They say the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. I guess the shortest distance between Cape Town and Swartriet, a small holiday resort at an even smaller West Coast town called Jacobsbaai is probably also a straight line along the R27, but when a friend invited us for a weekend at Swartriet I decided to take the more zigzag approach...or otherwise knows as the "scenic route" to get there.
My trip started just before 9 on Saturday morning. Unlike my previous trip this was supposed to be a family weekend, so we decided to take the road to Swartriet in my blue 1996 2.3i Volksiebus, you know the one with the red veldskoene which David Kramer advertised on TV many years ago....?
Our departure was brutally interrupted when a friend pleaded me over the phone for company at Carlucci's, the well-known hangout place for yuppies and kite-surfers alike. His wife was at a friend's breakfast birthday party and he had to look after the twins. I knew that he was looking for assistance more than company and I have never said no for a breakfast at Carlucci's before, so we decided to stop there on our way and grab a "Quickie", the R19-95 breakfast which includes bacon, eggs, a fried tomato and toast of your choice....
The Twins, Zach and Wim...or is it Wim and Zach?At Carlucci's we ran into more friends and my dream to have my own "F.R.I.E.N.D.S coffee-stop" scenario where you could go at anytime for a coffee and find friends felt like it was coming true. The 'Quickie' turned out to be longer than expected and after an hour or so we were on our way again...
On the coastal road between Blouberg and Melkbosstrand we stopped at a little beach called "Kreeftebaai". Between Blouberg and Melkbosstrand there are a couple of beaches with names like "Derde Steen", "Haakgat", "Holgat" and "Kelpbaai". All of these are favourite spots for surfers, fishermen and romantic lovers taking walks along the beach...
Looking back from Kreeftebaai towards Table Mountain...It was a glorious day, sun, no wind and the temperature just right for traveling...
In Melkbosstrand we stopped at this little antique shop. I guess the majority of the shops in South Africa have sales on at the moment. Who can afford antiques in these difficulty times in any case? If I hang on a little while longer all the furniture in my house will be antiques soon...We had to leave quickly as Kai could not appreciate the value of a 200 year old coffee table... The store keeper was relieved when we eventually left and I could start breathing again...
After Melkbos we headed towards Darling. We turned of from the R27 towards Atlantis and Mamre. We passed Atlantis and stopped at Mamre to have a look at what it had to offer...
I was quite surprized to see how beautiful it was in Mamre. We drove to the Moravian Church Museum and passed this little house under the oak and pine trees...
A mission station was established at Groene-kloof (Mamre) in 1808 by the Moravian Missionary Society at a former military outpost on the farm Louwplaas as well as the farms De Groene Kloof and Cruywagenskraal. The missionaries Kohrhammer and Schmidt set out to work among the local Khoekhoen but the mission station also served as a haven for freed slaves. Today the old "kerkwerf" (churchyard) can still be seen as well as a mill, bakery, stables and a school. The Old Shop was in fact an empty building in the process of being renovated into a restaurant. Inside I met Rose, a member of the Moravian Church but also a member of the Monument Commision. Rose was very eager to show us around the "kerkwerf", telling us about the history of the mission station and the upcoming flower festival....
The church was inaugurated in 1818. Inside everything is white. I did not take pictures out of respect, but asked permission to take a picture from the outside. In 1967 all the buildings were declared a National Monument and the church is working hard in restoring all the buildings. They are planning a Flower Festival in September and I was invited to come back and join in the fun. Who knows, I might just visit Mamre again...
The "Pastorie" is the same house which Willem Adriaan van der Stel lived in when he came to Groene-kloof in 1701 to establish a military and cattle post in this area to protect the European settler's cattle from theft by the indigenous KhoiKhoi people...
After Melkbos we headed towards Darling. We turned of from the R27 towards Atlantis and Mamre. We passed Atlantis and stopped at Mamre to have a look at what it had to offer...
I was quite surprized to see how beautiful it was in Mamre. We drove to the Moravian Church Museum and passed this little house under the oak and pine trees...
A mission station was established at Groene-kloof (Mamre) in 1808 by the Moravian Missionary Society at a former military outpost on the farm Louwplaas as well as the farms De Groene Kloof and Cruywagenskraal. The missionaries Kohrhammer and Schmidt set out to work among the local Khoekhoen but the mission station also served as a haven for freed slaves. Today the old "kerkwerf" (churchyard) can still be seen as well as a mill, bakery, stables and a school. The Old Shop was in fact an empty building in the process of being renovated into a restaurant. Inside I met Rose, a member of the Moravian Church but also a member of the Monument Commision. Rose was very eager to show us around the "kerkwerf", telling us about the history of the mission station and the upcoming flower festival....
