The Cape West Coast is well known for its scenic beauty, warm hospitality and great seafood. For many years, the West Coast was a sleepy stretch of South Africa, seldom visited by foreigners or for that matter many locals, other than those with a taste for the alternative. Recently, however, people have started paying attention to its treasure trove of nature and leisure options - enjoying the simplicity of life. Things here are on a more subdued and subtle scale than elsewhere. The people are like the plants - wrought by the sun, sea and wind, leathery and tough on the surface, but delightful, warm and generous when conditions are right. Stop and take the time to look past surface appearances; it depends entirely on you: if you arrive with an open mind, you return with unexpected images and lingering moments that can make life so rewarding. The coastline is best explored slowly, on a rather loose itinerary, without rigid time constraints. Having made no real plans other than accommodation bookings, we saw the journey as important and equally pleasurable as the destination. We were off on a road trip and escaped regular life for two whole days, but could have stayed a lot longer.
We set off on a Friday morning around 10 am, following the N7 towards Piketberg and Vredendal. The month of July is winter in the Cape and therefore out-of-season from a tourism perspective, but in my opinion, is so rewarding with its tapestry of colours. We had a sprinkling of showers, with the sun peeking through the clouds and highlighting the emerging green crops on both sides of the road - it was a kaleidoscope of colours and beautiful to see, with a first photo stop on top of Piekenierskloof over the valley below.
Piekenierskloof was historically a trail used by the local Khoe inhabitants for many centuries and derives its name from their early clashes with soldiers of the Dutch East India Company. Detachments of piekeniers (pikemen) were established at various points in these parts, including at the entrance to the kloof, to protect settlers against marauders. A signal cannon was also placed at the summit of the pass.
Midshipman, Jan Danckaert, the first white man to explore the hinterland this far from Cape Town in 1660, gave the river and valley its original name, Orange. He claimed he saw a herd of some 300 elephant in the area. For many years afterwards, Piekenierskloof and the Olifants valley remained the main route to the north for explorers, including Governor Simon van der Stel on his trip to Namaqualand. Piekenierskloof remained one of the main passes through the Olifants mountain range until 1857, when Thomas Bain, the great civil engineer, constructed Grey’s Pass, named for Governor Sir George Grey. This was replaced in 1960 by a new tarred road for which the name Piekenierskloof was revived.
From Clanwilliam, the N7 follows the Olifants River to Klawer. The name is derived from the wild clover that grows after good winter rains. In 1906, it was decided to extend the west coast railway from Eendekuil to Bitterfontein in Namaqualand, and to take the line across the river at Klawer. The bridge was completed in 1915, since which date the small village has developed as a railhead and commercial centre for a large hinterland. The English 'Clover' was changed to the Afrikaans 'Klawer' in 1950.
Of course we stopped to take photos of the early showing of wildflowers, which promise to be a fantastic display this year with the good winter rains we are receiving.
We arrived at Namaqua Wines, a few kilometres outside of Vredendal, in time for a lunch of toasted sandwiches at De Keldery restaurant, but not before we enjoyed their wine-and-biltong and wine-and-chocolate pairings and tastings. We came across their Silver Medal winning wines - Spencer Bay Merlot, Spencer Bay Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cape West Pinotage/Malbec/Cab Sauv at the recent 2019 Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show and had no arguments trying it again on location.
Despite the Namaqua West Coast region still being a fledgling wine tourism destination, the region itself has been a winemaking area for centuries, with the first documented sale of wine in the Namaqua West Coast region penned by the French explorer Francois le Vaillant in the late 18th century. He had been travelling along the Olifants River and wrote that he bought “strong liquor” from the Widow van Zeijl. At the time, most farmers produced their own wine and brandy and sold some of the surplus to passing travellers.
Traditionally, the Olifants River valley has been known as a region that produces bulk and dessert wines. But in recent years, this has changed as many producers have extended their range to making smaller volumes of artisanal wines. Today a number of award-winning wines originate from the Namaqua West Coast region.
The Namaqua West Coast Wine Route has 16 wineries, including three of the largest wine cellars in the country – Klawer Wine Cellars, Lutzville Vineyards and Namaqua Wines. This is wine production on a large scale. The three little villages of the wine route in this region – Klawer, Vredendal and Lutzville – all lie just 25 kilometres inland from the Atlantic Ocean and benefit from its cool afternoon breezes. The area is dubbed the Matzikama by the tourist authorities as a way to distinguish it from the other West Coast regions of the Peninsula, Bergrivier, Swartland and Hardeveld. This region borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west and includes the Sandveld, Knersvlakte and the Matzikamma Mountains.
We continued on our journey to Strandfontein, happily chatting and catching up, discussing our day’s experiences and the question 'what shall we do for dinner?' arose. Welcomed by big, handsome, wet-nosed Oscar, we checked into our self-catering accommodation, Timbuktu and Sahara, our respective units, and decided to go for a walk on the beach and check-out the local restaurant that has been recommended by our hostess.
