South Africa Day 10 - Table Mountain, Being Tourists and Teaching roller derby

We've only got a couple of days left of our holiday so we're up again this morning to head up to the top of Table Mountain. It's a short drive along the many mountain roads that link up the various areas of Cape Town, and we park up and join the back of the queue for tickets to the cable car. 

Erica and Steve set off a bit earlier than us and are enjoying a coffee at the top, as it was still in the clouds when they arrived, which is always a risk for anywhere up high with a view. The queue moves quite quickly though, and we're soon bundling into the large cable car to take us to the top. Once we're on the move, we discover the car itself rotates so that everyone on board gets a 360 view of the ascent. 

We get to the station at the top and go to find the others, grabbing a quick coffee ourselves on the way. It's quite windy but the clouds are clearing and the sun is bright in the sky. We set off around a short trail route which circles the area of the mountain top around the cable car station. On the way around, there is an assortment of large boulders which are perfect vantage points for taking pictures of the stunning view, and also posing in front of the impressive landscape of the horizon and the city below. There's wildlife up here too, with dassies darting in and out of the shade of the rocks and birds soaring overhead in the early afternoon sunshine. 

Further around the trail, there's an echoing canyon which is the source of much amusement for 5a few minutes. We continue along the pathway and arrive at a junction of sorts, where we can either head back to the station or explore a further part of the mountain. It's much more off the beaten track here, and there's a part of the route where we need to climb down a steep section with the help of a rope and iron fixings in the rock. It's also much quieter here, and it's great to be able to explore in a more peaceful environment. The sky has cleared now to a beautiful blue, and we traverse the uneven paths in the afternoon sun, marvelling at the fascinating rock structures and breathtaking scenery. We realise we're heading further into unknown territory and decide to trace our route back to the main path before it gets too late. 

We head back to the cable car and make the journey back down to the base, where we pick up our cars and hear to a nearby branch of Cape Town fish market for dinner. We start with a seafood plank, then I continue the seafood theme with more calamari for my main. It's unfortunately not quite as fresh as our lunch yesterday, but refuel us nonetheless, and we enjoy yet another beautiful sunset behind the mountains and over the bay. 

Craig and I are off to train with Cape Town Roller Derby tonight, so we say our goodbyes to Erica and Steve and head on our way to their venue. A couple of confused frowns at the satnav later, and we've found the sports hall and the familiar sight of colourful leggings and roller skates. It's a refereeing focused session, so after some quick pointers on technique for minimum skills with the whole league, we settle down to listen to Craig's wisdom and guidance on good reffing practice and relevant training. It's great to meet some of the skaters afterwards, and see how the sport has taken off worldwide. We have a quick beer and head back over the mountain range once again to our cosy Noordhoek cottage. It's gone midnight by the time we get home, and tomorrow is our last day before we return to the UK, so we head to bed for another peaceful night's sleep under South African sky.

South Africa Day 7 - Cape Point, Paths with a view and Penguins

We enjoy a lie in after the long drive yesterday, and rise in the late morning with some coffee, cereal and toast. Today's adventure is a drive down to Cape Point, one of the most Southern points of Africa. Cape Point is on the infamous Cape Of Good Hope, the sight of many sailing disasters over the years. The warm Indian ocean meets the cold waters of the Atlantic around this Southern tip of South Africa, leading to dangerous currents and treacherous conditions. It's a beautifully sunny day as we drive down to the parking area, so by the time we've walked to the welcoming point we're already quite hot! We decide to skip the funicular to take us up to the lighthouse, and opt instead to take the path, stopping to catch our breath and take in the views along the way. 

There are dossies up here, hiding in the shade of the rocks, and lots of little dark lizards too, happier out in the open soaking up the heat of the sunshine. The area around the lighthouse itself is very busy, but there's just time to grab a few snaps of the expansive ocean and the signpost pointing to various cities around the world. 

We grab a quick drink from the shop, have a wander around the point and head back down the path at a leisurely pace to pick up the cars and head to our next stop, Boulders beach. It's a small fee to get onto the wooden walkway that's been build from the road down to the waters edge, and we can already spot what we came here to see in some of the undergrowth. 

The African penguin lives happily on the shore here, and as we near the seafront we see more and more of them nesting, wandering along the sand or just enjoying the sunshine. 

