CYCLEWORX  EDEN EEZY RIDERS 2011 CAPE CYCLE TOUR 

Welcome to the 2011 South Cape Cycle Tour from Hermanus to Gouritzmond, and back to the N2, cycling over undulating hills through rolling farm land and stunning coastline. 

Wait! At this point there is a matter that needs clarification:  In the Oxford Dictionary the word undulating  “is a wavy motion or look, a gentle rise and fall” However, during the 2006 Tour, the Dictionary has been amended, but not yet printed, to include the words: “with some long ups and some short downs!”

This is the 6^th Cape Cycle Tour and some statistics : In total 70 people have participated, 4 people have done 6 Tours,1 person has done   5 Tours, 4 people have done 4 Tours, 6 people have done 3 Tours, 19 people have done 2 Tours, 36 people have done 1 Tour,  This year there is a record number of 30 people on Tour.

 Enjoy the 2011 Journey!!!!

Leave Sedgefield on Thursday morning at 7 a.m. and travel to the Wimpy on the N2 near Mossel Bay.    Breakfast!    Then travel down to Hermanus and stay at the Onrus Caravan Site in time for lunch and explore the coast, chat and relax. 

DAY 1: 

From Hermanus, Onrus Camp Site to Strandkloof Caravan Park – distance approximately 68kms, actual cycling time about 5 - 6 hours. Ride along the R43 for to Stanford, turn left and travel a short distance along the R326 before turning right onto the gravel road. This road passes the Salmonsdam Nature Reserve before it swings around back towards the sea and also a new campsite. The Strandkloof Caravan Park opened in December 2010 and from here you can see the mountains and the sea.

DAY 2: 

From Strandkloof Caravan Park to Cape Agulhas – distance approximately 78 kms, actual cycling time between 5 to 6 hours. Leaving Strandkloof Caravan Park travel a short distance back up the road taking the Baardskeerdersbos turning right and heading to Elim. On the way we pass through Baardskeerdersbos, an unpretentious and quite unique village with interesting and varied pastoral and Fynbos scenery. A variety of farm animals and also rare blue crane and tortoises may be seen. Baardskeerdersbos claims to be “the premier art destination of the Southern Overberg, with the focus on rural and nature subjects. It is only open three times a year: Autumn, Spring and New Year and hosts over a dozen solo exhibitions - across a broad spectrum, with the focus on nature and rural subjects and a very privileged and personal glimpse into rural artists' lives as most artists exhibit in their own homes and studios - a very real treat!  The next exhibition is planned for the beginning of October 2011”

Elim is a Moravian-church-owned village and was founded by German missionaries in 1824.  The whole village is a National Monument. There is a Museum, the Church and the Old Watermill which is also the largest wooden water wheel in South Africa. The church clock is the oldest timepiece in South Africa.    Jane and her team will serve us Tea/Coffee and Milk Tart in the Old Mill Tearoom and Amanda will tell us the history of Elim and about the folk who live there. We will also tour the renovated Museum. After tea we travel on turning towards the Coast until we reach Cape Agulhas. 

Cape Agulhas is where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet.  The first Portuguese sailors named this “Cabo das Agulhas” which means “Cape of Needles.   This refers to the needle of the compass which at this point shows no real deviation between true north and magnetic north. Here at the Southernmost Tip of Africa we will camp in the little Village. SANParks recently completed development of five separate areas offering different cottage options in the 21000 hectare Agulhas National Park.  Unfortunately there is not enough accommodation at any one site for our needs. The area is home to some 2500 plant species, 300 bird species, Khoisan middens and stone fish traps.  

DAY 3: 

Cape Agulhas to Arniston.   Distance approximately 47 kms and the actual cycling time about 3 hours. First we will take a photo opportunity at the Tip of Africa.  The lighthouse is the second oldest working lighthouse in South Africa and was erected in 1848 and restored in 1988. The lighthouse is open and there is a small charge for those wanting to explore. Leaving Cape Agulhas we travel back through Struisbaai.  The harbour was built in 1859 and is worth a visit; it is used by both fishing and ski boats. Then travel up the R319 and turn right to go to Arniston.

Arniston, named after the transport/hospital ship which was wrecked here in 1815. The village hugs a hillside at the edge of the turquoise ocean where for over 200 years local fishermen and have lived. Their humble thatched cottages dot the shoreline and rare shells can be found in the surf.  Kassiesbaai is the restored fisherman village and is a National Monument.  To the locals this is Waenhuiskrans, named after the huge cave that is big enough to house an ox-wagon. The cavern can only be explored at low tide and I think that this year the tide will be low at about 2pm. The Village can be explored in the afternoon. See boats come in at the slipway with their catch of the day.  Keep an eye open for whales from the top of the cliffs.

DAY 4: 

Leave Arniston and travel via Bredasdorp to De Hoop Nature Reserve.  Distance approximately 80 kms and actual cycling time about 4½ - 5 hours.Bredasdorp is the ‘birthplace’ of merino sheep.  In the early days the ‘kaapsche skape’ had enormous fat tails but they did not have the wool that the settlers were looking for.  In the late 1700’s Colonel Robert Gordon took possession of imported merino rams and ewes from Spain and it took five cross-breedings to produce the wool that was wanted. When Robert Gordon fell into disgrace the Spanish demanded their sheep back. So he returned six sheep, keeping their offspring for himself.  Later he committed suicide, his widow was forced to sell his flock and sold three rams to a local farmer and the rest were shipped off to Australia where they formed the founding stock of the enormously successful Australian sheep industry. In Bredasdorp the remaining sheep fell under the care of Michiel van Breda who is heralded as the man who put sheep farming on the South African map. The merino is the only sheep in the world that can produce as much as 10 to 15 percent of its own live mass in clean wool. Some 20 kms after Bredasdorp we stop to have tea at Farm-a–Fare with Annemarie and Francois Uys. We have stopped at their farm each year for a superb tea. We have reserved cottages at De Hoop Village again this year.  These are fully equipped - no camping gear needed!   Together with this luxury accommodation comes two dinners and breakfast on Tuesday morning at The Fig Tree restaurant.  

