Taking to the skies

Sunday 25th September

Hout Bay, Cape Town, Western Cape Privonce

Cape Town Helicopters

The coast of the peninsula and the hills that surround it are so breathtakingly beautiful that it's hard to take them all in, so we decided to see them from above by helicopter.

Flying from the east pier of the V&A Waterfront, we rounded Sea Point, flew over the beaches of Clifton and Camps Bay and crossed over to Hout Bay, circling over the harbour and turning over the place where we are staying before returning by the same route.

Sea Point and V&A Waterfront from above

Seeing from above only serves to make things even more beautiful - the changing tones of the water, the dramatic waves crashing against the cliff faces, the chance to see Table Mountain, Signal Hill and the Twelve Apostles all in one view.  That it was a gloriously sunny day helped!

Though Cape Town's CBD appears relatively small, seeing the Cape Flats stretch out for miles really brings home how big a city it is.  From the opposite window, Robben Island looks suffocatingly small when viewed from above.  (Actually, it looks like Craggy Island in the opening credits of Father Ted.)

Hout Bay from above

As the helicopter lowers over the waterfront, it strikes me what an incredible development this is - the whole world in one harbour.

Contrast the tranquillity of the bay with the hustle and bustle of the Bay Market Harbour we visited this morning.  This extended garage sale for local artists was alive with music, bartering and trade.

The afternoon was so hot that we headed to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens to stroll amongst the proteas and succulents and enjoy the weather.

And, a day late, we were able to celebrate National Braai Day.