More touring in our own backyard – Struisbaai, Elim, Gansbaai, Buffelsjag and Die Dam

2015-10-25 | puppy1952

The morning dawned bright and sunny and Maureen and I set off at 7 for a walk towards Cape Agulhas – half an hour out and half an hour back. We arrived back to a delicious breakfast cooked by Earl. The wind was coming up so it was decided that a fishing trip was not an option. Instead we set off on another birding adventure. This time we followed the gravel road to Elim then made our way to Gansbaai returning via Buffelsjacht and Die Dam.

Our Route – We left at 10 and returned at 6

We set our goal to 60 birds but hoped to better that.

The first bird of the day was a flying yellow-billed kite and we continued to see plenty of them all day. In the winter our most common bird of prey was a jackal buzzard with just the odd YBK so lovely to see them so active in the area now.

There is a lot of temporary water lying around from the winter rains and this attracts birds but means the permanent water is less productive than usual.

We find a lovely reed cormorant sunning himself near a puddle next to the Elim road.

We pass through the Agulhas National Park and so often see ostriches. Today we found them right on the road.

Mom hurried the chicks and warned them of the dangers of canned people

Mom hurried the chicks along and warned them of the dangers of canned people

Lots of legs and only one head?

Come and help me with this lot, please Dad!

We took a short detour towards the salt pans to find the flamingos and were successful but they were too far for good photographs. On our way back to the Elim road, Maureen yelled – Secretary Bird and we managed to spot two but they ran off very quickly. Mega tick for the day!

We saw a secretary bird just like this but didn’t get the photo! This is from a previous occasion

The birding was good and we soon had quite a long list but mostly we enjoyed just watching the antics of the birds.

yellow-billed ducks trying to hide from us

We also enjoyed spotting the odd mammal

Rheebok are common in Agulhas National Park and on some of the farms in the area

Levaillant’s Cisticola

White-faced ducks are not that common in the area

By the time we arrived in Gansbaai the wind had got up and was blowing strongly. We went to the Great White House for coffee and muffins/croissants. The patio area was sheltered and we enjoyed the sun on our backs and watched the sunbirds, weavers and witogies drinking at the feeder.

Gansbaai is famous for its shark cage diving and whale watching tours. We watched a boat come in and I spoke to one or two of the passengers when they disembarked from the wale watching trip. It had not been pleasant in the very choppy waters and many were sea-sick – but don’t be put off – choose a calm day and the experience can be amazing!

A whale watching boat coming in from a very rough sea

In the harbour

A tractor pulls them out

I find a white-fronted plover scampering about on the harbour wall

We continue exploring the coastline and find some more interesting birds

A little egret find sea fishing productive

Two gorgeous oyster catchers

A hartlaub’s gull in breeding plumage

At Buffelsjacht we spot whales in the bay.

A gull with a mussel

A swift tern takes a bath

The beach at Die Dam

the dune above the beach

It was an exciting day and by the time we got to Die Dam we had over 60 bird species on our list. We were pretty tired but the challenge now was to beat 70 which we had got with Tommy and Megan a few weeks ago. Just when we thought we’d seen all the possibles for one day we had some really fun sightings.

A distant but obliging Denham’s Bustard

Two Caspian Terns

Our national bird posed beautifully in the dam

A green shank

We finally ended up with 72 species which pleased us enormously.

We cooked a Banting Cottage Pie for supper and all opted for an early night!

The Overberg and surrounds – Tourists in our own backyard

2015-10-19 | puppy1952

There is nothing like having visitors to prompt you into visiting places that are all too familiar but still exciting to explore.

Now that we are residing in the picturesque, fishing village of Struisbaai at the tip of Africa and a three hour drive from our former home, Cape Town, we welcome having friends to stay. Last week Tony and Sharon were our guests for a midweek break and what fun we had.

The weather was not perfect but at least the rain held off and it was not too cold. On Wednesday set off to visit Elim 36 km away. Of course we birded on the way there and back!

Blue Crane

Red-billed teal

Elim was established in 1824 by German missionaries as a Moravian mission station. The grew vines in the viticulture suitable terrain so as to produce their own wine for communion. The he missionaries taught the villagers a variety of trades and skills. Thatching was a skill they mastered and to this day Elim thatchers are recruited to from all over the world.

The village is picturesque and has changed little over the years. The thatched whitewashed cottages are typical fo their homes. All the roads in the village lead to the thatch roofed church. The community, still mainly Moravian, consists of farmers, artisans and farmers.

Elim is becoming known for the export of fynbos, and as an emerging area in the production of wine.

We visited the museum which has some fascinating exhibits.

Implements from a bygone age

The waterwheel

We loved this cart with a licence plate!

