7 and 8 January 2023

We were sad to be leaving lovely Bontebok National Park but we certainly will be back.

We had mixed feelings about heading to Cape Town. We’d geared our minds to going home to Struisbaai and after our lovely holiday, the big city with all its busyness did not hold much appeal. But on the other hand, we looked forward to catching up with friends and family.

There is no denying that Cape Town is a beautiful place and seeing the old familiar sights filled us with joy. We would be staying in Noordhoek just around the corner from Sun Valley where we’d lived for most of our lives and a few of our friends are close neighbours of Chapman’s Peak Caravan Park.

We’d never been to the park before but were quite delighted with what we found. Entering the gate we thought reception couldn’t be far away,

We were not required to pay immediately but were given a remote to get in and out of the gate when it was closed and told to choose any site.

We had heard that the park was run-down and had even closed so we were pleasantly surprised to find it quite a lovely place to stay. It is old and does not have the manicured appearance of some caravan parks. But it has a wonderful farm feel about it. The sites are large and there is plenty of shade. Many of the sites are more grassy than ours. The ablutions are not modern but everything works and they are clean and neat.

After we’d settled in and had a nap we went to visit friends just five minutes away.

Today the family gathered at Castle Rock where The Earl’s sister and family live. Their indigenous garden which is just an extension of the mountain attracts many birds and other wildlife. The view of the ocean is amazing and the kids enjoyed a glorious swim in the crystal clear water. This is the bay in which “My Octopus Teacher” was filmed. It is a wonderful documentary that is well worth watching. Look for it on Netflix.

We watched several helicopters flying low over the bay. Some landed at the ski-boat club where their passengers could get refreshments or walk around and admire the area.

This part of the peninsular is spectacularly beautiful and the beaches being a little rocky and not as easy to get to are quieter than the more popular sandy beaches.

It was a really beautiful day and a wonderful visit with our family and the braai was awesome. Thanks, Carol and Vere for hosting us.