Early Explorers Footsteps - 280km

CLANWILLIAM

...is synonymous with rooibos tea, the Cedarberg Wilderness Area and velskoene (handmade leather shoes). The town is the centre of a region where farmers cultivate the indigenous rooibos (Aspalathus linearis), the leaves of which are used to make a healthy, caffeine-free tea. Set against the backdrop of the rugged crags and buttresses of the Cedarberg’s Krakadouw peaks, Clanwilliam lies between the Olifants and Jan Dissels rivers.

Initially named Jan Dissels Valley, it was renamed in 1814 after the Earl of Clanwilliam, the father-in-law of Governor Sir John Cradock. The town’s annual wild flower show is held towards the end of winter in the old Dutch Reformed Church (1864). About 360 species of flora are displayed and there are also concerts and a street carnival. Other historical attractions include the St John’s Anglican Church, a beautiful dressed-stone building dating back to 1866, and the old gaol, with its simple Georgian façade.

Built in 1808 as detention barracks for the British garrison stationed here, the building was later converted into a civilian gaol and now serves as the town’s museum and information centre. At Clanwilliam Dam, the water backs up as much as 22 km behind the dam wall. The dam is popular with watersport enthusiasts and is rated as one of the best spots for water-skiing in the Western Cape.

GRAAFWATER

...owes its name to the fact that water could only be obtained here by digging wells or drilling boreholes. The settlement was established after the railway line between Cape Town and Bitterfontein was built in 1910. After good winter rains, the sandveld to the south of Graafwater is transformed into a colourful tapestry of spring flowers. Among the flowering splendours are the yellow rapuis (Euryops), a variety of daisies, sporrie (Heliophyla), mesembs or vygies and viooltjies (Lachenalia).

OLOF BERGH SPRING

In the early days of travel, the spring at Klipfontein Mountain was an important landmark for travellers heading into Namaqualand. It owes its name to Dutch ensign Olof Bergh 1 who rested here on 9 November 1682 during his expedition to Namaqualand in search of copper. Numerous other travellers to the region stopped here, including Governor Simon van der Stel (1685), J Starrenburg (1705) and Ensign IT Rhenius (1721). Bergh and Rhenius are among those who inscribed their names on the rock above the spring.

HEERENLOGEMENT

Brought to the attention of travellers after Olof Bergh described it in 1682, the Heerenlogement Cave became another important landmark for travellers and explorers bound for Namaqualand. The Dutch name means ‘gentlemen’s lodging’, and among those who slept in the overhang were Governor Simon van der Stel (1685), Kaie Jesse Slotsbo (1712), Ensign IT Rhenius (1721), the Swedish botanist Carl Thunberg (1774) and the French traveller François le Vaillant (1783).

Several well-known travellers also visited the cave during the 19th century, among them Captain James Alexander and Andrew Geddes Bain (1854). Many of these people carved their names on the walls of the overhang; during a survey carried out in 1940, a total of 174 names and initials were recorded.

OLD IRON FORT

Lying on the lower slopes of the Heerenlogement Mountain, this fort was one of a series of small bastions erected by the British Army in the Northern Cape during the South African War (1899–1902). Built to prevent incursions by Boer forces into the Cape Colony, the line of defence stretched from Lambert’s Bay to Noupoort via Williston. It originally stood on a farm between Graafwater and Lambert’s Bay, but was dismantled and re-erected here after the war.

DORINGBAAI

...originally served as a harbour from where goods were transported to Vanrhynsdorp by camel. In recent years this small village, with its rocky coastline, has developed around the rock lobster processing factory, while offshore marine diamond mining has become another important economic activity.

STRANDFONTEIN

...is the northernmost of the West Coast holiday settlements. The Afrikaans name means ‘beach fountain’, a reference to a spring that surfaces near the beach. Strandfontein is a popular summer holiday destination for West Coast farmers.

PAPENDORP

Close to its mouth, an island splits the Olifants River estuary into two arms that rejoin before entering the sea. Situated on the southern bank of the estuary is Papendorp, named after the missionary who founded the settlement. Fishing plays an important role in the economic life of the small community, while salt is still collected in the traditional way from pans in the area. At high tide, flat-bottomed boats can reach Lutzville, which lies 30 km upstream. In years gone by, fishermen used the river as a means of getting to Lutzville to sell their fish.