Typical kitchen from long ago

Sharon showing how lowly she can be

On Thursday, after a delicious “Early” breakfast we set off for the historic town of Swellendam wich was declared a magisterial district in 1743. It was the fourth oldest in South Africa, and was named after Governor Hendrik Swellengrebel who was the first South African born Governor, and his wife, Helena Ten Damme. This outlying settlement was the gateway to the interior, and was visited by many famous explorers and travellers including Francois Le Vaillant a noted ornithologist (1781).

A village was established beyond the Drostdy, where artisans including numerous wainwrights, blacksmiths, coopers and traders settled. Swellendam was the last outpost of Dutch civilisation on the eastern frontier and thus the services of the residents of the town were of utmost importance.

Our first stop after a scenic drive from Struisbaai was The Old Mill Restaurant. We wanted to sit in the garden but it had rained and the seats were wet so we settled for an indoor table and ordered coffee and milk tart. Inside the menu we found a touching trip report written by one of the staff. They had all been taken to The Kruger National Park and surrounds to do a training course. What an amazing experience they had flying for the first time, seeing fascinating wildlife and exploring a part of our land that they’d only dreamed of. And what a lot they learned about their trade too. The piece was written with such warmth and appreciation of every aspect of the experience. It’s worth going to this restaurant just to read it!

Earl and Sharon next to the lovely fireplace

Feeling refreshed we went to the Drosdy Museum and really enjoyed all the exhibits and re-informed ourselves of our South African history.

Sharon emerging from the Cooper’s cottage

Sharon thinks I should crochet a spread like this!

Tony and Sharon in the court room of the original drosdy

Tony and Sharon in the court room of the original landrost

Earl wants this for his hearse

He says I can have this one

A very old Singer Sewing Machine

At ‘The Whipping Post’ restaurant (It was the old gaol) we found this stunning patio furniture which I fancy having here in Struisbaai!

We spent a good few hours exploring Swellendam and I can recommend it as a destination especially if you have an interest in things historical. There is also a pottey you could visit and we popped into an art gallery too. The exhibits were interesting and if I could choose I would have take this.

The weather was cooling down quite rapidly by the time we left and made our way to The Bontebok National Park. There was not too much to see but we were thrilled that we saw its star performers plus a few other creatures.

Star of the show

And some of his friends

The flora is stunning

Southern Black Korhaan

Back in Struisbaai we popped into the harbour and took a photograph of the stingrays cruising beneath the surface.

Such a beautiful harbour

On Friday Sharon and I made the most of the most glorious morning and walked to Agulhas.

View on our walk

The men met just over an hour later and we did the compulsory standing on the southern tip thing, took a scenic drive to Suiderstrand and then had breakfast at Potpourri.

Our Southernmost Friends

Me with the Agulhas rocks in the background

It was a lovely end to to a brilliant visit with our friends.

Struisbaai Day 6 – Elim and Cyclists

2012-12-21 | puppy1952

That blister on my foot really made me feel precious this morning so I decided to have a rest day. I just couldn’t face putting on takkies and running through burn. We headed for the beach at 8 and enjoyed a delicious swim and surf with our body boards. It was the start of a glorious day. On our way back to the house Earl caught sight of this cute little crowned lapwing chick. It’s parents did their best to attract our attention away from him to them but we only wanted to take his portrait.

Leave my chick alone please

Aren’t I cute

We had an ”Early” breakfast of scrambled eggs – not my my normal one egg scramble with a swallow of juice before dashing off to school – no this was gourmet with bits of bacon, mushroom, tomato and ‘stinky’ cheese thrown in – to die for doll. Then we went to Agulhas to drop off our laundry.

On our return from the laundry we saw signs saying ‘Mark’ with arrows pointing you in the right direction. Lollz and I had seen them on the weekend and she’d said, “Who’s Mark?” Ha ha – very funny – Mark is Afrikaans for Market! We were tempted but didn’t get round to following the arrows but today Earl and I decided to check it out. We found a beautifully laid out market in the Diensentrum and all sorts of interesting things were on offer. Earl bought me a necklace and we gathered some delicacies like mixed nuts and seeds, nougat, biltong etc. Then we stopped off at the regular market on the field in front of the shopping centre and got some mielies.

Lovely Stuff

A place to do your Christmas Shopping

Every South African needs this stuff

Mielies going cheap

The day stretched out ahead of us and we decided to take a slow trip via Napier to Elim so that we could do a spot of bird watching. I was also keen on seeing the museum at Elim and finding out a bit more of the history of this little mission town.

A Jackal Buzzard posed for us

A shy steenbok stopped to say hi

The town of Elim nestled in a water rich valley

When we entered the village I was intrigued by an old shop. A group of cyclists were outside having stopped to get a drink and we asked if it would be okay to photograph them – they happily obliged.

