Find Hilton Hotel close to the central business district in Windhoek. Hilton is located within 500 meters of Independence Museum and the Craft Market, and one kilometer away from the National Gallery of Namibia. Hilton Skybar and rooftop pool both offer panoramic views of the city, and there is a spa, 24-hour fitness center, and five on-site bars and restaurants.
The Hilton Windhoek Hotel in Namibia is a stylish and contemporary hotel that offers comfortable Windhoek accommodation in the heart of the city.
The Hilton is situated right in the business and cultural district.
Families are welcomed and there is a children's playground. Enjoy a relaxing massage at the roof top sala and spa. It is the perfect base for exploring all Namibia's attractions.
The Hilton Windhoek Hotel offers a number of modern and elegant rooms and suites in the heart of Namibia's capital. The hotel is ideally situated close to the business district and all the local tourist attractions. This Hilton is well suited for business travellers. The hotel has all the facilities you would expect from a Hilton hotel, including excellent service, a business centre, world-class conference facilities, a gym and a swimming pool.
South Africa: Cederberg Shiraz + Venison Festival | Turn Up the Volume with Bottomless Coffee
Our fabulous festival is ending and it is time to turn up the volume to celebrate a week long Shiraz and venison feast. Popular folk rock duo Bottomless Coffee are performing an exclusive show so polish those wine glasses, create a dance floor in your lounge, open your favourite bottles of Cederberg wine and enjoy!
Stock Up On Shiraz
This Offer Is Coming To an End!
More ways to celebrate Shiraz with our exclusive six bottle case promotion. Available during the festival week only.
6 x Cederberg Sustainable Rosé
R405.00
The Cederberg Rosé, made of Shiraz on sandstone soil, shows elegant aromas of strawberries, watermelon and cotton candy. It has a dry entry with a creamy palate yet it has a crisp finish. This shiraz-based Rosé has an exotic coral pink appearance, a real summer refresher!
6 x Cederberg Merlot Shiraz
R621.00
6 x Cederberg Shiraz
R1,350.00
A complex Shiraz filled with intense red fruit, mulberry and cherries on the nose. 15 Months in oak showing hints of sweet spice and vanilla. Red berries follow through on the palate and finish off with a smooth lingering sensation. A well-crafted Shiraz that allows you to cellar the wine for a few years developing into a sensational wine. Pair with South African game, powerful cheeses such as young cheddar or gruyere or indulge by pairing with intricate dark bitter chocolate.
A Brief History of Dwarsrivier and the Cellar
The San and Khoi peoples inhabited the Cederberg area from early times, leaving behind a rich legacy of rock art. It was only during the mid-1800s that another tough group of people set foot in the Cederberg – the Nieuwoudt family. The first Nieuwoudts arrived in South Africa during the early 1700s. Nearly 100 years later, their descendants moved to the Cederberg. In 1893 the present family moved to the farm Dwarsrivier, which is also known as Cederberg Private Cellar and Sanddrif Holiday Resort. Six generations ago, no one would have guessed that this rugged, fynbos-covered area on the edge of the Succulent Karoo biome would one day become a high-altitude wine farm in the Cape winelands.
The farm itself lies in the Cederberg Wilderness Area and only 66 ha are under vine. Today, this award-winning winery is owned by David Nieuwoudt – proudly fifth generation. Emma, David’s daughter, is the sixth generation. Many stories have been told about ‘how it all started’. Maybe the first Platter’s guide to South African wines (1980) puts it best: ‘Oom Pollie has confounded the experts by producing prize-winning wines on his farm high in the remote Cederberg Mountains. He first started making wine for the farm workers with table grapes that ripened too late to be taken in by the nearest co-operative. The venture was so successful, he decided to try his hand at making red wine, and the first vintage in 1977, though too small to be certified, was acclaimed by experts as being up to Superior standards’.
The other story goes as follows: There used to be no vines on the farm. A friend, who worked for the Deciduous Fruit Board, noticed that winter fruit was doing really well on this fruit and tobacco farm. He recommended that the family plant table grape vines. This was done in 1965 and these vines did so well that the first wine vines were planted in 1973 – the source of the top-class Cabernet Sauvignon of 1977/8. David’s grandfather, Oom Pollie, and his uncle, Oom Flippie, managed the farm until 1997. During 1997 David took over the reins from Oom Flippie. Oom Pollie passed on during 1988 and Oom Flippie in 2010.
