Joanne and Bronek Karcz
Trevor and Heather Gray
Margie and Paul Kelly
Jenny and Ian Muir
Janet Douglas
Judy Bate

Sydney - Australia

8 October 2009

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7 October 2009

I met these 10 Australians at 18h30 at Davids Guesthouse soon after they arrived from Johannesburg which was a journey done on the Rovos Rail train. We became aqauinted and prepared ourselves with ideas with regard to our touring for the next 5 days in Cape Town. The group was quite tired and filled to the brim with the great food from the Rovos train ride so all settled for take away type dinner food from Woolworths. 

Day 1

Cape Peninssula

We started our day by trying to ascend Table Mountain however when we arrive at the mountain there was a cloud hovering over the table top and we decided to leave the experience for one of the other days while we were on tour.

 

The group enjoying themselves while taking a look at their first view of False Bay

 

With the shark spotter at atop of Muizenberg

 

Jenny enjoying the views over False Bay

 

All aboard the Watertaxi from Kalk Bay to Simonstown with Karl Werksman at the helm

 

Trev disembarking in the Simonstown harbour

 

After disembarking we visited the "Gogo shop" where we bought some biltong and droewors (dry sausage)

 

With Just Nuisance in Simonstown

 

Curio shopping in Simonstown

 

We stopped in at Seaforth restaurant where we enjoyed a fish (kingclip) and chips lunch

 

Heather became the official group photographer for taking the "beware of penguins" sign

 

All (excepting Ian who was worried about the height) at Cape Point with the Cape of Good Hope (most south western point of Africa) in the background.

 

Pal and Margie at the "illegal" sign at Cape Point saying that the oceans meet in the area.

 

Waiting for the funicular at the upper Cape Point station

 

In the funicular

 

Paul hanging on for dear life in the funicular. JJ

 

7 of the group decided to take the long way down to the Cape of Good Hope and hiked from Cape Point down to the south western point of Africa.
In the above picture the group, who saw Dassies along the way, can be seen doing the last descent of the walk

 

Judy, Margie, Paul, Heather, Bronek, Trev, Jenny, Joanne, Ian and Janet at the most south western point of Africa

 

Janet on the Cape of Good Hope with some free roaming ostriches in the background

 

The group admiring some of the many wonderful Proteas on the Cape of Good Hope nature reserve.

 

Jenny enjoying the pincushion Proteas on the reserve

 

Judy enjoying the sun with many pincushion Proteas in the background.

A DAY FULL OF GREAT EXPERIENCES

 

 

DAY 2

 ROBBEN ISLAND AND THE WATERFRONT

 

On this day the group had a free day and visited Robben Island as well as the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront.

 

 

DAY 3

TABLE MOUNTAIN, CITY CENTRE AND CHAPMANS PEAK

 

Bronek and Joanne in the cablecar ascending Table Mountain

 

Heather does "The Titanic" atop of  Table Moutain JJ

Paul tries to emulate Heather but puts up a bad show. Leave it to the girls Paul!   JJ

 

Walking atop of what was a cold (windy) Table Mountain area

 

Exploring the mountain

 

We left Table Mountain and travelled up to SIgnal Hill where we took in the local scenerey. Thereafter we travelled down into the city where we visited the Fire and Ice Hotel in the city.

 

Enjoying coffee at the Fire and Ice Hotel

 

 

 

Marge emulates the funny toilet signs in the hotel  JJ

 

Admiring the adventure poster in the hotel

 

Heather enjoys a swing chair in the hotel.

 

We visited the Bo-Kaap region where the following pictures were taken

 

Yusuf our driver honours the road with his name in the Bo-Kaap.

 

The whole group in Bo-Kaap with a majestic Table Mountain in the background

 

We visited the Eastern Food Bazaar for a wonderful curry lucnh

 

 

 

After lunch we walked to Greenmarket Square where we did some shopping and enjoyed the market surroundings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The whole group on the spot at the old Town Hall demarcating the centre of Cape Town

 

We left the city and travelled on to Chapmans Peak

 

With two security guards whom we met at the start of our Chapmans Peak drive (Noordhoek Beach in the background) 

 

Having fun on Chapmans Peak

 

 

 

 

Trev decides that it was time to "call it a day" on Chapmans Peak however he changed his mind soon after this photo was taken. J

 

Paul amd Margie enjoying an early sunset on Chapmans Peak

 

We travelled back to Green Point via Hout Bay, Llandudno, Camps bay, Bantry Bay and Sea Point.

IN SUMMARY A WONDERFUL DAY

 

 

DAY 4

KIRSTENBOSCH and THE CAPE WINELANDS

 

We started our day by driving to Milestone Studios in the city centre so as to see where the song Manenberg was composed.
In the picture Paul is playing the 7 bar sound machine playing the first notes of Manenberg

 

Bronek and Joanne in Park Road, Cape Town where Bronek originally bought his first ever property many years ago.

 

We travelled on to Kirstenbosch where the below pictures were taken of the group.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We left Kirstenbosch and travelled to Rust en Vrede winefarm outside Stellenbosch

Nicole from Rust en Vrede taking the group through a winetasting

 

 

We left Rust en Vrede and travelled to Moreson winefarm where we had a great lunch at the Bread and Wine Deli 

 

Judy seems to be very happy with her food. J

 

Jenny tucking in! J

 

After our lunch at Bread and Wine we moved onto Franschhoek where we did a tour of the town and visited the Huguenot chocolate factory.

After our visit to Franschhoek we travelled to Muratie winefarm

 

Winetasting at Muratie

We returned to Davids Guesthouse at 18h00. 
In the evening the group went on the Andulela Jazzz tour experience.

 

DAY 5

CULTURAL HISTORY TOUR AND KAYAMANDI

 

We stopped in to admire the view from Plattekloof  while on our way to the wineands

 

At the Afrikaans Langauge monument after us talking about the history of South Africa

 

Jen and Ian with a king protea in the background

 

We stopped at the Vineyard Connmection to purchase some wine for the rest of the group tour.

 

Enjoying a winetrasting at Kanonkop

 

 

We travelled to Stellenbosch where Trev, Ian and Paul took the bus with Yusuf and went to Thelema for a winetasting while the rest of the group enjoyed and hour of walking around Stellenbosch

 

After Stellenbosch we travelled on to Kayamandi

 

We enjoyed a traditional Xhosa lunch with Lily as well as a biographical talk of her life

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lily and the whole group

 

We travelled to the Ikamva Lethu Centre (Our Future) where we had a wonderful interaction with the kids in the centre

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We travelled around Kayamandi and ended up in Zone J where we met some locals and had great fun with the kids in the section.

 

 

We ended our journey by preenting apples to all via the "Fruit for trash" project.

 

We returned to Cape Town at 20h30 where we all had to unfortunately bade each other farewell.

To say that this was a wonderful tour would be an understatement. This group of 10 Aussies were unbelievable to tour with as they simply went with the flow and this resulted in all  just turning out for the good while on tour. This truly was a "no worries mate" tour and this is what made the tour turn out to be such a good one in my opinion. I had great fun with all on tour and I sensed that the whole group was enjoying themselves at all times. Yusuf , our driver, also made an invaluable contribution to our journey with his little stories, good driving and amazingly gentlemanly mannerisms. Joanne certainly is to be complemnetd for the sterling job that she did in organising this whole journey. She was awesome to say the least. Overall what more can I say other than I wish I could have a tour like this one every day.

WHAT A STUNNING JOURNEY!!

A BIG, BIG, BIG THANK YOU TO ALL.

Received 18 November 2009