South African Scenery: Mountains, Oceans, Valleys, Sunsets of this majestic land from Cape Town to the farmlands.

This post features a number of individual galleries of places from Cape Town on the coast to inland rural farmlands.

Cape Town area from the top of Lion’s Head

Table Mountain and the Twelve Apostles

Sea Point from the top of Lion’s Head

Sea Point, Signal Hill, Table Bay – from Lion’s Head

Shadow of Lion’s Head over upper Cape Town (the large dark rectangle is a reservoir).

Cape Town city centre, harbour – from Lion’s Head

Traditional Cape Dutch architecture in Worcester

Cape Dutch with original thatch roof, now a doctor’s office.

Minimalist interior of old traditional Cape Dutch architecture – Worcester.

Cape Dutch architecture in Worcester, South Africa.

The Old and the New: satellite dish on 200 year old building.

Autumn in suburban Worcester.

Built in 1853.

Winelands area in Paarl

Overlooking Paarl Valley

Paarl valley from Blackstone’s Kitchen.

Looking out to the vines.

Blackstone’s Kitchen, on wine farm in Paarl.

Room With A View

Everything you could possibly need in one place… Paarl, South Africa.

General store in Paarl

Cape Town: the Urban Park and Greenpoint

Pond at the Urban Park – Green Point (suburb of Cape Town)

Water lilies and grasses at the Urban Park.

The Cape Town stadium in Green Point, from the Urban Park.

Lion’s Head and Water Lilies.

Reflections in the Urban Park.

The Green Point lighthouse, seen from the Urban Park.

Green Point lighthouse.

Green Point lighthouse, Table Mt. in background.

Magical garden, high above Green Point.

Overlooking Green Point and the Stadium.

High above Green Point, Urban Park in the distance.

Cape Town harbour.

Cape Town harbour as seen from Signal Hill.

The Country: Robertson area, Montagu and surrounds

Driving back towards Cape Town from Robertson.

Clouds over the Robertson wine farm area.

Nuy Valley, wine farm area outside Cape Town.

Bounty

Melon toss…

Gourds and melons

Wire rabbits

inside the padstal

Harvest

Gourds at the padstal (farm stall)

Robertson area

Pedestrian bridge over the river, Montagu.

Traditional architecture: farmhouse in Montagu.

County house in Montagu (Dorp is a small village)

Playground

Red hot pokers (a type of aloe)

Fence

Suburban home in Montagu

Headed into the Nature Reserve in Montagu.

Traditional architecture in Montagu

Main Street in Montagu

Tree art, Montagu.

Natural defense. Farmers plant local spike bush at perimeter of fruit orchards to ward off poachers…

Spike bush at edge of orchard.

On the road towards Cape Town from the country.

Palm in Montagu.

Montagu River.

Bridges in Montagu.

Rainy day

Pedestrian bridge over the Montagu River.

Verdant in Montagu

The famous “Bird Tree” in Montagu. Thousands of birds cover this tree and adjacent small pond at certain times of the year.

Maiden’s Cove, Camps Bay

Maiden’s Cove – Camps Bay – Reflections

Maiden’s Cove – Camps Bay – Lion’s Head

Maiden’s Cove – Camps Bay – The Twelve Apostles

Maiden’s Cove – Camps Bay – Sluice and Rocks

Maiden’s Cove – Camps Bay – Looking towards the Atlantic

Maiden’s Cove – Camps Bay – The Pool, The Twelve Apostles and the town.

Coastal areas: Hout Bay, Hermanus…

Hout Bay harbor

Hout Bay Coffee Roastery

Creek in Hout Bay

Long Beach – at Noordhoek, South Africa.

Cape peninsula from the top of Sir Lowry’s Pass.

Hermanus looking towards Cape Agulhas – the southernmost tip of the African continent.

The fishing village of Hermanus.

Cape Town sunsets…

Sky prism

Fading into twilight

Radiant spectrum

After sunset, Sea Point.

Rocks, Ocean, Sky, Sun.

Ship on horizon dwarfed by the sky and ocean.

Ship and Sun on horizon.

Ship leaving Cape Town under majestic sky.

Skypaint

Solitude Standing at Sunset

Ripples in ocean and sky.

Evening walk

Sea Point beachfront at sunset.

The Cauldron

Small ships under huge sky.

Flames in the sky.

Reflections

Lion’s Head at dusk.

Magnetic

The punch of purple.

Old English Fort: situated on top of Tunnel in Cogmanskloof – 4km from Montagu towards Ashton.

1899 heralded the second Boer War and saw the construction of the English Fort above Cogmans Kloof. (Montagu and 2nd Boer War 11th October 1899 to 31st May 1902)

Old English fort on the pass leading into Montagu.

Entrance to the old fort.

Gun ports in the fort wall.

Fort wall with gun ports

Interior of the old fort.

View from the old fort atop the ridge. Excellent defensive placement.

View of the entrance to the fort.

Looking back down the road towards Cape Town from the old fort.

Looking down on the old fort from higher on the ridge.

Cape Town is 250km in the distance.

For more than a decade I’d heard about the old gun battery that was located on the street behind our home in Cape Town. Recently, during an open house (this magnificent home is up for sale) I was able to tour it and take some images. Here is an amazing little piece of Cape Town history! (all images taken with iPhone4S)

The innocuous entrance – through a modern garage – to the subterranean gun battery.