HOW DID YOU START MAKING WINE HERE AT DWARSRIVIER?
Before the political changes of the 1990s, wine farming was an income like any other kind of farming, may it be sheep, fruit or fish. The big names in the industry were well known, of course. Up to 1990 the Nieuwoudts focused on fruit, tobacco, vegetables and livestock. During the 1990s, when sanctions were lifted, farming life changed quite radically and many farmers started specialising. Younger farmers, in many cases, faced huge challenges – the whole world had suddenly become their playground and delivery field. In the Cederberg, David Nieuwoudt returned to the land where he grew up and decided to focus on wine – after all, that was what he had studied and loved. The year? 1997.
THE "WATER STORY": WHAT IS SO INTERESTING ABOUT DWARSRIVIER’S WATER?
All the water used on the farm comes from free-running mountain springs that feed the Dwars River, which originates west of the Sneeuberg Mountain, partly on our land. We do not use any water from the Uitkyk area. When we refer to ‘the farm’ we mean the household water consumption of 29 houses, Sanddrif Holiday Resort, the irrigation system for the vineyards, and the water for the wine cellar and Cederberg Brewery. Sanddrif’s irrigation water comes from another source.
WHAT IS THE GREATER CEDERBERG BIODIVERSITY CORRIDOR?
The Greater Cederberg Biodiversity Corridor (GCBC) is a unique project in the sense that nowhere in South Africa is there an area as large as this that includes the people, their agricultural and other activities, and an unspoilt natural area. The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) financed the initial work for the project. This was so successful that the Global Environment Facility (GEF) donated R1,5 million to fund the implementation phase over five years.
Terroir
The Cederberg lies about 250 km north of Cape Town. This vast region encompasses approximately 162 000 ha of rugged mountainous terrain, stretching from the Pakhuis Pass behind Clanwilliam in the north, to Grootrivier in the south, towards Ceres. Forty six kilometres inland from the N7, between Citrusdal and Clanwilliam – with two mountain ranges separating the farm from the Olifants River – lies Cederberg Private Cellar on the farm Dwarsrivier.
It is the highest wine farm above sea level in the Western Cape. In terms of the SA Wine of Origin (WO) Scheme, the Cederberg ward was proclaimed on 24 February 1978. There are 51 wards in the winelands of South Africa. Take note that Cederberg is one of a few that do not fall under any of the 18 districts or five regions. Why? Simply put, it all boils down to the terroir.
Cederberg Private Cellar is the only wine farm in the Cederberg ward. And do not confuse the commercial wine route system with the Wine of Origin classification system. A wine route is a commercial venture and has nothing to do with the Wine of Origin Scheme. Cederberg Private Cellar does not belong to a wine route and by law resorts under the Cederberg ward.
Wreck and reef dive. Shore or boat access. Maximum depth is around 7 m. Some of the wreckage is very shallow and in the surf zone.
YouTube aerial video of RMS Athens shipwreck remains:
Union Company iron steam screw barque of 739 tons, built in 1856. Wrecked between Mouille Point and Green Point on 17 May 1865 during a north-west gale while trying to steam out of Table Bay. The site can be identified by the remains of the engine-block, which is visible above the water.
The site is not in a Marine Protected Area. A permit is not required.
Name
The "Royal Mail Ship Athens" was an iron steam screw barque of 739 tons, built in 1856 by Alexander Denny of Dumbarton, Scotland in yard no 42 and operated by the Union shipping company. She was 739 gross and 502 net tonnages. Her dimensions were 68.45 m x 9.17 m x 5.02 m. She had simple two-cylinder engines by Tulloch and Denny with 130 horsepower and could make eight to 11 knots. She was originally built for the Liverpool to Constantinople service for J.P. Schilizzi, and spent the first years of her career trading between the UK and the Mediterranean. In May 1858, she was bought by the Union Line for the South African Service. She spent the next six years as a mail steamer on the western route and then started the Mauritius Mail Service on 18 November 1864. She only completed a few voyages in this new service before her untimely end in 1865.
It was wrecked between Mouille Point and Green Point on 17 May, 1865 at night after the boiler fires were extinguished by heavy seas during a north-west gale while trying to steam out of Table Bay. The ship had been lying at anchor while preparing for a voyage to Mauritius. The site can be identified by the remains of the engine-block, which is visible above the water. The Piscataqua was wrecked at the same place.
