The Cape

Did a all day tour of the cape, which was highly enjoyable.  There were just eight of us in a mini-van so got to know everyone else well.

As proof that the world is a small place, one of the eight worked in Bonn for the UN Climate Change Office. She was holidaying after the Durban conference. Well the chairman of the group she was involved in (Kyoto Protocol negotiations) was a NZ diplomat called Adrian Macey, whose son was one of my best mates at school. So two degrees of separation.

Anyway first stop on the tour was to Seal Island.

Only 45 rand (NZ$7) to go out there on the boat to see the seals. Very choppy though.

Seals will use anything to sun bathe on!

A view of one of the bays after we drove through it.

A view from a lookout.

We were travelling through the Table Mountain National Park and just next to the road were these antelopes. You can’t get out and go over to them though in case there are any baboons around.

This is Cape Point. A magnificent place to have as a backdrop for lunch.

That is the new lighthouse. Much smaller but much more powerful than the old one. It can be seen 63 kms away.

A long way down if they slip.

The old lighthouse.

This is Bellows Rock, which sunk the Lusitania in 1911.

This is the Cape of Good Hope as seen from Cape Point.

The path down from Cape Point.

And the cable car for those going up, officially calledThe Flying Dutchman Furnicular.

An ostrich observing us from behind a bush.

The Cape of Good Hope.

We almost missed these Zebras, as they are so hard to spot from a distance against the rocks.

On the way back from the Cape we went to a town called Boulders which is one of three locations for African penguins.

Some penguins live on the ice. These ones are smart and live on a beach!

Yes, more penguin sex!

Penguins often mate for life. Aren’t they a cute couple?

The final stop in the day was the Kirstenbosch National Botancial Garden. It is at the back of Table Mountain.

A fine and noisy specimen this one.

We only had an hour at the gardens, and to do it properly you need half a day.

A typical path way through it.

The water is a different colour due to the minerals up the mountain.

As I said a very good full day tour.