Lions Head Sunset

Last week I spent some time in Cape Town attending the annual World Travel Market Africa tourism trade show.  The one afternoon after the show I headed up to Table Mountain Road for a walk just before sunset and could kick myself for leaving my camera at the guesthouse the morning.  My phone had to do and I caught the sun setting between Table Mountain and Lions Head through the wild grasses.

Moments later as the sun disappeared past the mountain towards the horizon

Sunset from Signal Hill

They say that you can't really say you've visited Cape Town if you haven't been up Table Mountain. We've done Table Mountain before and with a family of four it's a bit of an expensive exercise so on our whistle stop visit to the Mother City for the Cape Town Mega event we decided on the next best option.  Signal Hill.  Even better, Signal Hill at sunset.

The one thing we didn't quite think of was that it was a Saturday afternoon and the weather was great so just about half of Cape Town had the same thing in mind.  Traffic up was hectic and parking is limited.  Add to that a coach parked in the middle of the turning point at the top and cars squeezing into every available spot so the clever option was to park on the far side and cut across the top of Signal Hill on foot.  Something which turned out to be a wise move as leaving later on was much quicker from that side. 

The material covered take off area used by the paragliding outfit based up on Signal Hill makes for the ideal viewing site and as the sun started heading towards the horizon over the Atlantic Ocean, people took their places. 

There you have it, a beautiful Cape Town sunset over the sea.  Not many clouds, or more accurately just about nothing at all, meant no beautiful colours and painted skies, but still stunning never the less.  

The options to watch the sun setting over the Atlantic in Cape Town is many but I prefer Signal Hill because of all the added views of Table Mountain and the surrounding city.  But lesson learned.  Don't go on the weekend in peak season.

The perfect Karoo sunset

Take the big sky of the Eastern Cape's Karoo Heartland, add some rain the previous night, a few distant mountains, an old building, a thorn tree and throw in a sunset for good measure.  What do you get?  This, as observed while on a game drive at Mount Camdeboo Game Reserve outside Graaff-Reinet recently.  All I still needed was a windpomp in the picture somewhere.

Sunset and scenic views at the Valley of Desolation

What is the first thing you think of if I had to ask you to name one thing to see or do if you visited the Karoo Heartland town of Graaff-Reinet?  I don't know about you, but my answer would be the Valley of Desolation in the Camdeboo National Park.  For some reason every time I spend the night in Graaff-Reinet I end up visiting the Valley of Desolation and that reason is that the Valley is one of the Eastern Cape's most iconic must see scenic attractions.

This time around I didn't make my way up to the Valley by myself but was hooked up on a tour led by Oom Buks Marais of Karoo Park Guesthouse in town.  Karoo Park offers tours up to the Valley, historic walks around town as well as night drives in the Camdeboo National Park.  Unfortunately this time around I only had time for one of them though.  Once in the park the road climbs quite drastically up to the escarpment with great views back over the town and adjacent Nqweba Dam before Spandau Kop and ultimately the Valley of Desolation itself is seen.

Once at the parking spot it's about a 200 meter walk to the first of the lookout points with paths and trails taking you further along for to a couple more view sites.  One of the things to keep in mind is to always wear comfortable shoes even if you're only going as far as the first viewpoint.  The path isn't a boardwalk or properly paved path so trying to do it in heals may just lead to a broken ankle. 

At the top of the path the Valley of Desolation lies right in front of you.  It's more a gorge than a valley, but not sure if the name Gorge of Desolation would have worked.  The Valley of Desolation consist of sheer cliffs and precariously balanced columns of Dolerite rising 120 metres up from the valley floor below.  These are the product of volcanic and erosive forces of nature over 100 million years and stands against the backdrop of the vast plains of the Camdeboo which makes for a stunning sight.  

I once heard somebody say that they don't know what the fuss of the view was about.  I stood there looking like I was trying to catch flies with my mouth and just stuck my hands out towards the view and made big eyes.  Some people just don't appreciate true beauty if it slaps them in the face.  

Often it's not just a case of come, see and leave, with a lot of people bringing a picnic basket and sun downers to enjoy while watching the sun go down over the Karoo plains.  All of this means that it can actually be a very romantic spot as well plus it never really gets crowded so it's not like you are competing for your space in the sun(set).  I'm told early mornings are a good time to visit as well although I haven't done that myself yet.