The Athens represents the first wave of successful screw-driven steamers as opposed to the till-then prevalent paddle steamers. As a steamship, her voyages were also more predictable than sail-driven vessels. However, her engines were still quite basic compared to the later norm, the compound engine, which was incidentally successfully used for the first time by the Pacific Steam Navigation Company in 1856 – the year Athens was built. It was a sign of the times that the 1850s abounded with different engine designs, as engineers attempted to come up with solutions to the myriad of problems raised not only by the technical requirements of steamships, but also by the economic constraints. This period was characterised by unprecedented industrial development in Britain with the inevitable rise and fall of companies. As part of the Schilizzi Company, the Athens represented the up-and coming Greek business community in Liverpool. Later the ship was, with her sister ships, also partly responsible for the early success of the Union Line in South Africa. This embedded her not only in the general history of South Africa, but also in the economic history and development of our country. Therefore, the Athens was a fairly typical steamship of her time with a successful career up to the disaster in 1865. She also had her fair share of captains, as it was a custom to rotate captains among the ships. Her last captain was David Smith.
Visibility
In conditions when the site is diveable, the visibility will generally be quite good, and the site is very shallow, so there will usually be good light, but the site is also largely in the surf zone, so if there is anything of a break, the visibility may be reduced by wave action picking up any sand and shell particles that may be among the rocks.
Topography
Rocks form ridges and gullies, aligned in general perpendicular to the shoreline. The major landmark of the site is a low pressure piston and part of the cylinder from the ship's engine, standing on top of the reef and exposed above the water.
Geology: Precambrian sedimentary rocks, probably of the Tygerberg formation of the Malmesbury series. Strike appears to be north-south, Dip is nearly vertical. The rock appears to be very resistant to wear and fractures in nearly rectangular blocks. The natural colour is probably a dark grey.
Conditions
The surge can be quite strong. The site is very exposed to westerly seas, and moderately exposed to south westerly swell, so should be dived in relatively flat seas, and is most likely to be good in summer. The site is completely protected from waves from the south east and can be dived during south easterly winds with little risk.
A Parliamentary inspection was scheduled for 17 May on the progress of the breakwater works in Table Bay harbour that started in 1860. This had to be cancelled, because on that day one of the most violent gales ever known swept over Table Bay. It was a true test for the partially completed construction and for the ships in the roadstead. One of these was the Athens with its brand new master David Smith. Of the officers, only Smith and Mr Ricketts, the Chief Officer, were on board as the second and third officers were ashore on leave. In the afternoon, Ricketts left the Athens to help the crew of a swamped boat and was eventually picked up by the Dane, Smith’s old ship. The sea was too rough for him to return to the Athens. David Smith was now the only officer aboard the Athens. Smith had only a day or so before been transferred to the Athens – she was a promotion as she was a larger vessel than his previous command on the Dane. He probably did not know what the vessel’s capabilities were or at least overestimated the ship. This could be the reason that, when the last anchor cable snapped at 18:00, he decided to steam out to sea instead of beaching the valuable ship in the safer area close to the Castle. Something obviously went wrong – the ship made little headway and at some point lost her engine power running aground close to Green Point. No help was forthcoming from the shore, as there were no Manby Rocket Apparatus available to shoot a line out to the ship. The sea was too rough to launch boats. A bonfire was lit, so the hapless sailors aboard the Athens knew that they were not forgotten by those ashore. The newspaper reports of the time mention that a “…continued wail of anguish and appeals of help came from the Steamer”. At 22:00, it went ominously quiet. Smith and his crew of 28 were no more. One can’t help but wonder that if the Athens had the newer, more powerful compound engines, she might have been able to steam out to sea. Smith’s actions were true to his character in trying to save the valuable vessel for its owners, but maybe rash in that he did not know her or her crew well. The tragedy also underlined the need for more substantial harbour works to protect shipping in the event of heavy weather. This was evident in 1878, when a gale with “seas being even more continuously heavy and the force of the wind greater than on the occasion of the gale in 1865” lashed the Cape. Only five lives were lost compared to the sixty of 1865; a true testimony of the effectiveness of the then still incomplete breakwater.
This site can be accessed from a boat or from shore. The site is about 1 km from the Oceana Power Boat Club slipway at Granger Bay.
Follow Beach Road from Sea Point to Mouille Point past the Green Point lighthouse. Pass Fritz Sonnenberg Road on the right and look for the car park on the left. The wreck lies a little further west. Part of the engine block can be seen approximately 75 m out from the high water mark. It is easiest to approach by way of the parallel gullies leading to the site.