Down on the beach there's a viewing platform, and we can see hundreds of birds on the shoreline and swimming in the sea. It's a crazy sight to see penguins here, living essentially in the wild, just outside Africa's southernmost city. These creatures are native to the south western coastal region of South Africa, with the colonies now listed as endangered species. We take lots of pictures, and wander back to the cars, stopping for an ice cream along the way. The family have ordered pizzas for this evening so we pick up some salad and head back to the cottages for a relaxed dinner, as the sun sets and we turn in for an early night, ready to get up for the early wedding in the morning.

South Africa Day 3 & 4 - Breakfasts, Beaches and Back to nature

We have a more leisurely start today, enjoying another tasty breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast with fresh tomatoes and basil, washed down with home made lemonade and some glorious morning sunshine at the guest house. We pack up, hand in the keys and hit the road in the late morning. We're heading to Jeffrey's Bay today, where Craig and his sister went to junior school. On the way to Addo, we discovered that the car radio in our car needed a code to activate it, which we didn't have. We called the car hire place and they didn't have it either, so we let Erica and Steve set off towards Jeffrey's whilst we take a quick detour back to Port Elizabeth airport to swap cars. Trading in the white Ford Ikon we collect an ice blue Hyundai Accent, which has a working radio and is infinitely more comfortable than the Ikon. Craig takes me on a quick driving tour of his and Erica's old high schools - they're impressive buildings with striking architecture, expansive sports grounds and even a shooting range. After seeing the sights, we head back out of town to catch up with Erica and Steve in Jeffrey's, about an hour's drive round the coast.

We meet up at Steers and grab a quick burger for lunch, then we drive up through the streets where Craig and Erica used to live, and stop off to have a look at the various world class surf spots along the coastline. In the early evening we drop off our stuff with one of their friends, with whom we're staying for the night, and head out for a quick drink and then dinner to enjoy the local seafood. The calamari is delicious, my fish is rather overcooked which is a shame, but it's all washed down nicely with a tasty glass of Sauvignon Blanc. Later we head to a local bar, where I enjoy a couple of Savannas, play a quick game of pool and everyone has a chance to catch up. It's a real locals' bar, where the barman plays songs from his iPod (he's a Tool fan, much to my delight) and one group bring in some bedding for their dog to get comfy under one of the tables.

In the morning, we have another relaxed start with a home cooked breakfast, before we say our goodbyes to the family and head back to Jeffrey's to do a bit of shopping. We buy a few souvenirs from a local shop, including a child's T shirt I'm surprised and delighted that I manage to fit into! We drive up to the supertubes and wander down onto the sandy beach, stopping for a few selfies on the way. The waves aren't huge today, and I can't resist going for a quick paddle in the sea. It's pretty cold, not unlike a sunny summer's day on the British coast, but I'm glad I've at least dipped my feet in at such an iconic location. I retreat from the water's edge quickly though, as Craig points out the bluebottles washing up along the break of the waves on the shore. They're small and easy enough to avoid, but for my peace of mind I move further up the beach and continue looking for interesting shells and sea urchin tests whilst soaking in the atmosphere. I wash the sand off my feet and we head back to the car to continue our journey. 

After a quick drive past another house in Aston Bay where Erica and Craig grew up, we head out to the Craggs in the mountains and book into Antlers guest house for the night. The grounds here are stunning, with a pond full of wildlife and a pen with zebra and antelope to greet guests as they drive up the path to the collection of buildings that make up the lodgings. We are in a studio chalet, with a comfy bed, kitchenette, sofas and sliding doors which look out over the lush green grass and peaceful surroundings. Off the beaten track, it's so serene here, and when darkness falls the view of the night sky is amazing, nothing but stars twinkling in the blackness. We have nothing to prepare in our more than adequate cooking facilities however, so we head to the bay for some dinner. Sadly there's a long wait for a table at Fat Fish, the restaurant at which we'd hope to dine, so we head next door to Spur. It's an assortment of meat and fish all round, and I try a beer called Flying Fish, which is flavoured with orange, and very drinkable. They also do a lemon and an apple flavour, I'll be sure to keep an eye out for them in future. We head back to the lodge for an early night and marvel once again at the beauty of the night sky. Our early night is postponed ever so slightly whilst we catch and remove a stray toad which hops across the floor by our bed. We really are living amongst the wildlife here, but I'm quite relieved that the only animal that's made it this close is a friendly toad! Toad relocated outside, we turn in for the night, ready for another day of adventures tomorrow.