Garden Route

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After a very depressing England, Algeria game, time to leave Cape Town. First stop Stellenbosch, only 30mins from Cape Town and famous for its wine. We stop at Neethlingshof for a tasting, only R30 for 6 tastings, Hawkins is driving so I get his too! Some very full bodied reds but refreshing whites. This winery is also very environmentally concious so they are reintroducing the carcals, a type of wild cat, and owl posts as the owls and carcals work together to regulate the mouse population.

After a freezing cold shower in the Hermanus Caravan Park, we aren't moving too fast so we miss the first whale trip of the day. We are told the whales are often closer in the afternoon so the trip is quicker so we decide to do the midday trip anyway. And well worth waiting. We first see a humpback whale making his way from one bay to the next, a few blow hole and tail shots, then he's on his way. We move around the coast to the next bay where we get a real treat, a breaching southern right whale. It must be a show off as it repeats this 3 or 4 times, ample time for good photos. After he gets bored and swims off, 2 more Southern Rights appear, one just swims along at the surface next to the boat. We also see a Bryde's whale closer to the shore, but we don't follow it as they are notoriously shy.
We then continue our drive along the Western Cape to the begining of the Garden Route, 2hours to Mossel Bay and another great caravan park on the seafront.

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