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| << October31, 2005 - Turtle Essays edition no 153 dated 31.10.2005 |
November14, 2005 - Turtle Essays Edition no 155 dated 14.11.2005 >> |
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Turtle Essays Edition no 154 dated 7th November 2005 ** Turtle Essays in conjunction with a Cape Town tour operator is offering accommodation and tours around the Cape Peninsula, Winelands and to see the whales at Hermanus. Find out more here. Http://www.turtlesa.com ** Do you enjoy this weekly ezine? Please tell your friends about it and send them to http://www.zinester.com/mpb/ml_fs.cgi?topic=50058 to become regular readers ** In this edition: Editor's Blurb Swellendam Wilderness lakes district. ** Editor's Blurb Hi folks Welcome to all my new and regular readers. Another week has flown by and we are one week closer to Christmas and the new year. As each week flies by we get closer to the tourist season here in Cape Town. This week I went on a training tour with a large tour operator and really enjoyed the tour and the experience learning some of the tricks of the trade. I'm itching to get going now. This week I have prepared some articles on places along the way to the garden route. Swellendam being the third oldest town in South ASfrica has some historical significance. The lakes district near Sedgefield is one of the most picturesque areas along our coastlines and is well worth a visit. Not only are the lakes beautiful but are unique as well. Find out more about them in the articles below. Geoff Fairman. Swellendam The town of Swellendam is the third oldest town in South Africa, the other two older towns being Stellenbosch and Cape Town. Swellendam is situated at the base of the Langekloof mountain range and lies in the shadow of the Clock Peaks so named as the time can be told by looking at the shadows cast by them. Being half way between Cape Town and Mossel Bay on the Garden route it is an important stop of for travellers to the east. The town was established in 1747 and is named after the then governor of the Cape, Hendrik Swellengrebel (who was the first South African born governor of the Cape) and his wife Helena ten Damme. Being one of the older towns in South Africa, Swellendam contains numerous old buildings which date back to the 1700's when the town was established. The influence of the Dutch and the British can still be seen today in the many Cape Dutch and Victorian buildings dotted around the town. One of the important buildings left over from early days is the old Drostdy (Magistrates Courts) which was built in 1749. It was used as the magistrate's residence and also served as court and prison until 1836. Today the complex is used as a museum with displays of beautiful furniture including kitchen equipment, horse carriages and an extensive photo and picture collection depicting the history of the town. As in most Cape towns there is always a Dutch Reformed church. Swellendam is no exception and it boasts the old Oefenings Huis which was built in 1838 as a place of worship and an educational centre for freed slaves. The building incorporates Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and other Cape styles and has a charm all of its own. Other than the historical buildings some interesting events have taken place in Swellendam. The most well known event happened in June of 1795 when the local magistrate Mr A A Landman was driven out of the town by the free burghers (citizens) as they were tired of the misrule of the Dutch East India company who governed the Cape at the time. Swellendam declared itself an independent Republic and installed Hermanus Steyn as the president. The life of this republic was shortlived as shortly afterwards the British invaded the Cape and established British rule. In 1865 a large fire devastated the town when it swept through and destroyed many of the old buildings in the area. All was not lost however, as the Overberg region in which Swellendam is situated is rich in historic sites dating back over a million years. The Stone Age era can be linked to the Khoi Khoi (the Hessequa or " people of the trees" as they were known ) who arrived in the Swellendam region about 2000 years ago. These nomadic people who moved about in small groups were herders who farmed fat tailed sheep and long horn cattle. Each group was headed by a captain who could be male or female. The Khoi often set up camps on the banks of the Breede River just outside Swellendam in what is today known as the Bontebok National park. Evidence of their camps can still be seen today. The Hessequa's demise began when they made contact with the Dutch in the 1600's. Diseases such as smallpox were spread to the Khoi and as they had no resistance to them they died like flies. Competition for land and the introduction of alcohol and tobacco further decimated the clans of the Hessequa??