Features
Iron wreck of historical interest. Other wrecks in the vicinity include the Piscataqua, an American ship of 890 tons, wrecked here on 19 July 1865. The wreckage of the Athens is very broken up, and what remains is mostly structural iron sections heavy enough to have survived this long and which have been wedged into the reef and concreted there by the combination of rust and encrustations of marine life. In most cases the wreckage requires close inspection to distinguish it from the reef.
Photography
There will usually be plenty of light, adequate for wide angle shots, but a flash may still be necessary for macro work. The subjects are somewhat limited. Most of the wreckage will look very much like the reef in a photo, and the marine life is not particularly diverse. Avoid big cameras with long strobe arms, they will snag when you are washed through the kelp by the surge.
Hazards
The surge and breaking waves in the shallower areas could be a problem in rough weather and to the weaker or less experienced diver.
Skills
No special skills recommended. Fitness should be sufficient to deal with the wave conditions of the day.
Equipment
No special equipment recommended. Avoid all dangling equipment that can hook on the kelp. Stay streamlined.
Athens
Built in 1856, the Athens, a vessel of 739 tons was later purchased by the Union Steam Ship Company from the Liverpool firm of Schillizzi in 1858. For six years she led an uneventful life running a regular Mail service from Southampton to the Cape.
The Athens.
On May 16th 1865 the Athens was lying in Table Bay. The weather was atrocious, and out of the twenty eight vessels anchored in the Bay that day seventeen were to be lost in the storm that followed. As night fell the gale increased, and the Athens’s anchor cable parted. Her Captain, David Smith, however did not panic but managed to get the ship underway and tried to get her out to the open sea.
The vessel managed to round Mouille Point but was continually deluged by mountainous sea’s which eventually smashed through the skylight of her engine room and drowned the boiler fires.
Captain David Smith.
Now helpless the Athens was driven onto the rocks between Mouille Point and Green Point. Although she was only a short distance from those would be rescuers that now lined the shore, it was not possible for them to give any aid, except to light flares to guide any one who tried to get ashore, or any one who tried to effect a rescue. None did.
The remains still show at low water.
By morning it was apparent that all twenty nine souls on board had perished. The only survivor was a pig, which much to its surprise was washed up safe and sound on the beach. It was later found that the lighthouse had no rescue gear at all, not even some rope or lanterns. Today the last remains of the Athens can still be seen sticking out of the water at Mouille Point.
Directions to the Wreck.
Stroll along the sea front through Sea Point, and you will see in front of you the Mouille Point Lighthouse. Carry on about a hundred yards towards the Victoria and Alfred complex and you will see the remains of the Athens sticking out of the water. The Island that you see in the distance is Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated. You can visit the jail now by boat from the V&A and be shown around by ex inmates.
The Tour Guides Association of Namibia (TAN) has come under heavy fire from Namibians over racism due to a perceived white domination with reports that some of the leaders from within are outright racist.
However, the criticism has polarized public opinion with some coming out to state that this is a case of reverse racism where the domination of black people in other sectors is not being equally discussed.
We have managed to pool in the views of some of the notable players in the tourism space in the quest for an answer to the question of whether racism in the sector was a myth or a fact.
A picture collage surfaced on social media yesterday in which only one black tour guide, Joel Robert Gebhardt, was said to be the only black face in a pool of white tour guides.
When tracked down, Gebhardt was not keen to address the issue but said that he was surprised to hear that he was still listed on the membership catalog of TAN when he has since distanced himself.
“I am very, very, very surprised to hear from you that I am still a member of TAN! I resigned from TAN way back, two to three years ago. And I am failing to understand how I can still be a member if I do not even pay membership fees. I did not know my name is there,” he said.
Gebhardt said he can not speak for TAN as he has moved on due to the fact that he did not benefit anything out of it.
Faustin Akilanga, former vice chairperson of the organisation, has however said that there were incidents during his tenure where some white people refused to shake his hand.
He also said that while the association itself can not be said to be racist, there is a feeling of alienation that black people have felt.
“It is something I know. I do not like doing politics and I don’t like creating trouble. The majority are actually white colleagues. Few of them are black ones. When you discuss with black (members), I was trying to push most of the guys to join TAN, they refuse completely saying that they do not find themselves in that kind of association. They claim that TAN is not for their interest. But logically, TAN is open for everyone,” he said.
