Day trip around Cape Point

  Deon (a buddy of mine with a KLR 650) and I originally planned to do bike trips together. Unfortunately it worked out in such a way that Deon could only get an appointment for a learners licence (both of us didn’t have bike licences) much later than me. Recently he got his licence, so we decided to go around Cape Point one Sunday and go have lunch in Houtbay. Since I grew up in the Cape, this would be a nice trip down memory lane for me.

We were a bit concerned about the weather, since it is winter. Fortunately it was a perfect day! It wasn’t too cold, not a cloud in the sky and not a breath of wind (well, at least when we left). We took the coastal route from Stellenbosch to Muizenberg, along Baden Powell drive, then through St. James, Fishhoek and stopped in Simon’s Town for a coffee. This is where I realised that I’m very much used to looking for parking. We ended up paying for parking (meant for cars) but when we left, saw a bike parked on the pavement. Eish, I’ve got lots to learn about bike riding.

We gave Cape Point a miss. It cost about R70 per person and I’ve seen it many times before. As the road turned toward Scarborough, a bank of mist set in. This spoiled the view, but I think this is fairly typical for the region in winter. A couple of detours were in order. The most notable section of road had to be Chapman’s Peak drive. There has been a history of rock falls in the past, so they have build barriers that look like medieval chainmail. Quite impressive! By this time we were getting hungry. Houtbay has quite a couple of places to eat, but while working there many years ago, I remembered a fish & chips shop in the harbour wall (think its called Fish & Chips on the Rocks). So we headed there. It was incredibly busy, as can be expected on such a nice day (the mist had mostly cleared).

By the time we left Houtbay, it was already 2pm. So we took the coastal road to Campsbay. Thinking traffic would be fairly light, due to the inconsistent weather, I suggested we keep to the coast all the way to the Waterfront. Wow was I wrong. Once we entered Campsbay, I remembered why I hadn’t driven that route much as a kid. The traffic was crazy! Fortunately we could make quick work of the traffic, being on bikes. We stopped at the new Greenpoint stadium. It is really impressive! Unfortunately we couldn’t get close to the stadium due to the Soccer World Cup. Must say I was impressed with the police presence.

Now it was getting late, so we wanted to get back. A quick coffee pitstop in Pinelands and we were had home in our sights. We wanted to avoid the N1 & N2 (main routes leaving Cape Town). So we took the turn off at the Airport and took the Stellenbosch arterial back to Stellenbosch. I quite enjoyed the relaxed pace of the day’s riding and the views were spectacular. (AM, I’ve posted the photos…now get off my back :) )