Long time, no write! I have recently returned home from an amazing adventure in South Africa, and now I finally have the time to regale my lovely readers with my many stories, photographs and acts of adventurousness that border on the cusp of insanity and the edge of stupidity.

I arrived into Cape Town after several exhausting flights, including an 11 hour flight from Perth to Johannesburg which was not only completely full, but also had a whopping number of children and babies on board – more than 50! I was incredibly exhausted upon arrival, and spent that half day sleeping and trying to regain some energy for the next day.

I awoke to find the city looking dull and grey. I had planned to spend the day exploring the Cape Peninsula, and despite being warned that I wouldn’t see much on such a grey day, I was in the mood to explore, so I chose to go along anyway. Of course this ended up being the first of many encounters with the truly bipolar weather in Cape Town, and before long, the sun was shining and I was seriously regretting not bringing sunscreen.

The first stop of the day was the beautiful Hout Bay. This gorgeous bay is a popular holiday spot for both locals and travellers alike, and is known for its weekly market and for the many seals that live within the harbour. There are numerous boat charters that will take you on a 45 minute trip to Seal Island, which is a tiny island inhabited by thousands of Cape Fur Seals. The trip will set one back R70, approximately $7 AUD, and it is well worth it.

The seals are very playful and the crystal clear water allows for some pretty amazing viewing. The seals did smell rather strongly when the boat first approached, but it doesn’t take long for your nose to adjust to the rather intense odour.

Next it was off for a little hike to get the best possible look at Chapman’s Peak, which overlooks Hout Bay and is pretty damn good looking, despite the clouds making it difficult to take clean and clear photographs.

Then I was off to see the penguins at Boulders Beach. Boulders Beach in Simons Town is renowned for being home to one of the largest colonies of African Penguins in the world. The beaches surrounding the penguin area are pristine and absolutely gorgeous, and the penguins are not afraid to get up close and personal.

My last stops for the day were Cape Point and the The Cape of Good Hope. Cape Point is absolutely stunning, but due to the cloud cover, all of my photographs ended up looking almost blurry! The short hike to the lighthouse is very doable, and despite the cloud cover, it is well worth the views. There is also a funicular to the top, for those who are unable to walk up (or those who just cannot be bothered).

The Cape of Good Hope is well known as it is the most south-western point of the African continent. Despite being accosted by both baboons and ostriches on the way to the Cape, and despite getting my ever worsening sunburn, it was a pretty good place to end the afternoon.

So, my lovely readers! Since I have been too busy exploring for the past few months to keep up with your own adventures, I would love to hear about where you have been or where you are going next, feel free to tell me all about your own adventures in the comments.

THE  LOWDOWN

Getting to Cape Town: Cape Town is well connected, but you may need to transit in Joburg
Green Elephant Backpackers: This is my favourite backpackers in Cape Town, click here to learn more
Baz Bus Cape Peninsula Tour: This day tour costs $97.50 AUD, click here to learn more
Camera: Images captured with an iPhone 5
Remember: Wear ALL the SPF

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