On our visit though the wind was pumping and although we were the only people up there, Oom Buks suggested we go down the mountain a bit to a another slightly more sheltered view site once we had out fill of the Valley itself.  

Once there Oom Buks broke out the cooler box and and it was time to enjoy a cold one while watching the sun go down.  Plus take photos.  Lots and lots of sunset photos to work through later.  

I really like this photo of Oom Buks standing on this rock enjoying the view.  A view he has seen thousands of times and just about every day.  It shows a man who really has a passion for the Karoo.

I may be a forest person and really enjoy the bush, but the vast open spaces of the Karoo stays a very special place and one I always enjoy to experience.  If you've never been to Graaff-Reinet (which means you've never been to the Valley of Desolation either) then I think it's time for a road trip and while there, make sure you take the road up to the Valley late one afternoon to go and enjoy a sunset.  And don't forget to bring your camera... and a picnic basket... and a loved one.

Valley of Desolation sunset

One of my absolute favorite places to enjoy an Eastern Cape sunset is from the Valley of Desolation outside Graaff-Renet.  Other than that, I will let the picture do the talking. #ExperienceEastCape

Sunset over the Knysna Lagoon

I spent the weekend in Knysna for work and didn't have a lot of free time, but that did not stop me from dashing down to the Knysna Heads just in time to catch the sunset.  It's been a few years since I've spent some quality time in Knysna and I seriously need to make a plan and get back there to explore the forest a little more than I have in the past and also get down to places like Noetzie again. Hopefully soon.

Roadtrip gems - The sun setting in the Karoo

Road tripping bring you the possibility of many memorable things. Beautiful destinations, interesting people, scrumptious food, fascinating places and, in this case, a beautiful Karoo Heartland sunset.  Although it was probably still another hour before sunset, the sun heading for the distant mountains through hazy skies made for a sight beautiful enough to make me pull over on my drive to Cradock. 

 This is why I go nowhere without my camera. 

Moonrise over pink clouds

Not long ago I spent a night at Angler and Antelope Guesthouse in Somerset East.  Coming out of the guesthouse on my way to dinner, the near full moon was rising in the east over clouds painted bright pink by the setting sun behind me.  I rushed back to my room to grab my car keys, dashed to the car to get my camera and by the time I got back to my view spot most of the pink had faded already.  I still just had to snap a pic to share with you.  Oh the beauty of the Karoo skies. #KarooHeartland

A Boardwalk sunset

Last week I got to attend the opening of the Le Vino Wine and Tapas Bar at the Boardwalk complex in Port Elizabeth.  The restaurant has an upstairs area with a balcony overlooking the Boardwalk lake and it was here we were toasting the end of another beautiful day in the Bay while the sun was going down.  The sky was stunning and this is exactly why I always like to have my camera with me.

Sunset on the Zuurberg Mountains

An afternoon trip to Addo for an early evening meeting had me arrive in the area an hour or so early.  Problem? Not at all.  Doesn't matter where you are, if you have a passion for travel and is a Geocacher to boot, there will always be something to see, do or find.  This day was no different.  I decided to take a leisurely drive up the Zuurberg Pass to pick up a Geocache I hadn't done before plus it's been a while since I've been up the pass and I was keen to see what the road is like these days.  For a start, the road is in excellent condition.  Secondly, I found the cache I was looking for.  Thirdly, and this was the special bonus of the day, I was greeted with this sight on my way back down.  A beautiful sunset over the Zuurberg Mountains.

The Crags Sunset

There is nothing like a beautiful sunset to end off a perfect day.  

Sunset over the distant mountains during our recent weekend in The Crags near Plettenberg Bay

A perfect moring on the Wild Coast

You know when you've experienced something that you just want to share over and over again?  My Wild Coast trip was like that (heck, sometimes I feel every trip I go on is like that) and I wish I could transport you all to the day I spend at Wavecrest Hotel and getting up to a perfect windless morning.  Getting up just before sunset with not a ripple on the lagoon. Ahhh, absolute bliss.

A perfect sunrise on the Wild Coast

The Wild Coast. Creates pictures in one's head of rugged coastlines, rough seas, shipwrecks and storms... Or in this case a sunrise over the Nxaxo River Mouth on a windless morning.

