February visit

Friday evening's chokka (squid) boats out on the Agulhas Bank.

Meeting another Scottie on the beach at Suiderstrand.

A pretty unusual experience: breakfast on the veranda of Daisy with Julie and John Hughes.

The new tasting rooms at The Berrio, a wine estate just outside Elim. Franchen Pratt was there to guide us through some tasty whites - and we ended up with a box of figgy-tasting Weathergirl 2009 white. Perfect for a hot day on the Agulhas Plain.

Then it was on to lunch at the Black Oystercatcher Winery next door. It was - we were told - an uncharacteristically hot day here. We sat out on the veranda tasting wine, and contemplating a tasty lunch ...

which turned out to be beyond our expectations - well buitenverwachting! Steamed mussels in white wine ... yummmmmm ... and pears poached in red wine on creme patisserie. Cooling our feet in the stylish pool after lunch.

We arrived in Elim in a flurry of excitement as there was a wedding about to happen in the imposing Moravian Church. (The whole village is still owned and run by the Moravian church.) The angel weathervane on top of the church. Inside the church all was spacious, clean and white. The groom arrived at a clip in the horse and cart complete with arc of palm fronds and proteas. The palm is the symbol of Elim, as the name comes from a biblical reference to an oasis complete with palm trees. We waited for the bride to come too - and had a look at the old mill, and the pretty millpond.
Then the bride arrived on the same horse and cart, looking every bit as beautiful as a bride should. A most spectacular setting for a wedding.

A paddle in the cool waters of the southern ocean at Brandfontein on the way home.

Looking back at the Soetanysberg and the rather sombre buildings of Brandfontein beneath. You can just see John paddling at far left.

Julie looking out towards Agulhas in the distance.

Black Oystercatchers on the rocks at Brandfontein.

We stopped to investigate a flock of pelicans on the nearby salt pans. There were lots of this little marshy plant tiny, frilly flowers - the closest I can get is Soutbossie (Bassia diffusa). The soutbossies store salt in their succulent parts - where high salt concentrations will not affect normal metabolism.

The pretty pink flowers of the Sea-rose (Orphium frutescens).

Picking up some fish 'n chips at Agulhas on the way home. (The Geelbek was rather good!)

Breakfast inside on Sunday morning as the breeze had got up a bit.

Followed by a walk along the beach to see Pebble Beach B&B. (John and Julie had met Chris in the pub in Napier.)

The Potato Creeper or Dronkbessie (Solanum africanum) growing in the dunes.

Cool, cool sea. The spiffily done-up Pietie-se-Punt house which is now known as "Lagoon House".

We then packed up and drove to see the lighthouse before parting ways - the Hughes to the Breede and beyond, and us back to Cape Town. Here is Julie starting out on the seventy-one steps that lead from the base of the lighthouse via several staircases and the final ladder to the lantern house. The orange tube is the weight tube, which housed the weights that used to have to be wound up every three hours. As the clockwork rotated the optic, the weight descended down this tube. The lighthouse was extensively renovated in 1988.

The Agulhas Lighthouse was built in 1849 - designed by Charles Michell and built out of local limestone. The tower is 27 metres tall. Its characteristic signal is one flash every 5 seconds and the range of the light is 31 nautical miles.

View of the coastline at the southern tip of Africa from the lighthouse. According to the International Hydrographical Organization, the Atlantic and Indian Oceans officially meet here.

John taking it up to the next level. Recovering our equilibrium. Looking at the view, and the flowers.

The incomparable March Lily (Amaryllis belladonna) growing in the lighthouse gardens - an indicator that autumn is on the way.

And coming up in the parking lot outside the Zuidste Kaap restaurant were lots of Paintbrush Lilies (Haemanthus coccineus). We sat outside where the 70s music was
slightly muted! But the food was delicious and plentiful.