Kommetjie Seafood Restaurant - the only eating place in Strandfontein - was definitely the find of the trip for us. Having no expectations and no point of reference, we were just looking for a spot to dine without having to prepare food for ourselves. We were warmly welcomed and ordered local wine, enjoying the beautiful setting next to the beach and the rock pool (kommetjie) that it is named for. The West Coast is known for good seafood, however, the meal we enjoyed at Kommetjie Restaurant- seafood for everyone - was way beyond what any of us expected - it was fantastic - fresh, beautifully plated, so tasty - and warranted a request to meet the chef who prepared it to pass on our compliments - something that only happens on very rare occasions in our crowd. Kommetjie Seafood Restaurant is highly recommended. Contact them at 079 616 3121.
Strandfontein is the West Coast’s best-kept secret; it is a beautiful spot. Situated about 8 km north of Doringbaai, it is named after a spring that surfaces near the beach. The Olifantsriver mouths into the sea a little further to the north, closer to the fishing village of Papendorp that offers angling and birdwatching opportunities. It is an area where time slows virtually to a crawl, and the sea and sky become your daily barometers.
Strandfontein is a popular holiday town and its long white beach is a major draw card. You may consider going for a walk on the beach before sunset, or even taking a dive into the waves, or perhaps like us, enjoy the stunning sunset over the Atlantic Ocean from our accommodation high up on the cliff with a glass of wine in hand and a braai fire going, while also watching whales frolic in the distance on our second night’s stay.
The first day concluded with a game of cards, before hitting the sack ready for more adventures and sightseeing the following day.
With coffee fortifying us, we went in search of breakfast after a good night’s sleep, heading towards Doringbaai. Previously known as Thornbay, Doringbaai is a little fishing village and is located approximately 3.5 hours north of Cape Town. Its bay is well known as a location, where the Southern Right whales enter every year to calve between May and November.
The bay at Doringbaai was used to anchor boats that were used for trade; goods would be stored at Doringbaai, then, interestingly enough, taken to Vanrhynsdorp by camel. It’s hard to believe if you read this now, with not a camel in sight. The struggling little fishing village, whose lobster-processing plant has closed down, is situated about 8 kms south of the holiday town of Strandfontein.
The original lighthouse at Doringbaai was built in 1963 and was used until 1993, when a traditional, concrete lighthouse was built to replace the aluminium structure that was damaged during a violent storm in 1991. Today, the black banded, cylindrical concrete lighthouse with its white lantern looks over the shoulder of Fryer’s Cove from a small rocky outcrop that forms a natural breakwater and provides quite a romantic backdrop to the village.
We found The Jetty Restaurant, an informal, authentic and unique spot literally located on the jetty of the old Doringbaai crayfish factory (hence the name), run by the local community. We sat down for a mid-morning snack of snoek fish cakes and roosterkoek - wonderfully fresh and tasty and our server friendly and welcoming. Sitting on the jetty to enjoy our food added much charm and atmosphere and the view is for free; it is indeed an unassuming gem!
With tummies full and re-energised, we sauntered a whole 30 steps to the tasting location of Fryer’s Cove Vineyards. Fryer’s Cove’s cellar is located on the jetty below the black-and-white lighthouse and right beside an abalone farm that replaced the old, now defunct, crayfish factory. If you look across the bay, you can see the grapes being grown just off the shore in the distance. You would be hard-pressed to find such a unique wine tasting location anywhere in the world. The wine’s natural sea-salt-infused flavours are equally unique.
In 1925, Dutchman Koos Bleeker first established a crayfish packing factory in Doringbaai. He found Jan Laubscher to assist with the factory’s construction and by 2000 the Laubscher brothers were still farming the area. Fryer’s Cove was found on part of their farm. After dreaming of a wine estate and studying at Elsenberg Agriculture College, Wynand Hamman and his in-laws established Fryer’s Cove and planted the first three hectares of the vineyard in 1999. The winery’s name comes from the first commercial farmer in the region, Richard Fryer, who lived a life invested in the community. To this day, the estate works on creating jobs in the region, as well as provides school sponsorships.
Their wines are marketed under Fryer’s Cove and Wines of Origin Bamboes Bay. Due to its location, these wines have a maritime flavour and their slogan reads, "Forged by the earth, tempered by the sea". We did not pre-book a cellar tour, but our tasting consultant graciously lead us on an informal tour, after which we enjoyed a tasting of their wines.
Continuing our exploration we took a drive through town and were flagged down, arms waving and with an ear-to-ear smile, by Selwyn Love - the self-appointed, local tourist guide of Doringbaai, who told us about 'the thorn (doring)' of Doringbaai. Rumour has it that if you step onto this thorn with your bare feet, it poisons you such that you could loose your foot. He also told us about 3 whales that had washed up on the beach and after a negotiation of payment, showed us where - enough to say that we could hardly see the carcasses of the whales in the distance - and believed him when he said it smells terrible. He did show us the thorn, though!
