The Overberg is a large, loosely defined area of the Western Cape stretching more or less from Sir Lowry’s Pass to Cape Infanta. Most choose to visit the southernmost triangle described by De Kelders, Cape Agulhas and De Hoop – arguably the most evocative part of the region.
The tour of the Overberg starts more than 60 000 years ago. Klipgat Cave in Walker Bay Reserve has offered up the artefacts of Middle Stone Age people who probably used this ‘dwelling’ off and on for tens of thousands of years. The shell middens attest to centuries of survival off the intertidal zone by later Khoisan arrivals, while their stone fish traps speak of increasingly advanced fishing methods.
Standing in the mouth of the cave, you can imagine our early ancestors ranging the rock pools, perhaps hunting the occasional seal and spearing fish. Waves hammer the base of the cliffs: the tail end of a storm. This is visible on a crisp spring day with a mountainous swell, the air salty and invigorated by the pummelling.
Close to Klipgat is another cave, one that gives its name to the town: De Kelders (‘the cellars’). You can enter the limestone cavern – helmet and head torch ready to probe the darkness – with a guide. You’ll see bats clinging to the ceiling and water dripping from stalactites. It is said that Lady Anne Barnard was one of the first to visit here in 1798 and bathed in the mineral springs. The water temperature remains absolutely constant in both winter and summer, and the flow is not affected by drought.
By Justin Fox
When headed to the Overberg, you’ll find a graveyard of ships and floral riches beyond compare along a coastline patrolled by great white ...