Cape Point - Valuable Historical and Natural Heritage
Cape Point in Cape Town, is today a nature reserve, and is therefore also referred to as the Cape Point Nature Reserve. The Cape Point Nature Reserve is no stranger to name changes, as in its history, it has already had three. In 1488, Bartholomeu Diaz named it Cabo Tormentoso, or the Cape of Storms. It was given the name Cape of Good Hope by King John of Portugal, and in 1497 Vasco da Gama traveled past on his way to India. There is no doubt that Cape Point has seen many ships and sailors sail past, or was witness to many ships and sailors meeting their end. Stone crosses and shipwrecks stand in memory of the sailors who tried to navigate this unpredictable stretch of coastline.
The lighthouse at Cape Point was originally built on Cape Point Break in 1857. At 238 meters above sea level, this lighthouse was not the most efficient. Fog and clouds often obscured the lighthouse from mariners, and they were only able to see it at a certain angle for 900 hours a year. This meant that most of the time, the lighthouse was invisible to ships and their crew. The lighthouse was moved to Cape Point, where it now stands, after the Lusitania, a Portuguese liner, ran aground on 18 April 1911. Currently, the lighthouse stands 87 meters above sea level, with a beam range of 63 kilometers, and a beam of 10 million candlepower that flashes three times, at 30 second intervals. The lighthouse at the Cape Point Nature Reserve is currently the most powerful lighthouse along the South African Coast. Other shipwrecks scattered along the coast are The Thomas T Tucker, an American Liberty Ship, the Phillisia, a Cape Town trawler and The Nolloth, a Dutch trawler. For the visitors who are eager to view the old lighthouse site, the funicular, will take you on a breathtaking trip to the viewing site. The funicular is environmentally friendly, and replaced the old diesel bus named the “Flying Dutchman”.
For the hungry, the Two Oceans Restaurant is appropriately situated, with views of False Bay, crashing waves and vistas. Also to be visited, whilst in Cape Point, is the Buffelsfontein Visitor Center that displays artifacts and has a tremendous amount of information and history for you to view.
Cape Point is also home to the South African Weather Bureau, where the Bureau monitors the impact that the atmospheric chemical changes have on the climate. They also study trace gasses and solar radiation. This station is maintained in collaboration with Fraunhofer Institute in Germany.
On the hillside by the beach, stands a cross. It is a replica to the one Vasco da Gama planted in 1487, and the rock feature does not just stand as a reminder to where the Portuguese explorers came ashore, but to the heritage of Cape Point.
Recent Comments
No comment yet.
Add your own Comments
You need to be logged to comment this page.
Please Register if you don't have an account.
