West Coast and Cederberg

Angling,Porterville

Freshwater angling permits must be obtained from Nature Conservation. Black Bass and Carp inhabit the Berg River and its dams. You'll need artificial lures and spinners for bass while the carp like their starch - currie porridge and sweetcorn. Misverstand Dam in nearby Moorreesberg is a good place to try your luck. Or there's the added chance of yellowfish at Porterville Dam where there's an angling competition every November.

Piketberg, Swartland

125 kilometres north of Cape Town on the N7, the Piket mountain makes a dramatic backdrop for the sloping suburbs of this picturesque farming town. It is the mountain that is of interest to the tourist with activities ranging from mountain-biking, hiking and horse-riding to water sports like canoeing, fishing, skiing and boating, Noupoort Guest Farm nestles in a craggy kloof overlooking the tawny fields of the Swartland below. Behind these is the cornflower blue of the sea at St Helena Bay.

Hiking trails for both the stroller and the strider grant vistas of Table Mountain in the south and the ancient Cederberg range to the north. If you like your scenery a little speedier, there are informal mountain-biking trails on the farm as well as 4x4 tracks. Bring your own Pajero, of course. And after all that exertion, Noupoort has the last word in relaxation - an outdoor jacuzzi and an indoor sauna in addition to the pool deck.

Darling, Swartland, Evita se Perron

In a rather unorthodox demonstration of the common wisdom that behind every great man there is a great woman, South Africa's premier stand-up satirist, has let that woman take centre stage. Pieter Dirk Uys, in his drag persona of Evita Bezhuidenhout, is South Africa's unofficial first lady and the country's conscience in a kaftan. He bought the old corrugated-iron railway station in Darling, some 70 kilometres from Cape Town, painted it pink and transformed into a caberet venue named Evita se Perron - ('platform' in Afrikaans.) Along with Uys's own inimitable brand of talent, the venue showcases a variety of acts in a space that has been painstakingly put together as a bad taste tribute to the bad old days.

This little farming town of vineyards, wheatfields and wild flowers now has fifteen resident artists practising various disciplines. Evita se Perron hosts an annual Arts Festival in September to exhibit some of the talent. The Spier Vintage Steam Train runs monthly excursions to Evita se Perron from Cape Town. And in keeping with the artistic flair of the town, the community puts on a Passion play every Easter Weekend.

Tienie Versveld Nature Reserve, Darling

In addititon to the National Botanical Institute's Tienie Versveld Reserve, wild flowers on private farms throughout the area can be visited in spring flower season which runs from August to mid-October. There is an annual Wildflower and Orchid show in the third weekend of September.

Langebaan, West Coast

Just over an hour's drive north of Cape Town up the west coast, what was once a sleepy fishing village on the sheltered shores of Langebaan lagoon, has become a bustling retirement and resort town which is especially busy in the summer months of November to March. If neighbouring Saldanha is a hive of industrial activity, then Langebaan is its counterpart in the pursuit of leisure. Langebaan Lagoon is a mecca for watersport enthusiasts while its southern shores are protected by the West Coast National Park. However, the steel-producing plant at Saldanha is just across the bay.

The lagoon is a Ramsar site important in the conservation of the habitat of some 70 000 migrant waders including flamingoes. Like the birds, eat your fill of fire-grilled fresh fish, lobster, mussels and prawns at the award-winning Strandloper Open-Air Seafood Restaurant in Langebaan. Booking is advised.

Langebaan Yacht Club, Langebaan, West Coast

Langebaan Yacht Club is your one-stop shop for all watersports such as swimming, windsurfing, yachting, rowing, waterskiing and angling.

Langebaan Country Club, Langebaan West Coast

For golf, tennis and bowls Langebaan Country Club is the place. The manicured lawns and private beach of the Langebaan Country Club are a favourite weekend playground for Capetonians. Its immaculate 18 hole golf-course, tennis courts and bowling greens provide outdoor diversions within easy access of the watersports of Langebaan lagoon and the scenic pleasures of the West Coast National Park. The Club's well-appointed lodges, bars and lounges provide the requisite indoor recreation.