Next stop was at Maskam Brewing Company, just outside the town of Vredendal, where colourful spring flowers form the backdrop to the brewery in the wildflower season. Their name is derived from a spring in the Maskamberg mountains, the source of water for Maskam Brewing Company's beer. They have various gins, too and we had a view from our sunny spot on the stoep of the mountains in the distance.
Lutzville Vineyards is the origin of Lutzville and Cape Diamond Wines and our last tasting stop for the day. Dating back to 1923, Lutzville is a typical rural enclave. Lutzville Vineyards offers cellar tours and both indoor and beautifully set outdoor tastings on their patio.
A few kilometres from Lutzville towards Vredendal, both the river and the road are spanned by the bridge carrying the Sishen-Saldanha railway line that stretches 861 km. Designed and built by a French company in 1976, the bridge is 1 035 m long and rests on 22 columns anchored in rock 45 m below the surface of the river. It was on the Sishen-Saldanha track that, in 1989, Spoornet, South Africa’s railway administration, established a new world record for the longest train. According to the Guinness Book of Records, 9 electric and 7 diesel locomotives hauled 660 ore trucks with a total mass of 71 210 tons at an average speed of 38.04 km/h. The train was 7.3 km long with a maximum speed of 80 km/h.
All the day’s wine tasting caught up with us and late Saturday afternoon saw the ladies take a nap with the sliding door open to the soothing sounds of the ocean. We were, however soon disturbed by the men cheering rather loudly and enthusiastically, watching a rugby game on tv; the Springboks played Australia - and won. The victory set the tone for the evening, the braai fire was lit, and we socialised and chatted until late in the evening, celebrating friendship and life.
Sunday morning after check-out, we meandered home via the seaside village of Lamberts Bay where we stopped for lunch. Lamberts Bay is located at the mouth of the Jakkals ('jackal') River and a major link in the chain of west coast fishing villages. The principal catch here are rock lobster, pilchards, sardines and mackerel. Both the bay and its village were named for Sir Robert Lambert, commander of the British naval station at the Cape in 1820, who had been sent to conduct marine surveys in the region.
Besides the wildflowers in season, don’t miss out on Muisbosskerm - the very local West Coast seafood extravaganza, an open-air restaurant that offers a buffet unlike any other and was voted one of the "Top Ten Sea Views to Dine For" by National Geographic. It is a rustic restaurant on the beach, about 5 km south of the village, where freshly grilled seafood and traditional dishes are prepared on open fires under open skies. We will have to go back another time to experience the 2 – 3 hour buffet meal, and remember to take sunblock with us.
Lamberts Bay is home to several seabird species and at night, you can hear the flocks of calling gannets, gulls and terns that are on nearby Bird Island. Driving into the harbour at sunrise, huge flocks numbering in their thousands, of Hartlaubs Gulls and Swift, Sandwich, and Common and Arctic Terns adorn the factory roofs or wheel in the skies above constantly calling. Bird Island is a single, massive slab of rock some 2 ha in size and linked to the town by a breakwater.
We were charmed by Isabella’s restaurant, located in the working harbour. The coastal town has been proclaimed 'the Diamond of the West Coast' because of its white
beaches, wildlife and lobsters. Although primarily a fishing town it has become a significant tourist attraction due to its moderate all-year climate. We were fortunate to get a table, as the restaurant is clearly a favourite among locals. Of course, we had to try the local wine and the choice was a Sir Lambert Sauvignon Blanc - the first wine to be certified as being made from grapes of this ward. This 100% Sauvignon Blanc has achieved critical acclaim, including a Gold Medal at its debut at the Michelangelo International Wine Awards. It is a true product of Lambert’s Bay. Local people pick the grapes by hand early in the morning to ensure the unique cool-climate characteristics are captured and retained. The winemaker’s notes describe it as: "A crisp, dry and racy Sauvignon Blanc. Flinty at first with fresh green asparagus and a hint of gooseberry filling out the palate. A mouthful of exotic fruit with a perfect acid balance. Ideally suited to sushi, shellfish and summer salads." It disappeared as if by magic from our glasses.
It was time to say goodbye to the weekend and our little breakaway. We were hanging onto what was left of our time together with a last stop at Russells on Port, where we basked like dassies in the warm winter sun overlooking the marina at Port Owen with craft beer, tea and a shandy. We are still chasing Charlie’s Brewery - but, that is for a next time.
Cheers to a great weekend…with many more to come, exploring and discovering the hidden gems!
The Route:
Jakkalsfontein, Langebaan, Velddrif, Piketberg, Klawer, Vredendal, Strandfontein, Doringbaai, Lutzville, Lamberts Bay, Port Owen