In case you missed it, see the previous post in this series.
While standing in the long queue to the cable car one's tempted to worry about the length of the queue and how long you may have to wait. Don't worry though, cable cars depart every 10 to 15 minutes and transport 65 people at a time... so the wait isn't as long as you may think (although, as stated previously, buy your tickets online to save a little cash and skip the first queue).
The trip to the top of the mountain takes between 4 and 5 minutes - and as long as you secure a standing spot next to a window, don't worry about exactly where to stand - the cable car's floor rotates slowly so that everyone get's a 360° view on the way up.
Since we had a handful of Australian visitors living with us we decided to take them on the must-do Cape Town excursion - a tour up Table Mountain.
It's been very difficult to cull photos from the long list that I wanted to share with you, but I've managed to shorten the list down to 10. Over this and the next 9 posts I'll show you snippets from our trip that may entice you into visiting Cape Town and taking a trip to our table top.
In this post I'll share a tip with you that will probably save you plenty of time: Don't wait until you get to the cable station to purchase your ticket! Rather, visit the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway's website and purchase a ticket online. It's no more expensive and you're able to print your barcoded ticket immediately. When you arrive at the lower cable station, skip the long queue of people standing to buy tickets, and head on to one of the officials. Present your ticket, and join the queue that leads to the cable cars. You'll save heaps of time! :)
I some times wonder if people who live in our southern suburbs, close to Table Mountain, realise how privileged they are to the mountain's forrests right on their doorstep. We live about 25km away from Table Mountain, and it's beautiful wooded areas.
For those living close to the mountain, it's the easiest thing to head out onto one of the plentiful footpaths before work. Being so close to nature first-thing in the morning must be one of the best ways to start one's day.
If you're planning on visiting Cape Town some day, an insider tip is that you should be sure to book accommodation close to Table Mountain. We have plenty of other great places further away, but I'd recommend staying somewhere close to the mountain on your first visit - it's an awesome place to stay.
Do you live in an area like this? Is it easy for you to take a morning walk in a forrest with huge trees with little streams?
Doesn't the couple approaching the boat in the photo give you some perspective of how large the vessel is?
If I'm not mistaken, this boat is very similar to the Gubert Tide, a vessel that I was once asked to take photos of while passing by Table Bay. Perhaps it's obvious from the design of it's stern, but this type of boat is often used to carry supplies between harbours and oil rigs. I guess in some way they're the bakkies (pronounced buck-keys) of the ocean. :)
Because of strange sounds emanating from the ship, I watched it a little longer than normal to discover what was happening aboard. I could hear banging, clanging and grinding of metal. With my telephoto lens I observed little people clambering all over her deck. I even saw sparks fly - presumably from the grinders and possibly from welding machines!
The people on board appeared to be repairing the ship and the noise was possibly a result of them grinding away rust and replacing broken bits with new sheets of metal.
I thought at first that this was an awesome workshop. From this location workmen on the ship have a perfect view of Table Mountain and close-up view of the beautiful Blouberg beaches. However, considering this a little longer led me to decide that it must be a terrible place to work! It may be great when the weather's good, but surely it's awful to be stuck aboard this "prison island" when the weather is poor and the seas are rough? Nowhere to escape, nowhere to run, not many places to hide!
Great as it may have been this day, I'm a little surprised to come to the conclusion that I think, on average, I'd still prefer my air conditioned office!
The Big Bay area always use to be a little bit rugged. Besides for the unspectacular grassy area and life-saving club building, all that this area use to have a small shop where one could buy ice cream, cooldrinks and crisps.
Development on Eden on the Bay (map) started a couple of years ago and today the area looks completely different to how it did before. This grassy area stretches out between the long sandy beach and the shopping area called Eden on the Bay. Today you'll find several lovely restaurants looking out over this lawn, as well as a few shops and fast-food outlets in the small mall.
However lovely Eden on the Bay is, Big Bay is still a terrible place on windy days. However, on days with only a slight breeze (or no wind at all) it's an awesome place to visit.
The mountain in the background, along with Lion's Head and Signal Hill to the right unmistakably identifies this breakwater to be part of Table Bay harbour (which is the big harbour where your cruise liner would normally drop you off).
I heard recently, on the radio, that plans are afoot to build a proper arrivals and departures terminal that will cater for tourists arriving on large liners. Currently, visitors normally disembark alongside a commercial (and not very pretty) pier very close to the beautiful Table Bay Hotel - which I have to say is hugely convenient if you plan on bunking in one of the hotel's 5-star rooms!
We missed this event at the DSK german school in Cape Town this past Saturday. Based on their Facebook event page it sounds like we missed out on a lot of fun, food and something called a "FUFFY SLIDE". I call the event a "basar" because that's what the poster says, but based on the description of the event it sounds like we missed out on a good old Oktoberfest, albeit an Oktoberfest in November.
