Day Trip: Pearly Beach to Hermanus | Overberg

Pearly Beach — Uilenkraalsmond — Franskraal — Kleinbaai — Gansbaai — Stanford’s Cove — De Kelders — Stanford — Hermanus — Pearly Beach
— Courtesy of Klein Paradijs Guesthouse

The Uilenkraalsmond lagoon is well-known for its shallow water providing safe swimming conditions, its bait collection sites and abundance of water birds. Take the Franskraal turnoff and turn left at the end of the road until you get to the parking lot from where you can access the estuary.

You can drive along the coast from Franskraal to Kleinbaai. This stretch of coastline is dotted with unspoilt beaches and rocky promontories. The Franskraal Conservation Association has created a 2-km circular trail through the remnants of an old milkwood forest at the entrance of the town. This conservation area allows visitors to gain an impression of what the vegetation in this area must have looked like hundreds of years ago. The Strandveld Museum in the Eilandhuisie in Franskraal documents the history of this coast. The museum is open by arrangement. The name of the small holiday village of Kleinbaai is known the world over, as it is the harbour from which the shark viewing boats launch every day. Boat trips to see Dyer Island, which is the home to a large flock of African penguins and Geyser Island with the largest colony of breeding seals in South Africa, also start from this harbour. In addition, Kleinbaai has a very well-maintained 9-hole golf course which welcomes visitors. The Danger Point lighthouse near Kleinbaai marks the spot where the HMT Birkenhead ran aground in 1852. This historic shipwreck will always be remembered for the gentlemanly gesture of the soldiers of allowing “women and children to go first” and board the life boats. The lighthouse and the Birkenhead memorial are open to the public on weekdays. The well-known seafood company I&J operate an abalone (also known as perlemoen) farm in this area to ensure an adequate supply of this culinary speciality for the export market.

Gansbaai (Goose Bay) is thought to be named after a colony of Egyptian geese that lived by a fresh water fountain in the old harbour. Efforts are currently being undertaken to clean up the fountain and exploit its potential as a historical landmark. Gansbaai has its origins in a fishing village and even today the fishing industry plays an important part. On some days a certain fishy smell “lingers” in the air. Locals say it is the smell of money, as in the past the town depended on its income from the sea. Today, Gansbaai is a bustling small town. In fact, the Gansbaai area is said to be one of the fastest growing coastal areas in South Africa. The industrial area on the outskirts of the town confirms this impression. The town’s tourist information office is very helpful in supplying information about Gansbaai and its surrounds. The 7-km Duiwelsgat Hiking Trail meanders along the coast from Gansbaai to De Kelders and Die Plaat in Walker Bay Nature Reserve. A map is available at the Gansbaai Tourism Bureau.

Stanford’s Cove provided a shelter for the first harbour in the Gansbaai area. Captain Robert Stanford used it to export his farm produce to Cape Town in the 1800s. The bay is surrounded by old milkwood trees and fig trees that are approximately 150 years old.

De Kelders is known for a cave with a natural fresh water pool which was discovered four years before the Cango caves in 1776. The Drupkelder (a fresh water cave) as it was called was visited by Lady Anne Barnard, the wife of the colonial secretary of the time, in 1798. She provided a lively description of her visit to the cave. The cave is open to the public, and tours can also be pre-booked. Ask at the Gansbaai Tourism Bureau. Excavations at Klipgat cave have revealed archaeological deposits left by Middle Stone Age people about 85 million years ago and by the Khoisan (Later Stone Age) who used them about 2000 years ago. The site revealed the oldest record of domesticated livestock in South Africa (2000 years ago).

From June to November the cliffs at De Kelders afford spectacular views of Southern Right whales (Eubalaena Australis) which come to the protected bays of our coastline to mate and calve. In summer they return to Antarctic waters. The whales were given their name in the whaling days because they were considered the “right” whale to catch: They were slow, floated when caught and were rich in oil and baleen. They are easily identified by their “V” shaped blow and the bumps on their heads called callosities. Other good whale watching spots are Hermanus, Pearly Beach and De Hoop Nature Reserve.

Die Plaat is the name of the long white beach that you can see from De Kelders. It is within the Walker Bay Nature Reserve and is very popular for long walks, picnicking and angling. An entrance fee is levied by Cape Nature who administers the reserve.

Stanford is a small farming village on the Klein River. It takes its name from Sir Robert Stanford who bought the farm on which the village today is situated in 1838. Stanford was involved in a dispute between the locals and the British government concerning plans to settle convicts at the Cape and eventually left the country in disgrace. The farm was subdivided and a town laid out on it. The old farm house is being restored by its current owners. Stanford’s irrigation channels (leiwater), its well-preserved buildings and its market square (one of the few remaining undeveloped ones in the country) lend the town its old-world character. Stanford has some lovely little restaurants and shops. The Klein River is an excellent place for bird watching. Boat trips are offered on the lagoon. The Birkenhead Brewery, a microbrewery with a restaurant and the award winning Klein River Dairy are located just outside Stanford and are well worth a visit. The dairy offers al-fresco picnics by arrangement.

Hermanus, the Riviera of the South, was discovered by Hermanus Pieters in the early 1800s. He was a teacher and shepherd at a farm in Caledon and found the place, which one day would bear his name, to have a fresh spring and good grazing for his livestock. Soon Hermanuspietersfontein became a popular place for inland farmers to spend the summer months. Fishermen also came to settle in the area. By the early 1900’s the village, which was then known as Hermanus, became a popular destination for convalescents from overseas.

Sir William Hoy the general manager of the South African Railways was one of the first regular visitors to Hermanus. He blocked all attempts to extend the railway lines from Bot River to ensure that the village remained unspoiled. It is because of him that Hermanus has a railway station, but no access to a railway line. Today, the station Building houses the tourist information facilities.

Hermanus has become an all-year destination for travellers with its many guesthouses, hotels, B&Bs and self-catering establishments. It offers a myriad of restaurants and shops as well as beautiful beaches and land-based whale watching from June to November.

Neville Hickman, the artist who painted the pictures that adorn the walls of Klein Paradijs, traded in his partnership in an advertising agency in Johannesburg to realize a lifelong dream of becoming an artist. His work and that of his wife Audrey can be viewed at the gallery called “The Brushstroke” in Hermanus.

Fernkloof Nature Reserve offers nature lovers various walking trails amidst the typical Cape flora called fynbos. Rotary Drive affords a spectacular view of Hermanus and Walker Bay. The Cliff Path on the cliffs at Hermanus provides visitors with a leisurely way to explore the coastal vegetation and tide pools and to catch excellent sightings of Southern Right whales in season.

On the outskirts of Hermanus, in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, several vineyards are making their mark on South Africa’s vinicultural map: Hamilton Russel, Bouchard Finlayson, Whale Haven, Cape Bay and Sumaridge. All the wineries are open for wine tastings.