™s living in the region. Today there are very few descendents of the Khoi people left. Over the years Swellendam has established itself as a commercial centre in the Overberg following the tradition of Barry and Nephews, merchants, who dominated the scene during the early days of Swellendam. In between all the regular sites and sounds to be found in this inland town are a number of unique places to visit. There is a house dedicated to fairies and for a small fee you are allowed to enter and experience their world. The 430 ha Marloth flower reserve is nearby on the slopes of the mountain and in springtime when the fynbos and proteas are in bloom it transforms itself into a flower paradise. Next time you drive through this interesting historic town take time out to visit some of its attractions. Geoff Fairman ** Wilderness lakes district. On the south coast of South Africa in the middle of the Garden route is an area known as the Wilderness. It is also known as the lakes district and stretches from the small village of the Wilderness to the Goukamma river in the east a distance of about 38 kilometres. The area is unique in that in this short distance there are three different types of lakes all of which are common throughout the world but are not common in that they they are found in such a small geographical area. Swartvlei is an example of the first lake type which is formed when a submerged river valley is flooded by rising sea levels due to the melting of the ice caps and glaciers. A second type of lake is those that are formed in submerged lowlands between sand dunes . They are then flooded by the rising levels of the sea and are not connected to any river system. The Langvlei lake at the Wilderness is a good example of a lake being formed by this method. Rondevlei is an example of the third type of lake which is formed by wind erosion which hollows out an area of land into a large basin and is subsequently filled with water. The formation of sand dunes along the Wilderness coastline by the constant rising and falling of the sea levels over the ages has played a big part in the formation of the lakes system. The first sand dune formed in the area is north of the Swartvlei and is about two kilometres inland from the sea. Everytime the sea level rose a new dune was formed and there are now a number of large dunes lining the coastline. There are three different lake systems in the Wilderness area. The first system closest to the Wilderness village is the Wilderness lakes system, which is made up of a natural channel called the Serpentine and links the Touw river to its estuary and flood-plain. The Touw river is closed to the sea for most of the year and this makes this lake ideal for boating and fishing. Three lakes, Eilandvlei, Langvlei and Rondevlei are also connected to each other by the Serpentine . In the centre of the system is a large lake known as Swartvlei which is connected to the sea via the Swartvlei estuary near the town of Sedgefield. This estuary is tidal and is open to the sea. It is the only estuary that has managed to break through the dune system along the coastline in this system of lakes. Swartvlei is the largest lake and is used by holidaymakers to ski, fish, sail and swim in. On the banks where the time share units have been built the bird life and the people live in harmony with one another. The birds have become used to boats roaring past and just get out of the way when they see them approaching. On the eastern boundary of Sedgefield is a single landlocked lake known as Groenvlei which is the only freshwater lake in the system. It is surrounded by reeds and high sand dunes protect its southern side and has fresh water fish such as bass living in it. The N2 highway runs along its northern bank. West of the Swartvlei lake is the Rondevlei lake which has been declared a is a bird sanctuary . It has a number of bird hides built amongst the reeds that grow on its banks where people can sit quietly and watch the water birds do their thing. It is very interesting to get up close to some of the thousands of birds that live on and visit these lakes each year. There are at least 72 bird species and the monthly average for birds using the lakes is about 10800 birds. Visitors to the area can drive along the N2 between the sea and the lakes and marvel at the beauty of the area. An even better treat is the Knysna to George steam train ride known as the Choo Choo as it chugs along through the lake district crossing some of the lakes and skirting others allowing one to get up close to the lakes without getting one's feet wet. Next time you visit the Wilderness area take a drive through the lake district and enjoy the natural beauty of the area. Geoff Fairman ** For my personal details, contact address, and warnings regarding products advertised in this ezine please read the disclaimers which can be found at: http://www.turtlesa.com/Disclaimer.html ** |
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| << October31, 2005 - Turtle Essays edition no 153 dated 31.10.2005 |
November14, 2005 - Turtle Essays Edition no 155 dated 14.11.2005 >> |
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