The Cyclists

We took a photograph of a particularly attractive house with a pretty front garden.

Typical Elim House

We then went to the information centre and were taken on a brief tour of the museum. The curator expounded on the history of the town all of which was quite fascinating and informative. ‘When I got home I googled Elim which gave the same information quite concisely so I’ve quoted it below.

Stuff used in the olden day shops

An old kitchen which we were told has not changed much in the present day homes

Earl being quite old remembers using a water sharpener like this

He also remembers his grandparents having an ice box like this.

Elim is a village on the Agulhas Plain in the Western Cape of South Africa. It was established in 1824 by German missionaries as a Moravian mission station. When selecting the location, the missionaries placed a high priority on the proximity of water and on terrain that was suitable for planting vines so that wine for communion could be produced. As well as preaching the Gospel, the missionaries taught the villagers a variety of trades and skills. Elim’s thatchers continue to be renowned for their craftsmanship.

The village is picturesque and has changed little over the years. It is filled with whitewashed cottages, fruit trees and fynbos. All the roads in the village lead to the thatch roofed church. The community, still mainly Moravian, consists of farmers, farm workers and artisans.

Elim is becoming known for the export of fynbos, and as an emerging area in the production of wine.

After our visit to the museum we found the six young cyclists sitting on the lawn near the coffee shop having a watermelon wallow. I just had to chat to them. They had begun their cycle from Somerset West on Saturday and were heading for Stilbaai where one of the young men’s parents are holidaying. Each day is only roughly planned and sometimes they battle to find a place to camp. They told us they were heading for Struisbaai where they intended spending the night at the Caravan Park. They’d already ridden from Gansbaai and they looked exhausted! They were really charming young people so I thought – no – these guys need a break. Änd so we invited them to spend the night in our bunk room! They were over the moon and accepted with alacrity.

A refreshing water melon wallow

On our way home we had more luck with bird watching.

A Spoonbill fished in ditch next to the dirt road

Not often that we see white-faced ducks

Bokmakierie was not very obliging

We also came across a shepherd herding sheep with his dog

Back home we prepared for our guests. Earl decided to braai one of the yellow-tail caught yesterday. I made the salads and vegetables and got the table ready, checked the beds and bathroom were okay and at 6:30 ish our weary travellers arrived

After a coke I took them down to the beach for a swim

The vet, viets, vriende

Katie and Marianda rinsing off the salt water

They were delighted with our super long beach with its white sand and warm sea.

Chatting to them later we discovered that Francois and Marianda were married. The girls and one of the guys had never done a long cycle in their lives before. Tim and Katie were English speaking and that the six had met at university. Marianda is studying teaching, Katie is about to launch her career as a dietician, one of the boys is going on to do honours in marketing, Francois is already working and I can’t quite remember the other details! Their names are Marianda, Francois, Katie, Tim, Nico and Riaan. I will tell you more tomorrow.

What I can tell you is that they are all delightful young people. Today they cycled a total of 94km. They were stiff and sore but full of the joy of what they had done. The boys were super impressed that the girls kept up so well and told them so. They couldn’t thank us enough for treating them to braaied yellowtail, vegetables, sweet potatoes and salad. Dessert was very simple – canned fruit and ice cream but they thought is was a fantastic treat. After dinner they insisted on washing up. Their parents can be very proud of them – for having this adventure during their vacation and for being being superbly polite and thoroughly pleasant young people.

Tomorrow they are going to spend the day with us. More on that later!

To be continued.

Struisbaai – Couples Weekend

2012-06-10 | puppy1952

Last weekend I spent a most enjoyable girls’ weekend at our holiday house in Struisbaai so when my hubby suggested going up again to do some necessary chores at the house again on Friday – I thought, why not. We invited our friends Tony and Sharon to join us and although it was short notice they persuaded a friendly neighbour to look after their cat and as soon as I’d finished school at 3 o’clock we were off. The weather was awful. It was cold and wet but we were in high spirits – after all it’s better to be miserable in Struisbaai than miserable in Cape Town. We cheerfully handled the traffic in Somerset West, had a clear run over Sir Lowry’s Pass and dashed through intermittent showers before arriving in Struis at 6 o’ clock. Once we were unpacked and settled we decided to treat ourselves to a meal out at Angelo’s in Agulhas. It was raining when we arrived and really cold but inside there was an inviting fire which warmed us inside and out.

The menu had a variety of delicious items and it was difficult to make up our minds – but in the end Earl, Tony and Sharon had the prawn and calamari basket. The only reason I went for a pasta dish was that I eat seafood so often at home that I felt I should have change. Our meals were superb and Tony and Sharon were amazed that such good cuisine could be obtained in a backwater like Cape Agulhas!

