The discovery of culture, heritage, adventure, wine, cuisine, and great authentic experiences is exactly what Wesgro had in mind when it got the ball rolling for their Scoot Cape West Coast campaign.
Earlier this month, four avid riders set out on scooters for a 270km week-long journey from Cape Town to Lambert’s Bay, down the picturesque Cape West Coast. Local radio presenter, Guy McDonald; actor and comedian, Siv Ngesi; travel blogger, Rory Alexander; and adventurer, Roan McKintosh, scooted up the Cape West Coast from Cape Town to Lambert’s Bay over six days to discover the Cape’s great outdoors.
Culture
Just 40km outside Cape Town the team reached their first stop at the !Khwa ttu San Cultural and Education Centre where they experienced the customs of the San community before spotting eland and springbok on their new mountain bike trail. The stories of their hosts left the guests spellbound as they were educated on the art of jewellery making using ostrich eggs and even got an inside scoop of how the San used a tiny bow and arrow for courtship amongst couples.
Heritage
Day two and just 25km on, the team arrived at the West Coast National Park. Here they discovered ‘Eve’s footprint’, the oldest set of anatomically human footprints known to man – said to be around 117 000 years old. Baleen whale fossils dating back five million years can also be seen here.
After the education and enlightenment at the West Coast Fossil Park, some much-needed adventure was on the cards and the Cape West Coast was more than happy to oblige. Stand-up paddle boarding in Langebaan was the medicine of choice, giving the team the opportunity to test their core muscles while paddling in the fresh Atlantic Ocean.
Wine and cuisine
It would be a sin to travel to the Cape West Coast and not sample the local delicacy called Bokkoms. The team travelled to Bokkom Laan in Velddrif where they discovered the art of making what is best described as ‘fish biltong’. They then headed off to Lambert’s Bay for some bird watching – unfortunately not the kind that these four men are generally used to. Here they discovered Cape Nature’s Bird Island, getting a rare opportunity to see the Cape gannet colony up close. Bird Island is one of only six sites world-wide where Cape gannets breed.
From bird watching to wine tasting, the team then topped off a great day by sampling some of the finest local wines on offer before being entertained by local children performing Riel dancing – a dance that is derived from their Griqua and San Heritage.
The following day saw the team in need of some lighter refreshment – they decided on the Rooibos Tea House in Clanwilliam as their next stop. This is the only area in the word where rooibos can be grown and produced into tea, making it the only rooibos tea house in the world – it was a truly unique and refreshing experience for the team.
After the tea break it was time for the four men to set their pulses racing again and what better way than to experience zip lining ranging from 125 to 280 metres in Piekenierskloof. The zip lining, however, proved to be the ideal dry-run for the final activity on the last day of their scoot campaign.
On the final day of their tour, after much trepidation, the team seized the opportunity to take in an aerial view of the Cape West Coast with a tandem sky dive in Malmesbury. As it was a clear day, the divers were able to see all the way to Table Mountain as they took in the picturesque sites from their unforgettable view.