De Hoop – here we also spend Day 5: 

After breakfast - chill out and watch birds on the Vlei, visit Koppie Alleen to see whales and explore the rock pools and beach.  Cycle through the reserve - enjoy the scenery and the animals.  

DAY 6: 

Distance approximately 70 kms and actual cycling about 5 to 6 hours. Some steep ups and down on this stretch but after all the training nothing but a little challenge! Watch out along the way for the incredible number of Blue Cranes. They are in almost every field. If they do fly it is an amazing sound and sight. Groups of farmers have undertaken to protect this endangered species. Leave De Hoop, and travel to the Breede River which is tidal for 60 kms. Before the river we stop at the Breede River Trading Post, where we will enjoy tea and coffee with Veronica. We will have an early ‘lunch’ with fresh rolls. We cross over the river 35 kms from the river mouth on the Malgas Pont and then turn back towards the coast and head to Witsand, considered the “whale nursery” of Southern Africa. 

The Malgas Pont is the only hand-drawn pontoon in the country and it was opened in 1860 and is still in operation, although the present Pont has only been in operation since 1952.  

You will notice many references to “Barry” – such as the Barry Church on the right as you enter Witsand. Last year we had Henri Barry on tour with us and he specially opened the family church which was built in 1849 by Thomas Barry. It is a National Monument and services are still held there every month. Witsand – fabulous whale watching area and an easy walk or cycle from the camp site.   

DAY 7: 

With some ups and downs from Witsand and on to Vermaaklikheid where we find our accommodation at Oshoek Farm. Yes this is somewhat different. We will camp in the grounds of the cottage and use the cottage facilities. This is a short distance of 42kms about 3 hours cycling.  Oshoek, the Borain family farm, lies in a beautiful valley, along the banks of the tidal Duiwenhoks River with a 600m private river frontage. The farm is 20ha of pristine Fynbos and on offer is a prime choice of three secluded self-catering abodes, each quite different in character. We stay in the main Farm House. The comfortably renovated thatched farmhouse is nearly 200 years old. Situated 200 metres from the river, it fronts onto its own lawn with shady trees. Quarry tiled steps lead up to the spacious covered veranda, perfect for a long lazy lunch, into an open-plan kitchen, dining and living area with log fireplace. Much of the house is arranged around a central grassed courtyard, with a braai area and a prolific lemon tree taking centre stage.  Activities listed include the tidal river which is safe for swimming and boating; as a nature conservation area no water-skiing or tubing is permitted.  The river mouth and beach lies 5km downstream. This can only be accessed by boat - river trips are by arrangement, or, better still, bring your own boat, (not this time and the bicycles don’t float too easily!). There is a lapa on the riverbank and a floating timber jetty.  

DAY 8: 

From Vermaaklikheid more ups and downs to the coast to our camp at Groot Jongensfontein. Distance approximately 40 kms and actual cycling time about 3 hours.Groot Jongensfontein is a lovely campsite in a small bay. We camp at the back of the campsite under or next to the Milkwood trees. Archeological evidence shows that humans have used this area on and off for some seven thousand years. The earliest inhabitants were hunter-gatherers and then, some two thousand years ago, domesticated cattle were introduced and the people became pastoralists. A Dutch expedition prior to 1713 reported on the existence of a spring here and the presence of numbers of Khoi people to whom they referred as “zwarte jongens” (black youths). The earliest mention of Jongensfontein in recorded history is a land deed in 1762 referring to the farm “Swarte Jongens Fonteyn” which later became known as Groote Jongensfontein. As the name implies, there is a spring a few hundred yards from the beach and such watering places were very important for people and their cattle. Permission was granted in 1968 for the formal development of Groot Jongensfontein. There is time to explore the area, have a swim and the little “White House” museum on the beach is worth a visit. 

DAY 9: 

All too soon, heading for our last overnight camp takes us from Groot Jongensfontein, with a short visit to the harbour, then through Still Bay on the R305, before turning at Melkhoutfontein on the way to Gouritzmond. Distance 70 kms and about 4½ to 5 hours. Once again we have been given permission by Rein’s Nature Reserve to go through the main entrance and exit at a gate on the coast road to enable us to spend the last 10 kms cycling through the most incredible rocky coastline. We have a lunch stop just after the exit gate at the coast. Rein's Nature Reserve and the surrounds have maintained much of the solitude and sheer natural beauty that faced the San who lived in these parts roughly five hundred years ago. Crashing seas, craggy coastline and a succession of rolling rocks and reefs that give rise to a series of tidal pools make this almost totally unsullied coastline an ideal commune with nature. There is Fynbos, birds and wild life. In December 2008 the entrance hut and gate burnt down and the owners have permanently closed Rein’s to the public. Gouritzmond …….. Our last camp on this epic journey! 

DAY 10: 

The grand finale is to cycle about 40 kms from Gouritzmond to the N2 and meet our buses at the Wimpy for the homeward journey.   We should be in Sedgefield around midday. 

HAVE FUN!        LAUGH A LOT!      ENJOY EVERY MOMENT!