A-Z: Andersons in Zimbabwe: Swellendam to Gordon's Bay, Southern tip of Africa and Penguins!

The southern point of Africa and the meeting of the Indian and Atlantic Ocean, 2023.12.18

The next morning, we drove a few more hours and took a long country loop through Heidelberg. This beautiful mountain farmland reminded us of home in Cache Valley. Even though the road was dirt, it was much better than any of the dirt roads we find in Zimbabwe, and no potholes!

Heidelberg feels like home! 2023.12.17

Swellendam, Dec. 17-18: Our next stop was Swellendam. This unique and historic town had lots to offer. We stayed in a hilltop retreat in a nice Airbnb Hotel with 8-9 different rooms for rent. We relaxed by the pool and then went walking around the town. We loved seeing historic homes with Dutch-style rooftops. Our favorite building was a beautiful white historic Dutch Reformed Church on Main Street. It reminded us of some of the early pioneer tabernacles in Utah. We walked through a pottery shop with a local artist. The hydrangeas were in full bloom showing off beautiful periwinkle and pink flowers.

Historic Swellendam, 2023.12.17

Our Airbnb at the "Hilltop Retreat" was nice and relaxing, 2023.12.17

Dec. 18-19 Swellendam to Gordon's Bay, South Africa:

Our last overnight stop to Cape Town was to Gordon's Bay. After leaving Swellendam, we drove to the most southern tip of Africa where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic. We loved the town of L' Agulhas with its beautiful lighthouse and rocky beaches. We even found a tortoise along the path. We enjoyed the amazing views of the ocean and the sounds of the waves of the sea.

Bruce had to walk from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean just so he could say he did. He actually waded in a shallow pool across the divide. It was pretty cool to say we stood on the southern tip of Africa. L'Agulhas, the Southern tip of Africa, 2023.12.18

Hermanus, 2023.12.18

We continued driving along the scenic coastline and loved traveling through Napier and seeing another beautiful white Dutch Reformed Church. An added tourist pleasure was the hand-crocheted blocks made into a festive Christmas tree. Perfect for any holiday postcard or Instagram post! I can imagine a bunch of cute old ladies crocheting these and donating them for the tree.

Napier, another beautiful Dutch Reformed Church along the scenic route to Cape Town, 2023.12.18

After exploring the southern tip, we headed for Gordon's Bay our last stop before staying in Cape Town, our final destination. The Garden Route officially ends at Bette's Bay, where we hoped to see penguins. We made it to Bette's Bay and Stony Point and were delighted to find a lot of African penguins. African penguins are endangered but their numbers are rising with conservation efforts. We even tried to pet a penguin for Ian (it's on his bucket list, "pet a penguin"). We got within 5-10 inches but they kept turning their heads towards us and their black beak looked pretty sharp. I didn't want to lose a finger! We actually got very close to the cute little tuxedo birds and it was a delight to see them on the coastal shores in the wild.

PENGUINS!!! Bette's Bay and Stony Point, South Africa, 2023.12.18

We arrived at Gordon's Bay around 2:00 p.m. We met our wonderful Airbnb host, Naydia with beautiful purple hair. We were able to drive our rental car into a locked gated driveway. Naydia had a large entertainment venue with beautiful ocean views of Gordon's Bay. Our room was upstairs, a spacious private mother-in-law-type apartment with a personal deck and view of the bay. The bed was extremely comfortable and the marble tiled bathroom had a nice oversized tub and shower. We enjoyed a rest before exploring the town. Bruce had read about a small "fish and chips" shop that was a must not miss in Gordon's Bay. It ended up being a fresh fish shop and right down the street from our stay. We had a very large serving of fish and chips "fries" that could have fed a crowd. We ended up giving our fries to a grateful parking attendant watching our car. That evening we were able to walk the beach and enjoy the sunset before settling down for a needed rest.