Looking down the stairway.

The underground Battery storerooms, some areas converted into wine cellars.

Stairway down to the Battery munitions storerooms.

Hand-cranked shell lift.

Shell lift from the munitions store to the guns.

Underground tunnels of the Battery

Old munitions storeroom

Munitions storeroom converted to wine cellar.

Front entrance to the “Battery House”

Interior of the “Battery House”

View towards the Atlantic Ocean from the house.

Signal Hill, Cape Town

Signal Hill

Table Bay, the Stadium; from Signal Hill

Shadow-Selfie

Sea Point from Signal Hill

City of Cape Town

Cape Town sunrise

In the Gardens district with Table Mt in the background

Sunrise leaving Cape Town

Early morning in Cape Town

Dating back to 1692, Babylonstoren is a historic Cape Dutch farm that boasts one of the best preserved farmyards in the Cape. Beloved for its magnificent garden that is laid out over 3,5 hectares (8 acres), the garden is divided into 15 sections that comprise fruit, vegetables, berries, bees for pollinating, indigenous plants, fragrant lawns, a prickly pear maze, ducks and chickens, and more. A secluded path runs along the stream where thousands of clivias flower in spring. The garden also boasts a plethora of trees of historical and botanical import. Every aspect of Babylonstoren – including the contemporary Farm Hotel & Spa, the Farm Shop and Bakery – are led by the ever-changing tapestry and botanical diversity of the garden.

World-class restaurant “Babel” – at Babylonstoren farm.

The ever-changing sea around Cape Town

Shades of gray.

Graaff’s Pool, Sea Point.

Last surf of the day.

Fog not Tsunami…

Ghost ship

Drilling rig off Cape Town coast

Atlantic Ocean, Cape Town.

Cape Town coastline

Ship, Gull, Sunset – Cape Town

Graaff’s Pool, Sea Point

Stormy sea

Graaff’s Pool in winter

Graaff’s Pool in winter (different sea)

Ship. Cloud. Sea.

Leaving Cape Town

Mercury sea…

These rocks, extending far into the Atlantic off the Cape Town coast, have claimed hundreds of ships over the years.

Winter Wave

Cape Town beach at winter

Rock creatures…

Reflected Moment

The sun bounced off a flat window almost 200m (600ft) away and reflected onto the sea wall…

Reflected sun on sea wall.

Timing is everything in streetphotography: reflected sun from flat window on the sea wall with silhouette of walker…

Rainbows

Sea Point

Camps Bay rainbow

The Glen, Camps Bay

Twilight and Indigo

Twilight tree

Ship on the horizon at twilight.

Streetlamps lit the foreground, ships on the horizon.

Sea Point sunset

Rabbi under the full moon.

Winchester Mansions, Sea Point, Cape Town

Lion’s Head at twilight

Sea Point beachfront

Sunset silhouette

The moon is visible: end of Ramadan.

Blood on the water

The Wrath of God

Lightening-struck church steeple, Montagu

Lightening struck the church.. need to pray harder?

Main church in Montagu after lightening storm damaged the roof.

Cape Town wildlife

African wildlife. This bug is about 100mm (4in) long.

Cape Town resident.

Cape Town wildlife

Rhino-saurus sculpture on the Sea Point beachfront

Rhino-saurus sculpture pieces

Fire in the Sky (first sunset of 2015)

First sunset of 2015 (New Year’s Day eve)

Still Life at the water’s edge – Cape Town

Painting with Light

Punch bowl in the sky.

Sunset over Sea Point.

Crescent moon and pink clouds.

Fading brilliance.

Setting Sun

Red setting sun in the blue-gray ocean/sky.

Sea Point, ships and sunset.

Sunset ship

Sea Point at sunset.

Pointillism in the sky

Fire in the Sky

Saunders Rocks, Cape Town.

Cape Town coastline

Saunders Rocks, Cape Town

Lion’s Head with 3 cloud formations.

Bantry Bay, Cape Town

Sunset runner

Sunset at the Sea Point Pavilion – one of the most beautiful public pools in the world.

Ship, Gull, Sunset – Cape Town

Graaff’s Pool, Sea Point

Sailing into the sunset

Fisheye view of Sea Point sunset

Power of sunset

Rays of light

Ships, boats, kayaks

Ships and Sky

Stillness at sunset

Calm ocean

Sunset, Gull, Ships

Cape Town Perspectives

Parasailors and new moon.

Paragliding in twilight.

Crossroads

The Greenpoint Stadium from the Waterfront

Night

Moonset over Sea Point

The Starship. Public art on top of Signal Hill (was there for 6 months) – sculpture illuminated with solar-powered LEDs.

The Starship over Cape Town.

Full moon from the top of Signal Hill.

Full moon over Cape Town.

Milkwood trees are mostly unique to the Cape Town area of South Africa, although a few can be found as far north as Zimbabwe. Some of the trees can live for 600 years or more.

Milkwood trees on the grounds of the Baxter Theatre.

Milkwood trees are mostly unique to the Cape Town area of South Africa, although a few can be found as far north as Zimbabwe. Some of the trees can live for 600 years or more, this one is probably 200 years old.