We beat the chill by adding an extra duvet to our beds and we all reported a good night’s rest the following morning. Earl cooked up one of his famous “Early Breakfasts” in the form of delicious omelettes filled with bacon, cheddar, blue cheese and tomato. Then once we’d had a hot cup of coffee, fed the garden birds and donned our warmest jackets Sharon and I went for a stroll around Struisbaai while the boys went to fetch some provisions from the shop. We ended up at Struisbaai ‘mall’ and browsed around my friend, Lynn’s shop – South Bound -Lifestyle Gifts. She’d just returned from the Far East and her stock was wonderful. She has everything and anything – “I look for stuff that is interesting and that I think will sell,” she told us. And she certainly does have an eye! We didn’t have our wallets with us but as we left we found the boys and told them to come and look at what we’d found. It turned out to be a good day for Lynn – Earl and I bought a bedside cupboard and Tony and Sharon left with two beautiful silver statuettes.

We then took a drive to Arniston and of course did some bird watching on the way. Sharon and Tony are not birders but enjoy the feathered friends that visit their fynbos garden on the mountainside of Fish Hoek. We promised not to bore them by stopping for every sparrow and dove. “And Sharon – I promise there is one shop in Arniston.” I said. “She has her black belt in shopping,” Tony quipped. I turned out to be a most productive drive in spite of the intermittent showers and chilly weather. We saw yellow mongoose frolicking and chasing each other, there was a dead sheep in a field that must have been taken by a jackal or a lynx and a bird of prey was being chased from it by the crows. A beautiful jackal buzzard flew from its perch in front of us and there were dozens of weavers, sparrows and canaries about. We also saw lots of blue crane amongst the grazing sheep and the elusive Denham’s bustard made an appearance when we took a detour to Die Mond for a quick walk onto the suspended bridge. On the way back to the Arniston Road we found a single Southern Black Korhaan.

Blue Crane

Mating Dance

Tony and Sharon on the Bridge – Die Mond

Denham’s Bustard

Southern Black Korhaan

The sea at Arniston was wild and fun to watch, the waves breaking as high as the cliffs. We drove around and looked at the dunes and the houses and then went for a light lunch of roast vegetable soup and whole-wheat bread at the hotel. Delicious. Of course, we had to check out the gift shop too but all Sharon bought were some pretty elastics for her hair.

It is compulsory when visiting this part of the world to do the Southern Tip of Africa – so we dutifully took our guest to Cape Agulhas before going home. Bravely they stood with smiling faces and chattering teeth as we took their photographs at the tip of the continent! We also showed them the surrounding Agulhas National Park, Suiderstrand and of course the wreck.

Sharon bravely posing at the Southern Tip of Africa

Potpourri Gift and Coffee Shop was our next port of call. The gatherer instinct was once again satisfied and a cup of coffee consumed. At five o’clock we were the last patrons to leave.

Thank Goodness for our indoor braai! Earl lit the fire and we warmed up beside it until it was ready to cook our supper – starter of spiced bacon on a skewer followed by lamb chops, rolls and salad. Then an early night in our snug little beds.

Sunday Morning dawned without precipitation. We had buns and tea/coffee for breakfast and then the guys did some maintenance chores. While they were busy Sharon and I took a long walk around Struisbaai – the harbour, the board walk and the neighbourhood. Then we went back to Southbound to chat to the other half of Lynn – her husband, Glyn as he wanted to see Earl. Sharon and I spent a few more cents then it was time to pack up and leave.

Struisbaai Harbour

We took the scenic route home, stopping at The Black Oystercatcher for lunch. It was a lovely wine estate and a pretty venue indeed. We sat outdoors in the warm sunshine and enjoyed the lovely views. We all ordered fish cakes, potato wedges and salad. Big mistake! The wedges and salad were fine – but the fish cakes were dry. However, we were hungry and we did not complain and they were edible.

The Black Oyster Catcher

We drove home through the picturesque mission station of Elim where the young men are famous for their thatching skills. Soon after this Earl asked me to drive – he had a pain in his chest – indigestion from the fish cakes we realised. We stopped at Kleinbaai to look at the harbour and the fishing and shark diving boats.

Shark Diving Boats

Kleinbaai Harbour

Kleinbaai

It was then that Earl realised he needed the loo. Then again we stopped at a One Stop outside Hermarnus and he was man down till we got home. Definitely a case of food poisoning. Sharon, Tony and I were okay – although I also had an upset tummy – but didn’t feel as ill as he did. He is sleeping peacefully as I write and I’m sure he’ll be fine in the morning.

In spite of Earl’s mishap, it was a great weekend and we all felt as though we’d been away for a week.