Did you end up at the DSK Basar? What did you think?
Two days ago I posted a photo of a sign that is located inside the gondolas of The Wheel of Excellence, found just outside of the V&A Waterfront. This photo of the city was taken as we were reaching the apex of the wheel - isn't the view just superb?
Speaking of the V&A Waterfront... there's a competition that (I'm sure you'll agree) you have to enter. The prizes range from helicopter flips, to cruises, complimentary dinners and even an overnight stay in a Marina apartment. To win all that you have to do is take a photo and write a short story telling what you love best about the Waterfront. Check out the full list of prizes and submit your entry here.
I'm sure it's needless to say that if you win the dinner-with-friends or the private movie screenings you'll be obliged to invite Kerry-Anne and myself along. ;)
The Pipe Track is one of Cape Town's easiest hikes along the side of Table Mountain. It starts at a convenient spot with plenty of parking, just above the city centre, and follows a leisurely path along the back of the mountain, showing off the splendour of Camps Bay, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Twelve Apostles mountain range.
The path is well-frequented, especially on warm and windless Saturday mornings. I think the best time to walk the route is in the early morning, just as the sun rises over the Boland mountains. Around this time of the year in particular you'll find that the air is crisp and clear, and that the wind hasn't yet had time to awaken.
There are generally many people walking the route in the morning if the weather's good. However, if you decide to take the walk when there aren't so many folk about, then perhaps you should consider walking in a group of at least four people. It's a very isolated part of the mountainside and although unlikely, it's possible that muggers could wait there to help you carry your cameras, wallets and phones. ;-)
Take a look at this map of the Pipe Track. This route is about 3.5 kilometres long (one way) and should take you about an hour to complete. So, to be safe, set aside about three hours for this trip. The extra hour will come in handy for taking in the sublime views!
Don't you just love this idea? I wish I knew who decided that logs painted like fire extinguishers would get the message across. It's far more interesting and eye-catching than a sign that few would bother to read anyway.
Recently the weather's been super-hot in Cape Town, and with the lovely warm winds that we're having I guess it's the perfect weather for bush fires to blaze across the mountains. So folks, be careful not to drop bottles (they can act as magnifying glasses and start fires), and be sure not to drop your cigarette butts on the ground - some may argue that they can't start fires, but why risk it? Right? :)
One last thing: take a moment to save the Volunteer Wildfire Services hotline number to your phone - 086 110 6417. Give them a call if you spot a fire starting anywhere on or near the mountain.
I'd almost reached the crest of Kloof Nek Road when I saw (what I think is) an uncommon perspective of Table Mountain. Noticing a rare parking spot on the side of the road, I quickly stopped, crossed over the busy road, and scrambled up to a vantage point, where I took this photo.
The area is perhaps one of the most awesome areas in which to live in Cape Town. My uncle owns a house close by and based on my (infrequent) visits there over the years I have to say that the weather is spectacular. The wind may be howling in the city centre below, yet it's almost eerily completely absent in this area.
I'm sure that you've worked it out already, but just in case you're not familiar with the mountain, the little spot that you see marking the highest point is in fact the upper cable station.
Besides the proximity of Table Mountain being fantastic, this area of Cape Town, Vredehoek, has gorgeous views of the city, harbour, and Table Bay. As I'm sure you can imagine, this particular spot in Cape Town is highly sought after, making it impossible for most to afford a home here.
However, there's another price to pay for living in this area - and that would be the wind. When it's a beautiful day, it's awesome, but around this time of the year every now and again the wind howls like a troupe of irate banshees, leaving the only means to a peaceful night's sleep a comfy pair of earplugs! :)
I don't often "fiddle" with our daily photos much, but decided this time to try and compile an HDR version of the the spectacular sunset that we had last Wednesday. And, while this is an HDR photo, I didn't play with the colours and didn't fiddle with brushes or weird filters to alter the original photos in any way.
If you're unfamiliar with HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography, give me a moment to explain. Typically, when humans look at high-contrast scenes (like sunsets) our eyes adjust so quickly that we're able to see detail in a huge amount of contrast - from the very bright sun dipping below the horizon, to the dark shadows caused by mountains, buildings and other obstacles.
HDR photos are typically composed of three or more photos of exactly the same scene, taken one after the other from exactly the same position, only at different exposures - meaning that one photo will be really dark (underexposed), one will be really bright (overexposed) and one will be properly exposed.
One then uses software to merge the three (or more) photos into a single picture that typically takes the best from all three photos and combines them into a single photo. My photo above got a little out of hand (with the eerie-looking shadows creeping along the road and down from Devil's Peak) ending up looking perhaps like the scene belongs more in a movie about demons and vampires.
