|
The Race | The Route
The Towns
2008 Stage Locations: Registration & Start: Hermanus Hermanus is situated along the shores of Walker Bay near the southern most tip of Africa. Magnificent mountains watch over the ocean, home of the Southern Right Whale. Nature lovers from all over the world visit Hermanus to view these magnificent creatures from the best land based whale watching destination in the world. The narrow coastal town of Hermanus, between the fynbos-covered mountains and the waves of the Atlantic, is a haven for the outdoor enthusiast. Website: www.ecoscape.org.za Stage location 1: Kleinmond Nestled between rugged mountains and the ocean, Kleinmond is a peaceful coastal town, on the edge of a unique biosphere reserve, boasting 1600 different species of indigenous plants, and declared one of the planets few “World Heritage Areas”. It is very conveniently situated for the tourist, within easy reach of Cape Town to the west, Cape Agulhas (the most southern tip of Africa) to the east, and the winelands of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek to the north. It is renowned for its abundance of lobster in summer, and whale watching in winter. Website: www.ecoscape.org.za Stage location 2: Paul Cluver Paul Cluver Estate is situated within the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, a marine and floral kingdom encompassing the entire coastal region from Gordon’s Bay to Bot River Vlei and inland to Grabouw and the Groenland Mountain.
The Kogelberg Nature Reserve which forms the core of The Biosphere Reserve is a fynbos floral kingdom with an incredible 1600 different plant species making it one of the world's richest sites of plant diversity. Website: www.cluver.com Stage location 3: Grabouw Grabouw is the gateway to the Overberg and Elgin Valley. The town is surrounded by orchards, as it is the centre of the second largest apple producing area in South Africa. The Elgin Valley borders the Kogelberg Biosphere and is one of the richest fruit growing regions in South Africa. Nestled between the Hottentots Holland and Groenland mountain ranges, Grabouw is an intergral part of the Four Passes Fruit Route and is renowned not only for its apples, but also for the production of pears, plums, nectarines and roses.
Website: www.overberg.co.za Stage location 4: Franschhoek Nestled between towering mountains in the beautiful Cape winelands lies the magnificent Franschhoek Valley. This is the food and wine heartland of the country, where splendid vines are grown and our top chefs create international cuisine.
Breath-taking scenery, warm hospitality, world class cuisine and the finest wines. This is the beautiful Franschhoek Valley in the heart of the Cape Winelands
Spectacular vineyards cover these mountain slopes settled 300 years ago by the Huguenots, who brought with them their age-old French wine and food culture. This is a valley rich in history centered around a picturesque village of friendly, welcoming people.
Website: www.franschhoek.org.za Finish: Boschendal Wine Estate At the gateway to the Franschhoek valley in the heartland of South Africa's premiere wine region lies the legendary farm of Boschendal. Boschendal is uniquely guarded by both the Groot Drakenstein and Simonsberg mountain ranges. It is one of the oldest wine producers in the New World with a French viticultural heritage dating back to 1685. Website: www.boschendal.com
|