The church was inaugurated in 1818. Inside everything is white. I did not take pictures out of respect, but asked permission to take a picture from the outside. In 1967 all the buildings were declared a National Monument and the church is working hard in restoring all the buildings. They are planning a Flower Festival in September and I was invited to come back and join in the fun. Who knows, I might just visit Mamre again...
The "Pastorie" is the same house which Willem Adriaan van der Stel lived in when he came to Groene-kloof in 1701 to establish a military and cattle post in this area to protect the European settler's cattle from theft by the indigenous KhoiKhoi people...Kai is posing next to the plaque which was stolen off by vandals for scrap metal. Nowadays nothing in South Africa that is made from copper withstand the onslaught by criminals stealing the metal to buy a loaf of bread...or drugs. I guess theft is still a problem and wish that Mr Van der Stel could come back again to solve the problems with the local "Khoikhoi"
The R307 to Darling meanders through some beautiful farmlands....
Everywhere along the road are picturesque scenes of wild flowers. Although it is way too early in the season for the magnificant flower spectacle that this area and further north provides, everywhere beautiful patches of Namaqualand daisies were staring with their faces into the sun. This might be a good trip to do in September, a flower road trip to Namaqualand...
When we arrived at Darling Kai was fast asleep. This prevented us from actually discovering what Darling was hiding in its little shops and hideaways. Darling is famous for the comedian Pieter-Dirk Uys, who every now and then cross-dresses and change into Evita Bezuidenhout, a white Afrikaner socialite and self-proclaimed political activist. We didn't run into her, but we will definately come back to Darling in the near future...or maybe even come back and watch one of his many shows at his famous "Evita-se-Peron".
From Darling we shot across to Langebaan. Langebaan Lagoon is popular for kite surfing beginners as the shallow water makes it very easy to stand while one tries to figure out how to turn the kite left and right and how to get back to the water once the wind takes you up into the blue skies..It is one of few purely salt water lagoons in South Africa.
The R307 to Darling meanders through some beautiful farmlands....
Everywhere along the road are picturesque scenes of wild flowers. Although it is way too early in the season for the magnificant flower spectacle that this area and further north provides, everywhere beautiful patches of Namaqualand daisies were staring with their faces into the sun. This might be a good trip to do in September, a flower road trip to Namaqualand...
When we arrived at Darling Kai was fast asleep. This prevented us from actually discovering what Darling was hiding in its little shops and hideaways. Darling is famous for the comedian Pieter-Dirk Uys, who every now and then cross-dresses and change into Evita Bezuidenhout, a white Afrikaner socialite and self-proclaimed political activist. We didn't run into her, but we will definately come back to Darling in the near future...or maybe even come back and watch one of his many shows at his famous "Evita-se-Peron".
From Darling we shot across to Langebaan. Langebaan Lagoon is popular for kite surfing beginners as the shallow water makes it very easy to stand while one tries to figure out how to turn the kite left and right and how to get back to the water once the wind takes you up into the blue skies..It is one of few purely salt water lagoons in South Africa.In Langebaan Kai woke up when we stopped to browse around in some of the little shops close to the main beach. Here we spend about an hour or so on the beach while Kai tested out some of his new beach toys...
From Langebaan we took a scenic gravel road to Saldanha Bay. We got lost after a while and when I pulled out my new Nokia 5800 to get directions from the built-in GPS, I realized that continuing with the same road until I see a familar road sign might be the best thing to do. We managed to get back on track and later arrived in Saldanha Bay. Saldanha Bay's location makes it a paradise for any watersport enthusiast, and its local economy depend strongly on fishing, mussels, seafood processing, the steel industry and the harbour. Saldanha Bay is named after António de Saldanha, captain of a vessel in Albuquerque's fleet which visited South Africa in 1503.
After Saldanha it was not far to our final destination, Swartriet. We passed the Swartriet turnoff to go check out a strange looking structure at Jacobsbaai....
A very "un"familiar sight in Jacobsbaai and yet another Cape of Storms victim. The eight-storey high vessel ran aground when heavy downpours and gale force winds lashed the Cape coast line. The barge called Margaret is a towing barge with a further 13 barges stacked on top that was being towed from Durban to the Netherlands by a ship called the Salviliant when the tow rope broke in the bad weather.
