Days 184 to 190 - Week 28 (7th May 2007 to 13th May 2007)
We spent our last 2 days in Cape Town taking in the many things to do and see, ending our stay together with a buffet braai (BBQ) at the hostel. We took this time to welcome the new arrivals to our group, and to goodbye to our American friends Mark and Laura.
We left Cape Town and took the beautiful scenic route to Betty's Bay, a place known for its huge Jackass penguin colony. We stopped for lunch at Hermanus, but unfortunately we were there at the wrong time of year to spot any whales. Our third stop of the day was at the very windy Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet. It was a real landmark to show the distance that most of us had travelled so far. From here our journey will head north instead of south. That night we camped in De Hoop National Park - a lesser visited area of the southern cape due to its location.
In the morning we made the most of the small reserve and spotted various animals and birds, including kudu, baboons, springbok, and bontebok (which are only found in this area). We drove through the reserve to the beach where we walked over the stretches of breathtaking bleached white sand dunes and choppy seas.
That evening we arrived in the quaint little town of Oudtshoorn, where we stayed 2 nights. Here we were able to visit one of the many ostrich farms in the area, and some of us even had the pleasure (?) of sitting on and riding these crazy, rather scary birds! Leaving Oudtshoorn we visited the Kango cavesa where we could choose from a general tour or the more adventurous tour which led you through very narrow tunnels, not recommended to anyone a little claustrophobic. We stayed that night in the fun little town of Knysna and cooked up a feast of ostrich meats in a cosy, relaxed hostel. The next morning people spent their time enjoying the town of Knysna, either wandering though the streets or taking a boat cruise in the harbour. For the umpteenth time on trip - we said goodbye to Han who returned to Cape Town for a second stint in the big smoke. In the afternoon we drove to Storm River Village, our next adventure stop. At the Tube n' Axe hostel we all contemplated the many fun or scary activities that we might do there the next day.
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