South African Navy Museum

Taking a walk around Simon's Town after our train ride from Kalk Bay during our summer holiday in December we "stumbled" upon the South African Navy Museum .  The museum is housed in and around the original Dockyard Magazine / Storehouse which dates back to 1743.  After 1810 when the Royal Navy moved its headquarters from Cape Town to Simon’s Town the building was extended to become the three-storey building it is today.  Just after coming through the entrance there is a number of Naval Guns from different eras, but that's just the start. 

The museum is much bigger than what one would think it is looking at it from the outside with several life-sized displays like this naval helicopter.

Amongst others there is also a life-size ship's bridge with movement and sound making it look like its on a stormy sea somewhere. Drama Princess tried it out and you can see how she is holding on to the chair with the effects scaring her a bit.

Except for the display of naval equipment, boats (or parts thereof), the helicopter, missiles, etc, etc, etc, there is also a display of paintings, photos, medals, insignia and other relics.  A special treat was spotting Former Minister of Intelligence, Ronnie Kasrils (not the guy in the photo above though) showing his wife around the museum while we were there.

Just Nuisance

Just Nuisance, along with Jock of the Bushveld, are probably the two most famous dogs in South Africa.  Nuisance, a Great Dane, was born in 1937 and as his owner worked at the naval base he started hanging out with the sailors.  Nuisance roamed around freely and began to take day trips by train with the sailors, going as far afield as Cape Town.  Although the seamen tried hiding him the conductors would find him and put him off the trains.  The railway company eventually warned that Nuisance would have to be put down unless he was prevented from boarding the trains.  This news came as a shock and the the Navy decided to officially enlist him which meant that as a member of the armed forces he would be allowed on the trains AND receive free rail travel. He was enlisted on 25 August 1939.  His surname was entered as "Nuisance" and rather than leaving the forename blank he was christened "Just".  His trade in the navy was listed as "Bonecrusher".  Just Nuisance died in 1944 and was buried with full military honours and a monument was erected in Jubilee Square in Simon's Town.  Read the whole story of Just Nuisance, the only dog ever to be officially enlisted in the Royal Navy, on Wikipedia.

Vergelegen in pienk

Die Weskaap is wêreldwyd bekend vir sy wynplase, party van hulle wat soveel as drie eeue terugdateer.  Een van die oudste wynplase in die Kaap is Vergelegen in Somerset-Wes.  Willem Adriaan van der Stel het sy pa, Simon van der Stel, in 1700 opgevolg as goeweneur van die Kaap.  Kort voor lank het hy 'n groot stuk grond aan die voet van die Hottentots Hollandberge vir homself geeien net soos sy pa met Constantia, die oudste wynplaas in die Kaap, gedoen het.  Dit het drie dae geneem om by die plaas te kom met 'n ossewa en dit is hoe die plaas sy naam "Vergelegen" (ver geleë uit die Kaap uit) gekry het.  Met my laaste besoek kon ek nie help om in die tuin pienk blomme in te klim en die foto te neem met die Vergelegen herehuis in die agtergrond nie.

Kalk Bay to Simon's Town train ride

My Kidz have never been on a train in their lives and the ideal opportunity for that first train ride presented itself while on holiday in Cape Town.  Cape Town has a very good rail commuter service and we decided to catch the train (along with quite a few other tourists) from Kalk Bay to Simon's Town.  The tickets cost next to nothing, probably less than the petrol if we had taken the car.  Waiting for the train at Kalk Bay Station the kidz were looked like they were high on sugar bouncing up and down in excitement and checking down the track the whole time to see if the train was coming yet.

Finally the train arrived and we got on our way down the Peninsula's eastern seaboard towards Simon's Town.  The kidz just loved the experience and couldn't stop looking out the windows at the passing landscape of beaches, people, buildings and ocean.

The train ride isn't that long and it probably took us about 15 or 20 minutes to travel between the two towns.  Along the way we passed Fish Hoek and Glencairn before getting off at Simon's Town Station about one kilometer outside the town centre.  After spending about two hours exploring Simon's Town on foot we headed back to the station for the return journey.  A journey well worth the travel.

Karoostorm

Party mense vind die baie vervelig om deur die Karoo te reis, maar vir meeste het die groot ooptes met die weie blou hemel bokant 'n spesiale aantrekking.  Na 'n warm somers dag kan 'n donderstorm baie gou opsteek soos hier net buite Steynsburg in the Ooskaap.  Die twee Karookoppies in die agtergrond is Teebus en Koffiebus omtrent 10km buite die dorp.  Die "bus" is blykbaar ou Nederlands vir pot en die naam kom van die feit dat hulle soos 'n teepot en koffiepot in die verte lyk.  Teebus aan die linkerkant is die smaller een van die twee koppies terwyl Koffiebus breër is.

The blue fishing boat

Fishing boats in Kalk Bay Harbour

Jagluiperd

 

Die groot kat wat seker die meeste onderskat word wanneer daar oor die diereryk gepraat word is die jagluiperd.  Wildkykers wil gewoonlik leeus en luiperds sien en as tiere natuurlik in Afrika voorgekom het sou hulle ook seker bo die arme jagluiperd op die lys gewees het.  Die Jagluiperd is die vinnigste landsoogdier en kan snelhede van tussen 112 en 120 km/h bereik.  Hy kan 100 km/h binne 3 sekondes bereik en kan tot 450 m ver die spoed handhaaf voor hy moet stop om te verhoed dat sy liggaam oorverhit.  Jagluiperds verkies oop savannes, gras of bosveld en kom hoofsaaklik in Afrika voor met 'n klein groepering van 'n subspesie wat in Iran aangetref word.