by Emma Gass, 15 August 2008

The southernmost area of South Africa and, therefore, of the whole African continent is a place of wide open skies, small towns and many stories - stories that have become legends, stories that have been kept alive by the locals and some tall tales.

Shipwreck Stories

The Overberg and its Whale Coast claim the southern tip of Africa at Cape Agulhas (just over 2 hours drive from Cape Town), where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet. Almost 200 shipwrecks litter this southern coastline, aptly referred to as "the graveyard of ships" - a shipwreck from as recently as 1982 is still visible near Cape Agulhas' lighthouse.

Reminders of these shipwrecks are evident throughout the region: place names and local surnames reflect a tragic history and there is a fascinating shipwreck museum in the agricultural town of Bredasdorp.

A possible explanation for the many broken ships around this coastline is also the story behind the name Cape Agulhas. Cabo das Agulhas - Cape of Needles - was the name given by early Portuguese sailors.

The story goes that sailors rounding the Cape in the late 1400s noticed that their compass needles pointed directly north, with no variation between true and magnetic north. Others claim that the Cape of Needles refers to the needle-sharp rocks that lie off-shore.

Whatever the truth behind the legend, it can't be denied that many ships were destroyed and sea-farers drowned on this desolate coastline. Survivors are said to have sheltered in the caves in the hills above Cape Agulhas.

Ghost Stories

The ghosts of those who died have been seen wandering the coastline so regularly that the sheltered bay at the Cape Agulhas town entrance has been named Spookdraai - Ghost's Corner in Afrikaans. There's now a Spookdraai hiking trail introducing you to the historical landmarks and natural phenomenon in the area.

The Cape Agulhas Country Lodge proprietors claim to have seen the ghost of a woman who was shipwrecked off the coast over a century ago and there's a possibility that ghosts of the Khoikhoi, who lived in the caves above Cape Agulhas and whose fish traps are still visible in the shallow waters, walk with the ghosts of the sailors.

Ox Tales

The ox wagon was another demanding mode of transport of the past. Before the scenic tarred pass (Sir Lowry's Pass) was built over the Hottentots Holland, early settlers struggled over this formidable mountain range in their ox-drawn wagons to reach the Overberg - berg being mountain in Afrikaans. The old wagon trail ruts are still visible if you know where to look.

Many early settlers built their lives on the fertile Overberg land and today many locals trace their family names back to these original wagon-drivers.

Oom (Uncle) Attie is an Overberg local who can trace his family back generations and keeps the traditional ox wagons alive with his Ossewa (Oxwagon) Camp and Agricultural Museum.

Looking part of the land - short pants and bare feet - Oom Attie is full of childhood stories as he shows off his restored ox wagons, converted into a rustic overnight camp just outside Napier, home to a central ox wagon monument.

Ox wagons seem too small for an overnight stop; to live and travel in one for months must've been extremely uncomfortable. Don't say this to Oom Attie however: he once undertook a solo journey from Namibia to the Cape by donkey cart, and probably wouldn't agree!

A Town with 3 Names

The Arniston fishing village has many stories, the opening gambit often being that it's known by three names, each with its own tale.

The village is most commonly known as Arniston after the HMS Arniston that sank offshore in 1815 killing 372 of the 378 souls onboard - mostly wounded soldiers returning from Ceylon, and a few women and children.

The official village name, or the one recognised by the local post office, is Waenhuiskrans (meaning wagon house cliff in Afrikaans) in recognition of the Waenhuiskrans Cave on the edge of town, which is believed to be large enough to turn a wagon and its oxen full circle within it.

Arniston's third name refers to the whitewashed houses occupied by the fishing community. Kassiesbaai is over 200 years old and has been declared a national monument.

The name is derived from the original houses that were built from boxes and crates (kassies) which washed up on the shore, before more durable building materials were used.

"Women and Children First!"

Another Whale Coast story is the history behind the well known saying "women and children first". Again, this relates back to a sinking ship off this treacherous southern coast.

In 1852 the HMS Birkenhead hit a submerged rock off the appropriately named "Danger Point" near Gansbaai. Lifeboats on-board were in short supply due to bad maintenance and the women and children were helped into the lifeboats that were quickly launched. The men, however, remained on-board so as not to swamp the lifeboats.

After the ship sank some of the men managed to swim ashore despite the great white sharks. Only 193 of the 638 passengers survived, although the brave procedure followed on that night became known as the "Birkenhead Drill" and it was entered into naval protocol.

Elim's Claim to Fame

The old mission town of Elim has numerous stories, as you would expect from a town that has been declared a national monument in its entirety. The Morovian church houses the oldest working clock in South Africa, the watermill has the largest wooden wheel in South Africa and Elim, whose original community members were mostly freed slaves, also boasts the only slave monument in the country.

Tall Stories

There are other wild claims originating in the Overberg & Whale Coast region that I have more trouble believing, although I suppose imagination is an essential ingredient in any good story.

For example I'm sceptical of the claim that Soetendal's Vlei between Cape Agulhas and Bredasdorp is the largest natural freshwater lake in South Africa and even more sceptical that the longest white sand beach in the whole Southern Hemisphere lies between Cape Agulhas and De Mond nature reserve.

Whatever the truth, the birding at Soetendal's Vlei is superb and 14km of swimming beach makes a great summer stop off point - whether you believe the stories or not!

Article © Copyright 2008 Go2Africa.

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