PS. I promise, there are no vampires in Cape Town. Demons, however - there are plenty - we've been battling several of them at work in the last week! ;)
We met up with some friends at an interesting restaurant last night, which I'll tell you about tomorrow. Today I have to share this photo of one of the most beautiful sunsets I think I've seen in Cape Town (which, to be honest, is a really tough matter to judge!).
The photo doesn't really do the view justice (it's so difficult to capture exactly how the light was) but perhaps what the picture will do is allow you to understand why we love this part of the world so much. We arrived at the base of the towering Table Mountain and Devil's Peak about 10 minutes after taking this shot. The light changed to bright orange and pink and then slowly started to fade.
My dad retired from work many years ago, but back then one of the things that he use to do was inspect the harbour cranes to ensure that they were kept in a good working condition. He use to climb to the end of the jib (the part right at the end of the arm from where the cable extends downwards) in all kinds of weather. If you're familiar with Cape Town's weather you'll know that this would mean that on occasion he'd climb out there in high winds and even rainy weather - and apparently, even tough the cranes may look perfectly stable from the ground, when you're up there they bob about a bit like a rodeo bull!
I don't know exactly when this sign was put up at the top of Tygerberg Hill, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't there back in 2002 when I was, in fact, pushed up the hill in a wheelchair.
Allow me to take you on a little trip down memory lane. I sustained an unfortunate moshing-related injury at my graduation party in April 2002 - I tore a ligament in my knee and ended up on crutches for 6 weeks (and believe it or not, there was absolutely NO alcohol involved in this incident).
Sometime during those 6 weeks, our friends Nicholas and Chanel phoned us up one Sunday and suggested that we all go up Tygerberg Hill for a picnic. Of course, hiking up the hill on crutches, while not at all impossible, was going to be annoyingly slow and extremely tiring. So, ever resourceful, Nicholas borrowed a wheelchair from one of his family members (yup, apparently there are people who have spare wheelchairs lying around :P), and the three of them took turns pushing me up the hill in it.
It's a memory I really treasure - particularly since we lost Nicholas to a stop-street-jumping truck driver in May 2004. Paul's dad's recent heart-attack scare reminded me once again of how fragile we are, and how important it is to build up a storehouse of memories for the future. What are you doing today to make memories with the people you love?
Sunday, oh beautiful Sunday. At about 11h30 Kerry-Anne and I paid R10 each to take a walk up Tygerberg Hill. Although the top of Tygerberg Hill wasn't crowded by any means, I never realised just how many people walk up for Sunday afternoon picnics.
The spring weather was absolutely perfect. No wind, not too hot, clear skies. If you haven't taken a walk up this little bump rising above the Cape Flats, you really should. Pick a warm day with little wind, take some food along and spend an hour or two admiring the 360-degree views.
Take a look at this map; I've placed the cursor in the centre of the screen exactly where this lookout point is on Tygerberg Hill.
Even though our gardens are still enjoying rainy days, the smell of summer is already in the air. Well, at least in my nostrils it is. Spring has already arrived - trees and shrubs are sprouting leaves, flowers are blossoming and the air is slightly warmer than it was a month ago.
Summer in Cape Town is fantastic, with the only really bad part being that locals find themselves busy at work, many of them indoors, hidden away from the beauty of summer. The things that make it bearable for them (us :) ) are holidays, and the fact that summer days last until after the working day, with the sun setting after 8pm. Even when it's dark the warmth of the day lasts late into the night.
Before anyone else settled in the Cape, the Khoi and the San (perhaps known more widely as the Bushmen) inhabited the area. Eventually, in 1652, the Dutch East India Company sent Jan van Riebeeck to establish a supply station at the Cape - and I guess this is where the battle for land and rule officially began (at least between Europeans and Africans).
Here's an interesting piece of information that I'm surprised I'd never considered before: before Table Mountain was named as such by the Portuguese admiral António de Saldanha it was known by the native inhabitants as Hoeri ‘kwaggo - or Sea Mountain. Given its location, I guess this makes absolute sense; though I guess at the time António must have misinterpreted his hosts' hand-signs and gesturing.
Pardon me for today using this old photo from my helicopter trip on 8 July. Based on the title of this post perhaps the reason is fairly obvious to you though. Or, perhaps you haven't heard that Table Mountain is one of the finalists in the New 7 Wonders of the World campaign?
Please take some time to click through to the official website where you can cast your vote for what you consider to be the 7 top wonders of the world. (Hopefully Table Mountain will be one of them, but if for some reason you're not convinced by this photo, take a look at a few of the reasons at southafrica.info or get a better perspective by taking a look at thesetwo photos taken from the summit. :) )
Head over to the New7Wonders website, click on the photos, add the 7 that you consider most deserving to your list, and follow the step-by-step instructions. Simple!