"Jacobsbaai is a small coastal village on the West Coast of South Africa, still unspoiled with mostly dirt roads, no shopping centers or amenities. A visit to Weskusplek with its picturesque restaurant offers a unique experience of the overwhelming beauty of the fynbos framed Atlantic Ocean, contrasted by barren land with a curious charm." This is how Jacobsbaai is described in many tourist brochures. What they do not mention is that the little restaurant belongs to the infamous Steve Hofmeyer....
Another view of Jacobsbaai....
We finally arrived at Swartriet. Swartriet consists of twenty four comfortable self-catering chalets virtually on the beach! The seafront chalets have three bedrooms and beds for eight people. The remaining chalets have two bedrooms and beds for six people. Each chalet is equipped with a two-plate stove, fridge, plates, cutlery, built-in cupboards, braai facilities and a garage. Bedding is provided on request.
Draadkar ("Wire car"). How many boys growing up in South Africa have never had a "draadkar"? If your dad hadn't built yours, then maybe the gardener built you one, or you built your own. Nevertheless, draadkarre are as part of any South African boy's life as "kleilat gooi" and "ketty-skiet".
Some of the houses from Jacobsbaai sticking out behind the dunes. When I we arrived at Jacobsbaai I went for a quick surf. After that I took a long walk on the beach and later had a braai with the friends that were expecting us....
When you walk along the beach you get the feeling that no-one had ever been there before. Unfortunately you see footsteps and you know you were not the first one there. Nevertheless, to end a day journey at Swartriet is a good way of ending your road trip.... I hope to do another road trip soon....
From Langebaan we took a scenic gravel road to Saldanha Bay. We got lost after a while and when I pulled out my new Nokia 5800 to get directions from the built-in GPS, I realized that continuing with the same road until I see a familar road sign might be the best thing to do. We managed to get back on track and later arrived in Saldanha Bay. Saldanha Bay's location makes it a paradise for any watersport enthusiast, and its local economy depend strongly on fishing, mussels, seafood processing, the steel industry and the harbour. Saldanha Bay is named after António de Saldanha, captain of a vessel in Albuquerque's fleet which visited South Africa in 1503.
After Saldanha it was not far to our final destination, Swartriet. We passed the Swartriet turnoff to go check out a strange looking structure at Jacobsbaai....
A very "un"familiar sight in Jacobsbaai and yet another Cape of Storms victim. The eight-storey high vessel ran aground when heavy downpours and gale force winds lashed the Cape coast line. The barge called Margaret is a towing barge with a further 13 barges stacked on top that was being towed from Durban to the Netherlands by a ship called the Salviliant when the tow rope broke in the bad weather.
"Jacobsbaai is a small coastal village on the West Coast of South Africa, still unspoiled with mostly dirt roads, no shopping centers or amenities. A visit to Weskusplek with its picturesque restaurant offers a unique experience of the overwhelming beauty of the fynbos framed Atlantic Ocean, contrasted by barren land with a curious charm." This is how Jacobsbaai is described in many tourist brochures. What they do not mention is that the little restaurant belongs to the infamous Steve Hofmeyer....
Another view of Jacobsbaai....
We finally arrived at Swartriet. Swartriet consists of twenty four comfortable self-catering chalets virtually on the beach! The seafront chalets have three bedrooms and beds for eight people. The remaining chalets have two bedrooms and beds for six people. Each chalet is equipped with a two-plate stove, fridge, plates, cutlery, built-in cupboards, braai facilities and a garage. Bedding is provided on request.
Draadkar ("Wire car"). How many boys growing up in South Africa have never had a "draadkar"? If your dad hadn't built yours, then maybe the gardener built you one, or you built your own. Nevertheless, draadkarre are as part of any South African boy's life as "kleilat gooi" and "ketty-skiet".
Some of the houses from Jacobsbaai sticking out behind the dunes. When I we arrived at Jacobsbaai I went for a quick surf. After that I took a long walk on the beach and later had a braai with the friends that were expecting us....
When you walk along the beach you get the feeling that no-one had ever been there before. Unfortunately you see footsteps and you know you were not the first one there. Nevertheless, to end a day journey at Swartriet is a good way of ending your road trip.... I hope to do another road trip soon.... 
Hi, I've read your Road Trip, dated August 6, 2009 and just want to inform you that the Mamre Flower Festival are taking place this weekend, from 14-16 September 2012.
ReplyDeleteHope to see you there.