Akilanga said the white members have been there for long and some “still have the mentality of I am the best”.
He added that the feeling of alienation by black people is, rather than being a race issue, an issue of white people sticking to together because they know each other more.
Akilanga also said it is fair to say that the conversation and debate is unfair because blacks also do have domination in other sectors of the economy.
Chairperson for the Federation of Namibian Tourism Associations (FENATA), Netumbo Nashandi, said she cannot say that there is racism or no racism in the tourism sector.
She said conversation she has had with those that are leading the association has highlighted that TAN remains a non-racist and racially exclusive association which was open for all.
She however stated that healthy conversations such as these are needed in order to move on towards a sustainable path of sectoral growth.
FENATA is voice of the private sector of the tourism industry in Namibia in support of environmental sustainability, growth and development of our tourism products for national economic stability and increased business opportunities.
Nashandi said, “I am saying that we need to look into Namibia’s position, we need to look at our history, we need to look at our colonial and apartheid past.”
“The stuff that is happening in the tourism sector is above and beyond tourism, we still have legacies of previous laws that have not been rectified. I am not saying that racism is not there but I am acknowledging that we have problems that we need to conversate on in the tourism space. And we cannot move forward unless we have these conversations,” she said.
We hope you are all okay despite this horrid Covid continuing. Here in Zambia most people have now had their first vaccination with the second in September / October. We have today got a new President which is wonderful news – all calm in town which is also good news. I am now back in camp after a long time stuck in the UK. My journey was pleasantly uneventful. I got a local travel health clinic in Sussex, UK to do the Covid test for travelling which came back the next day, I had an airline ticket that could be easily changed and off I went, arriving Friday June 18th. A few extra forms to fill in at the airport but it was very smooth and professional - took my temperature on a wide screen TV, a few questions, handed over the COVID PCR copy letter and I was through formalities – all very easy. Masks are still being worn in all public areas and with the Delta variant, some places have had to close and wedding guests limited once again but generally in Zambia, life is very normal. More tests before coming home but that is a long way off so I am not stressing about that just yet.
I am very happy to report that the Kafue National Park has been taken under the wing, on a one year (hopefully to be formalized as 20 years) trial, by African Parks. This is the best ever news for us and all lodge owners appear to be delighted. There was another big meeting a few weeks ago at Mukambi and The Kafue Park Operators Association (KPOA) had contacted us about our requested priorities. For us, we requested early grading – now all done and an excellent job, burning of firebreaks to be back with the responsibility of the camps, not the grader driver! No more collaring, no more game capture, better patrols (although poaching in our area is not really an issue), it is, however still around on the park boundaries, between the camps the request list is long – so watch out for my next newsletter for an update on how they have got on.
For the camp it was obviously a quiet year in 2020 but 2021 has picked up a bit with local visitors and some Internationals. These times, if there were funds, you can do major work on the camp but none of us knew it was going to happen and “battening down the hatches” was the only option. As many of you are aware, we split the staff into two teams, so 9 went off duty without pay for a month and then returned for a full month, swopping alternatively. None of them complained as they all understood the worldwide situation and fortunately with farming etc. some had a chance to extend their home ventures.
The 2020 was quiet, despite a lot of local marketing – we had bits and pieces of business and we put our prices as low as we could in the form of “specials” but it was tough for everyone in the industry. Many camps did close completely, some pushed on, as we did, some went under. The fact we are one of the most accessible camps made a difference so it was mostly weekends we had guests for overnight stays but you cannot live off that.
The assistance to businesses in Zambia was nothing like what was on offer in the UK and on my return in June 2020 to the UK, I applied for a “Bounce Back” loan from Nat West – our UK business bank. I have to say how impressed I was with their phone service and the simple online application – I filled it all in and sent it on a Friday, the money was in the Kafue Camps account on Wednesday! So for the months when we could not meet the salaries, fuel and food, this money was a life saver! Obviously it has to be paid back but it gave us some breathing space. We are not “out of the woods” yet but business with the locals is picking up with lots of public holidays, (known as Long Weekends) around this time of the year.
Sightings have been very good with the drives, walks and boat cruises we are doing. The elephants are prolific and there were Lion in the campsite last night but I don’t think the campers were even aware! Two weeks ago around dinner time a Leopard came into the workers compound and took 2 shoes – one from each pair that Dominic (guide) had left outside his house to dry. The Leopard then returned for a 5 litre container! I think he thinks he is a hyena! Also about the same time, we had 2 Lions at the campsite and they had killed a baby Hippo right by the campsite lounge area.
