Western Cape Article - South African Vacations

Feeshuis (Festival House): This is the oldest building in the town and in 1988 was restored tocommemorate the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of Napier. Inearlier days the house was used to house slaves and was also once a wine cellar.Gold Mine: Gold fever gripped the the area during the 1870s and 1880s. There is still an oldmining tunnel just north of Napier.Ox-wagon Monument: An impression of an ox-wagon wheel track was made out of concreteto commemorate the 150 th anniversary of the Great Trek of 1838, when several thousandpioneers abandoned the Cape Colony to establish settlements outside its boundaries,away from British rule. The monument is in Main Street and was erected in 1988.Rose Boats and Toy Museum: The museum exhibits several handmade models ofsteamboats and trains.Sundial and Watermill Wheels: The sundial was erected by Mr Danie du Toit in 1965 and isone of the biggest in the country. The town has two watermills, in Meul Street and JubileumStreet.RIVIERSONDERENDRiviersonderend means “River without End”, indicating the river on whose banks the townlies. The town was established in 1925 as a centre for the farming community in the fertilevalley.ADVENTURE AND SPORTHiking: One of several hiking trails in the area tracks the course of the Sonderend River.Watersport: The Sonderend River offers various opportunities for wate-rsports.HISTORY AND ARCHITECTURERiviersonderend Photo Museum: The photos displayed in the museum depict the town’shistory.STANFORDThe village was established in 1856 on the banks of the Klein (“Small”) River. Many of thetown’s buildings date back to 100 and 300 years ago, one of the reasons for the village’sstatus as a national conservation area. The village market square and the old buildings arestrongly reminiscent of the simpler times of the town’s early existence. Many fynbosenthusiasts visit the town to undertake tours of the surrounding countryside.ADVENTURE AND SPORTAngling: Nearby Walker Bay offers excellent angling spots.Hiking: There are various hiking trails in the area, such as at Paardenberg and in theSalmonsdam Nature Reserve.Horse-riding: The Stanford area has many scenic horse trails.149