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The Blombos site is included in the newly formed route of the
Cradle of Human Culture which stretches from the West Coast to
the Mossel Bay region, including the Pinnacle Point Caves.
The only tamed eels in South Africa can be found at the
Palinggat Homestead in Stilbaai. These freshwater eels belong
to the Anquilla genus of the family Anquillidae. The eels in the
Palinggat Fountain have been living there for the past 125 years.
These eels move to a specific area in the ocean to mate and
spawn. The larvae are carried to the mainland of Africa by
ocean currents.
The only place in South Africa where tame eels are fed daily
The environment at the Palinggat Fountain seems to be ideal for
the eels. Nowhere else in the country are so many eels
concentrated in one secluded environment. They are pampered
and cherished by the staff of the tourism bureau and are handfed
daily on chicken livers. The feeding sessions are open for
viewing by the public.
JULIUS GORDON AFRICANA CENTRE
The internationally recognised Julius Gordon Africana Centre
(Versfeld House) in Riversdale was built in 1880. It houses the
largest collection of Thomas Bowler paintings in South Africa. Also
included in the permanent exhibition are works by Jan Volschenk
and Johannes Meintjes (both natives of Riversdale), Irma Stern,
Maggie Loubser, Gregoire Boonzaaier, Erich Mayer, Terence
McCaw, Ruth Prowse and Pieter Wenning.
Alongside the works of these famous South African artists you can
also experience Khoisan rock paintings and stone implements,
Africana furniture of the region and the history of Riversdale.
A region with a wealth of cultural heritage and a number of
historical landmarks ensure that visitors leave Hessequa with a
renewed sense of pride in the region’s heritage as well as in their
own history.
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