Cape Town - We were at Franskraal, basking in the beauty of it all, on day two of the Perlemoen Trail, and had just walked through Uilkraalsmond Nature Reserve.
The weekend started with a choice of scenic drives via Caledon or Hermanus. Leaving home in a cloudburst, we made for Gansbaai to get the low-down on the hike from Leon Hugo, creator of this breathtaking slackpacking trail.
After supper at B-Blondes overlooking Gansbaai harbour we moved on to Pearly Shells and our comfy accommodation for two nights.
Tanked up on breakfast, we set off from De Dam, following a sandy track through limestone hills before descending to the beach to watch a seal colony.
Marine guide Jason Stonehewer was a highlight, imparting fascinating insights about the shoreline. Binoculars worked overtime as we identified the abundant birds, particularly seabirds and waders, including the African black oystercatcher.
Following the beach, we reached the lighthouse at Quoin Point, Africa’s second most southerly point.
Dozens of ships have met their end along this coastline, but only a few remnants survive. Jason told stories of some of them, including the Joanna, which stranded nearby in 1682 and was rumoured to have treasure on board. Another is the Danish ship Nicobar, which sank in 1783 with eight tons of copper plate money as cargo and ballast intended for the eastern trade.
Protruding from the sand and pounded by the surf is the hull of the Taiwanese fishing vessel Otari Maru, which sank in 1989. It is rumoured to have become shipwrecked in an insurance scam, while others say the unhappy crew deliberately ran aground.
Marine life is abundant, and we saw balloon porcupine fish, mermaid’s purse, dead seals and Cape gannets against a backdrop of spectacular sedimentary rock formations.
We were dumbfounded to hear that a lightweight clump of rock picked up by Jason was pumice stone that had floated from the Pacific island of Indonesia, carried by ocean currents after Mount Krakatoa exploded in 1883.
The day ended with a visit to the sand-engulfed holiday resort now called “Spookdorp” at Buffelsjag. It’s amazing to see what Mother Nature can do in such a short time.
Back at Pearly Shells, the evening was festive, with everyone sitting around a braai fire then the dining table.
The focus of day two was on kelp harvesting and fishing. The coastline is dotted with fishermen, off-road vehicles, shell middens and enormous dunes. A highlight was the Strandveld Museum at Franskraal. Owned by Jan and SD Fourie, the quaint building includes the biggest privately owned collection of relics from the sunken troopship HMS Birkenhead, which came to grief at Danger Point in 1852.
Memorabilia includes an interesting letter from a worker’s diary dated May 1898. Describing huge waves that pounded the area, this could be an eyewitness account of a tsunami. Above the letter is a sheet of copper-plate-money from the wrecked Nicobar.
The final stretch of the trail followed the rocky shore through patches of milkwoods to Kleinbaai, where shark cage diving companies are based. Searching in rock pools, Jason told us about the fascinating lives of limpets. At first glance they appear to be static, even boring creatures, but we soon realised that they are an evolutionary masterpiece.
That night we stayed at Haus Giotto at De Kelders, welcomed by ex-Namibians Gina and Otto. Supper was at Eerste Steen, a popular place with a lively atmosphere and boasting what must be the country’s smallest casino. It’s no wonder De Kelders is said to have the best land-based whale-watching along the coast. But not today. Instead we explored the limestone caves hidden beneath the scenic cliffs.
Drip Kelder is normally inaccessible to the public, but we were given a guided tour by local resident Dave Privett. This cave was a health spa. Made famous by Lady Anne Barnard, it attracted socialites from Cape Town. With bats flying around, Dave took us to the water source and told the story of a seven-ton stalagmite that was transported to Groot Constantia by ox wagon.
At Coffee on the Rocks we met owner Barry Johnson, who showed us his “spider hotel” – a massive web with dozens of female golden orb spiders. Apparently there are no male spiders because the females eat them after they have done their duty. Barry said they had had fewer flies and mosquitoes since the spiders moved in.
Back to the caves, and due to the tide being wrong we gave the most adventurous one a miss. However, the clamber to the entrance was worth it as massive breakers thundered against the sea cliffs in shades of grey, gold and ruby.
Peering into Duiwelsgat from above, we scrambled down to the entrance and explored the inside.
The hike ended at Klipgat with lunch overlooking Die Plaat, where Leon explained the trail’s versatility – the direction and distance you walk is dependent on wind and tide as well as fitness and interests. - Cape Times
l Visit www.perlemoentrail.com