A rare sighting was a Honey Badger – about only the 4th sighting since we started in 2006. This was on the road into camp. On the first week in June we had a sub adult Lion in camp also. For those of you who are keen birders, we had our first sighting of a Buff Spotted Fluftail which is very rare indeed – this was near the entrance to camp. Yesterday Dominic saw two Cape Clawless Otters by the dining room in the river and about three days ago a male Leopard was seen on Cheetah Loop and was very calm with the vehicle – he was calling for a mate. We had Pangolin sightings but these I don’t advertise generally on newsletters due to the high poaching situation.
Finally we had, in the late rains, a pride of Lions on the beach and also a Lioness has been seen with 2 cubs. Good to see we have some youngsters to grow up in the area.
In the time of writing this newsletter, we have had some other excellent sightings of our two male Lion brothers on Zamloop behind the camp, an otter taking on a very large crocodile and also various good photos all taken by a new young client Iain Macdonald from Solwezi area of Zambia. Finally just now, 2 Lioness from the boat a few minutes ago and a Leopard on the bank the day before when guests were fishing.
Keep in touch and reserve your clients’ provisional booking for later this year or 2022.
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Video, including aerial, of Cape Town's picturesque suburb with its beach and harbour, a bonus is aerial video of whale swimming in Atlantic Ocean, Western Cape, South Africa.
Hout Bay (Afrikaans: Houtbaai or "Wood Bay") is a seaside suburb of Cape Town in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. It is situated in a valley on the Atlantic seaboard of the Cape Peninsula, twenty kilometres south of the Central Business District. The name "Hout Bay" can refer to the suburb, the bay on which it is situated or the entire valley.
The area was originally made up of two farms, which were slowly subdivided to make way for urban expansion. While still maintaining its rural atmosphere, the area of Hout Bay has more than 5,960 residences inhabited by a population of at least 17,900 people (as of 2011).
Dutch colony
When the Dutch established a colony in Table Bay in 1652, a great quantity of good timber was required for construction, shipbuilding and other purposes. There was no large forest in the immediate vicinity of the settlement, mainly because the rainfall was not high enough. It was soon apparent that the colonists would be able to fell wood they needed in the wetter valley that lay on the other side of a low pass (now Constantia Nek) between the southern end of Table Mountain and Constantiaberg. Van Riebeeck described the forest of Hout Bay as being the finest in the world. It was Van Riebeeck who gave Hout Bay its present name. In 1652 on 22 November Van Riebeeck wrote in his journal about T’ Houtbaaitjen. Since then it has been known as Hout Bay.
Hout Bay's bronze leopard
In 1662, the year when Jan Van Riebeeck left the Cape, the Boscheuwel road was extended from Kirstenbosch in a rough track over Constantia Nek to Hout Bay. In 1668 the first permit to cut and saw wood in the Hout Bay forest was granted. In 1677 the first agreement to rent land for farming purposes was signed. In 1681 two farms were established Ruyteplatts and Kronendal.
Forts
In 1781 the French-built three forts at Hout Bay. These were part of a line of forts known as the French lines that were built in order to protect the Cape from falling into the hands of the English. The west fort at the harbour dates from this time. In the latter half of the 19th Century the farms Moddergat, Nooitgedacht, Oakhurst and Uitkyk were established.
East Fort battery
Manganese mine
In 1873, manganese was discovered in the Constantiaberg. In 1909 to 1911 manganese was mined in Hout Bay. Reminders of these activities are the ruins of the manganese ore jetty and the old mine workings up the mountain. In 1880, Crisp Arnold set up fishing sheds and started curing snoek for export to Mauritius.
In 1895 Walter Gurney built the first church in Hout Bay. It still stands today and is known as St Peter's the Fisherman. The first school in Hout Bay was started in this church.
Morrow - Factory Boat
In 1904 Hout Bay's first crayfish canning factory was established in the wreck of an old sailing ship, The R Morrow that stood where the present South African Sea Products factory is today. For almost 10 years the factory operated successfully exporting canned crayfish overseas and providing work for the local inhabitants. On 31 July 1914 a leak in the acetylene gas supply caused an explosion which blew up the canning factory, killing 7 people including the owner Mr. Lucien Plessis.
