Swartland and Surroundings

Porterville is a little town in an area called Swartland, amidst rolling fields of wheat (and here and there vineyards) at the foot of the Groot Winterhoek Mountains. We've seen some interesting places in and around it, including 22 Waterfalls Farm, the Jan Danckaert Museum (named after an explorer in 1660), and some magnificent scenery in the Groot Winterhoek Nature Reserve.

After a cooldrink in Porterville itself, we checked out the Jan Danckaert Museum. The Museum is not very big, but we were quite impressed by the San (Bushmen) Rock Art exhibition. The mountains in this area contain a lot of well preserved San art, but because it is risky to expose these paintings to people, some good pictures were taken of the paintings and these are now exhibited in the Museum.

Drinks in Porterville. 

The San Art exhibition. 

"Bulldog" tractor, of course I had to take a picture. 

 Porterville also has a rather impressive church (for such a small town anyway). 

It has competition from its neighbouring town Piketberg though – some more dramatic religious architecture awaits.

On the 22 Waterfall Farm (which lie just outside Porterville) there runs a stream down a rather steep 'kloof' of the Olifants River Mountains. There are 22 waterfalls, big and small, up the 'kloof' and to see all of them is approximately a 9-hour hike. We only had an hour and so we saw just a few of them, but it was worth it - we even had a swim!

Some rock climbing in between the waterfalls. 

The Famous Robben Island, a Museum, and a Beach

February 6th we went on a much-looked-forward-to tour of Robben Island (meaning 'Seal Island'), a historically rich World Heritage Site as well as National Heritage Site, located in Table Bay. We also visited the Chavonnes Battery Museum for the international Wildlife Photography exhibition there, and then put our toes in the sand at Bloubergstrand.

Robben Island's claim to fame is the fact that it has been used as a means of isolating mostly political prisoners since as early as the 17th century (a Hottentot was imprisoned here by Jan van Riebeeck (the founder of Cape Town) in 1658; it's a rather amusing story actually). Nelson Mandela (South Africa's first black president as well as an incredible inspiration) was imprisoned here along with many other anti-apartheid activists during the Apartheid years (1940's to 1990's).

The tour consisted of a ride by ferry to the island, a guided tour through the prison area, and a bus tour to see some of the main features on the island.

Waiting in the mist at the Waterfront before the tour began. The entire harbor and Waterfront was shrouded in mist when we arrived. 

Departure; looking back at the Museum and another ferry. 

"Ghost harbor". The mist was very disorientating. 

 Our first sight of the island. 

The prison tour was given by a former prisoner himself. 

A court where prisoners labored. 

A cell like that which Mandela was kept in. 

 "Prison picture."

On the bus tour we learned a few interesting things, such as that Robben Island was not just used a prison, but also as a way of isolating the disease leprosy. The Leper community was relocated to Pretoria in 1931.

More than a thousand patients with leprosy died on Robben Island, and the Leper Graveyard is thus notable.

Everything used by the Lepers was destroyed except the Church of the Good Shepherd, which was built for Lepers by Lepers in 1895. It was not demolished along with other Leper Buildings because it is privately owned (it's actually the only privately owned building on the island).  

The only other historic church on the island is the Garrison Church (built in 1841), and our guide told to the group's great amusement how once a year on February 14th (Valentines Day) couples are allowed to marry in this church. Apparently their marriage would then be guaranteed to last. 

This beautiful primary school was built in 1894 for the island wardens and residents' children. It has only recently closed down due to not having enough pupils. Now, any children living on the island actually has to go to school on the mainland by ferry every single day! 

Table Mountain above the clouds.