ride…. We can see much more.

Flying Dutchman

Flying Dutchman is a legendary ghost ship that can never make port and is doomed to sail the oceans forever. The ghostly galleon has been immortalized by mariners’ accounts and by a number of sightings over the past three-and-a-half centuries. As legend has it, the Flying Dutchman was captained by a Dutchman, Hendrik van der Decken, and was headed home from Batavia (now Jakarta) to Holland in 1641. As Van der Decken approached the Cape, typically stormy weather shredded the ship’s sails and waves flooded the deck. The captain had rounded Cape Point on several occasions previously, but this time, a terrified crew implored him to turn back. He refused to submit to the elements and lashed himself to the wheel, swearing that he would sail around Cape Point, even if it took him until Doomsday.

One version of the story goes that an angel appeared on the deck and the enraged captain drew his pistol and shot her. Van der Decken’s wish to round the point was granted that night, but he and his crew were doomed to sail these waters for ever more. Over the past three-and-a-half centuries a ghostly sailing ship, that glows red in the night and has a mad, bald captain, has been sighted by a number of mariners. Those who have seen her say she lets down row-boats that approach with ghostly men aboard, desperately seeking a Good Samaritan to take their letters back home, where they haven’t been for more than 300 years. But those who entertain these approaches are doomed… the most credible explanation is a superior mirage or Fata Morgana seen at sea.

Anyways, there are some real shipwrecks along the coast, some 26 of them and one can go on trail to see a few of them!

Cape of Good Hope

We went to the Cape of Good Hope, went up the small hill. Hardly worth the effort, no better views from up than from the parking lot! Also there is no hand hold/support in the tricky parts! After my fall in the Boulders beach, I was treading gingerly and felt the climb was not worth it after doing it!

There had been a baboon when we started the light house trail with a Chinese guy doing his best to entice it to come close for his pictures! I’m a little scared of baboons and thankfully it had scurried away. Here at Cape of Good Hope, there were a couple of baboons sitting on some one’s car. I took out our umbrella and kept it as protection as I had read the baboons can be pretty aggressive. Nothing happened and we left after our climb.

On the way out there were 2 big ostriches on the road… we were very happy for the sighting. There are ostrich farms in Cape and I had contemplated visiting one of them. Decided against it as I felt it was a bit of cruelty riding them. There are plenty of ostrich egg curios in all shops… again some of them claim it’s all ethical. Anyways, it was great to see some wild ostriches and take some pics.

A tiny tortoise was crossing … because of a speedy car behind us we missed our photo op but were glad to have seen it. Then the baboons raced with our car as we were on our way out!

We saw this lovely Preteas flower by the wayside!

We were hungry but kept on driving without a lunch break because we wanted to use the good weather we were having against predictions! We just munched chocolates, almonds, raisins in between. We arrived at Noordhoek, a pretty fishing village. Went inside the town and enjoyed a view point and then resumed our drive.



We were soon commencing the famous Chapman’s Peak drive…

Chapman’s Peak drive

 Chapman’s Peak drive is a famous 9 km drive with 114 bends on a road chiseled into the face of a mountain. The western flank of the mountain Chapman’s Peak falls sharply into the Atlantic Ocean.

A spectacular road, known as Chapman's Peak Drive, hugs the near-vertical face of the mountain from Hout Bay to Noordhoek. Hacked out of the face of the mountain between 1915 and 1922, it has 114 switchbacks and is fun to drive on.

It’s named after a Captain’s mate.

In 1607 the skipper of the British ship Contest found his vessel becalmed in what is now Hout Bay and sent his pilot, John Chapman, to row ashore in the hope of finding provisions. The pilot later recorded the bay as Chapman's Chaunce (chance) and the name stuck, becoming official on all East India charts.

http://www.chapmanspeakdrive.co.za/

is the official site giving current conditions... the road closes in unsafe heavy wind conditions. It's good to ascertain if visibility is good before undertaking the drive 

We pulled up at numerous places and enjoyed the stunning views.





We ate our lunch at a picnic spot on the drive and used the rest room in another spot.



It’s amazing there are all these also provided on the road! Twelve apostles peaks loomed up as we reached Hout Bay.

We went on to Camp’s Bay also and enjoyed the lovely views.





Then we started on our way home. We saw signs to Signal Peak and took the road up... The white-and-green building on the ridge is a kramat (Muslim shrine...grave of a holy saint).

Sun was starting to set and we went straight up and watched the sun set on the legendary site.



The whole of Cape Town lay in the amphitheatre formed by the Table mountain chain and it was a great sight.

We did not wait for the lights to come on but left for our apartment very satisfied with how our day had turned out!

http://adventuretrav.blogspot.com/2016/06/south-africa-trip-report-day-5-wine.html
covers our visit to wine country with chocolate tasting and visit to vintage car museum

Our Videos:

https://picasaweb.google.com/108910506663540711253/6294685377235791985#6295071801886469010

covers two oceans aquarium and boulders beach penguin colony

https://picasaweb.google.com/108910506663540711253/6294685377235791985#6294703657377091298

covers Cape point drive, Cape Point, Cape of Good Hope

https://picasaweb.google.com/108910506663540711253/6294685377235791985#6294700446426851378

covers Chapman's Peak Drive, Signal Hill Sunset