Following the scenic route

A view from a whale watching viewpoint in Gordon's Bay

I took Billy Boy's advice to follow the coast road to Hermanus, it meant detouring through Sir Lowry's Pass back towards Cape Town but the scenery en route was worth it. I picked up the coast road at Gordon's Bay and that was the start of a short trip but with so many stops it took over 3 hours to cover 80 kilometres.

Another view from the same place.

The houses behind the viewpoint, what a view to have with breakfast.

After a number of view stops I came around a bend to this beach in Kogel Bay, sure there were three other people there but it didn't feel crowded.

With the wind that has been blowing here for the last week the surf was impressive, I am afraid my photographic skills do not capture the sheer force of nature but at one point I was paddling, up to my ankles whilst taking some photos and I could not move fast enough to get away from a particularly large swell, suffice it to say it was higher than my inside leg measurement.

After many more stops and a lunch break at an out of the way deli I arrived in Hermanus (the a is pronounced the posh way like there is an R after it) I asked the girl on reception was I must see or do while I was in the area and she said "go to the Burgundy restaurant". I could see her point, Hermanus in the off season - when there are no whales is unimpressive, I regretted booking an overnight stop, two hours would have been plenty to have a walk on the cliff path and have lunch.

Today I left Hermanus early and followed the coast as closely as I could but I should have taken the more direct route. The road I followed was not scenic and it ended up me driving on a lot of dirt roads before I reached my destination at Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of Africa. I have read about the Cape and the dreadful storms in this area since I was a boy so it was a thrill to actually stand on the spot.