The first day of December - yikes.

So, I left you in Coffee Bay, yes? Well from there I drove into the dense bushveld of the Eastern Cape. There, quietly tucked away I came across Addo Elephant National Park. Est 1931. It was set up to (can you believe this), protect the last 11 wild elephants from extermination. Today more than 400 elephants roam through an area that is remarkably diverse. There were more opportunities to see black rhino, Cape buffalo and leopard, as well as a host of other animals both large and small. From there I hit the Garden Route at the Tsitsikamma National Park and the Storm’s River Mouth. I hiked part of the famous Otter Trail, gazed out over the spectacular Indian Ocean breakers pounding the rocky shores beneath 180m high cliffs topped with evergreen forests, heathland and ancient rivers which have carved their path to the ocean through rocky ravines.

Next I made the short drive to the pretty holiday town of Knysna where I went out on a little boat in search of whales and dolphins. Quite a few dolphins, no whales - shame. I had lunch in town, then poked around the craft shops and flea markets. Later I drove south, through lush forests, past tranquil lakes and golden beaches that adorn South Africa’s unspoilt southern coast that was once home to the ancient hunters, gatherers and nomads known as the Khoisan People. They inhabited this part of the country from the Stone Age onwards, feeding on the riches of land and sea, only being displaced after the first Dutch settlers arrived in the area during the 17th century. In the evening I returned to Knysna, ate dinner in a cosy café and basked in the small-town charm and hospitality.

Yesterday I moved on to Oudtshoorn, where I could, if I had wanted, visited one of the famous ostrich farms - instead I chose the Cango Caves with their spectacular rock formations - sculpted by nature through the ages leaving breathtaking limestone formations in a wide variety of natural colours in a subterranean wonderland - They were pretty cool as far as caves go, but not worth travelling all the way from Weston-super-Mare especially to see them. This morning I was on the road early, pausing at the wine producing town of Stellenbosch where I reluctantly turned down several offers of tastings before driving on towards Cape Town - via the airport to get rid of the car. Took the shuttle bus into town and my hotel for the next 4 nights.

I spent the afternoon on Table Mountain - figured it was a good way to get a feel of the city. The ascent to the top is exhilarating - offering breathtaking views over the city and its beaches - oooh, I sound like a travel brochure! On a clear day like today I could see for miles across the Cape Flats to the Hottentots Holland Mountains on one side and the ocean(s) on the other. Descended the mountain several hours ago and spent the past couple getting slightly tipsy on a bottle of red I picked up the other day. Going out for dinner now, I may be gone some time!