Deeper South

days in South Africa




Further round the mountain you gaze down the line of The Twelve Apostles towards the Cape of Good Hope, the notional rounding point of Africa’s southern-most tip for ships of many generations. It was also known by its more ominous name, The Cape of Storms, and off the coast here lie over 400 known shipwrecks from the 17th century to the present day - two large vessels having been lost as recently as 1977.

Further round the mountain you gaze down the line of The Twelve Apostles towards the Cape of Good Hope, the notional rounding point of Africa’s southern-most tip for ships of many generations.

It was also known by its more ominous name, The Cape of Storms, and off the coast here lie over 400 known shipwrecks from the 17th century to the present day - two large vessels having been lost as recently as 1977.

From the other side we looked down on Cape Town with Robben Island in the distance, home to Nelson Mandela for 18 years of his long imprisonment.

From the other side we looked down on Cape Town with Robben Island in the distance, home to Nelson Mandela for 18 years of his long imprisonment.

The author of King Solomon’s Mines, Henry Rider Haggard, is widely credited with beginning the ‘Lost World’ genre of fiction and he lived in South Africa for some years. You can see that places like this could have been the inspiration for such stories: As the name suggests, the top of the mountain is a flat plateau and seems to have its own eco system - a kind of mini Lost World. We saw everything from the expected lizards to unusual birds and a kind of guinea-pig like animal.

The author of King Solomon’s Mines, Henry Rider Haggard, is widely credited with beginning the ‘Lost World’ genre of fiction and he lived in South Africa for some years. You can see that places like this could have been the inspiration for such stories:

As the name suggests, the top of the mountain is a flat plateau and seems to have its own eco system - a kind of mini Lost World. We saw everything from the expected lizards to unusual birds and a kind of guinea-pig like animal.

This plaque on the main terrace on Table Mountain suggests someone should get the credit for all this…

This plaque on the main terrace on Table Mountain suggests someone should get the credit for all this…

Words fail me to describe the views: Staggering, stunning, breathtaking… all seem poor attempts. At many points you look down on lesser (!) peaks and see clouds scudding along way below. From one side we looked down on Camps Bay where we’d been earlier, as the sun was beginning to drop towards the horizon.

Words fail me to describe the views: Staggering, stunning, breathtaking… all seem poor attempts. At many points you look down on lesser (!) peaks and see clouds scudding along way below.

From one side we looked down on Camps Bay where we’d been earlier, as the sun was beginning to drop towards the horizon.

Suddenly you’re up at over 1,000 metres above sea level but, unlike most mountains, from this height you can actually see sea level and thus every one of those dizzying 1k metres.

Suddenly you’re up at over 1,000 metres above sea level but, unlike most mountains, from this height you can actually see sea level and thus every one of those dizzying 1k metres.

The cable car up to Table Mountain was only a short drive away so we decided to go for it as the sky was crystal-clear. At £18 each return it’s the world’s most expensive bus ride (a zippy 4 mins in length), but worth every penny:

The cable car up to Table Mountain was only a short drive away so we decided to go for it as the sky was crystal-clear.

At £18 each return it’s the world’s most expensive bus ride (a zippy 4 mins in length), but worth every penny:

We paddled on the beach (bitingly cold water) but really enjoyed the sunshine and cool breeze as Tim, Cam & I hunted for shells in the rock pools, there seeming to be little which lives in the pools in these freezing waters.

We paddled on the beach (bitingly cold water) but really enjoyed the sunshine and cool breeze as Tim, Cam & I hunted for shells in the rock pools, there seeming to be little which lives in the pools in these freezing waters.

This stunning seaside town sits at the foot of a huge mountain range known as The Twelve Apostles and is home to some very upmarket houses - a cool £2-3 million will buy you a very nice holiday pad (sea views, of course) - apparently, the Beckhams & Elton John have homes here. (not sure if that’s something to recommend the place or not!)

This stunning seaside town sits at the foot of a huge mountain range known as The Twelve Apostles and is home to some very upmarket houses - a cool £2-3 million will buy you a very nice holiday pad (sea views, of course) - apparently, the Beckhams & Elton John have homes here. (not sure if that’s something to recommend the place or not!)

It was a short ride from here beyond Lion’s Head to the beautiful Camps Bay. We ate the very yummy Sinnful (sic) Ice Cream (as recommend by Sue Hosier)

It was a short ride from here beyond Lion’s Head to the beautiful Camps Bay. We ate the very yummy Sinnful (sic) Ice Cream (as recommend by Sue Hosier)