Chapman's Peak
In 1922 Chapman's Peak Drive was opened to the public. It had been built by the provincial administration using convict labour. It had taken 7 years to build and had cost (R40 000).
Fishing industry
German immigrant and farmer, Jacob Trautmann, established the first fishing village here in 1867. The fishing industry expanded substantially in the 1930s when fish became a popular item on menus and improved facilities for transporting fish inland were created. The Trautmann family improved their fishing boats and built more sheds on the beach for processing the fish. They owned Trans Africa Fisheries.
MARINER'S WHARF EMPORIUM HOUT BAY CAPE TOWN WESTERN CAPE SOUTH AFRICA
Summer day video of Mariner's Wharf complex in Hout Bay, Cape Town's suburb, Western Cape, South Africa.#MarinersWharfHoutBay #WesternCapeEmporium #CapeTownSouthAfrica
On the magnificent coastal drive from Cape Town to Cape Point is Hout Bay and its world-famous Mariner’s Wharf, Africa’s and the Southern Hemisphere’s first harbourfront emporium.
Conceptualised and built during the 1980s by Hout Bay’s very own Stanley Dorman, it has continued to grow under his and his family’s watchful eyes.
Its restaurants, shops and markets exude a maritime ambience as is nowhere else to be found, and has become a unique destination where the famous and locals, jetsetters and tourists, rub shoulders with old salts and venerable fishing captains.
On Mariner's Wharf's 21st birthday in 2005, Maritime Southern Africa summed up the experience in a few succinct paragraphs:
It's not just a fish shop; a restaurant, a bistro; an antique, curio or jewellery shop. It's not even a combination of all these - Mariner's Wharf is so much more to Hout Bay and its visitors.
Representing the first waterfront emporium development in Africa, Mariner's Wharf exposes visitors to a culture that's rich in its maritime authenticity. Certainly not ostentatious in its outward appearance, Mariner's Wharf has shunned all the usual trappings of themed waterfront developments where interior designers and clever architects effectively create watered-down versions of the real thing.
At Mariner's Wharf it is all real. From the figurehead that welcomes you to the restaurant upstairs, to the fishing boat and wheelhouse that overlook the fresh fish shop and deli.
WHARFSIDE GRILL RESTAURANT
Africa’s very first harbourfront emporium
The Wharfside® Grill is regarded as one of Africa’s best seafood restaurants, not only for its authentic harbourside ambience and spectacular bay views, but because of the amazing food it serves - the lobsters, the prawns, fisherman's baskets and innovations like Calaprawnia® and Houtbaisse® have made it famous.
Although seating more than 350 diners when full, privacy does not take second place. There are also six private dining cabins themed to seafaring history and famous ships, such as Queen Mary, Shipwreck, Navy and those of the Union-Castle line, including the actual 8 foot 11 inches model of the Pendennis Castle, their flagship which frequented the Cape.
CRAYCLUB BAR
The perfect spot for champagne, oysters and sushi
Upon arrival at the Wharfside Grill restaurant, you will be forgiven for wanting to linger a while to enjoy a drink at the aptly-named Crayclub® bar. Some drinks even come with a handsome souvenir glass to keep.
Here you will be welcomed by sweeping beach vistas, plush leather seating reminiscent of bygone-era seafaring days, complete with wood panelling subtly complementing this well appointed bar.
WHARFETTE BISTRO
The Wharfette® Bistro is an extremely popular outlet serving piping-hot alfresco take-outs on wooden benches right on the wharfside. Its speciality is fish and chips, and other choices include grilled lobster, prawns, calamari, snoek, Surfburgers®, Lekkerbekkies® and combos.
Best enjoyed while watching the antics of seagulls on the harbour's edge or as a picnic on the white sands of Hout Bay beach which it overlooks.
36 years of delicious seafood
From day one when the Bistro opened in 1984, it has been hugely successful, with people flocking from near and far for a taste of our acclaimed seafood that so many say is the best in the southern hemisphere.
FRESH FISHMARKET
Built around the hull of the Kingfisher, an original 1940s wooden trawler from the Hout Bay fleet, this is the flagship precinct of the Wharf and purveys fresh fish, live lobsters, oysters, mussels, pates, bokkems, sushi, local and imported seafood. Daily-baked bread, rolls and biscuits are also available at its Bakery, as well as sandwiches.
LIQUOR COVE
The Liquor Cove serves up the best of the Cape’s wines, a full range of spirits, liquors, beers and ciders. Everything you need for the high seas.
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