Western Cape Article - South African Vacations

OVERBERGOverberg TourismPlein str 22, Caledon, 7230PO Box 250, Caledon, 7230Tel: +27 (0) 28 214 1466Fax: +27 (0) 28 212 1380E-mail: info@capeoverberg.orgWebsite: http://www.capeoverberg.orgDrive east from Cape Town for one hour over Sir Lowry’s Pass and the Hottentots-HollandMountains and discover the Cape’s best-kept secret, eloquently named the Overberg (“Overthe Mountain”). This is a land of majestic mountains, unpredictable seas, rocky cliffs andsandy beaches, home to lovely fynbos plants as well as many animals and birds.The Overberg is often referred to as the Whale Coast, in reference to the fact that manyspecies of whales, the most common being the southern right whales, nurse their young inthe waters off the Overberg coastline from June to November of each year.The visitors who frequent the region are often first drawn here by the beaches, the surf andthe holiday resorts but as they gradually discover the fascinating histories of the charmingrural villages and the beauty of the Fynbos Floral Kingdom, they return year after year, justlike the whales.Farming is an important activity in the region and the vineyards, orchards and rollingwheat fields have claimed many parts of the landscape for their own.Overberg lies in the famous Cape Floral Region with its well-known fynbos vegetation. Manyof the species growing in this region are found nowhere else in the world. The naturalvegetation gives rise to a richly diverse animal and bird population. One of the notedconservation successes in the country originated in the Overberg, where the highlyendangered blue crane has found a new home in sanctuaries established specifically for thispurpose. The conservation effort is taken very seriously by Overberg authorities andresidents, as is attested by the more than 15 nature reserves and two national parks.SUIDPUNTSuidpunt (South Point) is at the southernmost point of Africa and is a subregion of theOverberg. Suidpunt stretches from Gansbaai in the west through Buffeljagsrivier, Struisbaaiand Arniston to the mouth of the Breede River in the east. The region includes the towns ofArniston, Bredasdorp, Elim, L’Agulhas, Malgas and Struisbaai.Stock-farmers settled in the region as far back as 1710. Some of the major pioneer familiescarried the family names of Uys, Swart and Lourens. Among other settlers were severalsurvivors of shipwrecks who probably felt that dry land was safer.Cape Agulhas is the southernmost tip of Africa and also the place where the Indian andAtlantic Oceans meet.134