Wavecrest sunrise

The Wild Coast is literally just a couple of stone skips away from where I am based in Port Elizabeth, yet except for quick visits to Morgan Bay and Trennereys I've never explored it properly.  Some people even told me that those are situated on the Mild Coast and that I would have to venture further north to be able to properly say that I've been to the Wild Coast.  In May circumstances allowed me to spend a few days doing just that while I was on my way to Tourism Indaba in Durban.  I spent my first night at Wavecrest Beach Hotel and got up just in time to catch the sun rising over Nxaxo River Mouth.  Now that is how a day on the Wild Coast should start.

Madiba's glasses

On my last visit to Cape Town I wanted to make sure I got to see the Madiba inspired "sunglasses" placed next to the promenade at Sea Point.  The art piece was created by artist Michael Elion, in conjunction with the City of Cape Town as part of World Design Capital 2014 and was in the news recently when it was defaced. 

I popped by early morning before heading off to World Travel Market Africa which I was attending...

 

... and came back the evening to get some photos of the sunset after the show

Table Bay sunset

In my home town of Port Elizabeth we get the sun rising over the sea giving beautiful sunrise picture opportunities along the beachfront.  In Cape Town its the total opposite.  Sunset is enjoyed with the Atlantic Ocean as setting.  Usually when I am in Cape Town I like to head up to Signal Hill at least once to enjoy sunset.  During my last visit I decided to rather head down to the Sea Point Promenade.  A rather good choice me thinks. 

A Krom River wind turbine sunset

I snapped this pic during a canal cruise at St Francis Bay a week or two ago.  During the trip we cruised out onto the Krom River as the sun was setting in the west behind the Kouga Wind Farm.  Have I mentioned how much I love my new camera? 

Kinkelbos roadworks sunset

 

Driving back from East London to Port Elizabeth last week I got stuck at the road works between Kinkelbos and Colchester.  I don't allow road works to faze me anymore and always get out, lean against the car and enjoy whatever scenery there is.  This time around the sun was setting in the west with some spectacular clouds and I grabbed my camera for a quick stop-go roadside photo shoot.  You should have seen the sky 10 minutes later as I came down the hill into Colchester with the Sundays River in the foreground.  Unfortunately by then the camera was packed away and there was nowhere to pull over with it only being one lane. Next time.

The Valley of Desolation at sunset

A visit to Graaff-Reinet isn't complete without a trip up to the Valley of Desolation in the Camdeboo National Park.  It's hard to say when the best time would be for such a visit though.  That depends if you would like to enjoy all the views in bright sunlight, want to take photos in the early morning light or want to see the sun set on the distant Karoo horizon.  Personally I like to go up in the late afternoon to go and see the sunset.  The biggest drawback of that is that the view of the town from the first lookout point is totally in the shadow of the mountain.  This off cause is the total opposite in the morning.  But shadow or not, its still so worth the short walk to the top.

Its also from here that you get to see the back of Spandau Kop, the well known natural landmark you see on your left as you enter Graaff-Reinet from the south.  Spandau Kop is a typical Karoo koppie which, to somebody who doesn't know what that means, can be described as a flat topped hill and iconic to the Karoo.

A short drive later and a quick walk up the hill brings you to the view site from where the Valley of Desolation can be seen.  I'm no geologist and (probably) neither are you so I'm just going to give an basic explanation of  what it is.  The Valley of Desolation consist of sheer cliffs and precariously balanced columns of Dolerite rising 120 metres from the valley floor.  All of this against the timeless backdrop of the vast plains of the Camdeboo.  The formation is the product of volcanic and erosive forces of nature taking place over 100 million years.  Again I was there too late to get the full sunshine on the columns... 

... but I did get this and that is what I was there for.  Sunset over the distant plains of the Karoo.  Truly Big Sky Country!

Sunset in Eersterivier

I have never been disappointed with sunsets at Eersterivier.  We recently spent a weekend in this part of the Tsitsikamma courtesy of Tsitsikamma Seaside Accommodation and even though most of the weekend was a bit on the grey side, the cloud did open enough on our first evening to get this beautiful sunset enhanced with a couple of gulls strolling around on the wet sand.