In closing, first do the voting thing; but when you're done, if you're interested in seeing a few of the photos from my exciting helicopter trip, click through to the photo album that I put together for the ship's crew.
This will be the third and last daily photo from my spectacular-spectacular helicopter trip over Cape Town's Table Bay. Shot while we were coming in to land, what you can see in this photo is (obviously) Table Mountain in all her splendour, and right in the middle the well-known Table Bay Hotel.
What struck me as interesting in this photo is how large Devil's Peak (to the left) appears to be when compared to Table Mountain. At 1 kilometre in height, it's only 87 metres shorter than Table Mountain, making it a fair-sized piece of rock! Visit the Wikipedia page about Devil's Peak - they have an awesome panoramic photo taken from the peak's summit.
P.S. After my little helicopter expedition I've decided to make a concerted effort to do more aerial photography around Cape Town, so if you want to pay someone to fly around the Cape, you know who to call. ;)
The mountains of Cape Town – a helicopter’s perspective
I guess you're all used to seeing the traditional Table Mountain photos, where it does in fact look somewhat like a table. I took this shot from a helicopter, after I'd spent about 50 minutes taking photos of two Tidewater Marine boats passing by Table Bay. Read yesterday's post for more info.
Since this isn't the traditional photo of the city, allow me to take a moment to point out which mountains, peaks and hills you can see here. Starting at the back, on the left is Devil's Peak, with Table Mountain to its right, kind of in the middle of the photo. You'll notice that it doesn't look as much like a table from this angle. If you click on the photo and view the large version you'll faintly make out the cable car station to the right of Table Mountain. Following on from the cable station, all the way to the right of the photo is the 12 Apostles mountain range (but, to be honest, I'm finding it tricky to pick out the 12 from this angle). In the foreground, you'll see Signal Hill (from where the Noon Gun is fired each day) on the left, with Lion's Head just to its right.
From this angle it's fairly easy to see why Signal Hill is often still referred to as "Lion's Rump".
I imagine every city has sections of road like this one. No, I don't mean sections of road with a breathtaking view of the mountain - we can't all be that lucky :P ... I mean sections of road that have frequent and utterly inexplicable traffic jams.
This is the N1, near Bellville (one of Cape Town's northern suburbs), heading in the direction of Cape Town. The left fork is the offramp that leads to Durban Road, Bellville CBD and Tygervalley Shopping Centre.
For some reason that continues to elude me, traffic on the small section of highway from this offramp to the corresponding onramp that joins the N1 on the other side of the bridge almost always slows down to a crawl. This photo happens to have been taken on one of those rare occasions when it was relatively free-flowing.
And it's not that there's a bottleneck because of the cars coming from the onramp - there are more than enough lanes on the other side of the bridge, and the traffic is always free-flowing by the time I get level with that onramp. It's utterly bizarre - all I can think is that people must sense some kind of weird voodoo in this dip and therefore instinctively slow down...
I can't understand why some people think of Cape Town as a cold, wet, windy and depressing place during winter. Sure, we have our periods of grey, and our fair share of cats and dogs (proverbially speaking). The converse is also true, however; many of our winter days are as this day - sunny, warm(ish) and beautifully clear. On these days, the sky seems crisper and cleaner, and it's a privilege to be living in one of the world's most beautiful cities.
Now that I've painted this pretty picture of our perfect peninsula, let me explain the title of today's post. Each year Cape Town Tourism runs a discount promotion whereby both visitors and locals can take advantage of cheaper rates for an assortment of activities and accommodation. From the website, it looks like the season starts on 25 May, only a few days away. So, if you are planning on visiting between 25 May and 25 September, then remember to visit the Cape Town On Sale website to check for any bargain opportunities!
Tonight we got to spend some time with a group of people whom, for the most part, we'd never met before. It seems that these days we have several friends who don't know each other, so when birthday parties crop up (like tonight) we often find ourselves meeting new and interesting people - which is awesome!
Scott and Robynn live in what must be one of the best situated apartments in Milnerton's Royal Ascot development - right next to the Gold Circle stables and horse training track. If our plans work out as we hope we'll be joining them for breakfast next week - where, apart from enjoying good company and good food, I'll try snapping a few photos of the horses training in the early morning. Watch this space! :)
It is a beautiful scene, isn't it? The photo can't fully describe how phenomenally spectacular a sunset from the top of Table Mountain is. The cableway is still running a special where you can buy a return ticket after 18h00 for only 72.50 ZAR. A price like that for a view like this? It's a no-brainer.
I have to be honest and confess that this photo is a little out of date. We're in the process of preparing version 2 of Cape Town Daily Photo, so there really hasn't been much time to get out and take photos. I shot this one a month ago when we went up Table Mountain with our visiting family from Sydney. :)
