Monday, October 8, 2012

Diving with the Great White

Getting ready to board the Apex Predator

Heading out to Dyer Island

Here they come..

BIG


Here fishy fishy fishy...




Looking a bit pale.... Unfortunately this girl along with five others failed to earn their sea legs.

Cage Action

Cage Action



Holy Shit!!!






Times two

This guy was one of the biggest of the day. Unfortunately the pic doesn't quite do it justice.

Playing around

Playing around

Spotted a few whales on the ride back in to the harbour.

Drove out to Kleinbaai for some Great White shark cage diving action!! There are quite a few different shark cage diving tours in Kleinbaai, its the capital of the sport, but we decided to go with Great White Shark Tours. The company is headed by owner and founder, Brian McFarlane, who has earned a living from the sea his entire life. He has become somewhat of a local legend in the industry with his incredible tales about the sea and his underwater experiences.

There had been a few days of bad weather, so there were a few extra people in our group than usual. We were a bit concerned at first, but by the time we got to 'shark alley' 5 people were already sea sick.

After dropping anchor the crew through out a giant tuna head, a black seal cut-out and began the process of chumming up the sea. We didn't have to wait to long for the first Great White to come cruising by. After that it was pretty much non-stop shark action for the next 4 hours.

Being able to get up close and personal with one of the world's most feared animals was a completely unreal experience! They were sleek, muscled, and incredibly agile. There is no doubt that they are the most evolved predators in the ocean. Row upon row of teeth and capable of sensing the blood of an injured animal from over a kilometre away, its not surprising that they are the most feared creature beneath the waves. And of them all, the Great White is the most awesome.







Saturday, October 6, 2012

Mosaic Farm

The Road to our Accommodation.... Filled with Potholes!!


We were driving this...


We SHOULD have been driving this...


Going to check out the Spookhuis.

One of the self catering lodges on the farm.


The Spookhuis. Built in 1892 of solid stacked stone, the Spookhuis is considered a local landmark.

Lavender

Lavender Detail

Lovely Lunch at the Spookhuis.

Overberg Mountains

Overberg Mountains

Our Accommodation on the Farm.

View from the room.

Those are Flamingos in the background!!

Overberg Mountains

The Lagoon Lodge

Curios at the Lagoon Lodge


Kanonkop 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon.

2009 Rust En Vrede Estate Blend.


After a couple of days in Cape Town it was time to head out on the Garden Route. Our first stop was in a small town called Stanford, about an hour and a half drive from Cape Town. We stayed at the beautiful Mosaic Private Sanctuary, one of the greatest hidden gems on the whale coast of South Africa!! We stayed in one of the stunning 5 safari-style chalets at the Lagoon Lodge. Earthly beauty and African simplicity at its finest!!!

The cuisine was also excellent! Three course dinners and breakfast were included in our stay. Chef Yuri's creations were always fresh and delicious. Breakfast was always a hearty affair and consisted of freshly baked muffins, homemade jams, fresh fruit and a hot meal. The dinners were built around organic vegetables from the garden and local seasonal ingredients… and of course best paired with fine South African wine!

Definitely can't say enough great things about this place!! Fantastic stay!! Food, staff and accommodation were all amazing. The only thing that could have been better was the road filled with potholes.