Today we got to head out of the big city and travel through the Cape. Along the way, we stopped at Maiden’s Cove, traveled through Chapman’s Beak Drive, saw Hout’s Bay, spent some time at Cape Point National Park, traveled along the Cape of Good Hope, and stopped at Boulders Beach for lunch and finished the day at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens. We were told to bring binoculars which meant the animal sighting could begin!

Much of the day was spent looking at scenery, so much of this post will be pictorial. Don did point out that container ship sightings are more frequent now because of the conflict in Israel; ships are not traveling through the Suez Canal and must now round the cape. He said that in the Floral Kingdom, there are 8,000 species of plants. And, if we were lucky, we might spot a whale off the coast. We were indeed lucky; we spotted a Southern Right Whale near the town of Muizenberg. Why are they named Right whales? Because they like to hug the coast and move slowly, making them the “right” whale to hunt.

Sometimes, Chapman’s Beak Drive is closed due to rock slides. Fortunately, it was open the day we drove through. Here are some pictures I took along the way to the National Park:

As we entered Cape Point National Park, the animal sightings began!

Right next to us, we found an ostrich, chillin’ down the road:

Next up was some time at the Visitor’s Center to wander around. It was REALLY breezy there! Still being the tail end of winter, it was cold as well.

Next stop? Lunch! And, surprise of surprises, a penguin colony! They are adorable! They used to be known as jackass penguins because of the sound they make.

Our final stop was at the world famous Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. Not much was in bloom; I think it would be a more interesting stop during the spring and summer. We made a quick trip through and then had some tea to warm up while we waited for the rest of our group.

Tomorrow is an optional tour day. We opted for the Wine Lands Tour.