Outeniqua Power Van

While on the a Garden Route we stopped by the city of George to visit the museum of transport and take a trip on the Power Van up into the Outeniqua mountain ranges. The Power Van travels along the    original rail track built over 60 years ago, replacing the oxen and cart transport which was first used to travel over the mountain ranges to Cape Town. It was a really clear day and the views over George and the surrounding area were fantastic.

Wilderness

We really enjoyed our stay in Wilderness. Our accomodation was right on the side of the Touw River in the Wilderness National Park. To make the most of our surroundings we hired a canoe and paddled along the river and further into the national park to follow one of the many board walk trails through the forest. We managed to spot many different birds on the river and were rewarded with the sight of  waterfalls at the end of the trail walk.

Another highlight for us during our stay in Wilderness was having the opportunity to enjoy numerous walks along this beautiful beach.

Mossel Bay

Our first stop along the Garden Route was Mossel Bay, a working harbour town. The main purpose of our stay there was to go cage driving with Great White Sharks. We booked our trip and off we went. The day started early with a presentation about Great Whites which was really interesting and we were introduced to the cage and the equipment we would need to use. It was a beautiful sunny day and the sea calm, perfect for a trip on a boat. Once out at sea the team began chumming to attract the sharks to the boat. After a short wait a hammerhead shark appeared followed by other small sharks but there was no sign of the Great Whites and unfortunately they never appeared so we returned to the harbour a little disappointed. Hopefully we will be more successful when searching for the Big 5 on safari in the Kruger National Park.

Stellenbosch

As well as more wine tasting and food sampling we took an historical tour of the town while we were in Stellenbosch. It was really interesting to learn about the Cape Dutch architecture and the development of the winelands. We also went on a hike in the Jonkershoek Mountains, visiting the waterfalls and spotting wildlife. It was a cloudy, drizzly morning when we set off but the clouds clear and the views down the valley were fantastic.

All aboard the Wine Tasting Tram in Franschhoek

Our next stop in South Africa was the Cape Winelands and the beautiful village of Franschhoek. Franschhoek is renowned for its award winning restaurants, vineyards and wineries. We spent a few days in the village, sampling local food and tasting the award winning wines.

Our favourite day there was most definitely boarding the Wine Tram which took us out into the surrounding winelands to visit some of the wineries. We visited six in total throughout the day and sampled various red and white wines, cheeses, fruits and biltong. The wineries tastings ranged from three samples to six samples, so we were both feeling a little merry by home time. The scenery surrounding the vineyards was incredible and we both thoroughly enjoyed the day.

Table Mountain

We had a fantastic day on Table Mountain. We used the cable car to get up there as it was 30+ degrees and not really a temperature for a hike. The views from the top, overlooking the city and beyond are incredible as I am sure you will agree.